TABLE OF CONTENTS
Faith that Unites or Faith that Divides? The RH Bill that Divided Us by Aspirant Carlo Enrico C. Tinio
The Augustinian Unity Way of Life by Aspirant Jick Hope C. Orongan LIVING IN FAITH AND FLESH by Postulant Ariel C. Angelio
A BOX OF CRAYONS: The Fruits of Living a Life of Unity by Postulant Randy A. Arca
A Life of Faith by Postulant Mark Anthony R. Nepomuceno
St. Augustine the Model of Unity by Aspirant Rey Cyril C. Lagrosa
St. Pedro Calungsod the Model of Faith by Aspirant Olwencie R. de Claro
Special Feature: Healed Healers The Aspirants’ Journey in Center for Family Ministries (CEFAM) by Aspirant Carlo Enrico C. Tinio
Graduates Response Center for Family Ministries’ 26th Graduation Ceremony Oratory of St. Ignatius by Aspirant Olwencie R. de Claro
5 9 11 12 14 15 17 19 23 EDITORIAL STAFF
Postulant Ariel C. Angelio Postulant Randy A. Arca Aspirant Olwencie R. de Claro Aspitant Rey Cyril C. Lagrosa Postulant Mark Anthony R. Nepomuceno Aspirant Jick Hope C. Orongan Aspirant Carlo Enrico C. Tinio Aspirant Jeffrey V. Uy
English Consultant: Ms. Susan Isorena-Arcega
Moderator: Fr. Joel L. Beronque, OSA
Jesus of Nazareth prayed at the Last Supper before his Passion: “As you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world. And I consecrate myself for them, so that they may also be consecrated in truth. I pray not only for them, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me.” (Jn. 17, 18-21) The call to unity, which goes out to all who believe in Jesus Christ, is in a special way a fundamental characteristic of our Augustinian identity, and so, we are called to reflect upon our mission to live and promote true unity in the Church and in the world, through the living out of our own charism as followers of St. Augustine. The Order of St Augustine has always put great emphasis on genuine community life to the extent that the minds and hearts of the many who live together are fused into one through charity and faith in Christ. As what the founder of the Order stated: “Before all else, live in harmony and be of one mind and one heart on the way to God.” (St Augustine’s Rule, Ch1) This unity through charity and faith is the very heart of the Augustinian community. When we are able to realize this, people can see a clearer sign of the unity of the church, a sign of the possibility of a true community of all humanity, and a sign of God’s grace which works to overcome the natural obstacles of achieving such. However, as Pope Benedict XVI affirmed, there has always been a clear awareness of the lack of unity among Christians. During the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity last January 18-25, Pope Benedict said to 8,000 pilgrims and visitors of Vatican that while “there is more that unites us than divides us” on the basic tenets of faith – belief in Christ, the Son of God and Savior of humanity – “divisions remain and regard many practical and ethical questions, giving rise to confusion and mistrust, weakening our ability to transmit the saving word of Christ”. The Second Vatican Council placed the search for Christian unity “at the centre of the life and work of the Church”, the Pope said. “The lack of unity among Christians impedes a more effective proclamation of Christ because it puts our credibility in danger. How can we give a convincing witness if we are divided?” Pope added. The key to Christian unity is not simply to have members of different denominations be nice to one another and work together occasionally. “It requires that we reinforce our faith in God, the God of Jesus Christ, who spoke to us and became one of us.” Benedict XVI said. For many of us, we recognize that even in ourselves, there is some sort of deficiency and disconnection between the life of faith to which God has called us and the lives we lead. The demands of our daily living distract us from our true purpose and we find that our spiritual growth stagnates. Admittedly, we have tried many times to address this problem, but are we really making progress? We are in the midst of a Year of Faith, proclaimed by Pope Benedict XVI, that began on October 11, 2012 – the 50th Anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council. This is indeed a great gift for us -- a time to rededicate ourselves to the journey of faith, to deepening our life of prayer, to feeling a renewal of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in our lives, as well as strengthening our commitment to share that faith with others. After all, the journey of faith is at the heart of why we are in this earthly life. Our God has called us to a life of holiness and a communion of love with Him in this life and the life to come. He has called us to faith. UNITY and FAITH are the two fundamental values that are not only significant among the Augustinians but to all Catholics and Christians all over the world. To join the Church in the spread of faith and unity, this issue of our newsletter attempts to discuss the true meaning of the two noble virtues, their obstacles and the ways to achieving them in ourselves and the community.
