May reaksiyon si Fr. Ferdinand "Ferdi" Santos tungkol sa pambihirang atensiyon na ibinibigay sa kanya ng netizens dahil sa artistahin niyang hitsura kaya trending siya ngayon sa iba’t ibang social media platforms.
Bahagi ng Facebook post ni Fr. Ferdi ngayon Lunes ng hapon, August 30: “When all this commotion has died down, (and it will) the Lord will use the seeds he himself has planted, and harvest whatever he wills.
"We priests are but instruments. Everything about us is just that - an instrument so that the Lord's work can be done.
"This too is part of his design. For what purpose? We do not yet know. But His Will be done."
Bukod sa pagiging pari, licensed fitness instructor din si Fr. Ferdi kaya nahumaling sa kanyang physical appearance ang netizens na hindi makapaniwalang alagad siya ng simbahan.
ONLY CHRIST DESERVES A "FAN CLUB"
Tila aktibo sa social media si Fr. Ferdi kaya updated ito sa mga papuring natatanggap mula sa tagahanga, at mayroon na ngang mga social media group tungkol sa kanya.
Dahil dito, nagbahagi siya ng isinulat niya noong 2003, ang "Journey into the Heart of Christ: Letters to Seminary Students on Faith, Life and Formation."
Nakasaad dito: “Only Christ deserves to have a ‘fan club’. People will naturally find us ‘attractive’ in many different ways. Many priests and seminarians after all are kind, gentle, and caring.
“Many of us are good speakers, and not a few are actually good looking. People like those qualities.
"The thing is, while there’s nothing wrong in receiving their praise and admiration (and we should learn to say “thank you” sincerely, by the way, whenever we are appreciated), we also shouldn’t forget that those words of praise do not primarily belong to us.
“They are first and foremost directed to Christ, not to ourselves. Granted that doesn’t always happen, it still doesn’t change the equation.
“They’re Jesus’ fans, not ours. And we shouldn’t be going around trying to form our own groupies. One who does so completely misses the point of the whole situation. We are meant to be ‘attractive’ to people, that is true.
“Adrian Van Kaam the author of Religion and Personality suggests that there’s absolutely nothing wrong with being “a little vain”, meaning keeping oneself well kempt so as not to turn people off. But neither should we forget that looking good, speaking and acting well, are not meant to draw people to ourselves. That will naturally happen.
“What we’re really supposed to do is to lead them—when they do come to us—to Christ. He is the chief shepherd, remember. We aren’t the point. He is.”
THE POST THAT STARTED IT ALL
Hindi lamang ang pangalan ni Fr. Ferdinang Santos ang popular search sa social media dahil trending din si Dean Ranhilio Aquino ng Graduate School of Law ng San Beda University.
Si Dean Aquino ang unang nag-post kahapon sa kanyang Facebook page ng impormasyon tungkol sa plano ni Fr. Ferdi na umuwi ng Pilipinas para tulungan ang ating mga mahihirap na kababayan.
Walang kamalay-malay si Dean Aquino na siya ang naging instrumento kaya talk of the town at viral ang post niya tungkol kay Fr. Ferdi.
Mensahe niya: “This is Fr. Ferdinand Santos. I am posting this because I am in awe of him.
“We met while he was student at the Catholic University of Louvain and I was a post-doctoral research fellow there. He and I were in the classes of Prof. Jan van der Veken on Process Metaphysics. Aside from holding a PhD in philosophy, he is a licensed fitness instructor! Amazing.
“But even more amazing is that he gave up the prestigious position of Rector of St. John Vianney Seminary in Florida that has both philosophy and faculty theologies to return to the Phiippines to work in depressed parishes. Laus Deo!”
At press time, trending pa rin ang pangalan ni Fr. Ferdi sa social media at nakakatawa ang mga sari-saring komento ng netizens tungkol sa kanya.
Narito ang ilan sa kanila:
"Bless me Fr. Ferdi for I have sinned."
"Araw-araw ka na bang mangungumpisal?"
"Ang aga kong nagkasala today pero Fr. Ferdi, pangalawang pari na ho kayo sa listahan ko."
"Willing ako magbalik-simbahan basta si Fr. Ferdi ang pari"
"Hindi ako matutulog sa sermon"
"Lord, please protect Fr. Ferdi from all manner of predators, vaxxed or unvaxxed. He needs to be quarantined from rampaging hormones and libidinous thoughts as he performs his priestly duties. Amen."
Postscript: Nakipag-ugnayan na ang PEP.ph kina Fr. Ferdi at Dean Aquino. Hinihintay na lang namin ang sagot nila sa mga mensahe na aming ipinadala sa kanila.