little dark jesuit kid

Sparkles of Light (Mk 4:26-34)

2012-01-26T21:01:00.003+08:00

27 January 2012, Friday, 3^rdWeek of the Year

GREATTHINGS BEGIN SMALL

Jesus said to the crowds: "This is how it is with the Kingdom ofGod; it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land and would sleep andrise night and day and the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how. Of itsown accord the land yields fruit, first the blade, then the ear, then the fullgrain in the ear. And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once, forthe harvest has come."

He said, "To what shall we compare the Kingdom of God, or whatparable can we use for it?

It is like a mustard seed that, when it is sown in the ground, is thesmallest of all the seeds on the earth. But once it is sown, it springs up and becomesthe largest of plants and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of thesky can dwell in its shade." With many such parables

he spoke the word to them as they were able to understand it. Withoutparables he did not speak to them, but to his own disciples he explainedeverything in private.

Mk 4:26-34

Jesus preached two important thingsduring his earthly life which has become central in our Christian faith. This is the love of God the Father (Abba) andthe Kingdom of God. And today’s Gospelaccording to Mark is one of the Kingdom parables. Jesus used the mustard seed in his parable toexplain the Kingdom of God.

The mustard seed, being a very smallseed, help us understand the larger point that Jesus is trying to make – thateven a little bit of faith can work wonders. That it can grow, and strengthen,and make possible miracles. But there issomething else here that is easy to overlook, another message worthremembering. It is a reminder to us ofhow much God treasures those things that are small. Just like Jesus, came to us as one who wassmall Himself – a helpless baby, without a home, in a forgotten corner of anoccupied country. That is why he feels aspecial affinity for those things in this world that are weak, overlooked,neglected, dismissed, little.

Who among you knows AngelaMerici? Angela was born in 21 March 1474at Desenzano, a small town on the southwestern shore of Lake Garda inLombardy. She was left an orphan at theage of ten and together with her elder sister came to the home of her uncle atthe neighbouring town of Salo where they led an angelic life. When her sistermet with a sudden death, without being able to receive the last sacraments,young Angela was much distressed. She became a tertiary of St. Francis andgreatly increased her prayers and mortifications for the repose of her sister'ssoul. In her anguish and pious simplicity she prayed God to reveal to her thecondition of her deceased sister. It is said that by a vision she was satisfiedher sister was in the company of the saints in heaven.

When she was twenty years old, her uncledied, and she returned to her paternal home at Desenzano. Convinced that thegreat need of her times was a better instruction of young girls in therudiments of the Christian religion, she converted her home into a school whereat stated intervals she daily gathered all the little girls of Desenzano andtaught them the elements of Christianity. It is related that one day, while inan ecstasy, she had a vision in which it was revealed to her that she was tofound an association of virgins who were to devote their lives to the religioustraining of young girls. The school she had established at Desenzano soon boreabundant fruit, and she was invited to the neighbouring city, Brescia, toestablish a similar school at that place. Angela gladly accepted theinvitation. Finally, on the 25th ofNovember, 1535, Angela chose twelve virgins and laid the foundation of theorder of the Ursulines in a small house near the Church of St. Afra in Brescia.Having been five years superior of the newly-founded order, she died.

St. Angela Merici, perhaps unknown toall of you, is the saint whom we also celebrate today. Though what she has done was so little, itwas big in sacrifice and faith, hence it bore fruit which consists of schoolsand the Ursuline Order. Great things indeedbegin with something small. May ourhearts and minds be drawn to those who are the smallest of all especially thosewho are often dishonored, and even discarded. Those who are the size of a mustard seed. Then we are building the Kingdom of God.

St. Angela Merici, pray for us.

Sparkles of Light (Lk 10:1-9)

2012-01-26T20:59:00.002+08:00

26 January 2012, Thursday, 3^rdWeek of the Year

ITIS HARD, IT IS DIFFICULT

After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others whom he sent ahead ofhim in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit. He said to them,“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of theharvest to send out laborers for his harvest. Go on your way; behold, I amsending you like lambs among wolves. Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals;and greet no one along the way. Into whatever house you enter, first say,‘Peace to this household.’ If a peaceful person lives there, your peace willrest on him; but if not, it will return to you. Stay in the same house and eatand drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves his payment. Do notmove about from one house to another. Whatever town you enter and they welcomeyou, eat what is set before you, cure the sick in it and say to them, ‘Thekingdom of God is at hand for you."

Lk 10:1-9

Today’s Gospel Jesus appointed seventy-twoof his disciples to go to every town which he intends to visit. He even gave specific instructions, evendifficult ones, on how to fulfil these tasks like what to do in entering thehouse, what to say, what to eat and drink, and Jesus even asked them to curethe sick. All of these are part of beinga disciple of Jesus. It is hard. It is difficult. The task was daunting, yet only few werewilling to do the task.

Let me tell you a little story. One Saturday morning, mysingle-parent-dad-friend asked his three children to help out with the laundry. And mind you, it was a lot. Since their house help went home to theprovince for a short home visit, the father reminded them that no one will dothese things except them. The childrenthen were willing to do their laundry. But before they even started, their father added, “However, I am sorry,there is this other thing… our washing machine is broken so we need to do handwashing.” Then there was a longpause. By the looks on the children’sfaces, it was not that inspiring or motivating thing to hear at that time. After a while the youngest, with suchinnocence spoke out, “Dad, I love you, even you say we don’t have soap, I willstill wash our clothes.”

This is what it means to be adisciple of Christ. Perhaps in ourparishes, there are so many who wanted to serve as catechists, readers, layministers, servers, choir members or other tasks in the church. However, once they know that it will entailtime, resources, some difficulties and challenges, and even perhaps workingwith some people they don’t like or got angry with, they would rather stay inthe peripherals. Now is this wrong? Absolutely not. There are many saints and holy persons whodid not do great and difficult things yet still has been blessed with afulfilling and sanctifying life. Yet theGospel for today invites us to go beyond ourselves if we want to followChrist. To go the extra mine, to take aleap, to journey the road less travelled. And if you are willing to do this, Jesus reminds us that it will not beeasy and smooth.

That is why today, it is apt that wealso celebrate the memorial of Saints Timothy and Titus, to remind us whatdiscipleship is all about. Timothy, forexample, spent 15 years working with Paul, and Timothy became one of his mostfaithful and trusted friends. He wassent on difficult missions by Paul—often in the face of great disturbance inlocal Churches which Paul had founded. Titusis also a friend of Paul and when Paul was having trouble with the community atCorinth, Titus was the bearer of Paul’s severe letter and was successful insmoothing things out. These two firstfollowers of Paul gave their lives and even done difficult tasks for theChurch. It was difficult. It was hard. They don’t need to do it. Butthey did it because they love Jesus. Maywe continue to heed the call of Jesus, “The harvest is abundant but thelaborers are few.”

Sts. Timothy and Titus, pray for us.

Sparkles of Light (Mk 3:31-35)

2012-01-23T07:27:00.002+08:00

24 January, 2012, Tuesday, 3^rdWeek of the Year

THETRUE FAMILY OF JESUS

The mother of Jesus and his brothers arrived at the house. Standing outside, they sent word to Jesus andcalled him. A crowd seated around himtold him, "Your mother and your brothers and your sisters are outsideasking for you." But he said to them in reply, "Who are my mother andmy brothers?" And looking around at those seated in the circle he said, "Hereare my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of God is my brotherand sister and mother."

Mk 3:31-35

Our Gospel for today may be seen astwo parts. First is about the crowdinforming Jesus regarding “his mother, brothers and sisters.” Secondly is the response of Jesus toward suchidentification.

In the first part, many wouldimmediately ask, does Jesus really have brothers and sisters? We know Jesus have Mary and Joseph as hisearthly parents, but does he really have sibling or siblings? Well, we really can’t say. Perhaps. Yet we really don’t know. However,one important reference we can find about his so called “brothers and sisters,”which can somehow shed light for us, is on Mark 6:3. The passage goes, “Is not this the carpenter,the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are nothis sisters here with us?” Clearly,those identified as “brothers and sisters” of Jesus by the crowd are those whoare close to him, who are his disciples, who are his followers. They are Jesus’ earthly family.

The response of Jesus from thesecond part invites us to look beyond his earthly family. Jesus asked, “Who are my mother and mybrothers?” And he answered, “Here are mymother and my brothers… for whoever does the will of God is my brother andsister and mother.” We are all part of Jesus’family, his spiritual family. And thisis manifested in our faith in Jesus. This faith in Jesus, following his words and deeds, makes us one body ofChrist. Hence, we become God’s adoptedchildren who can loving call God “Father” like Jesus.

As a Jesuit seminarian, I amcurrently staying in an international community. We are sixty seven Jesuit seminarians from 14different nations taking courses from Philosophy and Theology. With different cultures, backgrounds andpersonalities living together in one roof, one could simply imagine what sortof community we are. There will alwaysbe unavoidable differences and challenges along the way that brings abouttension and difficulties in our community. This simply points that we are still a human organization. However, despite of these differences andchallenges, whenever we come together in prayer, whenever we receive the HolyEucharist, whenever we go to our studies and apostolates, we become friends inthe Lord, we become one community, we become one family. And I think this is what it means when Jesusrefers us as his “brothers and sisters.”