May you gain deeper faith in Christ so as to attain true unity among our brothers. Enjoy! Aspirant Jeffrey V. Uy
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The announcement of the renunciation of Pope Benedict XVI of the Petrine ministry last February 10, 2013 surprised the whole world. The Church, in particular, felt unprepared for in historical reference the last resignation from the Papacy happened only in 1415 by Pope Gregory XII. After almost 600 years, the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI opened a seemingly dark horizon which ushered immediate speculations and numerous questions. It brought to the surface the awareness that indeed some traditional practices of the church may be relaxed to bring about change for the better. The vacancy of the seat of Peter did not last long. Pope (Emeritus) Benedict XVI was right, as the new elected Pontiff named Francis gently emerged from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica last March 13, 2013, the world witnessed the unfolding of a new light of hope. A great uproar of joy and acceptance sounded from the multitude of people in the square. While the people marvelled the workings of the Holy Spirit in the turn of the event, expectations and fears also ran high. The roaring sound from the square may signify metaphorically that the boat of Peter has been through a lot, and is currently in the midst of an on-going extreme squall. Now with its new skipper, the journey must proceed with a profound faith (cf. St. Mark 8:35-41). The strong sound may be clearly understood as a call for new evangelization, and for the Church’s renewal and unity. There are several ways to understand unity. For some, unity is about an organization of people with a common goal. Members are set to work with one direction and not against it. Others consider being undivided is unity. It proposes that a stronger unity means attaining a certain level of success, otherwise, in division failure is inevitable. As the famous words from the story The Three Musketeers state “All for one and one for all, united we stand divided we fall”. Further, unity is not uniformity. Uniformity does not virtually promote unity among equals. In the human world, each does unique things as a way of being different among the many. There is unity when every unique being works in harmony with respect to other unique beings, and maintains being who he/she is. Rational beings think differently, but what makes them alike is they equally think. From a secular point of view - though sometimes supported by the popular aphorism that “Vox populi, Vox Dei” - unity proceeds from a democratic process wherein the voice of the majority is its defining core. In this, regardless of one’s contrary conviction on a particular issue, one has no choice but to conform and respect the voice of the majority. While the majority enjoys the power play, the minority plays submission until everything is reversed during the interplay of power. In other words, democracy is in itself not unity, but democratic unity is built upon its processes. Christian faith also advocates unity. Believing that unity is a gift from God, it is also derived from a personal and communal faith assertion that only God’s love unites. To attain unity, Christians believe in the creative and unifying Spirit of God who is the origin of all things: “In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth (Gn. 1:1)”; and, God continuous to renew all things through
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the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Son, who is the incarnation of the Word. The radical demand for Christians is to abide and remain in Christ for “All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be (John 1:3)”. In Christ comes renewal and fullness of life for he offers the Holy Spirit to guide and draw humanity to the Father from where all authority proceeds. St. Paul writes, “When everything is subjected to him, then the Son himself will (also) be subjected to the one who subjected everything to him, so that God may be all in all (1 Cor. 15:28)”. This Trinitarian nature of God is a revealed truth and clearly formulated part of the Jesus’ command “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19)”. Christian faith evolves from and revolves around the mystery of the Trinity which is the total and the primary unity of the universe including all created things. From this Christian understanding of the Trinity, stems the conviction that unity is real. The mystery of the Trinity is the sole image and source of human unity in as much as humans are created beings in the image and likeness of God (Cf. Genesis 1:27) who is three Persons, but only One. The Augustinians know that religious life is significantly a life of communion. “Community is the axis around which Augustinian religious life turns (OSA Constitutions # 26)”. Community is not only about people who live in one house, but persons who are called and united by the Spirit. Augustinian life revolves and evolves in communion; the community nourishes an Augustinian and an Augustinian nourishes the community. What they strive is to make the community a symbol of the Trinitarian community; make manifest the presence of the one true God. In the context of a real spiritual communion, unity is made manifest and each person is renewed. Furthermore, beyond the Augustinian spiritual communion is the openness and a call to witness the unifying Spirit to the world. Augustinian unity does not promote exclusivity, but is a way of acknowledging the diverse personalities and cultures in the world. It is in this determination and contemplation that the communal life contributes transformation to the person, and finally the person to the world. Augustinian unity, therefore, is an experience of a real human and spiritual transformation not only for the individual person, but to the whole. Make the above more graphic, a child’s birth to the family signals a long process of transformation of his/ her being, and in that long process his/her parents will definitely experience their own transformation, and the society experiences the transforming presence of a new family. The present call is for renewal and unity in the Church. Certainly, Pope Francis will not give the Church unity, but he will, to some degree, lead and inspire the people of God to journey towards unity, a condition where there is harmony and peace amid conflict. The Pope will be one with the Church in its efforts to become a symbol of unity in the world, to a point of becoming a sacrament of the living God who causes unity. There is no perfect human framework to achieve unity, for human efforts alone are significantly limited. But in the context of faith, believing and contemplating on the Trinitarian nature of God, renewal in the church is possible, and transcends it to the world. Universal transformation is precisely a built-in agenda and a highlight of the Trinitarian unity, the life of God. In the search of renewal and unity, human efforts have to be complimented with great faith in the Trinity for only in faith do humans have confidence to journey towards renewal and unity regardless of how frightening and agonizing the sound of the storm might be. Fr. Andres D. Rivera, OSA Prior of San Agustin Seminary (Monasterio de Guadalupe)
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The very reason why we live together as one community is “to live together in harmony, being of one mind and one heart, on the way to God” (Rule 1.2). This part of the Rule capsulizes the theme for this year’s issue of the Monasterium which is “Unity and Faith of the Augustinians.” “On the way to God”1 entails that Augustinians belong to a faith-community. This means we are convinced that without God, we are nothing; with God’s grace, we cannot do anything. It is impossible to reach our goal without God’s assistance. It is also true with our desire for unity. It will be very hard for us to live as one without faith in God. In fact, Jesus himself, prayed for this gift (Cf.Jn.17:21). Unity can only be possible if we have faith in God. Aside from being a venue where seminarians share their reflections, may this work also help us both to increase our faith in God and intensify our longing for unity. Indeed, “how good it is, how pleasant, where the people dwell as one!” (Ps.133,1).
God Bless us all!
Fr. Joel L. Beronque, OSA
1 Raymond Canning, OSA, trans. The Rule of Saint Augustine – Masculine and Feminine Versions, (London: Darton, Longman & Todd, 1984) 46.
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Faith that Unites or Faith that Divides? The RH Bill that Divided Us By Aspirant Carlo Enrico C. Tinio
If
you were on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you? In this year of faith, we cannot separate faith and morals. Somehow our values define what gives meaning to our Christian convictions. Our history is colored by so many martyrs who offered their lives for the faith. The problem with the modern world is not really atheism but indifference. Many people who claim to be Christians do not really have anything worth dying or living for.
