JOSEPHIANS | LUMEN
13 have been coming together neatly suddenly had to be revisited .
At that time , in 1982 , Malaysia had decided to stop issuing visas for foreign students at the Penang seminary . That led to the set up of the local seminaries across Asia , including the one in Singapore , to train the clergy . It proved to be a turning point as the young JP was invited in as the first batch for a local formation programme for the Franciscans in 1983 .
“ I was then confronted with the real possibility of joining the friars . While I had been invited to consider other religious congregations , the Franciscans were really my only interest . It was them or nothing . What drew me was the simplicity of St Francis ’ teachings - there was no highfalutin ideas , no false grandeurs . What was attractive was the saint ’ s vision and how he lived the gospel with such simplicity .
At the time , there wasn ’ t the idea of being a priest either . I was not raised in a Catholic family where it was be a priest or be deemed a failure . I wasn ’ t obsessed with succeeding in this aspect . I owed no one my life and if it didn ’ t work out , I could walk away .”
He discerned , prayed , was prompted and threw his lot with the Franciscans . “ I figured there would be little loss to take a year off , explore and find out first . If the fit wasn ’ t there , I ’ d know within the first year or even six months and I could still make it to Canada . In any case , the areas of study at the seminary fascinated me and there was nothing to lose .”
Fortunately , his fit with the friars worked out . There was then an international bunch residing in Singapore , made up of Australians , Germans and Americans among others . And they treated the novices as equals . “ As a postulant we had our place but we could also speak our mind . It was democratic , egalitarian and respectful .”
But charting this course was a challenge . For the friar-to-be , it meant a complete break with the friends , family and the life he had led before . In the first year , he had half a Sunday off each month , in the second year none . Formation was tough and there were 18-hour days spent in studies , prayer , meditation , community chores and manual labour . At 22 , it seems today a tender age to be making a decision as monumental as signing your life away to the church and to hefty vows like obedience , chastity and poverty . But apparently , it wasn ’ t so unusual then .
“ In the 1980s , the few of us who were called were all around that age . Life was different then because our childhood wasn ’ t extended by school as it is these days . The young today are more sheltered and independent decision-making is delayed till later , along with the maturity to make these life-changing decisions .”
This is why Fr John-Paul is a big advocate of tackling the ‘ big ’ questions earlier . “ There is no reason to drift into life
What drew me was the simplicity of St Francis ’ teachings - there was no highfalutin ideas , no false grandeurs .
unthinkingly , obliviously . At 16 , you ’ ve completed 20 per cent of your life cycle . That doesn ’ t leave that much more time does it ? Take charge and make a difference . Don ’ t just drift into the rest of your life along the path of least resistance .”
At a recent talk on vocations at SJI , he posed a simple question to the young men . “ Given that we have only one life , what is it that we do which will bring us purpose and meaning ?
“ At 16 , it is not too big a question to ask . We have to take ownership of ourselves and have a passion for the life we lead . That ’ s fundamental to our existence . At 16 , 17 , we need to face up to that search and discover that bit of a romantic challenge to fire us up .
“ And we should not worry about making mistakes . We should be encouraged to explore the questions . And learn the lessons when we fail .
“ My job was not to sell them the religious life . That is something they have to figure out for
This page ( top ): Offering the first Holy Communion to the children
This page ( left ): Baptising an infant themselves as one possible option . So what is it that they want to do with their lives ? All this starts from discovering purpose and meaning . And this is what I always pose to the youth .”
What he does want to share though is the viability of a religious life – to have the youth consider that the vocation is not only about working in a parish setting but doing His work in different dimensions .
“ Giving up your life to God ’ s work can bring you to different places to encounter life in so many forms . Compared with some of my schoolmates , it is curious how in surrendering everything that I ’ ve ended up been so enriched – through meeting people , learning , travelling and in so many ways that surprised me . It was not something I set out to do . But it certainly made me more aware of the fragility of human planning and I feel a deep sense of blessing for having been able to journey the way I have .”
Over the last 29 years , he ’ s been privileged to see other models of churches and parishes and learnt how friars and religious serve outside the parish setting with their work in the UN and Geneva . He has witnessed how the laity has helped the church grow in so many ways . And this certainly contributes to his role today as parish priest , in helping to build a church that is contemporary and in fulfilment of the vision set out in Vatican II 50 years ago .
“ But I ’ m not soft peddling anything . The religious life is a tough life as can be with life in any form . Though when you have the passion for it , you will do your best to continue with it .
For me , once you are clear about giving your life to God , you don ’ t count the years , what to achieve nor how to graduate . That does not matter anymore .
And once you ’ ve decided well , there is a sense of peace . Just like in going into the choppy sea in the midst of the biggest storm , when you dive deep , it is really the calm you feel .”
So it is from this sense of peace that he seeks to share . “ All I want to show is that when God calls and you answer him , that as a life , a religious vocation is viable , enriching and meaningful . It can be a life beyond the imagination .”