ANG KAARAWAN NG INANG MARIA

Setyembre. May kung anong hatid ang buwan na ito.Para bang nagbibigay-hudyat sa atin para magsaya at mapuno ng pag-asa.Kapag tumapak na kasi ang kalendaryo sa buwang ito, umpisa na ng countdown.Bawat pisara sa mga silid-aralan ay siguradong may nakasaad na “____ days before Christmas!” Ang mga morning shows sa telebisyon ay may iba’t-ibang choir na umaawit ng Christmas carols, ang mga department stores ay nagdi-display na ng mga naka-eengganyong mga palamuti para sa Pasko,at ang sikat na Policarpio Street sa Mandaluyong ay naghahanda na para i-showcase ang kanilang mistulang Christmas village.Pero teka,bago ang Pasko, kaarawan muna ng ating Mahal na Ina. Setyembre bago Disyembre. Bago isinilang si Kristo, isinilang muna ang kanyang Mahal na Ina. Bakit nga ba natin ipinagdiriwang ang kaarawan ng tinatawag nating lahat na “Mariang Ina Ko”? Gaano ba siya kahalaga sa atin bilang mga Kristyano?

Para sa ating mga Pilipino at maging sa mga tao sa ibang panig ng mundo, ang pagdiriwang ng kaarawan ay isang mahalaga at masayang okasyon. Para bang sa bawat selebrasyon – ke pansit lang at ice cream ang meron, ito ay nagsasabi sa may kaarawan na “ikaw ay espesyal, ikaw ay minamahal, ikaw ay natatangi, masaya kami na nandyan ka.” Ganito rin ba ang ating damdamin o saloobin para sa Mahal na Birheng Maria?

Sa lahat ng masasakit at mahihirap na dinaraanan natin sa buhay, ang Birheng Maria, pareho ng ating mga ina, ang siya nating takbuhan. Sa bingit ng hukay, gusto nating tangan niya ang ating mga kamay sabi nga sa isang awiting pandasal. Ilang beses na ba tayong dumulog sa kanya sa oras ng kalungkutan, kapighatian at matinding pangangailangan? Bakit mayroon siyang shrine sa Edsa? Bakit kaya sa loob ng 300 na taon ay nagawa ng ating mga kababayan sa Bikol na mahalin at magkaroon ng debosyon kay Ina o ang Our Lady of Penafrancia – na isa lamang sa napakaraming imahe ng Mahal nating Ina?
Bakit tayo nagrorosaryo?

Ang kaarawan ng Birheng Maria ay siya lang namang nagbigay-daan sa pagluwal sa Tagapag-ligtas. Si Maria ay ipinagdalang-tao ng kanyang ina na si Anna. Siya na ipinagdalang-tao ay siya ring nagdadala ng mga tao palapit sa Diyos, palapit sa kaligtasan. At ang kaganapan ng lahat ng ating minimithi at pinapangarap ay nanggaling sa kanyang sinapupunan. Paano ba siyang hindi magiging espesyal? Paanong hindi natin mamahalin? Paanong hindi itatangi? At paanong hindi maghahatid ng saya at pag-asa sa atin? Hindi ba’t tulad ng ating mga ina, nilalapitan natin siya bilang ating taga-pamagitan? Kapag may kailangan kay itay at nahihiya o natatakot tayong magsabi, di ba kay inay tayo lumalapit? Kapag tayo’y may sakit, hindi ba’t ang mga nanay natin ang ating tinatawag at gusto laging andyan sa bawat ingit?

Kung kaya’t tulad ng isang anak na mapagmahal sa kanyang Inang natatangi, gusto nating ipagdiwang ang kanyang espesyal na araw. Ano’ng handa ba ang magpapaligaya at makapagpapataba ng kanyang puso? Ano ba ang maaari nating gawin? Sa aking tingin, kaya tayo naglulunsad ng KFD. Ito ang ating regalo sa Mahal nating Ina. Ito ang ating pagpapakita na mahal natin siya dahil mag-aalay tayo ng ating mga sarili upang matugunan ang pangangailangan ng iba pa niyang mga anak na naghihirap. Hindi ba’t ganyan ang nakakapagpasaya sa isang ina? Ang makita ang kanyang mga anak na nagmamahalan at nagtutulungan?

Sa iyo, mahal naming Ina, maligayang kaarawan! “ikaw ay espesyal, ikaw ay minamahal, ikaw ay natatangi, masaya kami na nandyan ka.”


Tayo’y manalangin:

Panginoon,

Kami po ay nagpapasalamat sa inyong pagkakaloob sa amin ng isang Inang Mariang mapagmahal, matiisin, matatag at malalim ang pananamplataya. Ang kanyang kaarawan ay nagbigay-daan sa aming kaligtasan. Harinawa ay kasihan mo kami ng Iyong mahal na grasya upang higit pa naming siyang mahalin at gayahin. Patuloy pa sana niya kaming gabayan ay akayin sa aming paglalakbay tungo sa Iyo, Panginoon ng Kaliwanagan. Amen.

Inihanda ni: Meng N. de Guia

Source of picture: http://campus.udayton.edu/mary//meditations/birthday.html

SI NINOY: AMA, PILIPINO, BAYANI

Ngayong umaga, hayaan ninyo akong ibahagi sa inyo ang ilang sipi ng liham ni Ninoy Aquino sa kaniyang anak na si Noynoy noong Agosto 25, 1973 habang nakakulong sa Fort Bonifacio.

?I have decided not to participate in the proceedings of the Military Commission assigned to try the charges filed against me by the army prosecution staff. As you know, I?ve been charged with illegal possession of firearms, violation of RA 1700 otherwise known as the ?Anti-Subversion Act? and murder?.
By not participating in the proceedings, I will not be represented by counsel, the prosecution will present its witnesses without any cross examinations, I will not put up any defense, I will remain passive and quiet through the entire trial and I will merely await the verdict. Inasmuch as it will be a completely one-sided affair, I suppose it is reasonable to expect the maximum penalty will be given to me. I expect to be sentenced to imprisonment the rest of my natural life, or possibly be sent to stand before a firing squad. By adopting the course of action I decided upon this afternoon, I have literally decided to walk into the very jaws of death.

You may ask: why did you do it?

Son, my decision is an act of conscience. It is an act of protest against the structures of injustice that have been imposed upon our hapless countrymen. Futile and puny, as it will surely appear to many, it is my last act of defiance against tyranny and dictatorship?

Forgive me for passing unto your young shoulders the great responsibility for our family. I trust you will love your mother and your sisters and lavish them with the care and protection I would have given them??
Labintatlong taong gulang lamang si Noynoy nang matanggap niya ang liham na ito. Para sa isang ama, nais niyang iwan ang isang mensahe sa kaniyang anak - ang huwag matinag sa pinaniniwalaang prinsipyo. Sa kaso ni Ninoy, nangahulugan ito ng pagkakawalay sa kaniyang pamilya, pagkakakulong at posibleng kamatayan. May pagkakataon sana si Ninoy na ipagtanggol ang kaniyang sarili sa mga ipinaratang sa kaniya sa tulong ng kaniyang mga abugadong sina Jovito R. Salonga at Lorenzo M. Tañada. Ito na marahil ang pinaklohikal na desisyong maaaring gawin. Sa harap ng mga ganitong sitwasyon, masusukat ang pagkatao ninuman. Ang pinili ni Ninoy, ang landas na hindi karaniwang pinipili ng nakararami ? ang lumaban sa diktadurya. Pinili niyang iprotesta ang sa tingin niya?y maling istrukturang lumilitis sa kaniya. Nais niyang iparating sa diktador na hindi-hindi siya magpapagamit sa pamamaraang kumikitil sa demokrasya.

Alam ni Ninoy ang kahihinatnan ng ganitong desisyon. Pero tumakbo marahil sa isip niya, anong mukha ang ihaharap ko sa aking asawa, mga anak at kapwa Pilipino kung basta na lamang ako magmakaawa kay Marcos upang palayain at mamuhay ako nang tahimik? Sabi nga ni Ninoy sa kaniyang binasang pahayag sa Military Commission noong Agosto 27, 1973, ?Some people suggest that I beg for mercy. But this I cannot in conscience do. I would rather die on my feet with honor, than live on bended knees in shame.? Sa panahon ngayon, ilan ang pipiliing panatilihin ang kaniyang dangal kaysa mas madaling pamamaraan?
Panandaliang nanirahan sa Estados Unidos si Ninoy upang magpaopera sa puso subalit hindi niya kayang talikuran ang kaniyang konsensiya. Nagdesisyon siyang bumalik sa Pilipinas. Nilalayon niyang kumbinsihin si Marcos na ipanumbalik ang demokrasya sa Pilipinas. Bumalik siya gamit ang pangalang Marcial Bonifacio noong Agosto 21, 1983.