The Gospel for today invites us tobe part in this one body, one family in Christ. It is not only having faith in Jesus. No. It entails more. We are also invited to face our differencesand challenges with one another, and to work towards the Kingdom of God. Most of the time it is difficult to do thisbecause there will always be differences and challenges among us. Even as one human family, it is hard to workfor peace, unity and equality. But weare invited not to lose hope and don’t stop. As long as we continue to forgive and love one another, we become true“brothers and sisters” in Christ.

St. Francis de Sales, pray for us.

Sparkles of Light (Mk 3:7-12)

2012-01-18T07:06:00.002+08:00

19 January 2012, Thursday, 2^nd Week ofthe Year

WHYDO YOU FOLLOW JESUS?

Jesus withdrew toward the sea with his disciples. A large number ofpeople followed from Galilee and from Judea. Hearing what he was doing, a largenumber of people came to him also from Jerusalem, from Idumea, from beyond theJordan, and from the neighborhood of Tyre and Sidon. He told his disciples tohave a boat ready for him because of the crowd, so that they would not crush him.He had cured many and, as a result, those who had diseases were pressing uponhim to touch him. And whenever unclean spirits saw him they would fall downbefore him and shout, "You are the Son of God." He warned themsternly not to make him known.

Mk 3:7-12

Today’s Gospel is a simpledescription on how popular Jesus was. Ittells us about the multitude of people who were following Jesus. This large number of people came from manyplaces. There were from Galilee, Judea,Jerusalem, Idulmea, Jordan, Tyre and Sidon. All were following Jesus because of the physical and spiritual healingthat he has done. Perhaps there were somany who followed him that “he told his disciples to have a boat ready for himbecause of the crowd, so that they would not crush him.”

My friends, we are no differentfrom the crowd during the time of Jesus. With the many things that are happening around us, we usually “follow”these trends. We attend different eventssuch as business opportunities or leadership workshops to hopefully increaseour efficiency in our endeavours. We keeptrack of celebrities or personalities which may on one hand bring usentertainment or on the other hand the intrigues which they usually deny. We take a visit at the electronic store tohave a feel of that new gadget that promises better features than the previousone. We follow our friends andacquaintances on Twitter and Facebook which somehow brings about a personalsense of connection and belongingness to us. We are like the crowd because we seem to be searching for many things. We are constantly searching. What are you searching for?

At this time of technologicaladvancement and economic progress, miracles and healing come as a surprise andinterest. This must be the feeling ofthe crowd during the time of Jesus. Wheneverwe hear that someone heals in the name of Jesus; we would all go there and seeand experience it for ourselves as they say: “To see is to believe.” If we could see the miracle and healingunfolding right before our very eyes, then we believe, then we have faith. Are you one of those? On the other hand there’s that silentmajority who follow Jesus not because of his miracles and healings. They followHim for the simple reason that they felt it in their hearts their need forJesus, immaterial of His miracles and healings. Are you one of those?

Miraclesand healing do happen. They happenbecause we have faith in Jesus. It maynot be what we expect, like a total cure from a disease or reconciliation withour hurtful past, but it is there. Ithappens without us knowing it, without us seeing it. We just have to believe. We believe that in God’s time and grace, heanswers our prayers in the way that is for us. Like the crowd that were following Jesus; some came to be cured andhealed; some came just to be a spectator; some came because they believe. Yet still many can’t see who Jesus was. Even those with unclean spirits “would falldown before him and shout, ‘You are the Son of God.’” Why can’t the others see this despite whatJesus was doing?

Myfriends we are like the people from Idumea, or Tyre or Sidon. We want to knowJesus, just like some desired. We havecome from all directions to meet him again or to learn about him for the firsttime. We've heard about his words of life, his healings, the way he extends newboundaries of freedom, and that he radically cares for each person he meets andliberates us from our deep, dark, muckiness. His only desire is for us to cometo know the God he calls Abba so we can know the steadfast love of God for us. So, why are you following Jesus? If you follow Jesus because you love him andhave faith in him, then you are in the right track.

Sparkles of Light (Mk 2:23-28)

2012-01-16T17:34:00.001+08:00

17January 2012, Tuesday, 2^nd Week ofthe Year

TAKETIME TO REST, TAKE TIME TO PRAY

As Jesus was passing through a field of grain on the sabbath, hisdisciples began to make a path while picking the heads of grain. At this thePharisees said to him, "Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on thesabbath?" He said to them, "Have you never read what David did whenhe was in need and he and his companions were hungry? How he went into thehouse of God when Abiathar was high priest and ate the bread of offering thatonly the priests could lawfully eat, and shared it with his companions?" Thenhe said to them, "The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath. Thatis why the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath."

Mk 2:23-28

Sabbath for the Jews is a verysacred day. It is a day of rest. Therefore on that day, no work waspermissible, not even medical care could be given. A wound or fracture, for instance, could notbe attended to. It was even a big debateamong the Jewish religious leaders whether on that day a knot could be tied oruntied. An egg laid by a hen on that day,for example, could not be eaten, because the hen in her effort to lay the egg,violated the law of that day. Not evenself-defence was permissible on that day. Violation of the law of that day was liable to punishment withdeath. This was the law and this wasinstructed by God to the people of Israel to rest from “work” on the seventhday of every week. No wonder that in ourGospel, the Pharisees reacted, and perhaps were so angry at Jesus and hisdisciples for picking grains.

Didthe disciples really break Sabbath? Theanswer is no. The disciples of Jesusdidn’t break the Sabbath rule. Thepeople were not allowed to “work” on the Sabbath Day. This means that the people of Israel wereforbidden from labor that brought them a profit on that day. The disciples were not working; they weresimply meeting a pressing need. They were hungry and they were simply doingwhat the Law gave them permission to do. The Pharisees acted this way simply because they were judging accordingto the teachings of the rabbis and the elders. The disciples had not violated God’s Law; they had violated thetraditions of men and the Pharisees are upset about it. As Jesus reminded us, “The Sabbath was madefor man, not man for the Sabbath. Thatwhy the Son of man is lord even of the Sabbath.”

WhenI was a young seminarian, our seminary life was tight. Everyday we follow a certain schedule. There is time for everything – a time topray, a time to eat, a time study, a time to work and a time to play. This tight schedule helped us to disciplineourselves to live a life of poverty, chastity, and obedience. However, there is one unwritten rule, anunofficial exception. And this unwrittenrule is: we can ask to take a rest, an afternoon or even a day-off, if we feelwe needed it. This unwritten rule is notmade for us to escape our responsibilities in the seminary, but hopefully throughthis rest we may be able to perform much better with our different tasks andresponsibilities. Take time to rest,take time to pray. Jesus invites us todo what is necessary for us to have some time to rest, reflect and rechargeourselves. Thus, for us Catholics,Sunday is our Sabbath. It is our day ofrest. But most of all, it is our day we celebratethe Eucharist, that God came through Jesus Christ to free us from sin anddeath.

Workis important for many of us. We need towork in order to provide for our needs and the needs of our family, and eventhe needs of others. But many times wetend to intoxicate ourselves with work. So we give time to ourselves to rest and reflect. In our reflection, hopefully earthly thingswill assume their true size. In ourprayerful reflection we will be able to see that in the wilderness ofperplexity and affliction of this life, it is God who is guiding us to newlife, and that will give us strength. Wegive significance to the Lord’s day so that we may be recharge to respond tothe needs of people in the world which we express in the prayers of thefaithful at Mass.

St.Anthony, pray for us.

homily of fr. catalino arevalo, s.j. for tita cory's funeral mass

2009-08-07T20:40:00.002+08:00

We give her back to You, with grateful but breaking hearts"

By Catalino Arevalo, SJ

(Homily at the Funeral Mass for former President Cory Aquino, Manila Cathedral, August 5, 2009)

IF I may, I will first ask pardon for what might be an unseemly introduction. In the last days of President Cory’s illness, when it seemed inevitable that the end would come, the assignment to give this homily was given to me by Kris Aquino. She reminded me that many times and publicly, her mother had said she was asking me to preach at her funeral Mass. Always I told her I was years older, and would go ahead of her, but she would just smile at this. Those who knew Tita Cory knew that when she had made up her mind, she had made up her mind.

What then is my task this morning? I know for certain that if liturgical rules were not what they are, she would have asked Congressman Ted Locsin to be here in my place. No one has it in him to speak as fittingly of Cory Aquino in the manner and measure of tribute she uniquely deserves, no one else as he. Asked in an interview, she said that the address before the two Houses of Congress at Washington she considered perhaps the supreme shining moment of her life. We know who helped her with those words with which she conquered America . These last few days, too, every gifted writer in the press and other media has written on her person and political history, analyzed almost every side of her life and achievement as our own “icon of democracy”. More powerfully even, images of her and of Edsa Uno have filled hour after hour of TV time. Really, what else is left to be said?

