Ang Mamatay sa Kasalanan at Mabuhay kay Hesus

Si Hesus ay nabuhay na mag-uli! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Sa pagdiriwang ng Pasko ng Muling Pagkabuhay, itinatampok ang pinaka dakilang misteryo ng ating pananampalataya bilang mga Kristyano: Ang muling pagkabuhay ni Hesus; ang tagumpay ng kabutihan laban sa kasamaan; ang pangingibabaw ni Hesus sa kasalanan at kamatayan. Ang tagumpay ni Hesus ay naging tagumpay din natin ng tinanggap natin ito sa Sakramento ng binyag; nang iniwaksi natin si Satanas at ang kanyang mga gawa; nang manampalataya tayo sa Diyos Ama, Anak at Espiritu Santo; nang namatay tayo sa kasalanan at nabuhay kay Hesus. Sinasariwa natin ang mga pangakong ito tuwing Linggo ng Muling Pagkabuhay sa pamamagitan ng Renewal of Baptismal Vows matapos ang pagbabahagi ng pari sa misa. Pagkakataon ito upang ipagpanibaguhin (renew) natin ang ating buhay bilang mga Kristyano. 

Sa pagpapanibago ng ating buhay, hindi nawawala ang sakit at hirap na mamatay sa kasalanan at mabuhay kay Hesus. Nang nabuhay na Mag-uli si Hesus, hindi tuluyang gumaling ang mga sugat na Kanyang natapo sa pagkakapako Niya sa krus. Nanatili ang Kanyang mga sugat sa kamay, paa at tagiliran. Mananatili, kung di man madaragdagan, ang hirap na kailangang batain nang sinumang ibig sumunod kay Hesus. Kailangan maging tapat sa pangakong binitiwan sa binyag: iwaksi si Satanas, at manampalataya sa Diyos; mamatay sa kasalan at mabuhay kay Hesus. Mahirap man, ngunit ang pakonsuelo natin ay ang katotohanang kasama natin si Hesus sa ating paghihirap. Ramdam tayo si Hesus dahil siya mismo naranasan Niya ang hirap sa mundong ito. Sa ganitong paraan nagkakaroon ng bagong pagtingin sa sakit at hirap sa ating buhay bilang mga Kristyano: Kung ang sakit at hirap na nararasan natin bilang mga Kristyano ay siya rin sakit at hirap na dinanas ni Hesus, tiyak tayong hindi magtatapos ang ating buhay sa kamatayan. Dahil kung tayo'y namatay nang kasama ni Hesus, naniniwala tayong mabubuhay rin tayong kasama Niya. (Roma 6:8). 

Sa pagdiriwang natin ng misteryo ng muling pagkabuhay ni Hesus, pinagpapanibago natin ang ating buhay bilang mga Kristyano. Buong tapang na tinatanggap ang hamon na maging tapat sa mga pangako natin noong tayo ay binyagan: iwasik si Satanas, at manampalataya sa Diyos; ang mamatay sa kasalanan at mabuhay kay Hesus. Tinatanggap natin ang sakit at hirap na kalakip ng mga pangakong ito, dahil alam natin di kamatayan ang katapusan ng mga ito, kung hindi ang pangako ng isang buhay na walang hanggan sa piling ni Hesus.

TULONG! SAKLOLO!

To ask for help from others can be an admission of one’s inefficiency to fulfill a certain task, or achieve a particular goal. It takes courage and humility to ask for help, especially in our world characterized by competition, and where man is defined by his competence and usefulness. If you ask for help, you can be perceived as weak and dependent on others. But asking for help can also be a manifestation of the person’s desire to improve the little that he has!

When the father of an epileptic child ask Jesus to help the little faith that he has so that his child may be healed, Jesus helped him to grow his faith. His child was healed. When the disciples asked Jesus to help them understand why they were not able to exorcise the demon from the child, Jesus helped them to understand that tasks are best fulfilled when done with prayer and fasting. The disciples understood. Jesus is truly generous in lending help. 

Asking for and giving help facilitate the development of relation between persons that leads to the formation of a community, and improvement of its resources. When one helps the other, they both ceases to be others with one another. They become friends, whose weaknesses and strengths become known to each other. Such knowledge is used not against a friend but for their mutual improvement. The little things, ideas, intelligence that each friend has, remain little if kept for themselves alone. But if placed together, their assets expand, so as their relationship. 