Marahil natakot rin si Ninoy. Ibinunyag niyang magsusuot siya ng bullet-proof vest para sa kaniyang katawan subalit wala na raw siyang magagawa para protektahan ang kaniyang ulo. Habang kinakapanayam ng mga mamamahayag sa loob ng China Airlines Flight 811, parang nakini-kinita na niya ang kaniyang kapalaran. Wika ni Ninoy, ?You have to be ready with your hand camera because this action can become very fast. In a matter of 3 or 4 minutes it could be all over, and I may not be able to talk to you again after this.? At ganoon nga ang nangyari. Sa tarmac ng Manila International Airport, tumambang ang katawan ni Ninoy ilang sandal matapos lumapag ang sinasakyan niyang eroplano. Ibinurol siyang hindi hinuhugasan ang marka ng tama ng baril sa kaniyang ulo, mga tanda ng kaniyang kahandaang mamatay para sa bayan.

Naantig ang puso ng mga Pilipino. Humaba ang pila ng mga nakikiramay. Milyon ang bilang ng mga nakipaglibing. Sa ika-27 taon ng paggunita natin sa pagkamatay ni Ninoy, tingnan natin ang ginagawa natin para sa ating bayan.
Manalangin tayo.

Gambalain Mo Kami, Panginoon kung
Sa karangyaan ng mga bagay na aming pag-aari
Nawaglit ang aming uhaw
Sa tubig ng buhay;
Na nang kami'y humilig sa buhay,
Nahinto rin ang aming pag-aasam sa Walang Hanggan
At sa aming pagsisikap na magtayo ng panibagong daigdig
Hinayaan naming ang aming pananaw
Sa bagong Langit na magdilim.

Gambalain Mo Kami, Panginoon na mangahas ng buong tapang,
Na maglakbay sa higit na malalalim na karagatan
Na kung saan ang mga unos ay maghahayag ng iyong pagka-Panginoon;
Kung saan, mawala man sa aming balin-tataw ang mga lupa,
Matatagpuan naman namin ang mga bituin.

Hinihiling namin, Sa Iyo, na itulak patungo
sa mga hangganan ng abot-tanaw ang aming mga pag-asa;
At ihatid kami sa hinaharap
Na may lakas, tapang, pag-asa at pag-ibig.

--panalangin sinasabing katha ni Sir Francis Drake, 1577

THE SWORD, THE STAR, AND THE SEAL OF ST. IGNATIUS

Fr. Karel San Juan, SJ

Ignatius High School July 2010

Today, as we celebrate the feast of our founder, our patron saint, the father of Jesuits and thus the father of all Ateneans, St. Ignatius of Loyola, let us focus on three things that I think defined who he was, and that could define who he can be for us today. Three things: the sword of Ignatius, the star of Ignatius, and the seal of Ignatius.

First the sword of St. Ignatius. One of the most popular images of Ignatius, as we know, is his offering of his sword to the Virgin of Montserrat. The sword meant a lot to him. It defined who he was: a soldier missioned to protect his king, a soldier who will fight battles for the Crown, a soldier who will give his life for the Spanish kingdom of his time. The sword represented the life he has been living as a young man, filled with vanity and ambition, consumed with pride and personal glory, prestige and power. Yet as we know from the story of Ignatius, after his conversion in Loyola he decided to leave this life behind and follow God wherever God may be calling him. This meant saying goodbye to his being a soldier. It meant giving away his expensive clothes, and in its place, wearing a poor man’s robe. It meant surrendering his sword, during a whole night vigil or prayer, kneeling in front of the Black Madonna in the Chapel of Montserrat in Spain. In doing so he gave his life – single-heartedly – to God, and to God alone. And almost like saying, I am yours, it is up to you, take me, and lead me where you want me to go. He knew, he was certain, that he was being called to something greater.

When we see the sword of Ignatius, when we think about it, perhaps we can also think about our own swords, the swords of our own personal lives. What are the things that we have that define who we are, our passions, things that we can, yes, give up, offer to God, in place for something greater, something better, something more. Could our swords be our material things, the stuff that we tend to accumulate and are in excess of, like perhaps cellphones and computers, games and gadgets, clothes and clutter. Such that if we let go of them, we simplify our lives, and when we simplify our lives, we become closer to God. Or perhaps, could our swords be those that are great about our selves, like talents and gifts, like things we are good at, academics, sports, music, making friends, being good leaders, and being good followers too, and how about our precious time and energy – things valuable to us, which we can offer to God, so that God can use them toward something greater. Something greater like using our talents and gifts for others, for service of the poor. Remember that God still used the soldier in Ignatius, and called him to fight not anymore for the human king, but for Christ the King, for God’s kingdom, over the forces of evil in the world. In your lives, dear students, what do you think is your sword? What is your passion? What can you offer to God? What can you sacrifice to God so He can transform it, use it, for something greater, something for the betterment of others, for the betterment of the world. What is the sword that you can offer and surrender?

Second, the star of Ignatius. Ignatius was a busy man. His typical day was devoted to so many things: listening and talking to people, helping the poor and the hungry, raising funds, getting the support of the rich and powerful men and women, writing letters to the first Jesuits, to Popes, bishops, kings, and queens. He must have been very tired at the end of each day. At nighttime, Ignatius would stop, go out to the veranda of his room, and look up to the heavens, and gaze at the stars. Ignatius was a star-gazer. Star-gazing kept him quiet. It kept quiet his mind, his heart, his soul, after a tiring, noisy and busy day. More than this, star-gazing gave Ignatius some insight and perspective. It made him see that he is part of something infinitely bigger and greater. When he gazes at the stars, the infinite horizon, he realizes how small we are in the vast expanse of the universe. And this renders him silent. He is awed. He is humbled. It made him see that there is a greater power to all the things of the world. It made him see God, the greater power, loving and caring for us, small creatures of this planet. It made him feel grateful that he is still alive, kept alive and happy by God.

When we see the star of Ignatius, when we think of it, can we also think of our own stars. What are the things in our lives that keep us quiet, reflective, silent, prayerful? Perhaps, our teachers, the Jesuits, the required prayer periods, the required masses like this one? I hope not only these. I hope other things like a time we set aside for ourselves, not being forced to do so, alone, silent, perhaps in our rooms, or in any quiet places, nothing and no one to disturb us, where we can reflect, where we can pray. Jesuits call this contemplation. It focuses our mind, our heart, our soul. It connects us to our God, and like Ignatius, it gives us light, perspective, happiness, in the middle of our very busy schedules, in the middle of the so many things we do in our lives.

Can our friends be our stars? Like the friends in Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings movies. Remember Toy Story? How Andy realized toward the end of the movie that his old toys, Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Jesse, Rex, Slinky Dog, Mr and Mrs Potato Head, are really his friends, friends who have taught him the value of love, loyalty, even sacrifice. In the same way, our dear parents, our family, our teachers, our classmates, our administrators – they can be our stars, giving us light amid darkness and confusion, joy amid our sadness, helping us pray. They are stars who make us choose life, as we have heard in the second reading a while ago. Do we feel grateful for these stars in our lives? Have we thanked them in one way or the other?

And now, the third, the seal of St. Ignatius. In the time of Ignatius, seals were very important. All noble families, like Ignatius’ own, the Loyolas, have their own emblems or seals. The Loyolas have the famous seal of two wolves feeding on a pot of food, which showed abundance, sharing, and generosity, there was enough food to share, even to the wolves. When Ignatius became the head, or the General of the Society of Jesus, the Jesuits, he had to write thousands of letters – more than 7000 letters actually – to Jesuits and other people. He used a symbol to seal and stamp with wax the letters he sent all over the world. His seal bears the first three letters of the name of Jesus, IHS. It became the seal of the Society of Jesus.

When we look at the seal of Ignatius and the Jesuits, think about and reflect on your own seal. If you were to draw, or create a seal for yourself, how will it look like. What images will it contain? Will it have animals like wolves? Or initials and symbols? I am sure that many of you have made such visual representations of yourselves. In our modern-day pop technological jargon, we call them Avatars, like those we use for yahoo emails. In Facebook we can choose any type of profile picture, and represent ourselves with cartoons, photos, notes, links, and others. In the dazzling world of computer games like the amazingly phenomenal DOTA or Defense of the Ancients, we can choose our favorite heroes – Zeus, Naix, or Lina Inverse from all of 97 heroes, sentinels or scourge, level-up in experience, strength, agility, intelligence, craft our game plan, strategies and tactics, or in Guitar Hero, select and synchronize our favorite rhythms, songs and artists. We can construct our own personal websites, webspaces, chatrooms, games, rules, and others. The possibilities – creative and exciting – are endless in terms of defining ourselves today, introducing, presenting ourselves to the big world. And yet, the question remains: who are we, who shall we be, who do we want to be. In the Gospel, Jesus asks his disciples: who do people say that I am? The question of identity confronts us. Are we real or virtual? Actual or imagined? Are we portraying our selves as we are now, or as we wish to be in the future? Who do you say you are? Who do people say you are?