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In writing this paper, I kept on asking myself: “What’s the use of writing another reflection paper regarding the controversial Reproductive Health Bill now that it is already close to being passed as a law?” Somehow, after the Bill was approved by the Lower Chamber, the morale of some of those advocating to fight it died down as well. I remember Rev. Fr. Jose Mario Francisco, SJ, President of Loyola School of Theology, telling us in the school’s Theological Hour that the fight against the RH Bill is not the first struggle the Philippine Catholic Church has faced. He recalled how during his younger years the Church also fought the motion to make the reading of Noli Me Tangere1 compulsory to secondary education. We know very well, that the Church lost that fight. Now, it seems like we again facing another losing battle. However, the stakes here are far greater than just the Hierarchy exposing their abuses in the forgotten past – the Church and the Philippines as a nation will lose their long-standing value of defending life! Maybe, it will be worthwhile even for the last time to say in this paper why we oppose the RH Bill. Mrs. Teresa Tunay, OCDS summarized in layman’s terms why people should consider rejecting the said bill due to the following reasons:2 It wants us to think that human reason and human intelligence are all we need for everything to be right with the world. It coerces everybody else to think that way, and rejects the truth that the God who created and loves us will never abandon us. It is maka-hayop, not maka-tao, promoting pleasure without pain, irresponsible sex, dangerous couplings, and a hedonistic
1
Noli me Tangere is the first novel written by Filipino patriot and national hero Dr. José P. Rizal in 1887 and published in Germany. The story line goes detailed with the society of the Philippines during Spanish colonial period and features aristocracy behind poverty and abuse of colonialists. In its publication, the novel caused an uproar among Filipino people that also felt Spanish abuse.
Teresa Tunay, OCDS. “And that’s the truth”, CBCP Monitor, April 25-May 8, 2011 issue. Page 5. 2
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mentality that will eventually drag future generations downward to moral incoherence.
It undermines the worth of human beings by implying that they are what their genitalia define, nothing more. It ridicules our faith by offering overly pragmatic solutions to perceived problems. It tramples upon the life-giving values—family, sacrifice, hope, compassion—that have kept our nation afloat in spite of history’s tyranny, human greed and natural calamities. It intends to mislead people and then uses commendable phrases such as “reproductive health” and “responsible parenthood” to disguise its dark intentions. It dishonors fathers and mothers by robbing them of the right and the responsibility to rear their children according to their deeply held religious convictions. It reduces the question of reproductive health into a simplistic choice between natural family planning and artificial family planning, labeling natural as unnatural and stupid and equating artificial with modern and smart. It spits upon the Constitution—pity that many of our lawmakers themselves would violate the Constitution by pushing this bill! Where are they leading this country to? It seduces young people by instilling in them a false sense of independence and sophistication in knowing their parents will be legally helpless about their sex life. It anaesthetizes the conscience of the young, saying it’s perfectly okay to experiment with sex as long as they are “protected”. It corrupts children by infusing in them a contraceptive mentality, imposing on them “sex education” too early in order to abort
their maturing in the love of God. It deceives the women it claims to inform and empower, praising only the convenience that contraception offers but not mentioning its deadly side effects. It is oppressive, maintaining the First World myth of overpopulation at the expense of our poor. It imposes an alien lifestyle on Filipinos, seeing children as mere mouths to feed, treating pregnancy as a sickness and unbridled sex as a human right.
It is sad to say that the RH Bill is based on the premise that we do not need God to live fruitful lives. To us God-fearing, God-loving Filipinos, that is a lie. Being rooted in a paradigm that takes God out of the equation, how can the RH Bill be good for anyone? It is studded with half-truths, pseudo-truths and truthisms cleverly formulated to mimic the truth. Sadly, the legislators seem unaware that they themselves are victims in this battle between good and evil, being used as a pawn by the rich against the poor, by world powers
It steals from the people by using tax payers’ money to buy contraceptive devices for people who can’t and won’t control their sexual appetites. It tramples not only upon our freedom now, but also the freedom of future generations to raise their children according to their cherished beliefs.
against the impoverished nations—yes, they are being used against their own people! They are the authors of the depopulation agenda that is behind the RH Bill. . .brilliant decision-makers who think they know everything and therefore do not need God. They do not wish to be nudged out of the comfort zones their genius has built. Why do the rich and powerful blame us and our children for their imagined shortage in our planet’s resources? It wants to scratch out the cross from Do our poor squander fuel on automobile races, Christianity, scoffing at self-discipline, the beauty speed boats, air shows, war craft and heavenof abstinence, sacrifice for family’s sake, and knows-what other adult toys they invent in the fidelity to one’s spouse. name of progress? Why don’t they turn their guns and golf clubs into ploughshares and pruning It belittles the capacity of the hooks for a change? Filipinos to tap their inner resources, to turn to the God within, to transcend want and misfortune On the other hand, these arguments and become what God wants them to be.
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may sound too churchy. Perchance the simple and honest point of view of a congressman might give us a real picture of what’s real score behind the squabble. Rep. Antonio C. Alvarez in his speech during the nominal voting on the RH Bill last December 12, 2012 said that all the purported things that this bill will do are already covered by a multitude of laws. It is not a matter of legislation but implementation. He also mentioned that a barangay council can buy pills and even distribute them like confetti, but no barangay chairman will tell you that the same pills will cure poverty. Instead, he will tell you that in the hierarchy of his constituents’ needs, schools, books, roads, water, and livelihood are far more important. In all the letters asking for help that he received everyday as public servant, never has he received a request for condom, pills or IUDS. He admits that there are good provisions in this bill like the improvement of health facilities, but these are mere reiterations of what a government must do, so whether a government is pro-, anti-, or indifferent on RH, it is duty-bound to provide these services. He wittingly said, “So whether a woman is carrying a baby on purpose or by accident, through artificial insemination or by Immaculate Conception, she deserves to have access to the best medical care which should be provided—without the need for an RH bill.” Honestly, I can write tons and tons of pages why we should reject the RH Bill. I could even write something that would present both sides of the argument. I can even write here the possible compromise many theologians had suggested several years ago. However, I find that work futile in the present situation we are already in. I guess unless another EDSA Revolution erupts, the political will of the current Administration will see to it that this Bill be finally approved and implemented once and for all. What is really alarming though, is how this issue divided the Philippine Catholic Church. I must admit, even if am theologically educated by the Jesuits to have an open mind and to be respectful of the opinion of others, I feel hurt when one of our own attack the Church saying that she is regressive, outdated and antiquated. This name calling is totally uncalled for. We should always remember that this Church defended
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human rights, ousted dictatorship, struggled with the poor and fought against repression. This is the Church which silently educates the young, shelter the homeless, heal the sick and attend to the poor. And as what Rep. Alvarez has said, this is the Church that treats people as the most important resource of a community. Unlike those pushing for this bill who treat them as liability. This is the Church whose teaching forms our social glue; provide our moral anchor, and whose celebrations strengthen our bond as a community. As bearers of God’s message, we are warned that these kinds of divisions could really occur. “Jesus said at one time: ‘I did not come to bring peace, but a sword’” (Matthew 10:45). This passage speaks about the consequence of being obedient to the command of Jesus that we are to preach his message. Some will listen and accept it but many will reject it and react violently. We will be hated for the message that we have to bring. We will be hated because we call people from evil to light and because this message exposes their evil deeds. For many it will mean that even our own family will turn against us. This could be the reason why even our own brothers and sisters in the faith are against us. What kind of sword is Christ bringing? It is the sword of division that God’s word brings. It is the division of truth from error, and the reaction of the darkness against the light. The sword that Jesus brings, is the sword that his followers have to suffer, a sword that is applied to them, not a sword that they wield against others. It is painful to see our faithful divided in this issue but it can’t stop us from fighting for the Truth. Let me leave you with this quote from Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, “it is poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish.” Lastly, as stipulated in the law, if opposing the RH Bill means imprisonment, then imprison me!