SO, Tita Cory, you’ll forgive me if I don’t even try to give a shadow of the great oration that should be given here this morning. Let me instead try to say some things the people who persevered for hours on end in the serried lines at Ortigas or here in Intramuros can (I hope) more easily follow. This is a lowly tribute at one with “the old sneakers and clothes made tighter by age, soaked by water and much worse for wear” of the men, women and children who braved the rain and the sun because they wanted to tell you, even for a brief and hurried moment, how much they love you. You truly “now belong among the immortals”. But these words are for those mortals who with bruised hearts have lost “the mother of a people”. Maybe less elegantly than the seminarian said to me Monday, they would like to say also: “She was the only true queen our people have ever had, and she was queen because we knew she truly held our hearts in the greatness and the gentleness of her own.”

One of my teachers used to tell us that if we really wanted to know and understand a position held, we would have to learn it from someone fully committed to it. Just as only one who genuinely loves a person, really knows him or her also. So to begin with, I turned to three real “experts on Cory”; to ask them where for them the true greatness of Cory Aquino lay. My first source thought it was in her selflessness, seen above all in her love of country—surely above self; yes, even above family. Her self-giving, then, for us; what she had received, all became gift for us. The second, thought it was in her faith her greatness lay, in her total trust in God which was also her greatest strength. And the third said it was in her courage and the unshakable loyalty that went with it. It was a strength others could lean on; it never wavered; it never broke....Cory’s selflessness and self-giving; her faith (the Holy Father just called it “unwavering”); her courage, her strength. May I use this short list to frame what I will say?

O, let me name my experts now, if I may. They were three, all of them women close to her: Maria Elena Aquino Cruz, whom we know as Ballsy, Maria Aurora Aquino Abellada, Pinky to her friends; and Victoria Elisa Aquino Dee, Viel to the family. Kris and Noynoy are the public figures; they can speak for themselves. I hope they will forgive me that I did not ask.

First, selflessness

First, then, her generous selflessness. For us this morning what is surely most to the point is her love of country. When her final illness was upon her already, she said—most recently at the Greenmeadows chapel (her last public words, I think)—that she was offering her suffering, first to God, then for our people. I heard that grandson Jiggy asked her why first for country and people, and she said that always the priority line-up was God, our country and our people, and then family. On radio, the other night, the commentator asked an old woman in line why she stood hours in the rain to get into La Salle . “Ito lang ang maibibigay ko po sa kanya, bilang pasasalamat.” “Bakit, ano ba ang ibinigay ni Cory sa inyo?” “Di po ba ang buhay nya? Ang buong sarili nya? At di po ba ang pag-asa? Kaya mahal na mahal po namin siya.” Early on, on TV, they ran many times the clip from a last interview. She says, “I thank God, and then all of you, for making me a Filipino, for making me one of you. I cherish this as one of the truly great gifts I have received.” A few weeks from her death, she could say that; without put-on or the least insincerity. “I thank you, for making me one of you.”

Her selflessness, her self-gift. Pope Benedict likes to say that the God whom Jesus Christ revealed to us, is Father. A Father who is wholly self-gift; the God “whose nature is to give Himself”—to give Himself to us, in His Son. And, the Pope says, that is what is the meaning of Jesus and the life of Jesus, and, by discipleship, what the Christian’s life is meant to be. We Christians, too, we must give ourselves away in the self-giving of love.

“Ang buhay po nya at sarili. Kaya po mahal na mahal namin sya.” In the last days, when finally and reluctantly still she admitted she had much pain, I kept thinking that only a couple of weeks before, for the first time publicly, she said that she was offering it up first of all for us.

Second, her faith

Second, her faith. Pinky says, it was her mother’s greatest strength; it was what was deepest in her. Her faith was her bedrock, and it was, bedrock. Frederick Buechner the ordained minister and novelist likes to say that through his lifetime, he’s had many doubts, even deep doubt, daily doubts. “But I have never really looked down into the deep abyss and seen only nothing. Somehow I have known, that underneath all the shadows and the darkness, there are the everlasting arms.” I think Cory’s faith was like that, not in the multiplicity of doubts (even if, in a life so filled with trial, there surely were doubts too), but in the certainty of the everlasting arms. More than once she told me, “Every time life painted me into a corner, with seemingly no escape, I always turned to Him in trust. I knew He would never abandon us if we trusted in Him. And you know, somehow, He found a way out for us.” And so Pinky says, “Mom was always calm even in the most trying times. She trusted God would always be there for us, She was our source of strength. She made this world seem so much safer and less cruel for us. And now that our source of strength is gone, we have to make our faith something more like hers. But we know in our hearts that in every storm she will watch over us from heaven.”

Devotion to Mary

Within this faith was her devotion to Mary, the place Our Lady of Fatima and the rosary held in her life. All we can say on this, this morning is that Our Lady truly had a special, living presence in her life: Mary was, for Cory, true mother and incomparable friend; as we say in the hymn—vita, dulcedo et spes: life, sweetness and hope. No, Mary was not the center of her faith, but its air, its atmosphere; and the rosary, her lifeline through every trial and crisis. In the long harsh months of her illness, Sister Lucia’s beads almost never left her hands. She was holding them, as last Saturday was dawning and her years of exile were at last done, when we know her Lady “showed unto her, the blessed fruit of her womb.”

Third, courage

Lastly, her courage, her strength. Her children tell us that their father was only able to do what he wanted to do, because her loyalty and her support for his purposes was total, so she practically raised them up as a single parent. Ninoy himself wrote, again and again, that he endured imprisonment and persecution, leaning so much on her courage and love. And after his death, when she could have withdrawn in a way “safely” to her own life with her children at last, she stayed on her feet and fought on in the years that followed, through the snap elections and what went before and after them, through her presidency and the seven coup attempts which tried to bring her down. Even after she had given up her rule, could she not have said “enough”, and we would all have understood? But with not the least desire for position or power again, whenever she thought the spaces of freedom and the true good of our land were threatened, she went back to the streets of struggle again. Once again she led us out of the apathy we so readily fall into; once again she called us out of our comfort zones to the roads of sacrifice.

Purity of heart

Here, even hesitantly, may I add one trait, one virtue, to those her daughters have named? One day Cardinal Stephen Kim of South Korea asked if he might visit her. Through Ballsy, she said yes. It was a day Malacañang was “closed”; they were making up the roster of members of the forthcoming Constitutional Convention. Someone from the palace staff ordered us turned away when we came; it was Ballsy who rescued us. Stephen Kim, hero and saint to his own people—perhaps, along with Cardinal Sin, one the two greatest Asian Catholic prelates of our time—spent some 45 minutes talking with her. When we were on our way back, he said, “I know why the Lord has entrusted her with power, at this most difficult time...It is because she is pure of heart. She has no desire for power; even now it is with reluctance she takes it on. And she has done this only because she wants to do whatever she can for your people.” He said, “She truly moves me by the purity of her spirit. God has given a great gift to your people.”

With this purity of heart, in the scheme of the Christian Gospel, there is joined another reality which really, only the saints understand. It is suffering. How often (it is really often; over and over through the years) she spoke of suffering as part of her life. Much contemporary spirituality speaks of suffering almost as the epitome of all evil. But in fact for all the saints, it is a mystery they themselves do not really understand nor really explain, Yet they accept it quietly, simply as part of their lives in Christ. There is only one painting she ever gave me. Kris said then, when her mom gave it to me, that it was her mom’s favorite. The painting carries 1998 as its date; Cory named it “Crosses and roses.” There are seven crosses for the seven months and seven weeks of her beloved Ninoy’s imprisonment, and for the seven attempted coups during her presidency, and many roses, multicolored roses all around them. At the back of the painting, in her own hand, she wrote a haiku of her own: “Crosses and roses/ make my life more meaningful./ I cannot complain.” Often she spoke of her “quota of suffering.” When she spoke of her last illness, she said: “I thought I had filled up my quota of suffering, but it seems there is no quota. I look at Jesus, who was wholly sinless: how much suffering he had to bear for our sake.” And in her last public talk (it was at Greenmeadows chapel), the first time she spoke of her own pain: “I have not asked for it, but if it is meant to be part of my life still, so be it. I will not complain.” “I try to join it with Jesus’s pain and offering. For what it’s worth, I am offering it up for our people.” Friends here present, I tell you honestly I hesitated before going into this, this morning. But without it, part of the real Cory Aquino would be kept from view. Quite simply, this was integral to the love she bore for her people.

Thanks to her children

AT this point, may I, following the lead Mr. Rapa Lopa has given, just speak a word of thanks to President Cory’s children, who shared so much of her service and her sacrifice. They have almost never had their father and mother for themselves. For so many years, they have been asked to share Ninoy and Cory with all of us. And because of the blood and the spirit their parents have passed on to them, they too gave with generosity and grace the sacrifices we demanded of them. Ballsy and Pinky, Viel and Kris, your husbands and your children, and Senator Noynoy, may we thank you this morning from all our hearts, and may we offer also the gratitude of the hearts of a people now forever in your debt.

I have used up all my time, some of you will say, and I have not even approached the essential: her political life, that she was our nation’s unique icon of democracy, that Cory Aquino who is know throughout the world; was TIME magazine’s 1986’s woman of the year; she who led the ending of the dictatorship that had ruined our nation, the bearer of liberation, of freedom, and of hope for a prostrate people.