In the case of Ignatius, he chose his identity to be simple, uncomplicated, yet deep and profound. He chose his identity, his avatar, his hero, to be near, to be close, to the identity of Jesus. Jesus, simply, profoundly Jesus. The first Jesuits named their group in honor of Jesus, the Compaña de Jesus. They wanted themselves, their identities to be near that of Jesus, so that they will not wander far and forget who they are. Perhaps whenever we see the seal of Ignatius and the Jesuits, we can reflect on our own personal seals, symbols, images, our heroes, our profiles, and our avatars. Do we identify with Jesus as Ignatius did? Or do we identify with someone else, with something else?

And so, dear students, dear faculty and staff, in this feast of our founder, St. Ignatius, let us reflect on his legacy and his spirit, a legacy and spirit that remains alive today, almost five centuries after. His sword, his star, his seal. Our own swords, stars, and seals. His spirit and tradition. Alive and burning in our community here in Ateneo. Alive and burning in our hearts.

St. Ignatius of Loyola, pray for us.

ATENEO HIGH SCHOOL

ST. IGNATIUS FEAST DAY MASS

29 July 2010

Novena Mass Reflection Day 6 :Ignatius at Paris

Hello! We continue this morning with our novena sharing, reflecting this time on Ignatius’ experience in Paris. As many of us may already know, Ignatius went to Paris to study at the not-so-young-age of 37. For the students, if you think studying and learning is hard now, imagine when you are 37 years old memorizing facts, names and dates, staying up late to learn new concepts, taking quizzes and long tests, struggling while all your other classmates are in the prime of their lives with clear minds, good memories and youthful energy. Some of your teachers can probably attest to the fact that studying is much harder when one is much older. It is a humbling experience to say the least.

Now, despite this “disadvantage,” Ignatius saw the importance of a good education to be able to serve God well. How could he teach or preach if he did not know the material in the first place? So he went for studies even at his advanced age. Of course, he had to go to the #1 university in Europe at that time, the University of Paris. At 37, attending the best university – he definitely had a hard time. But to be fair, his roommates, Peter Faber and Francis Xavier, probably studied hard as well – the whole class did. Though, perhaps some, like Ignatius, studied more than the others. But all of them went through the same Parisian educational system where the students would be given a subject to master; there would be a lot of exercises and exams, over and over again until they mastered it; only then would they move to the next topic, and to the next, and so on and so forth. For seven years they toiled together. And as you can probably guess, Ignatius, Faber and Xavier and all their other classmates emerged from such a demanding and challenging experience with more than just a doctorate degree – they emerged as close friends, companions.

I think many of you can relate to this. May it be a difficult subject, a demanding teacher or one of the many class projects – it’s hard, it pushes every one of you, but in the end, when all has been said and done, you’ve not only learned a new skill or concept, you’ve also learned more about those who struggled with you: you classmates. After three or four years in the same class, you cannot but know each other well.

If I may be bluntly honest this morning, I must say that I am going through such an experience right now. As some of you might know, I’m a Jesuit candidate living in Arvisu House. I and my fellow candidates are being given a taste of what it means, what it entails to be a Jesuit. It’s not easy. It’s not easy for me to be poor when I’ve had a car, got a well-paying job, a very comfortable life and sizable inheritance. It’s not easy to be chaste when I’ve had a girlfriend, when I’ve known how it is to love someone deeply and be loved as deeply in return; not to mention the raging hormones (well okay, libido, mostly). It’s hard to be obedient when I’m educated, skilled and confident, used to being independent and proactive. It’s hard. But it becomes a little easier when I know I’m not journeying alone. I know my Arvisu brothers are going through the same thing in their own way. And these past two months, I’ve gained some really good friends who give more than just advice, but who provide the strength to carry on. Through our shared struggle, friendships are born.

In today’s Gospel, the same can be said of Jesus’ disciples. We have Jesus speaking in parables that no one at that time could understand. Even his disciples couldn’t understand. So, in the Gospel, we find them going to Jesus asking for an explanation. It must have been hard to be Jesus’ disciple then. Imagine leaving your family, your possessions to go from town to town listening to a teacher you cannot understand and constantly being threatened by the authorities and elders. It must have been a real struggle. But it is a struggle that forged deep friendships among disciples that later helped lay the foundation for the early Church.

And so, in any hardship or tragedy we are currently going through, perhaps is good to ask who else is struggling beside us and perhaps we can lend a helping hand or give kind word or even just an affirming smile because for all we know: that person may need a friend.

Novena Mass Reflection Day 5 :Ignatius at Jerusalem

Unang Bahagi.
Kapag nagleleybor ang buntis, hindi ‘yan makatitiis…

Nagpunta si Ignacio sa Jerusalem. Ang dahilan… gusto niyang mapuntahan ang pinagmulan ng pananampalatayang Kristyano, ang lugar kung saan mismo isinilang ang panginoong Hesus. Marahil, bukod sa gala lang talaga si Ignacio, e romantiko rin siyang dito niya gustong ipanganak, isilang ang pagyabong ng kanyang bokasyon. Gaano karomantiko si Ignacio sa bahaging ito? Bukod sa gusto niyang puntahan kung saan isinilang si Kristo, gusto rin lang naman niyang makita pati ang lugar ng asensyon ni Kristo at pati na kung saan nakaturo ang kanyang mga paa nito nang umakyat siya sa langit. Pati kung saan nakaturo ang paa ni Kristo nang umakyat siya sa langit ha. Hardcore. OC.

Pero siyempre, hindi ito naging madali sa ating bida. Bakit? Nandyan ang mga Turko na sumakop sa Jerusalem nung panahong iyon kaya hindi basta-basta makapangaral hinggil sa Kristyanismo. Bukod pa rito, e nariyan ang mga Franciscano na kumausap kay Ignacio na kung gusto niyang lumalim pa nang husto ang kanyang ispiritwalidad, e pumunta siya sa Roma, at huwag maging labis na mapangahas na mangaral hinggil sa Kristyanismo sa Jerusalem dahil baka magalit ang mga Morong Turko at ‘di na nila payagan pang makapunta ang mga Kristyano sa banal na bayan. Sa madaling sabi, itinaboy nila si Ignacio.

Sa isang banda, mukhang bigo si Ignacio sa kanyang layunin sa Jerusalem. Bigo sapagkat hindi niya naisilang ang paglago ng kanyang ispiritwalidad sa lugar kung saan niya ito nais isilang.

Kabiguan o di-mapipigilang pagsilang? Kapag nagleleybor ang buntis, hindi ‘yan makatitiis… magsisilang at magsisilang ‘yan. Sa taxi, sa dyip, sa bahay, sa ospital, sa traysikel, sa kariton, sa traysikad, sa arinola… kahit saan, kung nagleleybor ang buntis, hindi ‘yan makatitiis… magsisilang ‘yan. Ganyan marahil ang nagyari sa ispiritwalidad ni Ignacio. Hindi man sa pinakaninanais niyang lugar ito isilang, hindi niya ito mapipigilang ipanganak. Tulad ng isang inang nagdadalantao, kahit hindi sa pinakamahusay na ospital ipanganak ang kanyang supling, ayos lang. Ang mahalaga, buhay ito, masigla at malusog. Hindi man sa Jerusalem, ang mahalaga, isinilang ang bokasyon ni Ignacio, buhay ito, at patuloy na lumago.

Ikalawang Bahagi.
Ano ang higit na mahalaga? Jerusalem o ang layuning paglagong pang-ispiritwal ni Ignacio? Ospital? O ang panganganak nang ligtas, buhay, at malusog?

Kung iuugnay ito sa sariling pagninilay, maaaring maihambing ang Jerusalem sa mga panagarap ko. Samantalang ang dahilan naman ng pagpunta ni Ignacio sa lugar na ito ay maihahambing ko naman sa mga sariling dahilan kung bakit ako nangangarap.

Ano ang aking Jerusalem?

Maging presidente ng Pilipinas! ‘Yan talaga ang pangarap ko. ‘Yan ang Jerusalem ko. Ang dami kong pinagdaanan para marating sana ang pangarap na ‘yan.
Sumali ako sa mga organisasyon sa paaralan ko nung ako ay nasa elementarya at sekundarya. Naging pangulo ako ng student government ng aming paaralan. Namuno ako sa maraming mga gawaing pampaaralan na magbibigay ng higit na kaginhawahan at kaayusan ng katayuan ng mga kapwa ko mag-aaral noon.

Bukod dito, galing din ako sa pamilya ng mga politiko. Naging kapitan ng Baranggay ang lolo ko (sumalangit nawa) at baranggay tanod naman ang isa kong tiyuhin. Mabibigat talaga ang pusisyon ng mga kamag-anak ko sa pulitika!

