29/03/2026
ATTENTIVENESS, FERTILITY, AND SERVITUDE
Homily of Most Rev. Mylo Hubert C. Vergara, DD, MA, SThD
Priestly Ordination of Rev. Mike Gazzingan and Rev. Kenneth Tarayao
Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord
Immaculate Conception Cathedral, Diocese of Pasig, March 25, 2026
Rev. Fr. Orlando Cantillon, Vicar General; Fr. Mariano Baranda, Parish Priest and Rector of the Immaculate Conception Cathedral; Rev. Fr. Clarence Victor Marquez, OP, Acting Rector of UST Central Seminary, the formators, clergy, consecrated persons, seminarians; the families, friends, and benefactors of Rev. Kenneth Tarayao and Rev. Mike Gazzingan; dear brothers and sisters in Christ—Magandang umaga po sa inyong lahat.
Allow me to address this homily in a special way to our deacons who will soon to be ordained priests. Last year, Rev. Mike and Rev. Ken, you were ordained deacons on the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Today, you will be ordained to the priesthood here in our Immaculate Conception Cathedral on another Marian solemnity—the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord. You may notice that in the most significant moments of your clerical life, Mama Mary has always been your companion and intercessor. In this light, allow me to reflect on three moments in the Gospel account of the Annunciation that may inspire you to give your lives fully in ordained ministry. I borrow some insights from a reflection by Timothy Cardinal Radcliffe.
The first moment is attentiveness. When the angel Gabriel greeted Mary and announced that she would become the Mother of the Most High, she listened attentively. Her attentiveness became even more evident when she asked: “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” (Lk 1:34). Her question was not born of doubt or denial, but of deep interior listening—an openness to the mystery of God’s revelation concerning her vocation and His grand plan of salvation.
Rev. Ken and Rev. Mike, this moment of attentiveness has been very real in your lives. You were attentive to God’s call and entered the seminary. You were attentive when you applied for ordination to the diaconate. And now, you are attentive once more as you wholeheartedly embrace the priesthood. Yet attentiveness does not end at ordination. It must deepen in your priestly ministry—when you prayerfully listen to God’s Word before preaching; when you celebrate and offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass; when you sit in the confessional; when you anoint the sick. This attentiveness becomes even more concrete when you listen to the cry of the poor—the elderly, the sick, those in prison, the lost youth, and all who feel neglected and abandoned. In the words of Pope Leo XIV: “… listening to the word in the liturgy teaches us to listen to the truth of reality. In the midst of the many voices present in our personal lives and in society, Sacred Scripture helps us to recognize and respond to the cry of those who are anguished and suffering… We must recognize that ‘the condition of the poor is a cry that, throughout human history, constantly challenges our lives, societies, political and economic systems, and, not least, the Church.’” (Lenten Message 2026)
Rev. Ken and Rev. Mike, be listening priests. Magiging makahulugan ang buhay ninyo bilang pari kung seryoso ninyong pakikinggan ang Salita ng Diyos at ang maraming hinaing ng mga dukha na nagnanais madama ang awa at pag-ibig ng Diyos. Ngunit sa malawak na perspektibo, maging masigasig at makinig sa sinasabi at kilos ng nangyayari sa mundo—ang kaguluhan sa Gitnang Silangan, ang hindi matatag na kalagayan ng politika sa ating bansa, ang patuloy na hinaing ng kalikasan. Dahil ang pagkapari na inyong tatanggapin ay hindi lamang para sa inyong sarili at limitado sa parokya o komunidad na inyong paglilingkuran, bagkus ay may malawak itong hamon sa buong Simbahan.
The second moment is fertility. The angel responded to Mary: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you” (Lk 1:35). At that moment, Mary conceived Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit. She became fruitful—not only biologically, but spiritually. Hers was the fertility of love, mercy, and peace, embodied in Christ whom she would bring into a world scarred by hatred, indifference, and chaos.
Rev. Ken and Rev. Mike, you have already tasted this spiritual fertility. As deacons, you experienced it in the baptisms you administered, sensing your spiritual fatherhood as infants became children of God. You experienced it when your homilies touched hearts and brought consolation. But how do you become even more fruitful in your priesthood?