So, by your leave, may I add one item, along this line at last. In October 1995, Milano’s Catholic University , conferred on her the doctorate honoris causa in the political sciences (incidentally, only her twenty-third honorary degree). This was only the fifth time this particular one had been given since the university’s inception: the first time to an Asian, the first ever to a woman. She wanted, at the end of her lectio magistralis, to spell out, perhaps for the first time with some explicitness and completeness, her personal political creed. She listed seven basic beliefs which, regarding political life , she said she tried to live by. Then she spoke of one more, “one more I may not omit.” Perhaps the paragraph which followed is worth citing here, even without comment, because it has something to say to our present hour.

(We cite her words now.) “I believe that the vocation of politics must be accepted by those who take up the service of leadership as a vocation in its noblest meaning: it demands all of life. For the life of one who would lead his or her people—in our time as never before—such a life must strive for coherence with the vision aspired to, or else that vision itself and its realization are already betrayed. That vision must itself be present, in some authentic way, in those who seek to realize it: present, in the witness of their example; present, in a purity of heart vis-à-vis the exercise and usages of power; present, in an ultimate fidelity to principle, in a dedication that is ready to count the cost in terms of ‘nothing less than everything.’ It is Cardinal Newman, I believe, who said that in this world, we do good only in the measure that we pay for it in the currency of our own lives. For us Christians, there is always the image of Jesus, and the price his service demanded of him. And for me there has been, as a constant reminder, the sacrifice my husband offered, and the word that it has spoken, to me and my people.” (Cory Aquino, end of citation)

Conclusion

With all this said, I am done. Ma’am, tapos na po ang assignment ko. It has been so hard to do what you asked. But I comfort myself that these so many words really do not matter. What counts in the end is really—what all this week has been; these past few days’ outpouring of our people’s gratitude and love; what will come after all this today; what we will do, in the times ahead, in fidelity to your gift. I received a text last night from a man of some age and with some history behind him. “She made me proud again, to be Filipino.” Maybe that says it all. Cardinal Sin used to put it somewhat differently. “What a gift God has given our people, in giving Cory Aquino to us.” The nobility and courage of your spirit, the generosity of your heart, the grace and graciousness that accompanied you always. They called it “Cory magic”—but it was the truth, and the purity and beauty, clear and radiant within you, that we saw. And the hope that arose from that. And when the crosses came to you and you did not refuse to bear them, more to be one with your Christ and one with your people and their pain. “Blessed are the pure of heart; for they shall see God.”

Thank You Father in heaven, for your gift to us of Cory Aquino. Thank You that she passed once this way through our lives with the grace You gave her to share with us. If we give her back to you, we do it with hearts of thanksgiving, but now, oh, with breaking hearts also, because of the greatness and beauty of the gift which she was for us, the likes of which, perhaps, we shall not know again. Salamat po, Tita Cory, mahal na mahal po namin kayo.

paalam tita cory

2009-08-01T17:50:00.001+08:00

{this is my personal photo tribute to tita cory}

graduation homily

2009-04-21T21:35:00.005+08:00

{today i started packing my things in balik-bayan boxes to be sent to manila. i had mixed feelings. i started missing iloilo already. i am just enjoying every moment that i am here. here is the homily i delievered during the high school graduation last march.}

Homily (HS Graduation)

Santa Maria Parish Church

25 March 2009

Good morning dear friends and graduates. It brings me such joy and honor to stand here and be with you on this special moment in your life, not to guide you like in our practices for the past days, but this time to simply honor you by giving this morning’s homily. You have been a good batch. That is why it is no surprise for us your teachers that one hundred fourteen of you started the school year, one hundred fourteen will be graduating this afternoon. Because of this, I think all of you here today should pat yourselves on the shoulder for a job truly well done. You deserve to be congratulated and receive warm applauses today.

Let me then start my homily with a story. One Sunday afternoon of November last year, I went up to the faculty room to get some of the hundreds Skills Workout to check. And since I was already at the fourth floor, I decided to check the classroom of my advisory class if it was ready for the week. And there I saw a saddening sight that could break any adviser’s heart. The classroom was in total, total mess. Instead of feeling angry, somehow the Holy Spirit touched me that I had the urge to simply pick-up the broom and start sweeping the floor and arranging the chairs. After cleaning the room, I noticed that the other fourth year rooms were also a heart breaker. Since I still have time, and somehow again touched by the Holy Spirit, I started cleaning one room to another.

My dear friends, I am telling you this story not to make you feel guilty about the mess you have left behind one day in November, but come to think of it, there is a good reflection here. Let me then propose to you an image from my story that I will use all throughout this homily. And that image is, passing by. Every moment in our life is a passing by. We are just passing by. Some passing by are like short stopovers. We pass by a boutique, a gift shop, a restaurant, the mall before going to a party or a big event. Some passing by takes a long period of time before we can move on. We are just passing by when we studied in prep, in grade school, and recently in high school, and later in college. And for some they will pass by graduate school, medical school, or law school. We are just passing by.

Because these moments are just passing by, and you are just passing by high school, there are perhaps three dominant feelings I think you are feeling right now: relief, anxiety, and hope. Relief, anxiety, and hope, these are the normal feelings I feel one encounters in passing by.

First, relief. After passing by high school, there must be a relief feeling: tapos na!; wala nang exams; wala nang investigative projects; and most of all, the most important relief of all, wala nang Sir H sa buhay ko! Secondly, after the relief feeling, comes fear or at least anxiety. You realize that it is not yet over. There is still college. You still have to pass by college and even beyond college. Or perhaps at this early, thoughts of uncertain future creep on you because of the confusing and unending problems that our country is facing today. And lastly, there is still the hopeful feeling. “A chapter of my life ends, a chapter of my life will start. Now I can make my dreams come true! I’m going to make a difference! My life is about to start!” Relief, anxiety, and hope: truly not abnormal emotions at all, because today something is truly ending in your life and something else beginning. On this day then, when your life is changing, perhaps more than you know, we pray for you. We pray that “as the setting sun bids farewell,” with three gifts for your life ahead, three gifts inspired by today’s readings.

First, we pray that your relief may deepen into gratitude. Yes, it’s all over. You made it. But if you look more deeply, you might recognize, like the story of Jesus in today’s Gospel, that the achievement of these past four years was not simply the result of your striving, but a gift much like the miracle of Jesus that surprised the unsuspecting crowds who didn’t believed in him.

Second, we pray that your anxiety may be tempered by faith, a faith that is really a deep trust in the One who is always near but whom we often don’t recognize, as the first reading assures us. The Lord said, before he formed you in the womb of your mother, he knew you. Before you will receive your diploma today, before you will be set off from our school, he has felt every beat of your heart as you rejoice in gladness. Before you will face the challenges and difficulties in life, he already knows all your doubts and worries. Our God is a loving God and He will always be with you.

Finally, we pray that your hope be broadened by responsibility. What does this mean? As Pope Benedict reminded us in his encyclical: “Our hope is always essentially hope for others. . . . we should never limit ourselves to asking: how can I save myself? We should also ask: what can I do in order that others may be saved and that for them too the star of hope may rise?” (Spe Salvi, 48). Thus, our prayer: that you expand your dreams to include always a deep sense of responsibility for the future of our country and our people, especially the poor. I think your retreat experience invites you to become fishers of men and women, drawing in the net for the Lord. So, we pray, it may be with you.

Dear graduates of the class of 2009, relieved, anxious, hopeful friends, these then are our prayers for you as you leave the Ateneo today: may your relief deepen into gratitude; may your anxiety be tempered by faith; and may your hope broaden into responsibility; Grateful, faithful, responsible Ateneans, may you thus be for our world and our time truly In Ominibus Amare et Servire, to love and serve the Lord.

Before I end, I wish to name a final feeling that I believe some of you feel and that I have not mentioned till now: sadness. Even few weeks before the 4^th quarter exams, I have read different “senti” lines from your batch mates in YM, in Friendster, in Multiply, in Facebook, conveying sad expressions in various images and cues. Of course, the Ateneo has been more than a school for many of us; it has become a home and it is always sad to leave home. I don’t think there’s anything I can say to take away that quiet sadness: it’s just there; high school is over. Allow me to address that sadness though some lines from a European novel:

We will leave each other and go our separate ways. Life will happen to us and change us, sometimes, not for the better. But, if life tempts us to become cynical or bitter or cruel, if we remember these golden days of our friendship, if we remember how we dreamed together, how we were kind to one another, how we were good, then maybe, just maybe, that memory will save us, and draw us away from the forces of darkness that are always threatening to vanquish and capture us.

I would like to end my homily by bringing you back again to the story of the dirty rooms. I guess beyond the feelings of relief, anxiety, and hope when one is passing by, are the memories and the MAGIS we make when we pass by. Fr. Manny, Bro. Manny, and myself are also leaving in the next few weeks and we are just passing by. But perhaps what goes beyond our mixed feelings are the many wonderful and grateful memories we have had that we will always treasure in our hearts as pass by another moment in our life. And this is my challenge to you, my dear friends and batch mates, as you pass by each moment of you life, may you have the urge to make memories and make a difference, by picking-up the broom and start sweeping the floor and arranging the chairs.