Naisip ko, kung talagang gusto kong maging pangulo, mabuting kumuha ako ng law sa kolehiyo upang maihanda ako nang maigi. Pero may mga turko at Franciscano rin sa buhay ko. Ang pinakamalaking hadlang, kahirapan. Ni hindi ako sigurado kung mapag-aaral ako ng magulang ko sa kolehiyo. Kung gaano kahirap, mahabang kwentuhan ‘yan. Basta ganito ang kalagayan ko dati, sa iskwaters area kami nakatira, na noong una’y wala kuryente (sa loob ng isang taon) at wala kaming kubeta (sa loob ng isa’t kalahating taon at kailangan mong tiisin ang sakit ng tiyan at maglakbay ng kalahating kilometro para makadumi nang matiwasay sa bahay ng tiyahin ko). Sa madaling-sabi, kailangan kong bitawan ang aking Jerusalem.

Pero katulad ni Ignacio, hindi puwedeng hindi ko ito maisilang. Binalikan ko ang dahilan ng aking Jerusalem, ang dahilan ng aking pangrap, ang dahilan kung bakit ko gustong maging pangulo. At ito ay ang aking sariling krusada sa paglaban sa kahirapan. Sawa na akong maging mahirap at alam kong ito rin ang nararamdaman ng karamihan sa bayang ito. Ito ‘yung pinagbubuntis ko, ito ‘yung gusto ko sanang maipanganak sa sarili kong Jerusalem. Pero hindi ko nalasap, ni bahagyang narating ang aking Jerusalem.

Hindi man ako naging pangulo, nagguro ako (sa paaralang humuhubog sa magiging pinuno ng bayan). Upang hindi mamatay o masayang ang mga adhikaing naging dahilan ng aking Jerusalem.

At katulad ng nagleleybor na buntis… hindi rin ako makatitiis na hindi ito maisilang. Kung hindi man sa mahusay na ospital, kahit sa dyip o sa traysikel o sa kariton ko ito isilang. Ayos lang. Basta buhay at masigla. …Kahit hindi sa Jerusalem.

Bok Pioquid
CSIP

Novena Mass Reflection Day 4 :Ignatius at Manresa

Naglalakbay noon si Ignacio patungong Barcelona nang siya’y napadaan sa isang ilog na pangala’y Cardoner sa bayan ng Manresa. Mayroon doong kuweba. Sumilong siya roon ng ilang araw ngunit di niya akalaing lalagi pa siya ng sampung buwan. Sa kuwebang iyon, ibinigay ni Ignacio ang kanyang sarili sa matinding pagdarasal at pagsakripisyo. Doon niya isinulat ang kanyang Spiritual Exercises. Sa tabi ng Cardoner, nagkaroon ng pangitain si Ignacio. Ang pangitaing iyon ay tuwirang nakapagbago ng kanyang pananaw sa buhay at sa ugnayan nito sa ibang nilalang. Mula noon, mas nakita niya ang lahat ng bagay, pangyayari at tao sa kasaysayan ng mundo na may hayagang ugnayan sa Diyos na may likha ng lahat. Bagama’t habambuhay itinago ni Ignacio ang patungkol sa yaong pangitain, maraming naniniwala na ang Diyos mismo ang kanyang nakita’t nakatagpo sa panahong iyon.

Maganda ang karanasan ni Ignacio sa Manresa. Mas nakilala niya ang Diyos at ang kanyang sarili. Ngunit hindi niya piniling manatili doon habambuhay. Ang manlalakbay na Ignacio ay umalis ng Manresa at ipinagpatuloy ang kanyang paglalakbay. Oo, mas nakilala niya ang Diyos at ang kanyang sarili sa Manresa ngunit nakilala rin niya ang plano ng Diyos sa kanyang buhay.

Naalaala ko, noong papatapos na ang aking 30-day retreat sa Sacred Heart Novitiate, nakaramdam ako ng munting kalungkutan nang mawari kong magtatapos na itong katahimikan. Ngunit naranasan ko rin ang matinding pananabik na bumalik sa mundo upang subukang gawin ang kanyang kalooban. Gaya ng Manresa, at tulad ni Ignacio, inihanda ako ng Diyos sa loob ng tatlumpung araw sa Sacred Heart Novitiate.

Kasagsagan noon ng pagputok ng mga balita tungkol sa napakaraming iskandalo ng simbahan at ng mga pari nito. Hindi ko makakalimutan noong tinanong ako ng aking superior, Madz, hindi maganda ang itsura ng Simbahan ngayon, maraming iskandalo itong hinaharap, may mga lumalabas sa pagpapari at halos wala na, sa mga kabataan, ang may nais na maging tulad natin.

Kaya ako narito, sagot ko, kung parang isang napakalaking barko na lumulubog ang Simbahan ngayon, kalooban ng Diyos na ako’y manatili anuman ang mangyari. Kahit hindi ito madali, dahil naniniwala ako sa kanya, ako’y tatalima.

Mahalaga ang mga Manresa ng ating buhay. Para itong mga ”stop-overs” kung saan naririnig natin ng malinaw ang ating Diyos sa pamamagitan ng pakikinig sa ating sarili. Dito natin naalaala ang mga kwento ng Diyos sa ating buhay, kung paano niya tayo minamahal. At dito natin nalalaman ang kanyang kalooban.

Bro. Madz Tumbali, SJ
CMO/ Araling Panlipunan

Novena Mass Reflection Day 3 :Ignatius at Monserrat

Months before I said “Yes” when I was asked to become the next APSA, I remember a conversation I had with my predecessor, Mr. Jun Balmaceda. He said something along these lines (which I have roughly translated): “The challenges of the APSA Office at times seem insurmountable, and it takes a little craziness to maintain sanity in dealing with them.”

I knew what I was getting into. I will need to look after over two thousand students. I will need to listen to the complaints of parents. I will immerse myself in their problems. I will need to take care of over two hundred faculty members. I will deal with issues spanning about three generations. There will be problems that I can anticipate and prepare for, and those that I won’t even see coming.

Then I figured that each and every one of us is faced with seemingly insurmountable challenges from time to time. And they do not have to be problems associated with work. They can come in the form of losing a loved one in a tragic event. Maybe you found out that your husband or your wife is having an affair and your family is falling apart. Maybe you made a wrong investment, and now you can’t pay for your children’s tuition fees. In any case, maybe Mr. Balmaceda’s advice has a lot of wisdom: taking these problems too seriously would make us go insane. People who really know me would say I have no problem with going a little crazy. There are times when it’s hard to distinguish if I am serious or not. But what I would like to share in this Mass is a weapon I have found more effective in facing these challenges than just a little craziness. That weapon, is a way of prayer.

Since last a retreat I attended last May, prayer for me has no longer been a monologue that I hope God would hear. I have discovered that it can be a dialogue where I can hear what God is telling me. But it is something that is not automatic for me, especially when I have a lot of things on my mind. So I began to study the conditions that allow this to happen. Here are the steps that I follow:

1. Pray for God’s grace. Use a formula prayer or read a Bible passage for the day. Pray that God will speak to you and that you will hear it.

2. Clear your mind from all your thoughts and worries. In this process you may be reminded that everything in this world is only temporary. Just be aware of your present environment. You can close your eyes and rely on your other senses. Be conscious of your breathing, and with each breath thank the Holy Spirit for giving you this life.

3. A reflection guide will always helpful. Write your thoughts and feelings in a notebook. It can be about the passage that you read. It can be about your answers to some guide questions. It can be about anything. You can even draw if you like.

4. Just wait for the grace to come. But when it happens, how do you know if it is God or something you just conjured from your unconscious? You will know when you hear something that did not come from you. You will be moved to tears. For some you will be moved through uncontrollable laughter, or maybe even music. There will be a surge of emotion that will creep in and take over. And then things will become clear. The seemingly insurmountable challenges before you will become the blueprint of God’s plan. You will feel energized, like a battery that could run forever. At that point, try to write everything as fast as you could. Not that you’re going to forget God’s word, but so you can go back to the experience from time to time.

5. Close the experience with a prayer. It can be a formula prayer. Or it can be something you just made up, like this:

Lord, I remember a homily given by our former chaplain, Fr. Rudy Fernandez. He said that when Mary responded with the magic word ‘Yes,’ God was set loose into the world. And the blind began to see, the deaf began to hear, the mute began to speak. When I said ‘Yes’ to this tremendous responsibility of becoming the APSA, I knew this wasn’t about me anymore. I am going to let you loose into this community. Use me as Your instrument, and let’s make some beautiful music.

Mr. Jon Bilog
APSA

Novena Mass Reflection Day 2 :Ignatius at Pamplona and Loyola

We all know that Inigo de Loyola was born into a noble family and that he trained to become a highly esteemed soldier. We know that he met his misfortune in a battle against France in Pamplona when a cannon ball struck him, wounding one leg and breaking the other. Because the French soldiers admired his courage, they carried him back to recuperate at his home, the Castle of Loyola, rather than to prison.

His leg was set but did not heal, so it was necessary to break it again and reset it, all without anesthesia. But then, a bone protruded below the knee, and one leg was shorter than the other. It was an ugly sight and was unacceptable to this vain soldier, who considered it a fate worse than death not to be able to wear a knight’s long, tight-fitting boots.

Ignatius ordered the doctors to saw off the offending knob of bone and lengthen the leg, again, without anesthesia. He bore that terrible pain for the sake of his appearance and his future.

