The beginning of my vocation:

Early January 2005, before returning to the seminary, Bishop Ronald Gilmore gave the seminarian dinner at Country Club in Dodge City. There were two seminarians, Luiz Diaz and myself, in attendance. Also present were Msgr. Brian Moore, Father Bob Schremmer, and Father Ted Skalsky.

There is a specific phrase which I will always remember from the Bishop’s address: "[My sons] always remember the beginning of your vocations." This phrase is the backdrop on which I would like present my vocation story.

God calls people through life’s significant and insignificant events. However, what is important in all these events is the positive attitude, availability, and openness of the person being called, despite any fears or feelings of protest he or she might have. In the case of the prophet Jeremiah, for instance, God reassured him of his vocation and that his mission depended solely on God’s power and love (cf. Jeremiah 1:4-8). Jeremiah’s fear was overcome by the divine promise, "I am with you" (v. 8).

As part of the title suggests -- "Called at the dawn of my life" -- I was eight years old (1986) when I first felt my vocation. Unlike Jeremiah, I did not protest, "I am too young," nor was I called through significant events (v. 6).

An eight-year-old growing up in the village of Uyoma, Nyanza, Kenya, is already required to fulfill the family chores. For example, boys of that age are often seen on the weekends in the fields shepherding the domestic animals. I was not spared from fulfilling this chore even though I disliked it. I always wished my family did not own sheep and cows. Mostly, I resented the idea of being the shepherd on Sundays because I was not able to attend Mass.

One time, I got the idea of leaving home at dawn every Sunday before everyone in the homestead woke up. I would always walk for over eight miles to go to the parish and serve Mass. This meant I would not fulfill my chore on Sundays and one of my other brothers would be asked to fill in. Other members of my family attending church would see me on the altar assisting the priest. My father was not happy with this and punished me when I returned home. To avoid punishment, I would not return to my parent’s house; rather, I went to my grandmother’s house.

My father quickly realized that there was something deeper here, so he decided to schedule my shepherding duties on Saturdays. I could now attend church on Sundays without any interference. Thus, although my schedule had prevented me from getting to church on Sunday, I nevertheless made myself available and open to what God wanted. The possible hindrance bore the fruit; the beginning of my vocation. Again, unlike Jeremiah, I did not expect to discover my vocation through the same extraordinary event. At eight years old, I felt God acting from within, through what might seem to be an insignificant event, like looking after sheep and cows.

Today, after 2000 years, Jesus keeps meeting, inviting, choosing, and calling people. He wants collaborators to work for His Kingdom, and He wants them to stay with Him, to learn to live with Him and share the values of the Gospel. This same Jesus met me (1986), an unhappy shepherd of sheep and cows in the village of Uyoma, Nyanza – Kenya, probably the same way He met the disappointed Peter after a long night of fruitless fishing (Luke 5:1-11). Nevertheless, Peter did not say "no" to Jesus when Jesus instructed him to "Cast into the deep water and lower the nets for a catch" (v. 4).

Even though Peter was an experienced fisherman, he was puzzled because it was too late in the day to catch fish, yet he followed the command of Christ. Jesus encouraged and assured Peter who was frighten at the bountiful catch saying, "Do not be afraid, from now on, it is men whom you will catch" (v. 10).

When I was eventually relieved from shepherding the animals on Sundays, I felt like Jesus had acted on my behalf and had led me into a different role: serving Mass. I liken this transitioning of roles to that of Peter; Jesus was now calling me to be a shepherd of men and not a shepherd of sheep and cows. It was through my dislike for shepherding the animals and my love for serving Mass that I started thinking about the priesthood.

Though not yet ordained, I have journeyed through high tides and lows tides, and sometimes I become afraid. However, relying on the words of Jesus to Peter, "Do not be afraid," I have always received extra courage to keep on journeying towards priesthood. Most significantly, since I listened to Bishop Gilmore say, "… remember the beginning of your vocations," I have been remembering my past experience with shepherding animals; this has even given me extra courage in more recent times.