Amen.

friends in the lord

2009-03-28T06:42:00.005+08:00

{this is a video we have made one time over lunch in our convent just for fun. yet it turn out to be a great video. we have showed it during the thanksgiving dinner and people really cried. hope you'll like this. to my jesuit community, i could never asked for a better jesuit community. thank you very much, my friends in the lord.}

class description

2009-02-22T16:45:00.005+08:00

{here's my class description for my class 4 integrity titans which will be publised for the vinculuum yearbook. it has been a great year.}

4 Integrity Mighty Titans (por in-teg-ri-tee mai-tee tīt'n)

– noun

Composed of 37 highly distinct, talented and intelligent species, brainstormed by the cunning cute Jesuit to harness, with the principles of truth, diligence, generosity and integrity.
An epitome characterized by various shapes and sizes (ex. Monkey, Dr. love, Jackie, owl, kabz, korny, Ryan Agoncillo, valedictorian, buwaya, buang, juday, baka, alien, chris brown, pato, Rihanna, John Lloyd, abnu, scholar ng pilipinas, kamay, armpit, alabuton, tissue, disgrasyada, isog, mr. barker, haring banyo, britishly, isip-ulan, Barney, almost perfect, side kick, small wonders, strong five, extreme five, baon people, etc., etc., etc.) .
Always late, always cramming, always second but never the champion, yet bonded with the zeal to make a difference, to take up the challenge, and above all, to have fun and they did.
God’s cute and lovable children.

My dearest Mighty Titans,

Do you know what it means to love?

I started this question from our verse choir piece because I think this captures so much with what you have experienced in your 4^th year life. When I first met you during your 3^rd year recollection, I saw a class full of care and love with one another. Remember? The crying boys and girls! Though during that year there weren’t much to celebrate because of the many defeats and struggles you faced along the way. But that’s okay. I saw then the greatness in you and I realized what a great class this could turn out to be. And how mysterious life is? I stepped in as your 4 Integrity adviser though unworthy I am. During my watch, it gives me much pleasure to see you all growing these past months. You are now all different since the very day you stepped in the Integrity room. We never won any championship since the very start. But what is more important than trophies and recognition are the moments you have worked together, struggling to set aside differences and weaknesses. Those moments tested your friendship and bond, and it brought out the best of you. These memories I will always treasure in my heart. And I am so proud, proud, proud of all of you.

Thank you very much for sharing your life and your wonderful friendship with me. Do you still remember the time I said I won’t promise anything to you? But what I can offer is my friendship and presence, and that I will never leave you no matter what. I hope I was able to do this for you. But most of all, I wanted to thank you because you are really part of my vocation. Perhaps you don’t know but you have taught me so many things in life and my heart can’t really explain my gratefulness for you. Truly, "One sees clearly only with the heart. Anything essential is invisible to the eyes."¹

Lastly, my final message for you is that whenever life seems so difficult to comprehend and to stay on, just remember these three important reminders: 1. God who will always love you unconditionally no matter what; 2. the spirit and memories of Ateneo, a home you can always relish and ignite again your hearts to desire for magis; 3. and somewhere out there, 37 of your friends including me are praying for you and softly cheering on for you … “everywhere we go, people wanna know, who we are, so we tell them, we are the Titans, the mighty mighty Titans, ohh ahh, ohh yeah, . . .”

So, do you know what it means to love?

¹ from The Little Prince

opening credits

2008-12-07T22:00:00.003+08:00

{i haven't done much posting for a long time. pero here is one great post. this is the opening credit of our successful "journey to forver musical" last november 7-9. kudos to my idols mayad studios.}

Journey to Forever opening credits from Mayad Studios on Vimeo.

isew speech

2008-07-17T11:30:00.005+08:00

{this is a speech i was asked to be given to the whole Ateneo de Iloilo community during the ISEW last may 26-28}

My Role in the Mission of the Ateneo de Iloilo
ISEW – Ateneo de Iloilo
27 May 2008

Good morning my fellow colleagues and friends. I was tasked to give my own reflection on “My Role in the Mission of the Ateneo de Iloilo.” At first I felt unworthy because I have only been here for one year and I believe that most of you can speak more on this theme. Due to my obedience to my superior, I will heed the call and I do hope that in the end of my sharing, I will be able to share some points for us to reflect in this workshop, especially my experiences as a Jesuit which we share a common mission.

Let me then start my sharing with a story. As I was preparing this reflection, I remembered a simple story that happened during my last year in college. During that time in Ateneo de Zamboanga, we would have a beauty contest called Miss Ateneo that would happen as a starting event for our weeklong Ateneo Fiesta on early Decembers. During that time I was part of the team that was to coach our contestant, our Miss Arts and Sciences, how to answer the question and answer portion of the contest. Not that our bet is “stubborn” or sort, but because we want our contestant to be as prepared as possible. Before the actual contest, our team would think of all the possible questions that the judge may ask and also think of the possible intelligent answers to those questions.

Just minutes before the question and answer portion of the contest, we made some final preparations. Suddenly, it just came to us, what if the question would be about the vision and mission of the school. Among all the possible questions, this question is what we have overlooked. Luckily, as a good Atenean like myself (ehem!), I have kept a leaflet in my wallet containing a summary of the vision and mission of Ateneo de Zamboanga. So we gave another short review to our contestant. And you know what? The question that our bet raffled has something to do with the vision and mission of the school and our contestant simply aced it and she eventually was crowned as Miss Ateneo of 1997.

Looking back at the story, I was amazed how we have done a great job in making our contestant a winner. Yes, our contestant became Miss Ateneo, but is she really a Miss Ateneo? Let this question be a springboard to my sharing. My sharing will basically focus on two questions that were given: first, what to me is the mission of Ateneo de Iloilo-Santa Maria Catholic School?; and second, how do I contribute to that mission?

Immediately, perhaps, when someone ask us this question, we might run back to what is usually written on the main doors of our school like the 7Cs (Christ-centered; men and women of competence, conscience, compassion, community, character and culture), being a Catholic, a Jesuit, and a Chinese-Filipino school. Perhaps, for someone who is familiar with the Jesuit Education System, this can be easily explained. But for me, answering this question may go beyond what is just written there. It should come from experience and from the heart. For me then, the mission of Ateneo de Iloilo is set our students and each other on fire. What do I mean to set each other on fire? This is not an invitation to go and burn each other, although some of us may occasionally feel that way, but these are images of fire – to be on fire for unity, to be on fire for purity, and to be on fire for service. Let these three images of fire be the three parts of my sharing.

Fire for unity

When there is one flame here and another flame there and you put the flames together, they will not put out each other. They harmonize; they become one flame, a bigger flame. So should it be with us. While we are on fire and we meet another who is on fire, there should be a meeting of hearts. There should be harmony and there should be oneness. As we try to form leaders, our students should be the point of unity because before they are able to lead, they first have to experience to bring us all together.

On the summer of 2006, I was assigned in Dingalan, Aurora to do Gawad Kalinga (GK) work. And there for a month, I helped build 3 GK houses and form the Kapit-Bahayan and the SIGA-Youth Program. I’ve thought that when I will arrive there things will be easy. But it came out differently. My work was really to start their organizations from scratch, elect officers, create by-laws, do initial fund raising, as well as do community building activities. These are the problems of the GK areas that time. When you put together different people from different places to live in one community, tensions can easily start because of these differences. Almost every night there would be disputes from one house to another. Almost every day I have to stand in the middle and facilitate compromises between arguing families. It was a very difficult situation for me. I was alone and sometimes I entertain the thoughts of packing-up. But I remembered a Jesuit friend once told me, that perhaps you don’t need to do anything concrete, but be with them. So I continued despite the difficulties. And then a great opportunity came. After letting them voice out their concerns, I have found a common fire among them, a fire that could lead a stronger and united GK community. They didn’t realize all along that they are brought together because they lost their old homes because of the great typhoon that year. Nobody can ever understand them except they themselves; they have each other to make this work. And slowly things were slowly turning out to be better.

My dear friends, I believe that we all share the same fire that’s why we are all here. Even with our students and parents, they too share the same fire. But putting these fires all together may be a challenging task. Yet this is our mission – we try to unite ourselves so that we can make a change, we can make a difference.

Fire for purity

Fire also cleanses. It purifies. That is why we cook food by subjecting it to fire. We must be on fire with purity -- not only purity that is chastity, but purity that is also honesty and sincerity. Purity also means generosity. The Gospel says that the Kingdom of God cannot be found by those who are lazy. Only those who go all the way, those who are pure of heart can discover the Kingdom of God. That is why the mission of our school is to call on our students to be generous with themselves even to the point of sacrifice, for the good and growth of the school as well as the community.

Two years ago, I was at the Game 4 of UAAP between Ateneo and UST. That year, it was clear that the UST team was better. They were leading in a big way, and it seemed impossible to close the gap. The Ateneo crowd was only one-third of the UST crowd in the jam packed Araneta Coliseum. I was feeling terribly discouraged and wanted to go home, concede defeat, give up, and I suspect many on the Ateneo side felt the same way. But there was a magical moment in the middle of all that discouragement. I don’t know who thought of it, but suddenly someone unfurled a banner for all to see. It simply said, “Summon the heart of a champion.” The effect on us was electric. It was as though someone had slapped us in the face, called us to remember what we had been. All of a sudden there was shouting, cheering, confidence, passion, energy until the end, where once there had been despair and mediocrity. We didn’t win, but it was a magnificent defeat.