Ignatius had to rest and let his wound heal for 7 months. Extremely bored, he checked out the library and found only a copy of the life of Christ and a book on the saints. The more he read, the more he was inspired by the exploits of the saints, which he found worth imitating.

At the same time, he continued to have daydreams of fame and glory, of street duels, of boasting and daring and the image of a perfect knight.

But something happened. Ignatius noticed that after reading and thinking of Christ and the saints, he was filled with peace and tranquility. And when he finished his long worldly daydreams of military service and exploits, he would feel unsatisfied and restless.

Ignatius found himself torn between two loves.

He weighed his two conflicting desires and through hours and hours of meditation. He realized that in his pursuit of honor and esteem by the world, he was hiding from God, fleeing from Him. Jesus touched him and set his heart on fire, inspiring him to turn to God and become a “pilgrim” to find his life.

This is where and how St. Ignatius’ conversion began – in pain and in silence.

Have we similarly experienced pain – the loss of a job, a loved one, physical injury or sickness, betrayal by a loved one, loneliness and desperation?

When we are stripped of things that we have become attached to, and seemingly alone, we are brought to an opportunity to be silent and hear the voice of God inside of us.

On September 26, last year, rains that poured continuously for hours caused floodwaters to rise close to the ceiling of our home. It took two days before the floodwaters of Ondoy receded and we were able to go to our house. I was not prepared for the damage that met my eyes. Everything – the house, the garden, furniture, clothes, appliances – everything was coated in foul-smelling mud. Three of our cars had been completely submerged in floodwaters. We felt we were stripped of our material things. It caused us all a lot of pain. But in silence and in prayer, we turned to God as the true and only source of security. The biggest lesson we learned was that material things come and go, but what matter most are family, our love for one another and the Sprit of God that gives us the strength to endure difficulties and continue to hope.

We have learned that the gifts that God has given to us are not to be kept but shared with others. Nothing is really ever ours.

Like St Ignatius, we learn to accept all that happen to us, to be humble, and to be obedient to God’s will.

St. Ignatius de Loyola, pray for us.

Mrs. Aida Santiago

Parent

Novena Mass Reflection Day 1 :Ignatius at Azpetitia

Ang buhay ni San Ignacio sa Azpeitia, Guipozcoa, Hilagang Espanya ay masasabing marangya at napupuno ng kasiyahan. Lumaki siya na may patutunguhan at may pangarap para sa sarili. Pero tumigil ito nang tamaan siya sa paa ng canon ball. Ang canon ball na siyang nagdala sa kanya sa daan na ginawa para sa kanya. Ang canon ball– minsan ito’y nagsisilbing pampagising. Minsan inaakala mo na ito’y isang trahedya, pero malaki ang kabuluhan sa ating buhay. Masakit pero hindi natatapos doon ang lahat, maaring ‘yun lamang ang umpisa. Tulad ni San Ignacio ay may sarili rin akong patutunguhan at pangarap. Sabi ko sa sarili ko ngayong taong ito, magiging pokus ako sa aking mga plano. Makabili ng sariling bahay, makabili ng laptop, ang mag-aral muli at kumuha ng Masters, pati ang pagkakaron ng kasintahan ay naplano na. Pero may nangyari sa buhay ko na nakapagpagising sa akin.

Tulad ni San Ignacio may “canon ball” na tumama saken. Nagkasakit ang aking ina. Nakitaan siya ng bukol sa kanyang rectum. Ayon sa doktor kailangan daw siya maoperhan para hindi ito maging sanhi ng mas malala pang sakit, ang colon cancer. Naging sanhi ito ng maraming pagbabago sa akin at sa aking pamilya, nadagdagan ang gawaing bahay, nagkaproblema sa pera, nagkaalitan ang magkakapatid, nagkatampuhan kaming mga magkakamaganak. At higit sa lahat hindi na natuloy ang pagkakaroon ko ng kasintahan. Samakatuwid, nasira na ang aking mga plano. Napakabigat sa pakiramdam. Ngunit ang sitwasyong ito ay nakapagpamulat sa akin sa maraming bagay, marami pang bagay pala na mas mahalaga. Sa sitwasyong ito natagpuan ko ang aking sarili na nagdarasal. Kailangan ko magdasal yun ang sabi ko sa sarili ko, kailangan ko ng Kanyang gabay, dahil malapit na ko bumigay. Sa bawat oras na nasa ospital kami nakita ko ang presensiya ng Diyos. Sa bawat araw na naghahanap kami ng pinansiyal na suporta, nakita ko ang Diyos sa aking kapwa. Nakita ko rin ang kahalagahan ng pagkakaisa at pagmamahalan naming magkakapatid, kahalagahan ng pamilya, kahalagahan ng pagpapasensiya at pang unawa, at ang pinaka importante ang kahalagahan ng oras at ng buhay. Hindi nga naisakatuparan ang aking mga plano, pero may mas mahalagang di nawala, ang buhay ng aking Nanay. Minsan may nangyayari sa buhay mo na hindi mo gusto, na hindi mo inakala. Huwag mo itong ituring na kamalasan o masama, o dahil pinaparusahan ka. Kasi ito’y maaring isang daan upang akayin ka Niya sa direksyon na kung saan dapat ka tumungo, na tumigil ka at magbalik loob sa Kanya. Ang magpatuloy sa buhay, na huwag bumitaw sa pananampalataya.

Marami pang “canon ball” na darating. Marami pang pampagising ang Diyos na ating mararanasan, habang patuloy tayo sa paglalakbay at pag diskubre ng nakalaang misyon ng Diyos para satin.

Chona A. Glodo

Testing and Research Office Staff

Rich Young Men

by Joseph Patrick Echevarria

Good morning. In line with our theme for the week ­– “St. Ignatius the Pilgrim who sought the Glory of God” – it is perhaps apt to relate or juxtapose “St. Ignatius the Pilgrim” to a certain “rich young man” we find in the Gospel.

In Matthew’s Gospel, the “rich young man” desires to have a more meaningful life, and seeks out and approaches Jesus and inquires about what more he can do to live a better life – after all, he has already observed the ten commandments, which are difficult enough by themselves. Jesus sees his sincere desire and responds with an invitation to go further, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come follow me.” When the young man heard this, he went away sad, for he had many possessions. We can probably imagine that Jesus, in his humanity, felt sad for the rich young man as well. He was a good young man, but he just couldn’t take that next step. Maybe he had something he couldn’t let go of, or he had responsibilities at home and his family expected much from him, it could be that he is to take over the family business, or perhaps he just wasn’t ready to surrender everything, to surrender himself. In any case, he turned away with his head bowed down.

In many ways, Ignatius too was a “rich young man”. He lived in a castle, he was brave, and an exemplary fighter and swordsman, admired by his peers and the ladies of the court, even his enemies greatly respected him. You could say he had it all. But he too was interested in a better life, not just of comfort and wealth and women and power, but a life of greater meaning and purpose. Like the “rich young man” in the Gospel, he went far and wide in search of meaning; he became a “pilgrim”. And in his travels, like the “rich young man”, he met Jesus, and the Lord, saw his sincerity, invited him to come and follow. But unlike the “rich young man”, Ignatius said “yes”. If we try to imagine that moment in Ignatius’ life, his “yes” might have been said with a little fear for he did not know where Jesus will take him and a little nostalgia at the once grand life he was abandoning. But surely, it was a “yes” filled with much trust and much faith and much love. And as we know, his “yes” to Jesus has made all the difference in his life and in the many lives he has touched then and even now, in the many Jesuits over the years and across nations, and, of course, his “yes” has made a big difference in the many people these Jesuits know, like the students, the teachers, the staff and professionals in the Ateneo High School.

And if we think and look carefully, we will see Ignatius’ “yes” repeated by many in our community, some more obvious than others, some also rich and also young and talented and accomplished and handsome – but have sought a better life, have sought a life of deeper meaning, have sought to follow the God who knows only to love and to give without measure.

To be sure, the world and its values will see these “rich young men” as crazy. But perhaps it will also make them ask, make us ask: “Who is this Jesus who can inspire these men to give up everything to come and follow him?”

As we ask, we pray: In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Father, You know us, You know our desires, You know our deepest desires. Grant us the wisdom that we may recognize it ourselves. And grant us the strength, the perseverance and the patience to pursue it with all that we have and all that we are. Amen. In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

July 2: Feast of St. Bernardino Realino

St. Bernardino Realino (1530-1616), the Apostle of Leece, was of the Italian nobility. Before entering the Society of Jesus, he was an accomplished lawyer. He was also a chief tax collector, a mayor, and a judge. He also became a superintendent of the fiefs of the marquis of Naples. Yet, despite his success, St. Realino found himself unfulfilled with worldly honors.

When he heard God’s call, he gave up everything to be a religious, a priest, a Jesuit. He became a model confessor, a sincere preacher, and a diligent teacher of the faith to the young. He was a dedicated shepherd of souls and a pastor to the poor, the slaves, the sick, and the prisoners. When he was 32, he wrote to his brother, “I have no desire for the honors of this world, but solely for the glory of God and the salvation of my soul.”

