Jaranilla is the name given to a little flower that grew in Spain. Inside an office of St. Joseph’s Church’s rectory, a plaque read: “Soaring High and Beyond Years” awarded to him for Excellence in Community Service to Fr. Roberto Jaranilla, Jr. I mistook it for 50 years of service and glanced at his young face. It is not possible, I told myself, until I realized it was for the 50th anniversary of St. John’s Institute, his high school where he acquired a fluency in three languages: Mandarin, Tagalog and English.
After high school, he acquired a fourth fluency, a BS degree in computer science at De La Salle University in Manila on a Knights of Columbus scholarship. He got a fifth fluency, in sports and dancing because he played basketball, table tennis and volleyball. He also became the president of the De La Salle Dance Troupe during his last year in college.
After graduation, he worked for a year at Security Bank and Trust Company. While walking along Ayala Avenue, and holding a banana cue (three plantains skewered and cooked in brown sugar) in his hand, he looked up to the skies and asked a rhetorical question: “Is this all to my life?“ He imagined greener pastures and decided to pursue post graduate education on a US student visa, through the sponsorship of his good uncle. He completed his Master’s Degree in Computer Engineering at West Coast University, Los Angeles.
A Personal Experience Converting Him to serve God. While completing his Master’s degree in Los Angeles, he mysteriously got ill. He got so weak and could not do much. He went to several doctors to obtain a diagnosis. Believing he had a terminal illness, as nothing worked to rejuvenate him to wellness, he got desperate and he complained to God: “Why me?” He heard the answers, reflected back in his thoughts: “I did not abandon you. You were the one who turned your back on me. You were not serious about your faith in college. Sometimes, you went to Mass, and your prayer life was not as important as you did in high school.”
It hit him hard. He got even more desperate. He kept crying and wrote his last will. But, because he was brought up to believe in God, he leaned on his faith. He went to confession, daily Mass, and bought his first bible.
I asked him how he got well. With such an assurance, he replied: “God accompanied me during that dark time. He led the way. I paid attention to God and I listened to him. Reading the bible I bought I came across Psalm 116, “The Lord rejoices over the death of his faithful.” I figured, even if my life is over, I still can give joy to God. I went to daily Mass. I heard at Mass that the whole heavenly court rejoices more over one repentant sinner than over the 99 who are already righteous. God is telling me it is okay, you can start over, as long as you repent and start a new life. I was really forced to question life: “Is there life after death?” It made me look at my faith and develop a closer relationship to God. When I finally accepted God in my heart, I experienced a sense of peace. I became involved in the work of the Legion of Mary and I prayed the rosary with them. After prayers, it would bring me consolation and peace. Just as the illness mysteriously appeared, it also mysteriously disappeared.”
Was it possible that God is calling on him to serve at 24 years old? Because of this conversion experience, he considered it and went to several retreats and went to Sierra Madre with the Passionist priests. He inquired about the Marian priests, and he kept praying with the Legion of Mary.
After Mass, while praying the rosary with the Legion of Mary at St. John of God in Norwalk, the pastor tapped him on the shoulders and asked, “Would you like to be a sacristan and help set up what we need for Mass and open the church?” After a short time of serving his sacristan duties, he was again asked if he thought of becoming a priest. He was surprised that the associate pastor knew about his inner aspirations, as he had not shared it with him. The associate pastor asked if he already found the right girl. When he responded “not yet,” he excitedly replied, “See God is calling you. If you decide, I will help you.”
God unfolds His process. A seminarian invited him to visit the St. John’s seminary in Camarillo during the summer, and he went. After this visit, he realized his desire got stronger and decided to apply at 25 years of age. He went through a discernment program with the Archdiocese and attended monthly get-togethers with the vocation directors. He sought the permission of his mother, Belinda and his father, Roberto, Sr. who said, “Think well before you decide,” while his prayerful mom Belinda was ecstatic.
He entered at 26 years of age and acquired a sixth fluency: a Master’s degree in Divinity, after five years of study. He was ordained a transitional deacon and after six months, he was ordained a priest on June 1, 1996. He is now on his 15th year of service. He first served at Christ the King in Hollywood where he met a Filipino group, called “One Heart, One Mind,” that remains active till today. At St. Raymond, he served as an administrator. Along with the youth ministry, he organized talent shows with them. At All Souls, he served as an administrator for 10 months, until he got his assignment as a pastor at St. Joseph in 2005.
He continues to serve in this church, where there are 2000 registered families and 166 school children that are in K-8th. His spiritual goals are focused on the youth ministry. He wants to start a child care program and looks forward to the assembly of Filipino priests this November 8-11, 2011 as “we can celebrate our fraternity, share our gifts with one another and share our blessings from God to the local churches in Los Angeles. I am happy as the pastor here. I have a lot of fulfillment and joy in serving God. This is the green pasture that God had in mind for me.”
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