“But God does not want you to be comfortable. He disturbs you [so you can] grow." - Fr. Thomas Frederick Ma. Asia, 2011.
God’s calling led Fr. Thomas to isolation from his family. When he informed his mother that he wants to be a priest, his mother threw him and his clothes out into the streets.
He was deeply hurt. All he could do was cry as he washed his soiled clothes. So deep was his wounds that it took him six months to write his parents. The answer was silence.
"What did you learn from being abandoned by your own?," I asked him.
“I learned to rely on the Lord. Father, you are there for me all the time. You care about me. Mama Mary, you are my mother," he replied.
With those prayers, his resilient heart healed.
Despite the rain and a late arrival because of it, his parents were able to attend his ordination.Their presence made a complete celebration for him. After that challenge, his life became more blessed.
In one of his homilies, he announced his excitement to be in World Youth Day in Cologne, Germany.
After the mass, a German builder of pipes and a visitor to the Philippines, Volkwart Harders introduced himself. He unsolicitedly offered Fr. Thomas a guided tour when he gets to Germany.
Only a few days before the event and Fr. Thomas’s visa still had not been approved. Mr. Harders called, and told him he still wanted to make good on his promise. Weeks passed, a plane ticket arrived which included a special invitation to Mr. Harders’ birthday party.
Bearing the ticket and the invitation, Fr. Thomas' visa got approved.
During the party, Fr. Thomas spoke of his gratitude and being blessed by someone he did not even know.
Mr. Harders, a protestant, shared the Catholic apostolate on the prisoners in the Philippines. Moved, the guests generously gave and raised Php 300,000. All funds were used to repair the prison chapel’s roof. Monobloc chairs, tent awnings and 12 propane stoves were purchased for the prisoners’ use.
Fr. Thomas laments that corruption robs the prisoners of their daily ration. Without these propane stoves, he said, these prisoners are consigned to eat rice porridge.
When I arrived at the Holy Family Church to interview Fr. Thomas, I noticed artful displays of the Stations of the Cross along the main walkway, separating the Church and the rectory. Two banners, hand-painted by the Holy Family Church’s pastor Fr. Raymond Decipeda, were hung by the altar.
One had a wooden cross as the background, a chalice and a eucharist beside it, with bamboo leaves and grapevines, all professionally painted.
Another had a wooden cross with two bright orange flames and multicolored children with arms outstretched in prayer.
Sacred gregorian chant music piped in, reminding me of the adoration songs sang by the Agustinian Missionaries nuns in the St. Rita’s chapel in Manila.
Fr. Thomas led me to the adoration chapel -- a labor of love by the Marian missionaries and the parishioners.
A fresco of Mary, Baby Jesus and Joseph greets you, and the sound of flowing water calms you. As you get inside, serenity becomes you.
The tabernacle is placed inside a cabinet, that is kept open while devotees are praying.
For the Lenten season, Fr. Thomas decorated the altar with a trellis, dangling capiz shells and Christmas lights and a base of candle lights -- increasing the atmosphere of serenity.
I came to this church, as my friends raved about how the altar is decorated to be at its artistic best, attracting more to pray. The Stations of the Cross are done by the congregation in the driveway, with 7 crosses carried by 7 parishioners, to represent the 7 cardinal sins of anger, greed, sloth, pride, lust, envy, and gluttony, sins believed to destroy the life of grace within and God’s direction for one’s life.
Fr. Thomas first heard God’s direction for his own life, when he joined the Youth Marian Crusade in high school. He taught basic Cathechism in public and private high schools in Manila and inside the prisons. Though he had plans to become a journalist and his mother planned for him to be a doctor, he finished his AB in Philosophy at De La Salle College.
Each year, he kept renewing his promise to serve the Lord. He later joined the Marian Missionaries of the Holy Cross (MMHC) seminary. He pursued a Masters in Theology at the University of Santo Thomas and after 4 years of formation, he was ordained in Dec. 1998. By the time he was ordained, he was the only one left from a group of 80 aspirants.
He was assigned as a formator of young seminarians and became an assistant novice director for MMHC’s house in Bacolod.
As a student of Fr. Raymond, he was recruited to join their team of Marian Missionaries, based on an agreement with Cardinal Mahony, to guide the Holy Family Church in Artesia. Fr. Thomas also served in St. Philomena in Carson, where a robust Love and Faith charismatic group resides, and an El Shaddai.
Today, he is a picture of joy. He recently celebrated his birthday, on July 4.
He feels fulfilled, but still dreams of going to Rome to visit the Basilicas and the Holy Father.
Devotion and serenity are twin towers of faith in this Holy Family Church. Seeing God in ordinary people and in nature animates this priest. He finds joy when he sees folks are inspired by his homily or they are strengthened by the sacraments he administers.
"I am happy when they survive, but even if they die, they seem to be in peace", he said.
He is grateful that God has given him a nice life.
“ Priesthood is my life. I hear God’s voice, I have to go and serve Him," he said.
His life of moral alignment speaks for itself.
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