In our world today, we often equate success with worldly things. How rich we are is defined in terms of money, property, and recognition. Many of the youth today labor just to climb the ladder of success. They go to school and work hard day in and day out.

The culture of today is a culture of productivity. The more a person produces, the more successful a person is. The more one accumulates, the better one is. But the life of St. Bernardino Realino reminds us that giving glory to God and the salvation of our souls are far more important than worldly honors. And in the eyes of God, this is success.

S. Bernardino Realino is an example of a rich young man who made the right choice, a young man who gave up everything to follow Jesus and who found his success in heaven rather than in the world.

Which is better: Success only in the eyes of the world or success in the eyes of God? Choose. To be an apostle of God is to be detached from worldly things and to hold on to God, to surrender and follow.

What are you willing to sacrifice for the sake of God’s glory and the salvation of your soul?

Lord, we pray that we may be able to follow St. Bernardino Realino and respond to Your call, for Your glory and the salvation of our souls. St. Bernardino Realino, pray for us.

- Bryan O. Arevalo, SJ

Reposted from phjesuits.org

Reflection on the Feast of St. John the Baptist

Reflection on the Feast of St. Aloysius Gonzaga

GATHER ye rosebuds while ye may,
Old time is still a-flying:
And this same flower that smiles to-day
To-morrow will be dying.

The glorious lamp of heaven, the sun, The higher he's a-getting,
The sooner will his race be run,
And nearer he's to setting.

That age is best which is the first,
When youth and blood are warmer;
But being spent, the worse, and worst
Times still succeed the former.

Then be not coy, but use your time,
And while ye may go marry:
For having lost but once your prime
You may for ever tarry.

So wrote an English romantic poet and lover of life, Robert Herrick,
as he dedicates these verses To The Virgins, To Make Much of Time.
His poem emphasizes the shortness of life,
the beauty of the world,
the glory of love
and our inescapable human need of finding our one, true, lasting commitment
that we will keep for the rest of our lives.

***

Last Friday, we honored the Most Holy Spirit,
with a Celebration of the Eucharist.

Before one another,
in front of our parents, teachers and friends,
we made a commitment to form ourselves
according to the vision of the school
described by the 5 C’s.

We asked the Spirit of God to strengthen our resolve
to put Christ, our Lord, at the center of our lives
and thus, from there, influence
the quality of our learning,
the practice our conscience,
the way we relate to one another,
and the effort we put into fulfilling our different promises.
Life is short.
Non habemus tempus.
We have no time.

***

What if, one day, God sends one of his angels
to tell you that you have only one more year to live?

Will you still go to school or just stay home?
Will you start asking people to pray for you
and take care of you while life slowly drifts away?
Will you begin to list every human experience
that you would have wanted to feel and enjoy
and make sure to fulfill them one after another?

An angel saying: “Here comes your last year on earth”
-- was how Aloysius Gonzaga
exactly received the vision of Archangel Gabriel.

The Gonzagas were a rich clan from Northern Italy.

Aloysius, humble of his origins,
avoiding often the attention caused by his surname,
would often sign his name simply as “Louie” or “Luigi.”

Aloysius’ father, who was a famous military person,
exacted from him the same kind of discipline
yet provided him with the best education.
It was through his studies
that he learned about saints and priests.
Thus, at an early age,
Aloysius expressed a desire
that he will be a priest and a saint one day.

His father having learned about this,
sent Aloysius to a military camp at age 5
to ensure that only a military life
will take root firmly in his heart.

So much was expected from this young man,
that initially his father
and his relatives discouraged him
from pursuing his dreams to become a priest.

After a fierce battle of wills,
and only after several years, Aloysius won his father’s approval.
He entered the Society of Jesus with a strong resolve of finishing his priestly studies.

Non habemus tempus.
We have no time.

Archangel Gabriel told him: “Here comes your last year on earth.”

Even before finishing the course,
St. Aloysius faced the inevitable
yet beautiful design of God’s plan.

A serious plague broke out in Rome.
Aloysius volunteered at once to help in the hospital.
During his time, hospitals were not clean, orderly places
that we are familiar with today.
It was very easy to catch an illness.
That is what happened: Aloysius became very ill.
No medicine could help him.
He died when he was only 23 years old.
He was not afraid to die.
During his life, he had focused himself
on doing what Christ wanted:
serving and loving God, our Father, and His big family.

What if, one day, God sends one of his angels
to tell you that you have only one more year to live?
What will you do?

We now have one new school year.
What will we do?

Dum tempus habemus, operemur bonum.
While we have the time, let us do the good.

***
GATHER ye rosebuds while ye may,
Old time is still a-flying:
And this same flower that smiles to-day
To-morrow will be dying.

The glorious lamp of heaven, the sun,
The higher he's a-getting,
The sooner will his race be run,
And nearer he's to setting.

That age is best which is the first,
When youth and blood are warmer…


***

Let us pray, +
Good Father in Heaven,
thank You for Your gift of life.
Help us, while our youth and blood are warmer,
to gather the many graces
You give us each day and everyday.

That even when your lamp, the sun,
has neared its setting or finished its race,
we have rendered you greater glory
by using our time well. Amen.

All you, Jesuit Saints and Beati, pray for us.
St. Aloysius Gonzaga, pray for us.

+

Sources:
Saints and Feast Days (Loyola University Press, 1985), pp. 133-4.
www.wikipedia.org on St. Aloysius Gonzaga and Robert Herrick

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aloysius_Gonzaga
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Herrick
Images seached through www.google.com

Our Faith Journey: A Reflection at the Beginning of a New School Year

“Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Heb 11:1)

Let me begin this reflection by sharing the story of a family mansion that caught fire one night. The parents rushed out into the garden, holding their two smaller children in their arms, and shouting to their eldest, a boy of five, to follow them. However, frightened by the flames, he rushed up the stairs to the attic, and from its balcony began to shout, “Daddy, Daddy, save me!

The man shouted back, “It’s alright, Johnny, jump down from there and I’ll catch hold of you!” Standing just 20 feet below, his father could see him clearly, but because the smoke billowing up, the boy couldn’t see anything below! Anxiously, the boy sobbed, “But Daddy, I can’t see you!” His father replied persuasively, “

Johnny, it is more important that I can see you. Please jump!” And taking courage, the boy jumped into the safe, strong arms of his father.

The story you just heard is a story about faith. As we formally begin another school year, it is most fitting that we start the school year by reflecting over our own faith journey as a school community.

Last year, we started the school year with challenges we have never expected. The AH1N1 scare during the first week, the devastation of typhoon Ondoy and Pepeng and many other political and economic turmoil we faced as a community and as a nation, but we remained steadfast, because we have kept the faith. Like the boy in the story, we dared to jump though we grapple with uncertainty, into the loving arms of God.

After a challenging year of jumping into the unknown we have all the reason to remain hopeful and keep the faith alive. This is because we know that God is with us and will always be with us, He is most trustworthy. We only need to have faith and dare to jump to his loving embrace.

Today, as we begin another school year, we carry within us our desires and hopes for the coming year. The opening of classes marks the beginning of new projects, new discoveries and learning. To put it more concretely, we desire better grades, more involvement in school activities and better relationship with our peers and many other things. We present to God all of these desires and let us continue to ask for the gift of faith, to jump not only to the unknown that we fear most but to all His possibilities and blessing He desires to give us. Let us keep in mind that the future always brings hope, promises and possibilities of abundance and blessings.

Fueled by our faith that the Lord is with us in all that we do, let us pray too that He may grant us the courage to rise from our mistakes, the strength to carry our many duties and responsibilities. May He give us the courage to face what is ahead of us with renewed hope and inspiration.

Let us also not forget how St. James reminds us that “faith without works is dead” (Jas 2:17). At the beginning of this school year, it is also good that we go back to the roots of our identity as a Jesuit school: that we are trained not only to be men of faith, but to be men who put their prayers and faith into action. By this, we become truly what we desire most – to become Lux in Domino, Light of the World.

And so we begin the year with grateful hearts, keeping in mind all the blessings and graces the Lord has given us the past years and look forward to another blessed year. Let us beg for the grace of faith to ‘jump’ to whatever is ahead of us, knowing very well that we have Someone trustworthy and loving to catch us in His loving arms. Amen.

Reflection for Ateneo High School Faculty

Mula kina Tyron Casumpang at Aileen Ani ng Kagawaran ng Filipino

Reflection AHS

Reflection for Ateneo High School Faculty

Math Subject Area Reflection
Jeremias A. Endrina, Jr.
May 17, 2010

Good morning!