Today, we might be undergoing difficulties, painful life experiences, or perhaps we lack or miss something in life. But remember this, we do not have to suffer by ourselves. Don’t punish yourself. Ask for help. You will be surprised to discover how life can be bearable; how our inadequacies can be filled-in by a help from a friend – by the help of Jesus at work through your friends. 

If you need help, do not hesitate to ask for help!

YOUNG DOMINICANS, SENT TO PREACH

As the Jubilee of the 8th Centenary of the Order of Preachers draws to a close, young Dominicans are sent to preach!

The Jubilee of the Order began on November 7, 2015 (Feast of All Saints of the Order) and will end on January 21, 2017 (the date of the issuance of the Bull Gratiarum omnium largitori – Giver of all gifts of Pope Honorius III). As a new century commences in the long history of the Order, we focus our attention to ourselves; to us young Dominicans. On our shoulder the future of the Order is placed upon, as we are sent to preach the Gospel today, and most especially tomorrow. But for us to be effective preachers of tomorrow, we have to begin TODAY; for today we are Dominicans; today we are commissioned to be preachers; today we are sent to preach. 

Sent to Preach

To be sent presupposes a particular mission; a destination; a purpose. Thus, as we are being sent we aptly ask ourselves; Who sends us? How are we sent? For what does he sends us? Where does he send us? What must be the fruits of having been sent? (Trogir, 2013, n.50). 

To preach the gospel is to evangelize. And evangelization is the greatest charity we can offer to one another as it involves the breaking of the Word of God with one another (Bologna, 2016, n.3). Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI reminds us that: “There is no action more beneficial – and therefore more charitable – towards one’s neighbor than to break the bread of the Word of God, to share with them the Good News of the Gospel, to introduce them to a relationship with God” (Message for Lent 2013, n. 3). This is the mission given to us in 1216, and it remains to be the mission of the Order after 800 years: Sent to Preach the Gospel. 

Who sends us?

The One who sends us is the One who called us: God Himself! God is calling us towards a particular way of life. But today the voice of God is competed by many other voices; consumerism: telling you that you are not good enough so you have to buy many products to modify yourself; careerism: telling you that your success in life is based on the success of your profession; how much money and honor have you made?; the throw away culture: telling you that you can easily dispose anything or even anyone you do not like anymore, throwing away the values of commitment. There are thousands of other voices that compete with the voice of God. How then one can hear the voice of God calling him or her towards a way of life? It is by developing a conversation of friendship with God (cf. Bologna, 2016, n. 8.). Converse with God as often as you converse with your friends, as often as you update your status in the Facebook, Twitter and other social media. Cultivate your relationship with God by constant communication with Him primarily through the sacraments and through personal prayers. Be sensitive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit because God speaks through unexpected way; through the events in our lives. With constant communication with God, day by day His voice will be clear to you. 

How are we sent?

“He sent them two by two.” Jesus sent his disciples two by two. And St. Dominic sent his brothers two by two in 1217 to build communities. For us Dominicans our community is our first preaching. Thus in the beginning, Dominican communities are called Sacra Praedicatio, a Holy Preaching. 

A Dominican is a witness of a life lived in a community. We exercise charity first in our community. From there, we attain credibility in our mission of preaching to others; how can we preach the love of God without building community with our brothers and sisters (cf Bologna, 2016, 12)? As Blessed Paul VI said “Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses (Evangelii Nuntiadi, 41)."

The call and mission that God bestows upon is always in the context of a community; of a family. We are called to be a member of a family. All of us belong to our biological family. I belong to the Sicat-Vasco family in as much as you belong to your particular families. I belong too to a spiritual family; the Dominican Family, in as much as I am called to be a Dominican brother. It is in these family that we first learn how to love; where we first experience love; more so the love of God. Our biological family later extends to our family in the school clubs, offices and to our circle of friends whom we consider too as our family. 

For us Filipinos this is not difficult to understand for we are family-oriented people (see CFC 34-36). We do everything for our family: Why do we study hard and earn a living? Not for ourselves but for the honor that we would bring to our family, and for welfare of our parents, spouses, and children. But the love we experience in, and for the our families ought not to remain alone in our families. It has to be extended. It has to be shared. In fact if what we experience in our families is true love and goodness it cannot but be shared, after all love and goodness are self-diffusive. We do not keep good news among our families alone. When one of our family members passed the board exam we share it to the whole world; We post it in the Facebook. We print tarpaulins and hang them in front of our houses. So it should also be with the Good News we experience in our families. Let our families be places where one experience God’s goodness. And share the goodness of God you have experienced in your family, so much so that when people see your families they see God. Through this, our families, can also be rightly called as Sacra Praedicatio; a Holy Preaching. 