Last year, as a class adviser with Sir H, it was not a golden year for our class. We never really won the crown among the many different competitions in high school – from cheerleading to verse choir, from sports events to spelling bee, from Alay kay Maria to Christmas Outreach fund raising. But if I may say so, we did well that year. We did well because we went an extra mile despite we knew that we can only strive as much. By these, winning had become secondary; it was the heart and sacrifices that each and everyone had put that mattered.

Fire for service

The third thing about fire that we should ask of the Lord thru St. Ignatius of Loyola, is that our hearts be on fire for service. This is our mission. We can be tempted to become lukewarm and indifferent to others and on the day our hearts no longer burn with fire, many others will die shivering from the cold! A lot of people are depending on our service to them. Our service takes on the form of igniting not only our students but also the entire Ateneo community so that everyone is given a chance to bring forth their talents and to let their light shine for others.

Whenever I feel tired or perhaps even at lost in my Jesuit vocation, I usually go back to my JVP experiences in Bilibid. As most of you know, I have worked in the New Bilibid Prisons for two full years as a rehabilitation officer. Though working in Bilibid was really tough, it is special in my heart because I have firmly found my Jesuit vocation there. And looking back at my experiences, I would never be this burning if it wasn’t the fire for service that our Jesuit fathers, my fellow program officers, and even the many selfless prisoners, has shown to me. They were persons of passion. Think of it. Sometimes we ask for food to eat because we share our food supplies to those prisoners in the hospital or even to some strangers. Sometimes we beg for money even to those who doesn’t believe in helping the prisoners so that we could send some children of prisoners to school. Sometimes we plead in front of government leaders and public personalities in order for the Death Penalty to be abolished. But in spite of all of these problems and obstacles, these persons of passion never cease to serve, they never cease to love. And I am so edified by their example that it had taught me to do the same no matter what.

Perhaps some of you might not believe the things I have done for the love of the ministry. I was the DJ of the dance during the HS acquaintance party. I sang the Psalm in a school-wide mass. I played basketball against the varsity team. I did cheer dancing and stunts with my students during the intramurals. I conducted a choral singing. I performed magic tricks in a program. I dressed in Korean costume to teach the famous Korean froggy dance in front of the GS assembly. I also dressed in Binukid costume for Fr. Manny’s birthday. I surprised my class by wearing a HS uniform. And most of all, my all time favorite, I dressed in Sto. Niño costume (which I look like a small Black Nazarene) during the Dinagyang week and gave candies to grades 1 and 2 pupils. Until now I still wonder how I did all of these stuff. When I look back with my experiences I sometimes caught laughing at myself about how I look and my different gestures. Yet at the same time I was also cautious that others might get me wrong thinking that I am just playing around. A fool for Christ -- I think this captures that fire for service. Regency for me is really a time to shine, a time to go an extra mile, to try new things, to make a difference. And to do these one must be a sort of a fool, going to the frontiers, all for God’s greater glory. And this is also what I feel is our mission as a school. Whether we are a teacher or staff, we can be a sort of a fool sometimes if only to make even one person realize that he is special and loved by God.

I would like to end my sharing in gratitude and in hope. Thank you very much for this opportunity to be with you, working with you, praying with you, and dreaming with you. I have learned and grown so much for this past year as a Jesuit Regent because of all of you, and I do hope that I have also contributed in my little own ways in fulfilling our school’s mission. And I also hope that I was able to give you some points to ponder on this theme. So when you will be invited to be a contestant of Miss or Mister Ateneo in the future, will you be able to answer in your own words what is YOUR mission in Ateneo de Iloilo. God bless you all and your love ones. Thank you, thank you very much.

Arthur W. Nebrao, Jr., SJ
2^nd Year Jesuit Regent (ADI-SMCS)

adi task force frank: pleas for your help

2008-06-23T10:31:00.005+08:00

Typhoon Frank left thousands of families in Iloilo and Panay Region homeless. Accordingly, this is the worst disaster that has ever struck the region. As early as Saturday morning, June 21, reports came in from different towns and barangays of flash floods leaving entire barangays submerged. Many people evacuated their homes to seek refuge in churches, schools and other makeshift evacuation centers. Still many others remain trapped in their homes and waiting for rescue. Rescue efforts have been hampered by damaged bridges and roads. As of Monday morning, recorded death toll has reached more than 100. Most parts of the region have no electricity and water. Food and water are badly needed especially in worst hit towns and barangays.

In view of the emergency situation, we are pleading for your assistance for our brothers and sisters in Iloilo and Panay. We are in need of food, especially canned goods, clothing, and water. We will coordinate the distribution of goods with the Jaro Archdiocesan Social Action Center. Donations may be sent to:

Ateneo de Iloilo – Santa Maria Catholic School
c/o Fr. Manny Uy, S.J.
Bro. Arthur Nebrao, S.J.
139 General Blanco St., Iloilo City
Tel. (033) 337-5532
(033) 338-2245
Fax. (033) 336-2903
Email: anebrao@gmail.com

Cash donations will be greatly appreciated. You may also send your cash donations through:

Banco de Oro (BDO)
Iloilo SM Delgado Branch
Account Name: ADI TASK FORCE FRANK
Account Number: 0710515588

Let us continue to pray for the countless victims of Iloilo and Panay Region. Thank you for your generosity.

spartans (one more time)

2008-06-15T18:49:00.002+08:00

{here's a final video for the spartans. thank you for everything. and goodluck to another stage in your life.}

for the greater glory of god

2008-05-18T15:16:00.002+08:00

{i came across this old article by my friend aims apolinario who is the academic principal of xavier school. my jesuit brothers and myself shared about life of st. ignatius and a little of our vocation for their st. ignatius celebration.}

http://web.xs.edu.ph/issues2/2005%20-%20July%2027/highlights/Scholastics.php

my retreat reflection

2008-05-04T10:36:00.006+08:00

{last april 15-23, the jesuit regents had their annual 8 day retreat. it was really a time for us, especially me, to reflect my regency year. i would like to share my reflection through this paper, for the lack of a better title, entitled chili sauce.}

Chili Sauce*
*made of olive oil and lots of chili (that sometimes we pinoy mistaken it as bagoong)

I love chili sauce! I almost always garnish my food with chili sauce. Ice cream with chili sauce? Bad combination. Believe me, I tried it. When I arrived in Iloilo last year, our supportive minister heed to my request for a supply of chili sauce. To satisfy my need for hot flavor, he bought me different brands of chili sauce to try on. And they are plenty. But let me narrow them down with my personal categories. There is the overly hot, decently hot, sweety-hot and of course there is the whatever hot. And I would like to use these images of chili sauces to describe my first year regency in Iloilo.

Overly Hot
I am presently assigned in Ateneo de Iloilo – Santa Maria Catholic School. We are a small Jesuit school that offers basic education here in Iloilo City. Many of my friends asked me, what is my work in Iloilo? I simply answer, “marami.” And most of the time they are persistent to really know the details. Fine. Here they are. I am the Campus Minster of the school. Take note, of the school. I am the 4^th year computer teacher – 3 classes, 1 preparation. I am the class adviser of my lovable 4^th year Integrity Spartans. I am the club moderator for Media Club 2 (Digital Workshop). I am a member of the Golden Jubilee Committee, PAASCU Team (CAT 3), Outreach Team, and Socials Committee. Not to mention the other small yet many tasks which are inserted by the school, parish, and the Jesuit community.

If I will tell all of these things to a teacher or to someone who is familiar with academic works, that person would probably say this is suicide. And I would agree on that. There are just too many things to do in this special school of ours. And knowing myself, I am a person who finds it hard to refuse any tasks or requests that is given to me. Moreover, who am I to complain when I see my fellow teachers, administrators, and Jesuits fathers and a brother working beyond their job description for the love of the school. These persons edified and reminded me to give my very heart into the things that I am called to do.

For someone who loves hot food to say that it is overly hot, then it must be really, really hot. But what a real chili enthusiast will do, he will try to take it in gradually until his taste buds can take the fiery flavor. And I think this has been who I am for the past school year. I have been giving myself to my work and accepting work that at a certain point it is really overly hot. But as I try to give myself, sometimes the overly hot is not hot at all.

Decently Hot
I don’t know if I should put these next entries in this reflection. It really brings me such deep gladness to hear stories of how people requested me as their regent. It may sound too boastful but it is true. (Hahaha, pagbigyan nyo na ako!) Really. Some Jesuits went out of their way to relay their intentions to Fr. Provincial whether by joke or serious conversations. I even know persons who offered prayers so that I may be assigned to their school. After hearing these stories I asked myself why? Who is Errol anyway for a regent? To content myself, I asked randomly three friends of mine. One said, “mabait ka kasi eh.” Another, “masaya kang kasama.” And still another, “kasalanan mo yan eh, ang dami mong pwedeng gawin.” Are all of these true? I will leave it up to you. What is significant at this point is that even before my colorful stories in regency ever begun, God somehow blessed it with rightful reasons and meaning – that I am where I am suppose to be. Somehow in between the difficulties, even pains and sacrifices, everything in Iloilo somehow fits. Though the work is really burdensome yet doing my mission in Iloilo allowed me to grow more in loving and serving my personal God.