The Augustinian Unity Way of Life
By Aspirant Jick Hope C. Orongan
The
core of the Augustinian way is founded in a common life rooted and united in the charity of Christ -- serving one another for the community. But this is only one of the aspects of being an Augustinian, knowing that in reality many factors determine how we live within the community. Our different backgrounds -- family, culture, and environment
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-- define how we relate to each other. Perhaps we know each other only when we pray together and in everyday aspects of our community life. But conflicts and tension are inevitable. It is never easy to deal with others because of our pride and arrogance. Conflicts can either be positive or negative, depending on how they are handled. We cannott deny that sometimes these cause trouble inside the community. Being impatient, judgmental and insecure are sources of conflicts. Now our goal here is to foster our solidarity in handling the conflicts. Instead of viewing our conflicts negatively we should begin to look positively and aim at growing better relationships. We work together to improve and face our differences by accepting ourselves as wounded persons. Our commitment can help us to grow in communion through sincere dialogue and to respect the limitations of one another – things that are essential in fostering genuine relations in our community life.
examples to others seeking God in the midst of our struggles in life. Genuine relationships among brothers is essential to strengthen the fraternal life in the community. The love of God that we yearn and seek for will truly be alive within us if we live harmoniously in one mind and heart on the way to Him. Thus; “we must continually strive to give meaning to our Augustinian community life as the first form of our apostolic preaching, so that we may be active in contemplation and contemplatives in action. Our community life should offer the world a real example of authentically human and sincere brotherhood, which mirrors the love of God to all people, without distinction. As Augustinians we should always cultivate a sense of community and teamwork in every pastoral effort. This is especially true today when we need to renew the Christian fabric of society, as a challenge to individualism, by practicing mutual responsibility, by the example of our own lives, and by a practical creativity, both as individuals and as community. In this way, united by the Holy Spirit that God has poured into our hearts, we can care for the body of Christ and communicate to others an experience of life in community�.
(116) Ep.48, 1-3: PL 33,187-189; De civ. Dei 19, 19: To love one another is the greatest PL 41, 647-648. commandment that God has given to us. This (117) See Dublin Document, 42 and 38 is the very reason why we are living together harmoniously intent upon God in oneness of mind and heart (Rule 2). This is the call of action within ourselves so that this love we endeavor would lead us to unity. First it must begin within our very selves. Our plans and actions determine our fate. If we are faithful to the Augustinian Rule, we must have courage and conviction inspite of the ambiguous journey through this life we have chosen. Faith in God is very important for us to have hope. Let us unite truly by being living
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LIVING IN FAITH AND FLESH
by Postulant Ariel C. Angelio
The
way of life in the past of all who those we venerate as saints will be our source to deepen our faith as Christians. Their way of life was very simple yet mysterious. They lived in a Godly way, in conformity with Scripture. But, was the way they live applicable to modern society? We live in a world that is constantly changing. Science and technology help progress to make our lives easier and more manageable. Two of the most popular inventions are the cellphone along with the use of internet. These make our lives convenient so we can access what is happening in the world and to other people. But, amid rapid changes in science and technology, is Scripture still significant?
There are tips that are helpful in reconciling the practice by the saints and progressive change in the world. The best solution is faith: Faith in YOURSELF, Faith in OTHERS and Faith in GOD. Faith in YOURSELF Each of us has different cultures that we inherited from our parents. These determine who you are, what your issues are, how you relate to others and why you behave in a certain way. In the face of criticism from others, have faith and continue to practice and improve your life. Focus on your interests and dreams. Faith and practice of useful things in the world will be the source in
helping yourself to master your skills and talents. Faith in OTHERS We need attention from others. Giveand-take relationships even when chatting on facebook, texting with your iPhone5, playing dota and counterstrike, are all important. If you are w you will have a great life because someone is there for you. Sometimes, you may hear negative comments from your peers, friends and other people important to you, which may cause conflict. If you have the faith, nothing will ever disturb your peace. Transforming your mindset and trusting others will help you nurture others and yourself. Faith in GOD If you have the faith in yourself and also with others, you will surely have strong faith in God. You will get the importance of why you need to have faith in yourself and in others that are the gifts given by GOD since you were baptized. For sure, you will get Contented with the World and Mystery of Faith that was given by God since the beginning of creation. You may not become a saint, nor even a great man, but know that you are a beautiful person that was created by God in his own likeness and image.