Why are we sent?

The two poles of Dominican life are Contemplari et aliis tradere. Our call to preach the Good News is an invitation to live with God, and realize through our lives His message of Salvation; of healing the sick and proclaiming the kingdom of God. This brings us close to the broken and to the poor (cf. Bologna, 2016, 16). As preachers, we bring mercy, hope and the presence of God in the peripheries; among the poor. We name the grace of God present in their midst, even in their very sorry situation. 

We approach the poor and broken to share the goodness of God we had experienced, to be their companions with whom we can share the Bread of God. And we would be surprised that we too would be nourished by the poor and broken by their own experience of God shared to us preachers. They too have something to share. Thus as preachers to the poor and broken, we ought to be listeners too. We have to be prepared to become good listeners, before we become good preachers.

We preach not with the arrogance of an all-knowing speaker. We approach the poor with docility and openness to learn also from them. I once shared to a group of young members of the legion of Mary in one of our parishes. I taught them about the importance of giving back the love we have received from a person. When I asked their individual reflections, an unassuming girl replied: We should love a person even though he or she may not have loved us. Love can begin from us. Such was a humbling experience for me. I thought preaching before kids would be an active role for me, after all what can little babes add to my knowledge acquired after long years of studying. But that girl who spoke with the wisdom taught me that preaching can also have a passive dimension. A preacher should also have a receptive attitude towards his receivers because he can also learn from them. 

To where are we sent?

We are being sent to the people of God; to be in their midst. Our preaching is contextualized not only by where we are, but also in the people who live there; in the men and women who need the announcement of hope founded in Christ (cf. Bologna, 2016, n. 19). Our preaching should be relevant to others and primarily to us. God begins from where we are. As a student He is asking you to preach in your classrooms, in your schools. He would not sent you now in Africa to be a missionary, perhaps later. But today he is sending you to preach in your present situation. 

Today, we young people, the so-called millenials and digital natives, are sent to the digital continent; in the Internet and social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. This is a very familiar landscape for us. Internet has become a part of our lives. And God begin from this recognizable place for us. We can post, like, share Bible quotes in the Facebook instead of latest gossips about our favorite Hollywood stars. We can update our friends about Church events. We can follow news from Vatican. We can engage in a more productive conversation in the Internet by joining Catholic blogs and sites. We can bring Christ in this Digital continent in just a click of our finger. Indeed, the technological advances offer us a powerful instrument for preaching (Bologna, 2016, 21). 

What must be the fruits of being sent?

“They returned full of Joy.” The disciples returned filled with joy after fulfilling their mission. They are joyful not because they are successful but because God succeeded. They are happy after a lifetime of preaching not because their plans had been realized but because God’s plans had taken place. The joy of the disciples is rooted not so much in what they have done by themselves but in how they have served humanity in the name of Jesus (Bologna, 2016, 26). 

When I was a Dominican postulant, we were asked to facilitate a recollection to a group of students. For us, then, the indicator that one successfully facilitated a recollection is when students cried: when recollection became a crying session That became may goal. Students must cry in my recollection, but to my frustration. Students kept on laughing, activity after activity. No one cried except me, after the recollection. Looking back, I was frustrated and felt as failure because I had set my own goal, before the will of God. But in the end, I think the will of God prevailed, after all recollection are no crying session but encounter with God who prefers laughers than tears. If only I learned to own the will of God, I too would have end up laughing with my students in that recollection. 

In the beginning of our preaching ministry, we have to learn to entrust our lives to God, to offer ourselves at the disposal of God, and embrace the Paschal Mystery as our own spirituality; To offer ourselves as Christ offered Himself for our sins; To die to our selfishness and individualism, to die for others; and to live as Christ has risen from the dead. As we embrace the Paschal mystery of Christ as our spirituality we would never experience in the end. In between, there would surely be sorrows, difficulties, frustrations, negativity. God doesn't promise us a smooth journey, but he does promise us the best destination. We can only returned back to the One who sent us with Joy if throughout of preaching ministry we have made Him the center of our lives that holds us together; keep as whole, in the midst of trials and difficulties. 

The future of the Order

The Dominican Order exists for 800 years. Through its faithfulness to its mission mandate: to preach (for the salvation of souls), the Order has an uninterrupted service to God and to the Church in the past. At the threshold of the new-century of the Order, we young Dominicans commit ourselves in preaching the Gospel: sent by God, as a Family, to name His grace, in our world today, sustained by the paschal mystery of Christ. The future is full of possibilities but it can only be defined by the present guided by the wisdom from past. 

