A Catholic archbishop has warned young seminarians that insecurity and pride pose serious dangers to priestly formation, urging them to guard their vocation.
Speaking during a Mass at the St. John the Evangelist Cathedral in Dagupan City on February 12 for this year’s “Sangkan ”, the national gathering of senior high school seminaries, Archbishop Midyphil Billones of Jaro said students are called to become “bearers of this light.”
“I know you are very young, but know that you are meant to become bearers of this light,” Billones, chairman of the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Seminaries, said in his homily.
He framed his homily around what he called the “two enemies” of that light: abnegation and usurpation.
Billones described abnegation of the light as denying one’s gifts, often driven by insecurity, yet equally capable of damaging vocations.
“A lot of relationships and futures are destroyed not by evil or malice but by insecurity,” Billones said. “Confidence in the light means you are the light of the world.”
He urged seminarians to recognize their unique capacities, warning that persistent self-doubt can quietly limit personal growth, mission readiness and spiritual depth.
Billones then cautioned against the opposite danger, usurpation of the light, which he said emerges when individuals claim ownership of what belongs to God.
“The only problem when we believe too much that the light is within us is when we believe we are the source,” he said.
The archbishop warned that pride can subtly take root even within seminary life, distorting priorities, weakening humility and shifting focus away from authentic service.
“When that happens, we forget that the real light is Jesus Christ,” Billones said, urging seminarians to “serve humbly, pray intensely, work with humility.”
He encouraged both seminarians and formators to confront these tensions honestly, describing formation as an ongoing struggle requiring vigilance, reflection and grace.
“In the end, when we overcome abnegation and usurpation of the light, we become who we really are: the light of the world,” he said.
The gathering, held from Feb. 12 to 14 in Dagupan, was hosted by Mary Help of Christians High School Seminary.
Sangkan, short for Isang Angkan kay Kristo, aims to strengthen vocations, bonds and brotherhood among minor seminarians.