A couple of weeks ago I was asked to give a reflection in behalf of the Math Subject Area. This brought me less sleep hours at night thinking of what the reflection would be and how would I communicate it. I was pressured by the reflections given last week. I’m neither sensibly funny like Sir Enzo, part of the main cast of Igkas like Maam Jovy (I was with the cut and paste committee) nor did I cast my vote last elections (I was registered in Bukidnon and nobody was willing to sponsor my fare.) Not until I had my shower last friday that I remembered some thoughts shared to us by Dr. Jaguthsing Dindyal, our Ateneo-Singapore Workhop Speaker. I reflected on those points that same day, which made me think of so many things during the last day of the seminar-workshop. I am sorry for that. Nevertheless, the workshop was all worth it. I was able to reflect and prepare for this morning’s reflection.

I will share what I have reflected about three “don’ts” on assessing student learning. I would like to emphasize that I got these from the words of Dr. Jaguthsing Dindyal. After my reflection, I will show a video for synthesis and post questions for individual reflection. We will then end with a prayer.

The following are the points that struck me during the workshop:
1. don’t rely in assessing student learning on one source of information;
2. don’t conduct a test to penalize weak students rather conduct a test to assess students' learning;
3. don’t give credit to correct answer with incorrect solution for obviously you cannot have an accurate answer if your method is wrong.

First, don’t rely in assessing student learning on one source of information. You might ask, what makes it striking? Let me tell you some of my teaching experiences in my first year here in the Ateneo. For reasons I do not know, I was blessed with challenges last school year. I had the “makukulit, nakaka-inis at nakaka-asar,” students. Sorry for the descriptions. It was my first time, in my three years of teaching, that I felt some pains in the neck whenever I get mad at my students - I hope it won’t lead to hypertension later on. Most of the time, for lack of a better term, I call them “basura” at the back of my mind. Which would trigger my conscience saying, “je, hindi yan magandang gawain.” It is but right for a teacher to reprimand students who often sleep in class, fail most of the long tests and worse, feel tired about their life. One day a student, not one of those unruly ones, a Math achiever in fact, approached me and shared something about a problem his family went through these past few months. He shared that he might not be able to perform well in class because he is bothered and disturbed about it. I didn’t expect something like this from a student like him. My impression of him is that he is a happy-go-lucky person. Now, I learned that not all of what my students show and do are true. They could be facades of what they experience at home. And that I should not judge them for who they are because of what I see in them. This experience echoes what Mr. Bilog said: students who often have sanctions are the same students who experience difficulty at home, and who we are right now is a product of what we have experienced in the past (Sean Covey; 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens).

I would like to add that although my experiences shaped me to become who I am today, I believe that I still have the freedom to reshape it the way I want it to be. I can choose not to be controlled by my life experiences rather I learn from them and soar to greater heights. My students might not understand this by now. But as a teacher, I can start making them feel that they are more than what they say and do in school. I will not rely on one-sided information to know them better. To understand them is to be convinced with the idea that they are more than what they show in class.

Second, don’t conduct a test to penalize weak students but to assess students' learning. I confess that I sometimes violate this sacred principle of assessment. Looking back, I would sometimes wish that the unruly students would fail in all assessments I conduct, so that the agony of always reprimanding them will come to an end. I would at times find pleasure in the low scores of my unwanted students. And worst, I would box them as the “no wonder why” students. Sad to say, even though they do not do homework regularly, these same students have more than enough ability to pass the subject.

Last Thursday after the workshop, around 4:30pm, Senator Jinggoy Estrada entered the MST workroom with Sir Jerry Pavia. We were all star struck by his presence that when I passed by him my only thoughts were, “ah, si Jinggoy.” Maam Jo, who was then talking to Patrick, did not stop uttering words as a reaction to what she saw even though Patrick did not anymore understand what Maam Jo was saying. The day after that, I learned that Jinggoy’s son will be studying in our school and could possibly be one of my students. Since I don’t really like Jinggoy, my reaction was “sana hindi ako” and “kung ako magiging guro ng anak hiya, humanda siya sa akin.” How bad those thoughts were. I’m afraid that if I won’t put a stop to it, neither will I be happy with my second year of teaching here in the Ateneo nor he, the son of Senator Jinggoy, will have a meaningful experience of . “Thoughts become things,” a famous line from the documentary entitled The Secret. Because I have a negative impression programmed in my mind about some of my students and Senator Jinggoy, I begin to translate it in not so good ways. I start to notice more of the negative in them. I set out to be very critical on what they do. I embark on thinking about punishing them as a form of revenge. For sure, I will be the one who will have less in this game because I will fail to enjoy their company as my students.

Third, don’t give credit to a correct answer with an incorrect solution for obviously you cannot have an accurate answer if your method is wrong. This made me think of the correct way of learning about life. Is it through the school? Is it through other people? Or is it through experiences? Either way, I am sure that my students taught me a lot about life. My first year teaching experience here in the Ateneo is something that I should be thankful for. Although it was a roller coaster ride, I believe it has molded me to become a better teacher. I strongly believe that my being here is part of the correct method that constantly makes me learn things. And in faith, I believe it was Him who planned all these. He is indeed the greatest teacher - He who deserves all the credit. To Him be the glory! My students, Senator Jinggoy, Dr. Dindyal, my colleagues in the Math Subject Area were instrumental to who I am today – better teacher, better worker and better person. Plus ten to them! I would like to say the words shared to us by Fr. Rudy Fernandez, “For all that has been, thanks. For all that will be, yes.”

Now, I would like to show a video clip as a synthesis of my reflection. The video clip was created from a fictional story written by Elizabeth Silance Ballard published in 1974 by Home Life Magazine entitled "Three Letters from Teddy."

(Show video clip.)

Before the closing prayer, I would like us to spend few minutes reflecting on the following questions:
a. What has been my greatest lesson this past school year?
b. How did God manifest His teachings to me?
c. What do I hope for this coming school year?


Prayer:

Loving God, you believed in me that’s why you entrusted me with a great responsibility of molding not just the mind but the whole person of my students. Give me the grace to open my heart to every student under my care. Bestow me with your wisdom to transcend with the realities of life. Fill me with your Holy Spirit to sustain the strength in me. I thank you for the daily opportunity of becoming a better person for my students. May I be faithful to Your plan here on earth as I try to follow the example of Your Son Jesus Christ, the greatest Teacher. Amen.

In You I find my Home

Amelia Camile Solmerin


Never thought this is possible Lord
that as tears are streaming down
my heart is smiling
for now I finally celebrate
with conviction
I am your beloved

The events in my life maybe hurtful
even scary Lord
My heart maybe reasonable frustrated

Left on my own
I would have long
fallen apart, torn to pieces
ending up worthless

Yet as I lay crying in my bed
You gently lull me to sleep
Each morning you nudge me back
to my senses

I have all the reasons
to stay in bed
wallowing in pain
file my complaints

Yet each new day
You send me persons
so much more wounded
than I am
reminding me it is for
love that You meant that life to be

In my weaknesses, You strengthen me
In my brokenness, You mend me
In my emptiness, You fill me
with tremendous love
beyond human measure

The nagging pain inside is grace
for my bruised heart
my wounded spirit
lead me to stretch out my hand
and receive your embrace

I will stumble and fall
but You who formed in
my mother's womb
enfused my veins
with love

My broken heart
throbs for you
My Eternal home
Amen

Reflection: AHS Faculty Retreat 2010

It’s been some years since I’ve had a good retreat; I think 2005 was the last one that I truly encountered God’s presence and this was in the Betania Retreat House in Baguio. Prior to this last retreat, I went to the Pink Sisters in Hemady to ask for prayers that I may again experience God just like the way I saw Him in 2005. I was not disappointed.

I was angry about some things when I boarded the bus going to Tagaytay. I thought that I will not have a good one again because I was distracted and it was difficult to concentrate on God’s love when I was thinking about people who irritate me and who I irritate in return. I’m sure that my Spiritual Director was not happy with our first session because I had nothing but angst and he must either had been very disappointed or very challenged. I told him about my difficulty in focusing in my prayers, that my mind would wonder off about so many things. My Spiritual Director advised me to focus my eyes on the crucifix or on a lighted candle to keep my mind off from any other thoughts. The crucifix or the lighted candle would help me go back to Jesus image. I was also told that if my prayers keep on talking about myself, then it is not a good prayer. I had doubts that I’ll have a good one.

In my first prayer in the chapel, just when I started to talk about my problems there was a compelling voice more forceful than mine telling me to forget about my concerns because these are already known by Jesus. Instead, I was told to listen to Him, focus on my relationship with Him, and use it as a bonding time for the two of us. He told me that my problems were not important, that there were things more important to settle and that was for me to build on a strong relationship with Him. I asked, okay then, what ought I to do. My eyes were fixed on the crucifix thinking about the Man whose outstretch arms are reaching out for the entire humanity. Suddenly, my issues no longer mattered, there was only Jesus and myself. I was given an assurance that he takes care of me and that He is constantly on my side and will never leave me. I finished my prayer with a feeling of lightheartedness all personal issues about some people forgotten.