The future of the Order can only be as bright as we can be bright today. Upon our shoulder the future of the Order is placed as we, young Dominicans are sent to preach the Gospel, today.   

SA NGALAN NG KATARUNGAN, SA NGALAN NG PAGMAMAHAL

Sapagka't ito ang mga araw ng pagpaparusa, upang maganap ang lahat ng mga bagay na nangasusulat.  (Lucas 21:22)

Di ba’t mapagmahal ang Diyos? Nagpaparusa ba Siya?

May lugar ba ang kaparusahan sa kabila ng pagmamahal ng Diyos?

Ang Ating Diyos ay Diyos na mapagmahal. At Siya rin ay Diyos na nagpaparusa sa mga nagkakasala. Sa kasaysayan ng ating kaligtasan, maraming mga nagkasala ang naparusahan ng mabait nating Diyos: Adan at Eba; David at Solomon; ang Sodom at Gomorrah; at iba pa.

Paano maipagkakasundo ang pagmamahal at pagpaparusa ng Diyos?

Di ba’t pagmahal mo, ayaw mo masaktan. At kung ang pagpaparusa ay ang pagpataw ng sakit sa nagkasala, di mo paparusahan ang mahal mo, dahil alam mong masasaktan siya sa iyong pagpaparusa.

Sa pagpaparusa, ipinakikita ng Diyos ang Kanyang pagmamahal. Siya ay nagpaparusa nang maykatarungan, sapagkat Siya ay nagmamahal. Ang makatarungang pagpaparusa ng Diyos ay naglalayong iligtas tayong mga minamahal Niya na nagkasala, hindi upang wasakin o sirain tayo. Pinarurusahan tayo ng Diyos tuwing tayo ay nagkakasala dahil nais Niyang malaman natin ang kawalang saysay ng kasalan; ang kawalang saysay ng pagtalikod sa Kanyan kapalit ng iba. Pinarurusahan tayo ng Diyos dahil nais Niyang mahimasmasan tayo mula sa ating mga kasalanan; nais Niyang sa huli di kasalanan ang magtagumpay sa atin, kung hindi ang pagbabalik loob natin sa Kanya; ang pagtatagumpay ng Kanyang pagmamahal na tapat.    

Mapagmahal ang Diyos, datapwat nagpaparusa din.

Dahil kung mahal mo, kahit alam mong masasaktan siya, parurusahan mo pa rin siya dahil sa kanyang kasalanan. Kung sa pagpaparusa ba siya mahihimasmasan at malalaman kung gaano mo siya kamahal; kung gaano siya kahalaga sa iyo, bakit hindi. 

Mapagmahal ang Diyos, datapwat nagpaparusa din

sa ngalan ng katarungan, sa ngalan ng pagmamahal.

Sana tayo rin!

sa ngalan ng katarungan, sa ngalan ng pagmamahal. 

The Walking Dom: Meeting People, Widening Horizons

Traveling, leaving your comfort zones, can provide a little variety in a rather monotonous and routinary life. Deviating from the usual schedule, food and people brings in a fresh air of ideas, thoughts and reflections. Travel widens our horizons. It removes the blinders that has serve to structure our lives-- but may have also limited our perspectives of the world around us.

Last July 2016, I joined almost a hundred young Dominican brothers and sisters in a pilgrimage tracing the footsteps of St. Dominic. This was on the occasion of the 800^th Jubilee celebration of the Order St. Dominic founded in 1216. Together with Master Bruno Cadore, OP, the 86^th successor of St. Dominic, we traveled Spain, France and Italy, the countries where St. Dominic ministered as priest, preacher, and founder. I was with my fellow Dominicans from all over the world. We varied in color, size, language, food, and in our interests. The list of differences can just go on and on for there are simply a lot of diversity when people from the seven continents of the world meet. But despite the difference, there existed a notable commonality among us. We are Dominicans: sons and daughters of St. Dominic. That was more than enough reason for us to be together. After all, we share the same story. We are bound by one person – St. Dominic.