A good chili person can easily tell if the spiciness of the food is decently hot. By the way, decently hot simply means “just tastefully hot or sort.” If you asked them how they know this they can’t give you a straight answer. Basta. I know I am not any closer to the teaching prowess of Eddieboy Calasanz or the religious charms of Fr. Mon Bautista or the talented gifts of Pokwang. But in ADI, I feel decently hot. Basta.

Sweety-Hot
Let us set my work aside for now. I think the next question is “do I still have time for fun?” Of course I have. Ano ako robot? (Hahaha) Despite the time constraints I still manage to insert some moments for myself. I usually love to walk around the city proper, going to Robinsons, SM Delgado, Atrium, and even to the far SM City at times. Honestly, I know how to get to these places by walking rather than riding a jeepney or trike. From these places I watch a movie, eat at Decos or Mang Inasal, do lots of window shopping especially admiring the new digital gadgets around, take pictures of scenery and structures, playing Time Crisis 2, eat the local chicken balls at the rotonda, and more. These are my simply joys in Iloilo.

But I think what really makes me happy (and sane) in Iloilo are the wonderful people. I think I have made many acquaintances this year. There are the complex and simple people of Iloilo, my drinking buddies, the videoke and dancing people, the serious and still serious people, and don’t forget the eating people (Ilonggos really know their food and they really love to eat!) All of them became part of my life because they share their lies with me which I can see God really dwells among them.

But among these friends, I would like to name few groups of persons that somehow made a significant mark in my first year of regency. First, the Golden Jubilee Batch, especially my 4^th year class advisory, the Integrity Spartans. These 40 unique individuals who were under my care for a school year had become my friends. They are the persons that I mingle almost everyday. I try to be their big kuya (despite my physical physique) especially during the trying times of the class. They form me by sharing their brokenness with me that reminded me of the promise I made as a Jesuit – to help souls. Since their graduation, I have truly missed them. Another group is my batchmates of teachers and staff. They are my batchmates because we started together in ADI and we have been supporting each other since then. I think what made my work a little lighter is because I know I am not alone when I started. That is why we understand what each other is going through. Still, a significant group is a family actually – the Taleon Family – composed of a mother, two elder daughters and the youngest son. Miss D (as I fondly call her) has been so generous to the school and its cause. But what makes this family so dear to me is that they consider us Jesuits as part of the family. Many times, especially on their special occasions, we are the only ones invited. I only hope that the kids do not feel differently that they are always in the company of crazy religious people. They really took care of me that made me feel I really have a family in Iloilo (even in Bacolod J) For this I am eternally grateful. I always pray for them that our good Father will always make his presence felt to them especially during times of difficulties and confusion. And lastly, there is my secret group. (Ehem!) Don’t worry they are good and harmless folks. I call them secret because they are out of the usual ADI-SMCS circle. Actually they are long friends in Iloilo and I am actually the outsider. I have a very good friend in the group and I was welcomed since the day I arrived. We meet usually once in a while where they take me out to a place that I have never eaten and we just talk practically almost anything except work related stuff. Somehow with these secrete friends I can just be myself and I have found another home among them. God is so good to bless me with such persons, such friends here in Iloilo.

The sweety-hot chili sauce tastes sweeter rather than hot. I guess that’s why many people love its taste that sometimes they put plenty of it over the food. I think this is also true in my relationships with the people I serve. All of them inspire me to keep on going no matter what. There are many wonderful reasons to thank for rather to be worried upon.

Whatever Hot
You might not believe me the things I have done for the love of the ministry. I was the DJ of the dance during the HS acquaintance party. I sang the Psalm in a school-wide mass. I played basketball against the varsity team. I did cheer dancing and stunts with my students during the intramurals. I conducted a choral singing. I performed magic tricks in a program. I dressed in Korean costume to teach the famous Korean froggy dance in front of the GS assembly. I also dressed in Binukid costume during the Araw ng Wika. I surprised my class by wearing a HS uniform. And most of all, my all time favorite, I dressed in Sto. Niño costume (which I look like a small Black Nazarene) during the Dinagyang week and gave candies to grades 1 and 2 pupils. Until now I still wonder how I did all of these stuff. When I look back with my experiences I sometimes caught laughing at myself about how I look and my different gestures. Yet at the same time I was also cautious that others might get me wrong thinking that I am just playing around. But one concrete thing I was able to share with the school was the Golden Jubilee Launching video. With the help of professional video crew (who did the technical parts of the production and post-production), the whole school community plus a fire truck, I was able to produce the 5 minute video for the 50^th anniversary of the school. I really poured my heart into this project that it gave me sleepless nights worrying on the many preparations at hand. It was truly a grace-filled sight when it was shown during the launching program and I saw some alumni shedding tears. I was really happy then.

A fool for Christ -- I think this captures my whole experience at this stage of formation. Regency for me is really a time to shine, a time to go an extra mile, to try new things, to make a difference. And to do these one must be a sort of a fool, going to the frontiers, all for God’s greater glory. And this is what I feel the Lord is calling me to do.

There are some chili sauces that you just can’t get its real taste. You just don’t know whether it is expired or not or somewhere in between. It’s such a mess. Actually, there are some ingredients that you can’t mix to create a better chili sauce. Basically you just need chili and oil. During this retreat my God reminded me to appreciate myself and what I have given as myself. When the school year was about to end, I was troubled if I did well or did I accomplish what I was suppose to do. And when I prayed over the document on “Regency as a Stage of Formation,” it uplifted my soul. It is said,

What has to be developed and put to the proof during regency is his capacity to give,
and to give himself, despite occasional encounters with difficulty and frustration.
Thus his ability to enter into his true identity as “minister”, as apostle, as a person
in the service of others, and thereby in the service of Christ, is put to the test. (1.4)

All the while, in the midst of my busy life, I didn’t seem to notice how the Lord has been trying to affirm all that I am doing, that I am doing just fine … just fine; such a great consolation.

Final Words on Chili Sauces

Perhaps these things I mentioned here don’t come across to some of you because I guess not many are actually fond with chili sauces. Well, for a batch of 9 for example, 5 of us like chili sauce that we always request from our beadle to buy a bottle during retreats and seminars. I use chili sauce in my reflection because at least I feel some part of your life you have encountered chili sauce especially eating dimsums like siomai or wanton. And perhaps also I am assigned in a Filipino-Chinese school so this practically apt rather than using siopao or pancit. (Hahaha) But kidding aside this has been my life experience as I have tried to describe it. During this retreat I tried to piece together how I ended up being a Jesuit and go back to the basics of my desires. And it started in simple tasting of serving and loving that eventually I wanted more. Same thing with the chili sauce, some taste it and turn away from it because they just couldn’t handle its spiciness. But for some who eventually liked it, craves for it, puts it even on different dishes. And at a certain point, even for a simple chili sauce, the chili person can distinguish it already to be overly hot, decently hot, sweety-hot, or whatever hot. But for many others, these are all just the same chili sauces.

The recently concluded school year was very memorable for me. It is the Golden Jubilee year of the school and it was really a good year to be assigned as a regent. Also this year I lost two love ones – my cousin Neneng and my adopted mother Fe. Neneng was the one who attended special moments in my early Jesuit life from my entrance days in Arvisu Prenovitiate and Sacred Heart Novitiate until my vow day in which my adopted family couldn’t attend to. And of course my very mother was always there for me at the very beginning at it all, quietly praying and supporting me. She has become my real mother and has always been my mother. How I wish that both of them could be there when I finally will be given the opportunity to serve God as a Jesuit Priest. This year also, two of my batchmates of ours left the Society and another one was diagnosed with stage 3 of skin cancer. These events really saddened our group. Yet, despite all of these, it was really a season of growth and grace for me, for all of us. And I thank the Lord for making me see all of these in the last few weeks of being here in Manila to rest with batchmates (rekindling our missionary spirit and desires), other Jesuits, and meeting great, great old friends (who believes and supports us). Now I am ready again to face my frontiers and taste a different kind chili sauce.

Arthur W. Nebrao, Jr., S.J.
15-23 April 2008
Regent’s 8 Day Retreat
Canossa Retreat House - Tagaytay

my speech for the last day of class

2008-02-27T22:07:00.005+08:00

{i had my last class with my three fourth year classes and i made a little speech for them. it was senti mode.}

First of all, I would like to say thank you, thank you, thank you very much for a great school year together. As you know that this is my first year here in Ateneo de Iloilo and it was a great challenge for me to teach HS and being a class adviser of 4^th year students – who looks at me as one of their classmate, being the Campus Minister, taking part of the various projects of the school, and learning to be a Jesuit Regent. This is what I call parallel processing – doing many things at the same time. Moreover, this is a Golden Jubilee year and more has been expected. Indeed it has been a great year for me. And it wouldn’t be meaningful without you guys. You guys thought me how to learn and how to love. And for that I am ever grateful to you.

