Apostles for today - June 2025

 

     Apostles                           for  Today            June - 2025

   “Pray therefore to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest!”

(Matthew 9:38)

Jubilee of Seminarians

“The love of Christ urges us on.” (2 Corinthians 5:14)

Every vocation story is different. Some begin with thunder, others with a whisper. Mine began in silence, people sometimes ask me, “When did you first feel that God was calling you?” To be honest, I don’t really know. I didn’t have one big moment where everything changed. My journey with God started quietly, when I was still a baby. I was baptized, and from an early age, my parents took me to church every Sunday. I also attended Sunday school and joined most of the activities at our parish. Faith was always part of my life.

Because of that background, it’s not surprising that I ended up on the path to the priesthood. Still, I didn’t always feel certain about it. I lived my faith simply, without thinking too much about it. I didn’t have a strong emotional experience towards the love of Christ that made me decide to become a priest. 

The question came back to me years later, when I was in the obligatory military service. During that time, I started thinking more about my future. I became curious about seminary life—what it was like to study and live with others who were also considering priesthood.

In 2015, after finishing my military service, I met Fr. Solomon Titus from the Society of the Catholic Apostolate (SAC). He introduced me to the Pallottine community. Soon after, I entered the aspirancy in the Philippines and began my formation. Six months later, without hesitation, I entered the novitiate. It was a special time of silence, prayer, and learning more about the life and spirituality of St. Vincent Pallotti, the founder of the congregation. 

In 2018, I finished my novitiate and returned to Taiwan, where I took my first profession. Last year, 2024, I made my final profession in Germany, and now I am continuing my theology studies there.

This journey has brought both challenges ‘especially with language and culture’ and profound graces. The encouragement from my formators, the fraternity of the brothers, and the strength of prayer have all strengthened me. 

Studying in foreign lands is not easy. Yet I was deeply supported from other brothers and our formators. Their help reminded me that I am not alone. That is one of the beautiful things about community life—we are never left behind. 

How true it is that Christ sends us out, but never alone. We grow together. We help each other when things are hard, and we celebrate together when there is joy. 

St. Paul’s words ring true: “The love of Christ urges us on.” It is not just a beautiful phrase. It is the very fuel of our vocation. It is love that gives courage when we feel inadequate. It is love that teaches us how to forgive, how to sacrifice, and how to serve without counting the cost.

When Jesus said, “The harvest is great, but the laborers are few,” actually he was talking about this exact situation. But why? Because the needs of the world are great. The world hungers for truth, hope, and love. And that brings us to the heart of St. Vincent Pallotti’s vision: every baptized Christian is called to be an apostle. His words still echo powerfully today: “The love of Christ urges us—caritas Christi urget nos—not only to receive divine love but to communicate it to others.”

Each of us, no matter our state in life, is part of the great mission of God. No one is too young, too poor, too weak, or too ordinary to be sent.

St. Vincent Pallotti often wrote: “Not the intellect, not the talents, not the human strength, but only God’s grace and our cooperation with it brings forth fruit in the apostolate.” These words speak especially to seminarians today. It’s not about being the smartest, the most talented, or the best speaker. What matters is openness to grace, fidelity in small things, and readiness to serve.

I have had opportunities to participate in ministries that show me the real needs of the Church today—youth programs, sacramental preparation, and social outreach. These experiences help me connect what I learn in seminary with real life. They also help me think about how I can serve the Church in the future, not just in theory, but in real action. 

Being a seminarian today means learning to find the balance between living in mission and contemplation. We are students, yes—but also future priests, future confessors, and companions of the people of God. We are not only preparing to serve in churches and chapels, but in the streets, schools, hospitals, homes, and even digital spaces. St. Vincent Pallotti also reminded us: “Remember that the smallest action done with great love becomes a treasure in eternity.”

Whether we are in seminary, working in the parish, or supporting vocations through prayer, we each have a part to play in the harvest. We pray together that the Church will always have holy, joyful, and committed laborers.

Lord of the harvest, You have called us by name and sent us to work in your field. Send more laborers, Lord, who love You deeply and serve You freely. Make us faithful to the task, joyful in the journey, and humble in our service.

May the love of Christ always urge us on. Amen. 

The Jubilee of Seminarians is not just a celebration. It’s a time of renewal, a moment to remember why we continually said “yes” to God’s call. It’s also a time to thank those who walked with us—our families, formators, friends, and saints like our founder St. Vincent Pallotti who continue to inspire us. My story is just one among many. Many other seminarians all over the world are also on this journey. Some heard the call clearly. Others, like me, needed more time. But we are all moved by the same force: the love of Christ. 

Wherever we are—whether in seminary, in the parish, or at home—the love of Christ continues to call. Will we listen? Will we respond? So once more, we ask: “Lord, what do you want me to do—here and now?

 Chuan-En Shih (Joseph) - Seminarian SAC 

Union Of The Catholic Apostolate 

Piazza San Vincenzo Pallotti, 204 00186 Roma, ITALIA

Tel: (+39) 393.5560794 E-mail: uacgensec@gmail.com