In the course of our pilgrimage, I had the chance to converse to most of the English-speaking brethren. It was a pity that I missed conversing with the Spanish speaking pilgrims. I love Spanish (I always believe Spaniards brought a lot of good things to the Philippines, not to mention our Catholic faith. Good things that were put to shadow by the Propagandists, and by the Black legends sowed by nationalists). The three centuries of Spanish presence in the Philippines gives me a certain affinity with those Spanish-speaking brothers (from Spain and Latin Americas). Eavesdropping in their conversations, I could actually understand a little of what they were saying. I initiated conversation with some of them, but to no avail. I ended up looking for Filipino words that may convey what I would like to say to them. But even the Spanish influence in the Filipino language, however, was not enough to bridge the language barrier between me, and the Spaniards and Latin Americans. Indeed, it was a missed opportunity to share with them our common Spanish patrimony and heritage: of menudos, arroz valenciana, tsokolate, chico and of course the brand of Catholicism we share; of estopado santos, mind boggling retablos, beautiful processions capping colorful fiestas; our mestizo Catholicism. But perhaps, God willing, at some other time. I will make sure to have a conversation with my brothers from the Peninsula and the Americas.

Most of the brothers in my group were Europeans, Americans (US), and Asian. Next to Spaniards and American Latinos, a Filipino would find a great deal of affinity with the Americans, more so with the Asian-Americans. I had a great time with our brothers from the Holy Name Province (Western Province, US). One contributing factor to these is that most of them have Asian ethnicity (Korean, Vietnamese, and a Pinoy!). Lest I be accused of patronizing American yet again over my Asian confreres, I tried to establish a connection with my Asian brothers. I found myself in the same situation I was into with my Spanish speaking brothers. I had a great time being with Asian Americans. We shared our love for rice, up-sized burgers and soft drinks. They shared their experiences about the OFWs (Overseas Filipino Workers) and Filipino migrants fulfilling their American dreams in the West, particularly in California. They felt comfortable too with us Filipinos (I was with another Filipino Brother by the way). Filipinos are not new to them. They are with Filipino American brothers in their Province (The Dominican Order is divided into Province as the world is to countries). They administer to Filipino communities. They had eaten halo-halo, the famous adobo, lechon. They have experienced the warmth and hospitality of Filipinos abroad.

I heard these stories about Filipino hospitality and kindness not only from the Americans, but also from other brothers and people I met along our pilgrimage, people who have had the chance to meet Filipinos at one point in their lives. A money changer in Madrid, upon seeing my Philippine passport greeted me “Mabuhay!”, to my surprise. He briefly  recalled his time in a cruise ship with Filipino seafarers. “Filipinos are very fun to be with, and have a very warm disposition.”  A brother from England who worked as real estate lawyer in Hong Kong before joining the Order had a chance to visit the Philippines during the Christmas season. “The Christmas in the Philippines is very colorful and everyone is smiling.” Most of the people we met who had encountered Filipinos would always share stories of fun with Filipinos. I began to suspect that they were saying these stories because I was a Filipino. But thinking about it, I do not think so, knowing their straightforward culture. Furthermore, where on earth would they be getting all those stories about the Filipinos?!? I made sure that after the pilgrimage, they would add more stories and experience with a Filipino worth telling to the next Filipino they meet.

Another group of brothers with whom I had a great time were the Eastern Europeans from Poland, Croatia and Ukraine. We shared our stories of a vibrant local Church, where churches are not museum and civic centers but rather places of worship. We talked too about the devotion of our people to Mary and their love for song. And I think the best factor that these Slavs and Filipinos have is their fellow Slav, John Paul II. Filipinos love him so much, this Pope who visited the Philippines twice and inspired thousands to consider vocation to the priesthood. John Paul II serves as a model for many Filipino priests and seminarians, teaching the latter how to be a servant of Christ in this postmodern times. I told Wojtech, one of the Polish brothers, how Filipinos love John Paul II. For example, in 1995, Filipino passionately chanted “JP2 we love you” as the Pope emerged at the Quirino Grandstand to preside over a vigil of the World Youth Day 1995. The Pope spontaneously replied “JP2 loves you too.” The hymn for WYD 95, I added, is still a hit in the Philippines, 21 years after it was first sung. The song never fail to leave my eyes moist with tears every time I hear it sung. Wojtech asked me to sing the song for him. I told him, as an excuse for I do not really have a talent for singing, to just google or youtube it because I could not anymore hold my tears. But truth be told, I was about to cry at the moment, perhaps because of John Paul II who is a great inspiration in my vocation, or simply because of the lame excuse I made to avoid singing. Wojtech did not say any words. He simply tapped my shoulder. And we understood each other.

