Ordination postponement was time to discern God’s call

May 22, 2021

SANDAKAN: Fr Stephen Esguerra  was born on March 28, 1982. Most  of his childhood and adolescence  was spent in Tawau in Kg Madai,  Kunak. Fr Stephen comes from a  close-knit Catholic family of 11 people, two of whom were called to be  with the Lord, his father and his elder  brother. He is the sixth child of nine  siblings (six boys and three girls). 

The thought of becoming a priest  never entered Stephen’s mind.  However, his Catholic background,  involvement with church ministries  and vocation retreats were fundamental for his spiritual discernment  that prompted and guided him to join  the priesthood. 

He joined the seminary at the age  of 29 (in 2011). Seminary life had its  ups and downs, and the formation  focused on four aspects; academic,  spiritual, pastoral and community  life. It was also the process of knowing God, self-formation, commitment as well as an in depth discernment to God’s calling.

He was ordained to the Ministry of  Deacon on Nov 28, 2019. As a deacon, he had to discharge the office of  deacon with humility and a charitable heart in order to assist the priestly  order and to hold fast to the mystery  of faith in word and deed according  to the gospel and the Church’s tradition and live a way of life just like  Christ who came, not to be served  but to serve others.

He stated that to be a priest, a person must strive to imitate Christ in  His example of sacrifice, offering  himself as a victim to make his incarnation continually present in the  world. He should develop his relationship with God through prayer  and deeds. He should share the joy of Jesus with the people of God,  serve His people, be a mediator, and  help people get nearer to the Lord,  especially in their weaknesses, difficulties or hardships. In other words,  a priest is to exercise a threefold  function: preaching, sanctifying and  shepherding.

When his priestly ordination was  postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic, it made him discern  his relationship with God and with  the people. The pandemic has affected a lot of people, especially the  poor. He felt sorry for families who  had experienced death in the family  but the church could not conduct the  funeral Mass, only prayers at the funeral parlour.

On the positive side, the pandemic  has brought families closer. He lifted  up everything to God’s hands and realised that this was a time of reflection for him and to discern what God  wants for him in his life.