During the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament that night, as I gazed at the crucifix and was wondering how God can listen to so many of us, how he can be mindful of all of us. The silence was deafening and the dimmed lights created an atmosphere of a Holy ground. In a few minutes I can feel His presence all over the place, not just on the Cross and I knew that He is so vast and we are tiny dots compared to His greatness. Later, I came to a realization that if the Jesus hanging on the Cross is chopped to the smallest pieces possible, there is enough for everyone to share just like in the multiplication of the bread. If we squeezed His blood, it will continue oozing until each one of us has drunk it just like what He offered during the Last Supper. Then suddenly, I got the surprise of my life as I saw Jesus with so much brilliance in all His splendor approaching me from the back. It was fast because in so short a second, I saw Him from the back of the upper part of my shoulders and entering my body lowering Himself at the back of my chest moving forward and suddenly settled not in my heart but in my gut. I always thought that Jesus’ place is in the heart, I did not understand this location at all. My tears were falling but I can vividly see Jesus looking up at me from my gut with a very tender eyes. At that moment, there was only Jesus and myself again. In the silence of the night, Jesus has entered my body and I asked Him to stay and I was wondering how to lock Him up inside. I went to sleep very serenely that night.

On Day 2, I was in the chapel at 2:30pm. Fifteen minutes later, the sun dimmed and there was a great silence and a feeling of contentment, peace and security in Jesus. I started to read Isaiah 43, thus, says the Lord… Fear not for I have redeemed you, when you passed through the water I will be with you, in the rivers you shall not drown. Then I noticed that I was no longer directing the reading but there was a male voice reading the passage and I was following His very slow phase. The voice was very masculine and very clear. I continued to follow the reading and I felt very contented, consoled and secured in the love of Jesus. At that moment, I still did not think that it was Jesus voice and continued to contemplate on the psalm. Then the voice disappeared and I was in awe at that time when I realized that the voice must have been Jesus’ voice. I wanted to hold on to that moment but the feeling disappeared. A little while later, I smelled something sweet but not very intense. In the Baguio retreat I mentioned earlier, I encountered God through the sense of smell. So, I said, “No, this is too much.” I continued to fix my eyes on the Cross, there was a sweet smell again, still not very intense. After a few seconds, the sweet smell became very intense I became so excited and I said, “Oh my God, you’re here, you’re here. This is too much.” My tears started to roll and time stood still. There was so much peace, joy and contentment and it was as if nothing and no one existed in the world except myself and Jesus. Then, suddenly, the sweet, fragrant smell disappeared. Later that night as I went to sleep, I remembered about the two apostles at Emmaus. Jesus disappeared when they realized that it was Jesus to whom they were talking too.

I was already in high spirits with the encounters I’ve had. So that when there was again the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament the second night I thought that my prayers will already be dry. But I was mistaken. As I looked at the Cross again, the picture of Jesus in my gut came back. I saw Him becoming bigger and slowly moving out of my body and this time I became smaller and He enveloped me, we had exchanged places, I was in His gut. The picture stayed on for a while then it disappeared. Later on I came to a realization that since Jesus envelopes me, I am very much protected that when someone hurts me, He is the first line of defense. In the same manner the same thing is true for the rest of us, if I try to hurt someone then it must be Jesus I hurt first. We inflict wounds on one another not realizing that we are all hurting Jesus Himself. I came to realize that Jesus envelops me at all times but He is inside when my worldly concerns become my priority. He looks up from my gut with pity knowing that issues, fears, pain, and sometimes even joy cover His presence and remains lock up inside. But when I am focus with His presence, His real place is outside as He envelops me, protecting me from anything and anyone that may harm me. He envelops me whenever He is my priority

Truly this God that I encountered in this retreat was a God of surprises. He came to me when I was not expecting Him and His image is forever imprinted in my mind. He appeared as a King in all splendor and glory, His beauty is beyond words and His face was full of compassion and mercy.

My encounters with Jesus are a challenge for me. Knowing that He is inside my body, I have become aware that I ought to do as He does and follow what He says is the greatest commandment and that is to love one another as He has loved us.

Will I live to the challenge? It remains to be seen as I continue with the many human struggles…

Anonymous

Novena of Grace

Eighty-one years after he passed away in the island of Sancian, St. Francis Xavier appeared to Fr. Marcello Mastrilli, a Jesuit at the point of death. Several days earlier, Fr. Mastrilli was supervising the removal of a temporary structure put up in celebration of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. A hammer slipped from the hands of a worker perched near the top of the structure and hit Fr. Mastrilli on the head, injuring him gravely.


Nobody expected Fr. Mastrilli to survive. As he himself waited for death, Fr. Mastrilli was visited by St. Francis Xavier who told him:

"All those who implore my help daily for nine consecutive days, from the fourth to the twelfth of March, and worthily receive the Sacraments of Penance and Holy Communion on one of the nine days will experience my protection and may hope with entire assurance to obtain from God any Grace they ask that is for the good of their souls and the glory of God."

St. Francis also bade Fr. Mastrilli to renew a vow he had made in his youth--to go to Japan and help spread Christianity there. As the vision left him, Fr. Mastrilli stood up fully healed and more resolved than ever to witness to the Kingdom of God in Japan. At that time, missionaries were being tortured and martyred in Japan in the most gruesome ways imaginable. But still Fr. Mastrilli ventured to the Land of the Rising Sun. Before he left, he made sure to publicize his miraculous cure and the promise St. Francis Xavier had made.

Fr. Mastrilli led a courageous band of thirty-three Jesuits to Japan. They had hardly landed there when they were seized, tortured, and hung upside down over a volcanic pit. Fr. Mastrilli faced death again. For certain, St. Francis Xavier was with him, strengthening his faith until the very end.

When can you say a miracle has happened? Not only when there is an unexplained cure, but more so when there is an increase of faith, hope, and love in a person. Truly, a miracle happened to Fr. Mastrilli!

Are you also seeking a miracle? Are you also seeking greater faith, hope, and love? Perhaps, the Novena of Grace can help you...

What is the Novena of Grace?

A novena is a traditional expression of our faith in the communion of saints, one of the beliefs we profess whenever we say the Apostle's Creed. As Catholics, we hold that the faithful here on earth, the souls in purgatory, and our glorified brothers and sisters in heaven have a spiritual solidarity. We are united because we are all part of the Mystical Body of Christ ("saints" in the phrase "communion of saints" does not refer only to those who have been canonized but to all the members of the Body of Christ). Our prayers for the souls in purgatory have value and meaning just as we here on earth (and also those in purgatory) can depend on the effectiveness of the prayers of our glorified brothers and sisters in heaven.

Following the promise of St. Francis Xavier to Fr. Mastrilli, a novena is said beginning on March 4 and ending on March 12, when we celebrate the canonization of St. Ignatius of Loyola and St. Francis. Because of the innumerable graces and favors received through the intercession of St. Francis Xavier, this devotion came to be known as the Novena of Grace.

How do you say the Novena of Grace?

The short form consists of either the traditional or the more contemporary wording below:

Saint Francis Xavier Novena Prayer

Traditional

O most kind and loving saint,
in union with you, I adore the Divine Majesty.
The remembrance of the favors
with which God blessed you during life,
and of your glory after death,
fills me with joy; and I unite with you
in offering to God my humble tribute
of thanksgiving and of praise.
I implore of you to secure for me
through your powerful intercession
the all important blessing of living
and dying in the state of grace.
I also beseech you to obtain the favor
I ask in this Novena:

(-state your intention here-)

But if what I ask
is not for the glory of God
or for the good of my soul,
obtain for me what is most conducive to both.


Amen.


(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be...)


Concluding Prayer:
O God,
who was pleased to gather
unto your Church
the people of the East
by the preaching and miracles
of blessed Francis,
mercifully grant that we
who honor his glorious merits,
may also imitate
the example of his virtues,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Contemporary Wording

I join with you, Saint Francis,
in bowing before the God of all Creation.
When I look at the great things
you did during life,
I see what marvels can be achieved
by a person blessed by God.
I join with you in praising God
and giving thanks for all the good things
I have been given.
Dear Saint Francis,
please pray to God for me
and ask that I may live and die
in God’s favor.
Please ask God for me for

(-state your intention here-)

provided, of course,
that this would be good for me.
In the end, my only wish is
for whatever gives glory to God
and is good for my health in body,
mind and spirit.

Amen.

(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be...)


Concluding Prayer:
O God, you used Francis Xavier
to take the Christian message to the East.
You inspired his teaching,
supported him in his work
for the poor, sick and oppressed,
and strengthened him
in times of loneliness and trial.
May we who are inspired
by the life of Saint Francis Xavier
imitate his virtues,
and come to our eternal joy with you,
through Christ our Lord. Amen.


There is also a longer form that includes nine meditations on the life of St. Francis Xavier, one for every day of the novena. To be guided through these meditations, visit Sacred Space, the prayer site run by the Irish Jesuits, by clicking here.

Spread the word about the Novena of Grace. Tell your friends about it by using our referral form below, or by clicking on the mail icon near the top of this page. You can also print this page or save it as a PDF file by clicking on the corresponding icons beside the title of this article.

Repost from www.phjesuits.org