Italians are incredibly frank, especially Manuel. I loved the way he voiced out his criticisms and comments on the French, a far cry from the way Filipinos put flowery words to convey something that is rather the contrary; mapapalabok na salita. Manuel, besides being an Italian, is a Sicilian too. That is more than enough to explain his strong personality. As we toured the churches and museums, I made sure to be within hearing distance. He had an inclination on church heritage, just like me. But one of the reasons why this Italian brother from the Roman Province was good to me  was because of our brother Florentino Bolo. Fr. Jhun helped their Province by serving as their Master of Students. Manuel perhaps was returning the good experience he had with a Filipino Dominican Student Master. This made me think that the goodness we do to other may not return to us but it would surely be given to someone close to us.

Among the things we had talked about aside from our countries, culture, and local church situations, we also shared about our religious life, and the challenges we face as provinces. Our English-speaking group had raised at least 10-15 points that had been discussed exhaustively. Looking at these issues, I realized how Filipino Dominicans and the Dominican Province of the Philippines (DPP) had addressed most of these problems. I though how wise and intelligent our forefathers in DPP were, having foreseen these problems. As I discussed with other group leaders, I was hesitant to speak, for the other group leaders seemed to be more legitimate and very confident to speak. They were fluent in English. Listening to them, and the problems they encountered in their provinces, I could not but speak about the solutions that our province have for these problems. I thought, if I remain quiet, I would be doing injustice to my province, to my brothers, who trusted me to represent them in this gathering. With this, I gained the necessary courage to share the best practices in my province, such as collaboration with the Dominican family, use of social communications media to enter the so called Digital continent, care for the elderly brothers, etc. At that time, I felt so proud for my province. Despite the many things I complained about in the province, it is better off than the others provinces of the Order. I thanked our forefathers for this. If ever I am enjoying the structure and mechanism in the province at present, it is because our forefathers had invested their energies and resources in the past, so that the province may be in a better situation than when they took the helm.

In the last day of our pilgrimage, Bologna. We had a sharing with Fr. Gerard Timoner, our Provincial. I enthusiastically shared my realization regarding the advantageous state of the province, that the province is far better than the other provinces in many respects. I told him how our forefathers had done a lot, and how we are reaping the copious fruits that their efforts had sown. He let my enthusiasm subside and allowed me to share more about my proud moments for the province and the fathers and brothers behind it. After a while, Fr. Gert gently reprimanded me: “It is not the way to look at it. Whatever we have in the province, it is not because we are good; but it is because God has blessed us with vocations and the necessary resources that enable us to respond aptly to these situations. In front of these blessed reality in the province, we cannot be proud, rather we have to be humble and grateful to God who had blessed the province, who is the real force behind the reality that we enjoy. These privileges are with necessary responsibilities; sharing our human, technical and material resources to other provinces of the Order, to the local and universal Church.”   

I was silenced by this perspective, by this grateful way of looking at our province. More than through our own human efforts, it is the Lord, his grace that has enabled the province to grow  into the strong institution that it is today. The words of St. Paul came to my mind: “I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused the growth (1 Cor 3:6).”

When we travel, we widen our perspective. But the object of this perspective remain to be the same: our life, our selves.

As I returned from Europe and traversed España, Manila, I thought that the Philippines is not that bad at all. Europe had the same problems of beggars, poverty, narrow streets, garbage, undisciplined pedestrians. But they learned how to address these. And surely I think, Filipinos will figure out how to solve these same problems and bring out the warmth and fun disposition in our own land, to our own people, the same warmth and fun that foreigners experienced from the many Filipinos they encounter.

As I walked through the cloister of Santo Domingo Church, in Quezon City, I thought our church is not that bad at all compared to San Jacques in Toulouse, the Church of Sopra Minerva, even St. Peter’s. Ours is a church adorned with people, struggling to respond faithfully to the demands of following Christ.

As I opened the seminary’s main door (at 2 am in the morning)and saw our community picture, I thought I would never exchange this province for another, I would never exchange my brothers with French who may be great in singing polyphony, or with a Spanish who are heirs to a great Catholic patrimony. My province and my brothers may not be the best in the world, but they are definitely  not like the rest.

As I entered my cell, face to face with my self, I thought what a life, what a vocation God has given me: I love it and I could not ask for more. I said a prayer and closed my eyes to rest, knowing that I would be opening them, to see the same things, the same brothers, same place I left when we started the pilgrimage, but this time to see them with a different perspective, with a grateful perspective. Undeniably, after the pilgrimage, things had never been the same again.