The answer is simple yet profound: prayer. As I often remind ordinands, your daily celebration of the Mass, your adoration before the Blessed Sacrament, and your devotions—the Rosary and the Divine Mercy Chaplet—will make you fertile and fruitful priests. The moment you compromise your prayer life because of the many demands of ministry, you begin to lose sight of your identity as priests. I recall the words of Jaime Cardinal Sin, who once told us at a conference: “If you are not too busy, pray for thirty minutes a day. But if you are very busy, pray for one hour.” At first, I could not understand this logic. How can you pray more when you are overwhelmed with too much work? Yet as I grew older in the priesthood, I realized that the more time I spent in prayer, the more fruitful my ministry became. In prayer, we accomplish God’s work not by our strength, but by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Rev. Ken and Rev. Mike, be praying priests. This is your path to holiness. Hangad ng mga laiko na makita nilang madasalin ang kanilang pari. At sa dami ng mga dumudulog sa inyo upang ipanalangin sila at ang kanilang mga intensiyon, lalo’t higit na kailangan ninyong maglaan ng sapat na oras sa pananalangin. Ngunit sa malawak na perspektibo alalahanin ninyo na bagama’t ang bunga ng panalangin ay kabanalan ang kabanalan naman ay katapatan. Maging tapat kayo una sa pangako ng Binyag na inyong tinanggap, pangalawa ay ang sakramento ng kumpil na sa inyo ay ipinagkaloob at ngayon naman ang maordinahan bilang mga pari. Ang pari ay hindi binata kayo ay kasal sa Simbahan. Kaya maging tapat upang umunlad sa kabanalan na bunga ng panalangin.
The third moment is servitude. After hearing the angel, Mary gave her fiat: “I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38). She responded in obedience. She was ready to serve. She was ready to fulfill her vocation and mission to bring Jesus to the world.
What does it mean to serve like Mary? Mary said her Yes without knowing what the next day—or the coming years—would bring. Did she expect the anxiety of losing Jesus and finding Him in the Temple? Did she foresee asking Him to perform His first miracle at Cana? Did she imagine standing at the foot of the Cross, watching her Son suffer and die? No. Her servitude was a leap of faith. She trusted that whatever happened, God would sustain her. She knew she was not alone in her mission.
Rev. Ken and Rev. Mike, you too have made your fiat. Serve God like Mary. Serve like Jesus, who said: “I have come not to be served but to serve” (Mt 20:28). Do not be afraid of any assignment given by your bishop. Remember: you will never serve alone. You will serve with Jesus, who empowers you in every mission. Your bishop stands with you. Your brother priests and consecrated persons accompany you. Lay servant-leaders will partner with you in ministry.
However rough your journey may become, hold fast to the Lord’s promise: “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor 12:9).
Bilang ordeng lingkod ni Hesus, manatili kayong bukas at puspos ng pananampalataya. Huwag kayong matakot sa anumang ipagkakatiwala sa inyo. Bagamat pakiramdam ninyo na kayo ang naglilingkod, darating ang panahon na mamumulatan ninyo na si Hesus ang tunay na naglilingkod sa inyo at sa pamamagitan ninyo. Sa malawak na perspektibo, ang paglilingkod ay hindi nabibilang sa dami ng appointments at assignments. Minsan kapag ganyan ang nasaisip nauuwi sa kompetisyon. Ang paglilingkod ay hindi nasusukat sa pagod na naranasan maghapon dahil sa dami ng gawain na minsan nauuwi sa paghahanap ng kapalit o konsolasyon. Ang tunay na paglilingkod ay kapag nasabi mo at nakita mo sa sarili mo na sa kabila ng lahat wala kang natanggap dahil lahat ay iyo nang ibinigay.
Rev. Ken and Rev. Mike, may these three moments—attentiveness, fertility, and servitude—shape your priestly life and ministry. May you always feel the maternal love and accompaniment of the Blessed Mother in your synodal journey as priests. Si Maria ang inyong Ina noon, ngayon at magpakailanman, And, may Jesus, the Eternal High Priest, grant you courage and strength as you serve God and His Church. Amen.
