Blessed by dying wife, widower set to fulfill calling to be a priest

With a flourishing career, Lamberto Ramos was living a good life raising his three children before his wife Maria Vilma was diagnosed with colon cancer.

But before she passed away, she gave him her blessing to return to what had once been his calling: to become a servant of God.

Featured in Sandra Aguinaldo's report on "24 Oras" on Wednesday, Lamberto is set to be ordained to become a priest this year.

He had once been on a path to priesthood in his youth, but instead chose to leave the seminary and pursue teaching after finishing his philosophy degree. Over time, he rose to high positions in a number of local and overseas companies. All three of his children were able to finish their schooling.

"I was given the opportunity to have a good family so I made sure that I should be serious about my role as a father and a husband to a good wife," Ramos told GMA News.

In 2009, Maria Vilma succumbed to colon cancer.

"But before she died, she told me, 'You may want to consider going back and becoming a priest,'" he said.

In circling back to his path to priesthood, Lamberto noted that his faith never faltered even while he was raising his family, experiences that he said would be helpful in his new job.

"I will be talking direct from my heart, direct from my experiences. Hindi na puwede ngayon 'yung hintayin mo ang mga taong magsimba at pangaralan mo ng pangaralan. 'Di na ho puwede 'yon... Pumunta ka na," he said.

In jest, he added: "I will make use of my marketing expertise to do this."

He said the circumstances of his finally becoming a priest could be chalked up to divine will.

"This is God's work. Pure and simple. This is really Opus Domini. The word of the Lord and the whispering of the Holy Spirit that did this...I can't explain this," he said.

"Thy will be done. And when you are called like this, you cannot but say 'Yes, Lord. Here I am," he added. —Margaret Claire Layug/JST, GMA News