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“We could learn a lot from crayons; some are sharp, some are pretty, some are dull, while others bright some have weird names, but they all have learned to live together in the same box.” ~ Anonymous
by Postulant Randy A. Arca
One
afternoon, August, a kindergarten student asked his mother to buy a box of crayons because his teacher told them to beautifully draw whatever they wished. While waiting for his mother, he was quite confused because he did not know what to draw. He opened several books so that he could see some examples for his assignment. And after few minutes, he felt sleepy so he decided to wait for his mother on his bed. When his mother arrived, he was already asleep. “Oh my dear son, you look so tired. Ok, I promise when you
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A BOX OF CRAYONS: The Fruits of Living a Life of Unity wake up I will help you in your drawing assignment. I will just put these pieces of papers and a box of crayons on top of your study table.” It was evening but August didn’t wake up yet. Suddenly there was a conversation around. “Shhh… please don’t be noisy; the child is sleeping,” came a whisper from somewhere around the room,” becoming louder and louder. It came from a box of crayons on top of the study table. The crayons were talking to each other! “Oh my, oh my… Can we just lower our voice the child
is sleeping. I know we want to help him right away but please keep your voice lower,” said the bright blue. “But we need to do it now while he is still on his bed!” shouted the red crayon. “I have a great idea!” I have a great idea!” said the proud and strong colored orange. “You know we must not be in a hurry, ok?”, suggested the cool green. Some of the crayons were just listening while others joined the struggle. And in the right most side of the box, the color
black was quite silent, seemingly thinking of something. But he could not follow through with his plan because every crayon was too noisy. So, it bumped the crayons on his right side. The color brown got angry so he bumped back the color black. The situation became a big commotion. They didn’t notice that their box started to move slowly towards the edge of the table. Then, there it was the box fell from the table. There was a long silence. The crayons were broken into pieces. It was already morning; the child woke up already. He noticed that his box of crayons was on the floor. He opened the box and he saw the crayons were broken into pieces. He ran to his mother crying then said “Mama, look my crayons are broken.” “Oh I’m really sorry my dear son,” said the mother and embraced him. “Don’t you worry I will help you with your assignment, ok.” The mother selected the crayons that can still be used while he gradually sketched his assignment. He was happy doing it with his mother. The child has finished his drawing. It was a beautiful rainbow over the clouds. It’s good to know that the crayons were still useful after they fell from the table. Indeed, that was the best thing to know—to become useful after everything. But if we try to closely look on the problem that occurred, it was about the problem that brought them to
the state of being broken. Most of the time, we begin to accept that we are already broken. We tend to simply say that’s part of life. We can learn from the experience itself. However, life is not worth hurting for; it is worth living for. The incident of hurting each other could have been avoided if there’s much awareness of the very purpose of being who you are in the present state of life. Just like the crayons, we, as brothers, are all purposeful members of one big community. The necessity to be faithful to what has to be taken for the common goal and objective, hurting the self and other will not happen. It pays a lot of humility to accept that the diverse community has its different and unique members. It should start from the self to understand that he or she is involved with the greater good of others. Everyone has his contribution to each and every endeavor the community has. Heartfelt listening is part of the interaction with our brothers and sisters. We are bound to hear and be heard because of our listening heart. It drives us to understand closely the others as our self too on how our heart beats for keeping the life alive. Then, let us build a spirit of family. We observe in the family that most of us have its role. We are asked to perform tasks fitted to our belongingness in the family. At the end of the day, all of the contributions you
made will be for the benefit of the whole members of the family. It’s the gist of being one with a purpose. It is not easy to be in a family, community, organization and more. It is a big challenge to embrace the reality of differences of each one. But at the end, we are measured on the contributions we made for the betterment of all. I believe this is the very reason why God has made us different from each other because we can find what is lacking in us through others. Perfection is not seen on self alone but on how have you contributed and related to others too. In the Handbook of Augustinian Prayers and Devotions, the prayer O Sacrament of Love says: “O Sacrament of Love, sign our unity, bond of our fraternity, whoever longs for life has its very source. Let him come here and believe, unite with you and live.” This prayer captures the reason of our unity. It is with the ‘sacrament of love’. It is the bind that gives us life; the very fruit of our living together. So, in the midst of life’s differences, we find our very purpose to give meaning to our presence to help others and not be the reason of their brokenness as well as ours.
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A
ccording to our Catholic Catechism when St. Peter confessed that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, Jesus declared to him that this revelation did not come “from flesh and blood”, but from “my Father who is in heaven”. Faith is a gift of God, a supernatural virtue infused by him. “Before this faith can be exercised, man must have the grace of God to move and assist him; he must have the interior helps of the Holy Spirit, who moves the heart and converts it to God, who opens the eyes of the mind and ‘makes it easy for all to accept and believe the truth.’” Believing is possible only by grace and the interior help of the Holy Spirit. But it is no less true that believing is an authentically human act. Trusting in God and cleaving to the truths he has revealed is contrary neither to human freedom nor to human reason. Even in human relations it is not contrary to our dignity to believe what other persons tell us about themselves and their intentions, or to trust their promises (for example, when a man and a woman marry) to share a communion of life with one another. If this is so, still less is it contrary to our dignity to “yield by faith the full submission of. . . intellect and will to God who reveals”, and to share in an interior communion with him.
Faith is certain. It is more certain than all human knowledge because it is founded on the very word of God who cannot lie. To be sure, revealed truths can seem obscure to human reason and experience, but “the certainty that the divine light gives is greater than that which the light of natural reason gives.” “Ten thousand difficulties do not make one doubt.” Faith for me is encountering God in our daily life. God is not far from us but within us. He lived among us because he is God with in us. Faith incarnated in us by anchoring ourselves in God. Despite the difficulties and trials, our life goes on because we know that by and in faith our hope is not in vain but it will become reality in our life. Faith became reality in the life of the saints. It is because they entrusted all things into the hands of God in Christ. In faith the community of believers becomes alive for the reason that faith becomes inspiration and hope to every person who loved Christ. We see God not only in creation but also in every person who loved and lived their faith daily. Faith is not only contained on the personal level but also it should be shared in the society. Most specially we religious we become the living manifestation of the living Christ who lives in us and in our community. Therefore, faith should be alive in each and every one of us, and if we are really faithful in our relationship with God, and to our vows and apostolate or mission, we must encounter God so that we can transmit Him by sharing our life and aspirations in helping others.
