In the Jewish traditions, there are 613 laws extracted from the Old Testament. To show one’s love for God, one has to be faithful and follow these laws. Humanly speaking, though, it can be so burdensome and difficult to think about and actually do these 613 laws. Hence, the most practical question, which is the most important of all the commandments?

In today’s Gospel, the response of Christ: “Love of God and love of neighbor as you love yourself.” It is not one or the other; it is both.

In my 20 years as a priest, three reflections on the priesthood.

• St. John Marie Vianney said, “The priesthood is the love of the heart of Jesus Christ.” I was in the corporate world and I felt I was doing okay and had opportunities to move up. Why then, leave everything behind for a vocation that had nothing concrete to offer aside from “Come and See”? It was a response to the unknown because I felt the love of God: even when I was the most unworthy, he called me. I come from a family of five boys and not one of us was an altar boy. In fact, the only reason why I graduated from Don Bosco High School was that as the middle child, I had to be different. Yet? Why would Jesus love me to the point of calling me to the priesthood? It is a mystery.
• The year 2016 was the hardest year personally. As they say, when it rains, it pours. But I was a parish priest of a very big parish. In show business, there is a saying. “The show must go on.” This means that whatever happens, whatever show that was planned it has to push through. How can you give hope, happiness and strength to people when I was in need of hope, happiness and strength myself? It was more than “the show must go on.” It is healing the broken even when we are broken. The love of the neighbor is only fueled by God’s love.
• The world’s best-kept secret. In all my years as a priest, I tell people that the priesthood is the world’s best-kept secret.
  • How you enter the lives of people in their happiest and loneliest moments, bringing God, and seeing God, is unbelievable
  • Being able to anoint a person who is about to transition to the next life is an unbelievable blessing
  • People telling you their stories and sins that they will never dare tell others is truly humbling
  • Being made part of the family only because we bring God is heartwarming
  • Yes, while every rose has its thorn and the priesthood has a lot of thorns especially in the ministry of deliverance and exorcism. Still love of God prevails.

In this Mass, please join me in prayer in thanking God for the gift of life and ministry. Thank you to all the people who were and who are part of this journey called life. Further, regardless of what our calling is, remember the two most important commandments: Love of God and neighbor.