Fr. Ricky V. Ordóñez

Almost always, Jesus reminds us of the mission that He gave us – “To go into the world and bring the GOOD NEWS OF OUR SALVATION!”   There are times when we feel totally intimidated about what He is asking us to do; however, we may not fully realize that the only thing that we need is a LOVING HEART!

In 2008, Bishop Kicanas came to the Philippines to ordain me, and among the many activities that we set up for him was a visit to the Asilo de San Jose in Manila.  The orphanage/abandoned folks home is set up on a small river island and has been serving the people since the Spanish colonial days.  He celebrated mass for the orphans, the sick, and the old.   In his homily, he introduced me saying that I was about to be ordained a priest in a few days.  There was a lot of applause.

As we were leaving, an old lady came and pressed a folded piece of paper into my hand.  I thought to myself, “It’s probably a request for some financial help.”   From the orphanage, we went to another church where the Bishop led the novena to our Mother of Perpetual Help.  

 During his homily, I reached into my pocket to see what the note said and found a neatly folded One Hundred Peso Bill (approximately US$2.00) with the words, “Congratulations!” I totally lost it and burst into tears!  I have kept this and consider it one of my most wonderful TREASURES.  

 

 

It is in situations like this that we can say, “Here is a Christian.  No fanfare, no philosophy nor theology.  It was just a simple act of love….but it speaks volumes!”  I can no longer remember her face and I didn’t have a chance to ask her name.  But I know that God knows her REALLY WELL.

***** 

Asking me to go to Chicago for a conference is like the proverbial turtle that was thrown to the pond!  Mundelein Seminary was my first home in the United States and where I lived for 5 years.  In its serenity, I found a lot of peace while undergoing formation.  It was where I learned to accept God’s mission in a land far from my family and everything that I hold dear.  In a sense, it is still home.  

Needless to say, I wanted to see my friends from that side of the US and I reached out to them.  One of my brother priests drove from Davenport, Iowa just to see me.   Others arranged dinners and reunions.  

 There were, however, two special people that I wanted to see.  They were my brother priests who, currently, are “on leave” from ministry.  Sadly, when this happens to a priest, I noticed that they make themselves really “scarce” and tend to shy away.  Well, I wouldn’t hear of it.  I called and called and called.  Thankfully, they finally answered.  

Meeting them for a meal was pure joy.  It was a chance to communicate that even if our life situations may have changed, our fraternal affection for one another has not.   In the end, I am grateful for all the memories that God allowed us to share are enough to see us through no matter where our futures may lie.