A Life of Faith
by Postulant Mark Anthony R. Nepomuceno
Unity
St. Augustine the Model of Unity
in the life of St. Augustine- The main purpose for your having come together is to live harmoniously in your house, intent upon God, with one heart and one soul (Acts 4:32) (Rule of St. Augustine Chapter 1 number 2). The Order of St. Augustine follows the Rules done by St. Augustine himself. St. Augustine follows and lives the rest of his life in the community where he from.
by: Aspirant Rey Cyril Lagrosa
Before St. Augustine’s conversion to Jesus Christ, Augustine was drawn to life in community. Following his turning away from the ways of the world and his embracing of the ways of Christ in the year 386, sealed by his Baptism in 387, he gave up his teaching position in Milan and visited several existing Christian monastic communities. He saw people living in harmony and devotion to God. They prayed, studied and discussed together. They worked to support themselves, and shared with each other all they possessed. Christian love of each other and love of God were central values of their way of life. Their style of life appealed to Augustine. Augustine returned home to Africa, gave his material goods to the poor and turned his
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home in Tagaste into a monastery for himself and a group of friends who joined him there. In this house, the community’s ambition was to love and unite themselves to God through prayer and monastic harmony. Compassion for others in need soon led the group to complement its contemplative dimension with active charitable service. After four years of living in community in Tagaste, Augustine found himself walking one day to the city of Hippo. He was going there to look for a possible location for another monastery. He stopped to worship at the church there. Bishop Valerius was preaching. His remarks included the need for a fit and holy priest in Hippo. By this time Augustine’s fame as a holy man had spread. The people recognized him and immediately insisted that he would be the ideal new priest. Augustine accepted this call and was ordained a priest in 391. His priesthood could have pulled him away from life in community, but it did not. He founded his new monastery in Hippo. A number of men of all social classes were quickly attracted to this new community. A year later, Augustine established a third monastery. This one was in Carthage, a center of learning in Roman Africa. Monastic life there was based on the same principles as the life in Hippo and Tagaste. Following his ordination as Bishop in 395, Augustine had to change his residence. He did so, but in the process did not give up life in community. Instead, he gathered the clergy of Hippo into a new community. Here, he established a program of formation in which candidates for priesthood would study Sacred Scripture and grow in knowledge of God.
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St. Pedro Calungsod the Model of Faith by Aspirant Olwencie R. de Claro
“Faith
is defined as the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen (Heb 11:1). It is an act of the understanding and a divinely infused virtue. Whereby we accept as true all that God has revealed, because He has revealed it. The matter of faith is what God has revealed and through His Church teaches us to believe. The motive is the truthfulness of God. Faith is necessary for salvation. It is not enough, however, to hold as true the truths of faith. For faith to complete, its teachings must bring us into a more personal relationship with God. In other words, we must live according to what we believe. Every religious truth should bind us more closely to God. Faith then becomes our response to God’s call to follow Him.”1
Our Church is now in the third millennium of evangelization and as we journey through this era with heavenly blessings, Pope Benedict XVI declared Rev. Jovian P. Lang, OFM . Dictionary of the Liturgy. (New York : Catholic Book Publishing, 1989), 201202. 1
this Liturgical year of the Catholic Church to be “The Year of the Faith,” invoking the Holy Spirit to strengthen our faith as we progress. In his Apostolic Letter Porta Fidei, the Pope Emeritus speaks of the need to rediscover the journey of faith. He emphasizes that the point of making this journey is to shed light more clearly on the joy of our encounter with Christ. Moreover, the journey of faith is a journey that lasts a lifetime. “It starts with baptism wherein (cf. Rom 6:4) we address God as Father and it ends with passage through death to eternal life, fruit of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, whose will it was, by the gift of the Holy Spirit, to draw those who believe in him into his own glory. (cf. Jn 17:22). To profess faith in the Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – is to believe in one God who is Love (cf. 1 Jn 4:8): the Father, who in the fullness of time sent his Son for our salvation; Jesus Christ, who in the mystery of his death and resurrection redeemed the world; the Holy Spirit,
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who leads the Church across the centuries as we await the Lord’s glorious return.”2 In this regard as the universal Church celebrates “The Year of the Faith,” it is indeed a great blessing and honor for our country and the Filipino people that coinciding with the declaration was the canonization of another Filipino saint, Pedro Calungsod -- our very own intercessor, who is now included in the company of the saints in heaven “Pedro Calungsod, a young lad born in the mid 1650s in one of the islands in Visayas, the central archipelago of the Philippines. He was between 12 and 14 yearsd old when he volunteered to be part 2. Pope Benedict XVI. Apostolic Letter “Moto Proprio Data” Porta Fidei : For the Indiction of the Year of Faith.
of the missionary expedition of Fr. Diego Luis de San Vitores to Mariana Islands in 1667. He served in the mission generously for about 4 years, until he was brutally killed in the village of Tuhmon, in Guam, on 2 April 1672. His martyrdom was forgotten for a long time. After the 1985 beatification of his superior and friend, Fr. Diego, it was only in 1994 that the cause for his beatification was introduced. Pedro was declared “Blessed” by Pope John Paul II on 5 March 2000, and canonized by Pope Benedict XVI on 21 October 2012.” 3 Pedro lived and practiced the virtue of faith by making God the center of his life and constant point. Not only did Pedro firmly believe faith as taught by the church, but he also studied them thoroughly, while nourishing the desire to teach them to others. May all of us specially the youth of today draw inspirations from him as we continue our journey of faith; his offering of one’s own life is merely an expression of a deepest gratitude and faith in God. As St. Augustine stated in his writing the City of God; “in former ages, at least there was need to face the fear of death with a robust and aggressive faith, as was so clear in the case of the holy martyrs. Indeed these saints would have enjoyed no glory and no victory, since there could have been no strife, if once they were made holy by the waters of regeneration, they could suffer no bodily death… 3. Fr. Salvatore Putzu, SDB et.al . Pedro Calungsod : A Youth for Christ. ( Manila : Word & Life Publication, 2012), 31
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Thus, faith would be put to no test by an invisible reward; it could not even be called faith; it would be merely a desire to receive an immediate reward of its work. Moreover, if you sin, you shall die; now, the martyr is admonished; “Die that you may not sin. ‘The first man was told: ‘If you transgress, you shall die the death’; now the martyr is reminded: ‘If you refuse death, you transgress the commandment.’ What before was to be feared, If a man were to keep himself from sin, is now to be faced, if he is not to sin.”4 In olden times, expressing one’s faith was synonymous with embracing your own death if you upheld and preserved it. But for the saints, faith was a great blessing and grace from Heaven. They were given a special place in the heavenly kingdom of God to be our intercessors and protectors. And that is what happened to Saint Pedro Calungsod. In addition St. Augustine reiterated in his book the City of God, “Sainthood is attained by dying. This is true of the holy martyrs as to St. Pedro Calungsod. To them, their persecutors offered the alternative: either deny the faith or die. And the saints choose to suffer for their faith. Lastly, God has rewarded faith with so much grace that death, which seems to be the enemy of life, becomes ally that helps man enter into life.”5 4 Gerald G. Walsh, S.J. et.al. Saint Augustine: City of God. (New York: Image Book, 1958), chap. 4; 254-255. 5 Ibid. chap. 4; 254-255.
