In 2020, I came across the podcast of Bishop Robert Barron while searching for topics on philosophy. At the time, I had been going to church regularly, but like many Catholics, I did not deeply understand what my faith truly meant. I practiced Catholicism largely out of tradition and the habits I learned from my family, although I had also been active in church youth groups during my teenage years.

After listening to his podcast, I was struck by the clarity of his explanations and the depth of his intellect. It appealed to me in a way I did not expect and awakened a deeper curiosity about the faith. I began listening to his talks every night before going to sleep, reading books he recommended, and watching many of his videos. Slowly, my relationship with the faith became more intentional rather than merely habitual.

Then one day in 2022, a neighbor called and asked if I wanted to become a lay minister and serve the Church. That simple invitation became the beginning of a deeper journey.

One thing led to another. One evening, while browsing Facebook, I came across an announcement from the Catechetical Ministry of our parish inviting people to attend an orientation meeting. I told Ingrid about it, thinking we would simply learn more about what they did. Little did we know that it was also a recruitment night, and we eventually became part of the ministry ourselves. Later on, we were recommended to become village coordinators in our parish, which eventually led us to helping organize our parish fun run for the fiesta.

One of the activities I felt most connected to was teaching Catechetical Ministry classes for parish scholars. In these sessions, we teach children from different barangays about the Gospel, virtues, and other matters of faith. The classes are short, usually lasting only an hour, but within that brief time I get to interact with young people and hopefully share with them spiritual and moral foundations they can carry into their future.

Many of them are heavily exposed to modern media and the ideas that come with it, which is why I find our role meaningful. Through these classes, we try to introduce values such as faith, responsibility, discipline, respect, and virtue — values that can help ground them amid the noise and confusion of the modern world.

I cannot deny that I enjoy the company of the people I now work with. Many of them are like-minded individuals and accomplished professionals in their own fields. To me, this was one of the biggest surprises. I used to think that people who served the Church were mostly those searching for healing or direction in life. I was wrong. Many of the people I encountered had already achieved much in their professions and personal lives. They served not from emptiness, but from gratitude.

Of course, the Church is also a hospital for those who are spiritually wounded. Some people in ministry still carry pain, unresolved struggles, or difficult personalities. In truth, all of us belong somewhere within that spectrum. Among us are the rumor mongers, the strong personalities, the impatient, and the difficult. Yet those imperfections do not erase the sincerity of the many people who quietly and genuinely serve.

Beyond the people we naturally work well with, I have come to realize that the real treasure often lies in encountering those who are different from us. They are not bad people; they simply think, act, and approach things differently from how we would. In many ways, these encounters become opportunities to practice patience, humility, charity, and understanding. They allow us to sanctify ordinary moments through difficult but necessary acts of virtue.

A few weak individuals do not define the Church. There are far more people whose love for service is sincere, generous, and genuine. Perhaps this is also an important reminder for those who feel discouraged or are thinking of leaving the Church because of the imperfections of a few people within it.

My journey began with a simple invitation that I said yes to, and from there it slowly grew into deeper encounters with different kinds of people. Through those encounters, I began to understand the imperfect beauty of serving the Church: that faith is not sustained by the perfection of people, but by keeping one’s eyes fixed on God.