On 2 February, the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, I knelt before God, my Jesuit brothers, my family, and my friends in the Capilla del Nuestra Señora La Virgen del Pilar, the senior high school chapel of Ateneo de Zamboanga University, to profess my Final Vows in the Society of Jesus.
It was a moment that felt both deeply personal and far bigger than myself. After nearly 22 years of formation, mission, and discernment, I was no longer in a period of probation. The Society of Jesus had now fully embraced me as one of its own. It was, in many ways, an ending—of years of evaluations, training, and discernment—but more importantly, a beginning. A life definitively given for the mission.
Fr Xavier Olin SJ, our Provincial, presided over the Mass, and Fr Manny Uy SJ gave the homily. His words captured the profound weight of the moment: “Fr Ernald’s Final Vows are not just his own ‘yes’ to God, but primarily God’s ‘yes’ to him. And beyond himself, his vows are God’s ‘yes’ to all of us, for through him, God will continue to serve, heal, and guide His people—even through his imperfections.”
It was humbling to hear those words. And even more humbling to realise their truth.
When I gave my thank you message, I couldn’t help but look back at the long road that had led me here. Jesuit formation is unlike any other—it takes time, stretching over decades, with stages that sometimes feel like a complicated relationship status. As a novice, you’re kind of a Jesuit, but not really. As a scholastic, there’s a deeper commitment, but still an open-ended future. Ordination? It feels like a wedding—but it turns out, there’s still more. And then, one day, the call comes: Final Vows. This is it. Forever.
But beyond the humour, a deeper realisation settled in. For 22 years, I thought I was the one working hard to remain faithful. But the truth is, I was the one God worked hard for.
He has stayed faithful in my unfaithfulness. He has remained strong in my frailties. He has been merciful in my sinfulness.
God laboured to love me. And because of that, He will not let me go. Not just me, but all of us.
This was not just my milestone. It was a manifestation of the relentless love of a God who does not wait for us to be perfect before He claims us as His own.
The chapel was filled with people who had been part of my journey—my family, Jesuit brothers, mission partners, and friends. Archbishop Julius Tonel was there as well, a reminder of how this vocation is never lived in isolation but always in communion.
Final Vows was not the destination; it was the crossing of a threshold. As Fr Uy reminded me, “Your mission is clear: like Christ, you must become a light—especially where there is darkness, despair, and hopelessness.”
And so, with a heart shaped by God’s mercy and a mission laid before me, I responded the only way I could: Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam.
Guillrey Anthony “Ernald” M Andal SJ is a Filipino Jesuit priest currently serving as President of Ateneo de Zamboanga University in Zamboanga City, Philippines.