by Aspirant Carlo Enrico C. Tinio
We
enrolled in the Center for Family Ministries (CEFAM) of the Loyola School of Theology, Ateneo de Manila University not expecting that this would make a great impact in our life and that it would be God’s way of healing us in our woundedness. Right from the very first day of class, we never thought that it would open up great wounds and expose our vulnerabilities. This was the first time we met these people in class and we never expected that we would share very sacred stories with them. Somehow we found no resistance in opening up.
That was the beginning of grace. As we mentioned on our first day of class, our primary motivation for enrolling in CEFAM was to gain basic skills in pastoral counseling that we can use for present and future ministry. We hoped to learn both theory and practical applications in dealing with our future clients. While in class, we discovered that we also need to open up ourselves and share our own experiences in order to contribute in the learning process. Trust is a very important element in counseling. We hoped
that our class was mature enough to handle each others’ experiences for surely, these are the best materials for study in actuality. We know that in order to honestly learn this important task (learning to help others) we must also be ready to open up ourselves so that we may also feel what clients feel. By this, we knew that in class, we will not only learn the skills and theories of counseling but we will also learn a thing or two about ourselves and others. In CEFAM, we learned that a negative experience could sometimes function positively in a relationship. After all, entering in any relationship does not guarantee a perpetual bed of roses. Right now, we know we could humbly
confess that the difficulties we experienced in life made our relationship with God and with other people stronger. It served like a strong foundation in our vocation. In our counseling experience, it helped us empathize and be authentically compassionate to our clients. It may sound cliché but based on our experiences, love indeed conquers all! We could look at the darkness we’re experiencing now as something that is leading us to a more scary darkness of the night or we could look at it as something that is preparing us for the glorious sunshine: Dapithapon o bukangliwayway? What we learned most importantly is not to give up easily. We are sometimes pessimistic
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and have the tendency to predict doomsday. We almost gave up on our family. Seeing the same situations with other families might influence our way of assessing things and relationships. We could easily dismiss their case and give up. But that is bad couple/family therapy. Every family is different and every situation unique. What seems to be hopeless based on theories learned in counseling schools could turn out into success and inspiring stories. If there’s one thing we learned from the readings we had, that is not to give up easily.
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Now that we are actually trying to practice what we learned in CEFAM as we deal with other people’s problems, it is very easy to give up. There are times that we think that the counseling profession is not for us. Sometimes we are overwhelmed by the problems and painful experiences of families seeking our help. An easy way out is to give up. But there is hope. Just as important as the technique and intervention is the person of the counselor. Of course, empathizing
with client is good and can really be therapeutic at some level, but we learned that personal values of the counselor could also enlighten the client and sometimes, if not often, facilitates the healing. Dapithapon o bukangliwayway? We will always have a choice no matter what our past has been. It could prepare us for the future but it does not necessarily have to define what we will become. We choose to be a positive person despite the
negativities that seems to be overwhelming. By being so, we could also bring that positivity to the people we are dealing with in our helping ministry. Another important aspect we found significant in our journey in CEFAM is the sacred stories of our classmates and clients. Knowing their stories, struggles, triumphs, and perseverance inspired us to continue with our life. We are not alone in this ordeal. Even if we refused to be compassionate in the beginning, just by listening to where each person is coming from had definitely moved our hearts to understand
them. Perhaps, that is the reason why God is rich in mercy, slow to anger and compassionate – He knows what lies in each person’s heart. He knows where each one is coming from. If only people will take time to listen to his/her brother/sister, compassionate love is really possible. We know that we are not perfect but we try to apply this realization with our community. We tried to listen to the words our brothers speak and to the words they don’t. Before reacting, we tried to see where that
person is coming from. We came to admit that most of the time we got irritated with a brother in the community is due to projection. Good thing we are now learning to have an unconditional positive regard to each person. What’s happening might not be his issue – it is often times our issue affecting us. In almost all classes and activities in CEFAM, we are taught how to listen with our heart. It did not only teach us empathy, it allowed us to experience it ourselves and to give it to others. After trying our best
to learn all the skills we can learn, there will still come a time that certain issues can go beyond our capabilities. Learning to admit that the case is beyond our competence is also part of the learning process. We hope we learned the dangers of giving wrong advices and its accompanying consequences. We wish we would learn when to say “no” to a client and when to be humble enough to accept that we cannot handle the case anymore. Be humble to accept that there are certain issues that we are not yet fully comfortable confronting. Being future pastors comes with a huge responsibility.
