Chronicles of the Daily Grind

six months in the apostolate...

Labels: bookfair, books, formation, practical training

Posted by brodiz at 6:26 PM | Permalink | Comments

today highlights the perpetual profession of 15 salesians.
to commit oneself in perpetuity is no joke.
it even goes against the modern pluralist trend where people are confronted with so many options in life. consumerism and materialism allure us to pick out the best, to choose what leads, which paradoxically confronts us to the truth that we could not really make a choice.
for this reason, people nowadays find it difficult to commit.
we all want everything to ourselves.
and so why commit?
why choose one when there are many?

commitment is love.
love goes against that mentality of taking everything for ourselves.
love gives up the self for one thing.
when we commit, we lose ourselves, we lose the full control of ourselves.
we do it because we value its importance.
simply, we love.
we commit and we love.
we love and we commit.
love and commitment are options taken interchangeably.

i pray that i may never lose this love.
i pray that on that day when i would offer myself fully,
when i am about to commit myself in perpetuity,
i'd be loving God more deeply as it would ever grow each day.
yet, for sure, His love never lessens.
i pray that i may love the Lord as He deserves.

Labels: choice, formation, introspection, personal, prayer, reflection

Posted by brodiz at 6:39 PM | Permalink | Comments

Date: April 20-29, 2008
Venue: Negros Island (Victorias City, Bacolod City, Granada, Kabankalan City, Hinobaan)

a very successful and heartwarming camp.
as a facilitator, it's energy draining, enervating, tiring...
yet the enthusiasm of the students is recharging,
especially when they are enjoying and responding well to the formative activities we have set for them.

from the week-long preparation to until the duration of the camp, i've been sleeping at an average of 4 hours a day. no wonder as soon as i was back home, i slept straight almost the whole day without taking lunch.

the affair is advantageous for me as a practical trainee to get to know some of my charges, the student leaders. i have come to know a little bit deeper each of them. it's amusing to listen to their stories. we have mixed and grouped these students so that they get to encounter other students from different levels (grade school, high school, graduate, college). it's amazing how they easily bond together and get to accept each other.

listening to their stories, i get to resonate with them. their point of connection to sharing their experiences as students revolves into one favorite refrain: "their teachers." indeed, whether good or bad, teachers will definitely leave a lasting impression to their students.i remember myself doing the same.

this camp has given me a preview of what to expect and not to expect this school year. a relevant question to ask myself is: what could i do this year to make a positive difference in the lives of my charges.

of course, there were many lessons which i personally learned. each moment captures one formative lesson that is worth reflecting. yet, more than reflecting, what is important is to enjoy the moment.

as one of my first activities as a practical trainee, i saw myself being stretched. i saw my tendency to be overcome by work and tasks and the irrational need to complete them. but then, i have found value in relaxing a bit despite the demands and pressures. health is of primary importance when it comes to the mission.

if i were to sum up the days i just had, it is but an "encounter to enjoy."

Labels: apostolate, camp, events, formation, outing, personal, practical training, youth

Posted by brodiz at 6:02 AM | Permalink | Comments

now open: a new chapter!

SATURDAY:
i left db postnovitiate at 9:30 am. i never thought that fetching is that sooner. i rushed packing my things. we arrived at db mandaluyong at 11:00 am. i was warmly welcomed by the community. yet, immediately after lunch, Bro. Abe and I rushed for DB Makati to at least watch the DBAA one-day league. i met familiar faces from db tarlac, former teachers and friends. at 6 pm, we head back home. after vespers and supper, the community as a sign of welcome, celebrated my arrival with the film viewing of vantage point (which i already watched) coupled with pizza hut supreme and sausages. i stayed late until 12:00 am unpacking my things.

SUNDAY:
i woke up at 6:30 am, had personal lauds and meditation. today's the birthday of fr. demet, our vicar. i attended and assisted the mass at 8:30 am at savio parish. i was introduced to the people as the new brother assistant. after the mass, we headed back to the school to meet the youth of dbyc for their catechism. at lunch time, we celebrated the birthday of fr. demet. food is great and abounding. before taking lunch i stepped the scale to watch my weight. it's marked 62 kilos. we'll see if i would gain or lose weight. the food here is great. i'm afraid i might achieve the former (gaining weight). i couldn't sleep for afternoon siesta. i just finished unpacking and organizing my things in my room. at 4:00 pm i went down and assisted the dbyc. i met a lot of young poeple, i've been knowing their names here and there, trying to commit them in my memory. they are such nice people. at 5:45 pm, i gave the closing talk (aka goodnight talk) of the dbyc. i met bro joji and marnel who'll be attending the 6 pm mass. after supper and rosary, fr. demet gave his goodnight sharing his reflection of his 64 years of existence. then, fr. eli, fr. abel, bros. abe, lonx and i met for the preparation of the salterrae.

TALKING WITHIN:
i'm still feeling a little nostalgic. i am still missing my companions... i felt that i haven't said goodbye enough. nevertheless it's time to move one. i've been adjusting. i couldn't imagine myself missing the structures of the seminary which i previously abhor. life is fast-paced... there will be shifts in lifestyle. yet, i still hold onto God and pray that i may not be drowned and be consumed. nevertheless, i am consoled by the fact that God is with me, and i am looking forward a fruitful journey of this new chapter of my salesian life.

Labels: events, formation, personal, practical training, talking within

Posted by brodiz at 7:10 PM | Permalink | Comments

the day of my exodus comes closer now. feelings of nostalgia and sadness are starting to overcome me.i am the first to leave the postnovitiate... the haven, my home. barely two days to go and i haven't packed my things yet.a greater portion of me doesn't want to leave. but this is not a separation anxiety about the place and my comfort zones.this is about holding onto the people i treasure, the persons i have learned to love. they will surely be missed. i know it's not the end of the world. we'll still be meeting each other again some time. yet, the postnovitiate journey and the everyday encounter with them as a community will soon end. i don't think we'll ever be assigned together again into another community.



surely, you'll be missed!

i have found a "home" in you. leaving the postnovitiate doesn't mean leaving "home."
the jingle of the radio station 97.9 home radio is correct:
"home is where you place my heart."
you will always be in my heart.
wherever i may be, i would carry this "home" with me.

God Bless!

Labels: formation, personal, postnovitiate

Posted by brodiz at 6:10 PM | Permalink | Comments

someone told me:

"you're spending a lot of time, attention and energy reviewing for the de universa. when it ended, what would be the use of all that?"

indeed, the de universa may not be everything in the postnovitiate, but it's replete with formative experiences i never imagined having.

we may forget everything we may have reviewed -- 60 theses from 6 treatises in 6 months.there might be no further use of it in our practical training. there might be a few use of it as a foundation in our theological formation. but, i see more and deeper values in this. more than the outcome or the usefulness, it's the formative process which one undergoes that is deemed necessary and important.

we all underwent the same preparation, the same pressure. we were all in this together. we supported each other. we prayed for one another. we shared our progress and difficulties and concerns and anxieties. we are all one in this. the result is not really important whether one becomes cum laude or not. we all passed as we have all struggled to pass. and by God's grace we all did it. i am proud to share this oneness with you.

Labels: formation, personal, philosophy, postnovitiate

Posted by brodiz at 5:44 AM | Permalink | Comments