This responsibility is entrusted by the Church to all its priests. As future priests, learning Pastoral Counseling is of great service to the Church and to our own religious community. Among many other activities of ordained ministers, pastoral counseling is just but one means of evangelization since its goal is also to help other people see the inner thread of God’s activity in their lives – proving how much God tremendously cares and loves them. After we read the article “A Psycho-Spiritual Approach to Counseling” by Fr. Ruben Tanseco, S.J.,
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we began to realize how our ministry as a future pastor is interconnected and even inseparable with counseling. Being a man of the cloth, we also believe that Spiritual awakening among clients will truly help them to recover or to transcend any psychological difficulties or problems. But a belief in that reality – the reality that God is the answer to most of people’s psychological problem, is not enough. As a pastor/ counselor we need the skill to help our clients recognize that reality. We need to journey with our clients in order to arrive at that consciousness. It is easy to say to people, “God loves you” but it is another to convince them to believe or to feel that it is truly so. Not only is it difficult to convince clients about God’s love for them, but oftentimes it is also difficult for the counselor to see that God really love these persons after hearing the terrible things that happened to them. Quite a number of times, in our own experience in pastoral exposures, we end up asking God why is He allowing these traumatic things to happen to these people. For a counselor to be truly effective, he
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himself must be able to believe about God’s love for each person no matter what circumstances they maybe in or may have been. He must have that conviction that all people is loved by God and that all their experiences, no matter how bad it may seem will still lead them to this Loving God. As what the article mentioned, the counselor should have a contemplative eye and a contemplative heart in order for him to see the beauty within the person’s soul. This will enable him “to see through things, see things for what they really are and for what they can be, see the real connections…” (Tanseco, A Psycho-Spiritual Approach to Counseling, page 4). The PsychoSpiritual Approach we learned in CEFAM will be very beneficial for our future ministry. Carl Jung is right when he talked about the effects of religious outlook in life. The lost of this religious outlook oftentimes
becomes a cause of illness and none of them has been really healed who did not regain his religious outlook (Jung, Modern Man in Search of a Soul, p.237). In our class in “Resiliency” under Fr. Ted Gonzales, S.J., most of the guests who sharedthat were undergoing recovery from different kinds of addiction often refer to someone/something they call“A Higher Power.” Of course, some would not automatically associate this “higher Power” to God but as part of their therapy, there is a need to recognize a “higher power” than themselves. There is a need to surrender to a higher power in order to recover and be whole again. The challenge for usas future pastors/counselors is to operationalize an integrated, psychospiritual approach to counseling. And most basic in this type of approach is the challenge of helping the client realize that he is loved --- the “experience of being loved by God.” After this, it is expected that client’s
self-appreciation will follow. By learning to appreciate himself, it is hoped that he will have a more positive outlook in others and in society at large. All these, under the premise of seeing God in the self, in others and in society. But this is easier said than done. The theory looks very promising and effective but the execution is far from easy. Most people know in their mind that God loves them. Most people know that they are unique. But the challenge is that they may know this in their mind, but they cannot feel it in their heart. This basic and universal knowledge of God’s love is often times known but not felt. Hopefully, what we learned in CEFAM will help us, future pastors, in engaging in this difficult task of helping people realize internally this truth about God loving them so much.
Graduates Response Center for Family Ministry’s 26th Graduation Ceremony Oratory of St. Ignatius 3 Floor, Loyola School of Theology of Ateneo de Manila University rd
by Aspirant Olwencie R. de Claro Distinguished Guests and Friends good afternoon! First, I would like to extend my heartfelt and deepest gratitude to my dear Formators of San Agustin Seminary -Monasterio de Guadalupe of the Order of St. Augustine- Province of Sto. Niño de Cebu Philippines for sending me here to CEFAM and acquiring this Diploma as adopted formation program for our Seminary Formation year 2012-2013. To all the members of my community, San Agustin Seminary- Monasterio de Guadalupe and to all my fellow Augustinian Brothers who have been my family and always there to support and love me. To the entire faculty, for unselfishly sharing your knowledge and skills to us all, and for accompanying us in this journey of learning and bringing healing to oneself and others
success and failures but then still experienced and encountered God’s love, faith and hope amidst all these confluence of events in your life. May I use the Psycho-spiritual approach that Fr. Ruben Tanseco, himself conceptualized and introduced in CEFAM to articulate my sharing; Intra-personal aspect CEFAM remarkably helped me in a very special and personal way. It helped to once again review how I myself relating to my inner-self and find God within. It helped me developed my sense of self-worth and self-esteem and that God created me and loved me as special and unique as I am. And always bear in me the contemplative heart and contemplative eye which will guide me to feel and see the real presence of God in me, in my life and in others.
Inter-personal aspect To all my friends and classmates, for sharing your life with me, for inspiring me with It helped me to refurbish my ways of dealing your multitude and various family life stories and relating to people around me most especially and testimonies that are filled with lessons of my family. It reminded me to trace and go back laughter and tears; joys and pains; rise and fall;
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to my roots; it deepened my understanding and knowledge of them my very own family; it allowed me to renew and strengthen my commitment to love and care for them; and it allowed me to see that God is indeed present in each one of them. Because I see God in them, I can generously give my acceptance, affirmation and unconditional positive regard or love for them God Himself did to us. Meta-personal aspect Having now developed and being equipped with enough knowledge and understanding of my inner-self and my relationship with others while recognizing the presence of God, I am now ready to face the much bigger dimension of offering myself for the service of my God and His people; my society and community at large. And as I continue my journey in this vocation to religious life; a life filled with compassionate service to people at large, CEFAM indeed prepared me for this future endeavor.
empathy for others so that, love + justice = peace will surface in our society and community; for our God is a God who promotes love, justice and peace wherein Jesus Christ, His only Son lives for us to follow. F – Valuing and recognizing the promotion of the growth and welfare of the Family and all its members; as the Holy Family of Nazareth; Jesus, Joseph and Mary.
Generally, CEFAM for me means;
A – To be actively involved and aware in the promotion of different activities that uphold C – Be a compassionate person to others social justice such as caring for the environment, most especially to our needy brothers and sisters the poor, and members of the minorities or as we live in this world, whoever we may be, indigenous members of our society. whatever status we may have in the society, because God Himself is a God full of compassion. M – Train people to be ministers of Christ in the context of counseling/ helping ministry E – To live always in the life filled with bringing in the Spirituality of Jesus Christ combining Psychology and Theology to promote healing to people.
Let me end my sharing with the words of our Spiritual Founder St. Augustine, “YOU HAVE MADE ME FOR YOURSELF FOR YOU ALONE MY GOD AND RESTLESS IS MY HEART TILL IT RESTS IN YOU” us all.
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Thank you very much and may God bless
photo credits to: SACS Mass Media Center