I am also sorry for the times that I have hurt or offended some of you. Sorry for the times that I have been insensitive of you. Rest assured that it was not ill-intentioned. Perhaps you already noticed that it is not in my nature to be angry at people (just like what my Integrity class expects me during big practices). It is because I don’t want to treat you as kids, but as adults. I don’t want to treat you as students, but as learners. I don’t want to treat you as clients, but as friends. So again, sorry for my lack.

How I wish I could have taught you CLE so that I could share with you about life and not on the technicalities of doing programming or an IT project alone. But if there is one thing that I would like to partake with you it is this. “Take the risk.” If you believe in doing something, then do it. As long as this is what you wanted, then no matter whatever others say, just do it, eventhough how long and hard the road may be to get there. And no regrets after that. I wish you all the best. I wish you all the happiness that the world can offer you. And I wish that we could see each other again. If I ever forget who you are, just remind me. I will pray for you and also pray for me. And hopefully when given the chance to be ordained, I wish to see you there because you have been part of my vocation.

There’s a song entitled “Sometimes” by the Carpenters that I would like to share with you because this captures a lot of my experience with you. I hope you like this song.

Sometimes not often enough
We reflect upon the good things
And those thoughts always center around those we love
And I think about those people who mean so much to me
And for so many years have made me so very happy
And I count the times I have forgotten to say thank you
And just how much I love them.

There is a tradition in Ateneo that during the last class of the 4^th year, the teachers usually give something to the students, something meaningful, something to remember by. And each subject teacher tries to give something unique. It may be a poem or a song. It may be flowers or letters. I have prepared something for you and hopefully it will remind you of our year together.

adi-smcs golden jubilee launching video

2008-01-05T10:54:00.000+08:00

{this is the video for our golden jubilee launching celebration of the school that mayad studios and i worked and hoped to produced. and honestly it came really good and i would like to share with you. there are three parts of the video. first, the common scene in school; second, a short indie film; and third, the passing of the torch. it was shown during the launching last november 30, 2007, after that a 30 second countdown and 5 minute fireworks to start the celebrations.}

preparations: reasons, miracle and hope

2007-12-25T21:49:00.000+08:00

Homily
24 December 2007 (Evening Mass)
Santa Maria Parish

Good evening. Let me start my sharing with a story. Part of my work as a Campus Minister at the school is to give recollections and facilitate retreats to our students, faculty and staff. In giving a retreat or a recollection, it is very crucial on how you create the environment and the mood for prayer. If you have failed in this aspect, it is difficult to bring their attention to pray, to reflect, or even to cry. That is why in every recollection and retreat, I take time to really prepare in the best way that I can – to make a list of what to bring, to do a little dry-run, to check all of these things again and again until I feel satisfied. One time, I was giving a recollection to a group of high school students (from which section I will not mention) and I was suppose to show a very touching film that I hope will make them truly reflect upon their life. Hence, as not to fail this opportunity, I prepared three copies of the film just to be sure. One, I had a VCD copy of the film. Two, I made another copy in a laptop. And three, I made another copy in my USB Flash Disk. Obviously, I was prepared then even so with the different equipments to be used. It seems nothing can stop me from showing that film. Even one fails, I still have two other options to show the film. Then the moment finally arrived. I set up everything even with my back-ups. I switched the player on. I placed the VCD in the player. And then when I was just about to push the play button, when I was just about to show the film, the lights simply went off. The moment simply died in an instance and I felt so sad.

My dear friends, I started this story because I feel that all of us prepare in one way or another at any given point in our life. We do many preparations for many things in our daily life. We prepare our clothes to wear. We prepare our list to buy in the market or grocery. We prepare for a quiz or an exam. We prepare for the many things that we need to accomplish during the day. And there are also big preparations especially events in our lives like birthdays, our first communion, graduations, 18^th birthdays, big presentations and meetings, first dates, weddings, investments, and of course we prepare for the many events during Christmas – like the Simbang Gabi, gifts, Christmas tree and decors, Noche Buena, and others. Why then do we need to prepare? Perhaps the obvious and simple reason is because we want things to be in order. We want things to be ready. We expect things to be this way rather than another. We want things to be as close as perfect because we might not have the right moment again. And that is why preparation is indeed important. If we are more prepared, things will turn out fine.

Our Gospel for this evening is the Christmas story. We hear the story how Mary and Joseph came to Bethlehem and gave birth to Jesus. They were visited by the Shepherds and there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” But if we try to take a closer look at the Nativity story, perhaps we can see more clearly on what really happened that night. Come to think of it, Joseph and Mary must have been prepared for the long travel to go to Jerusalem because during that time, it is no joke to travel in long distances. Historians say that they must have packed their food for each day’s meal. They must have prepared a good supply of water. And they must have marked where to stop-over for them to rest and replenish their supply. I guess Joseph and Mary did prepare well. But in the middle of the story we see a little problem. Despite their many preparations, they didn’t have a place to lay Jesus when it was time for him to come. Instead, Jesus was born in a manger, surrounded by cattle and sheep, and he was wrapped in swaddling clothes.

My dear friends, preparation is indeed important. If we are more prepared, things will turn out fine. But there is also a reality in life that despite the preparations, there are things that are beyond our control and sometimes things do not turn out the way we hope it should be. If we look back at the things that have happened to us during the year, perhaps we can see those moments when things didn’t turn out to be the way we planned it. But I do believe that there is a reason why sometimes things simply fail. I believe that there is a miracle that is happening during those moments. I believe there is hope that can come out of this experience. And that is what has happened in our Christmas story despite the preparations of Mary and Joseph. There is a reason, a miracle, and hope that Jesus was born in a manger, surrounded by cattle and sheep, and he was wrapped in swaddling clothes.

Before I became a Jesuit, I worked for two years as a rehabilitation officer in the New Bilibid Prisons in Muntinlupa. The experience of spending Christmas with our brothers in prison is really memorable for me. During this season, there are many preparations that take place inside the prison walls. Christmas is really like a great fiesta for them. There are many colorful and shining Christmas parols and decors displayed all around the prison compound. You could hear Christmas carols being practiced and sang all over the place, and honestly, many are quiet good. They are faithful with the Simbang Gabi masses. And many former chef and cook take part in preparing hundreds and hundreds of roasted pig and chicken for the Noche Buena feast. But for them, preparing for Christmas is not solely all of these. Christmas for them is more importantly preparing themselves to receive a phone call, a letter, or a visit from a love one or a family. However, it is a reality that most of them won’t be receiving a phone call, a letter, or a visit this Christmas. But when you are inside with them during Noche Buena, nobody looks sad. Everybody seems to be very happy when there are hundreds of reasons that I can share with you why they suppose be sad. No. I believe they are happy not because of the many things they have to experience Christmas, but it is because they have found the reason, the miracle, and hope in preparing to celebrating Christmas.

For the past nine days during the Simbang Gabi, we have been listening to the wonderful sharing of our dear fathers. We have heard stories about hope and waiting. We have heard the struggles of Mary and Joseph in accepting the invitation of God to take part of the coming of Jesus. We have heard the role of our desires with the desires of our God for us. Hopefully, all of these have helped us reflect and prepare more to embrace the meaning of Christmas. That Christmas is not solely on the many colors and presentations we create for the season, it is not solely in the food and gift we give and receive, but is in the preparations with the reasons, miracle and hope that go with it. Today, Christ is born, the Emmanuel, God with us. In the midst of all kinds of preparations in our life – we may succeed or not – always remember that Jesus is always prepared to be with us. And as long as we take Christ in our lives and preparations, we may find our reason, our miracle, and our hope in our experiences.

To end my sharing, let me simply bring you back once more to my story. Perhaps you were thinking what happened afterwards since there is no electricity to show the film. I simply led the class into a prayer and I felt they were able to pray more deeply rather showing them the film. Then I realized that I have just found the basic reason for the recollection. The same thing for celebrating Christmas -- why Christ was born.

As we celebrate Christ’s coming, let us thank Him for coming into our lives and showing us the true meaning of love and compassion. Let us thank the Lord for the many things that has happened to us during the year both the happy and not so happy ones, despite the many preparations we had put into. Let us also pray for one another, most especially for our family, that we may continue to find the reason, the miracle, and the hope in continuing the love of God into their hearts. Amen.

tribute to spartans

2007-11-07T23:02:00.000+08:00

{this is a video i have made, with the help of some Integrity sidekicks. enjoy!}

3 day retreat

2007-11-03T16:35:00.000+08:00

Three Day Retreat
31 October - 2 November 2007
Banate, Iloilo

I am glad that I had this time to be quiet, to pray and to reflect the things that has happened to me for the last few months since I have arrived here in Iloilo. Indeed, as I start my prayer, I realized that there were many blessings and graces that I have received and thankful for. Here are three significant areas that I would like to share.

My Vocation and Work

Being a Jesuit Regent is hard. There are many things that are demanded of us. Just like my work here in Ateneo de Iloilo, since there are many things to do, it is hard to manage my time both personal and work-related that sometimes I ended up being scolded by my superiors. Not that I am complaining, but simply I am expressing that this kind of life is hard.

Perhaps the next question here is how do I sustain myself from giving myself to my work? After praying, I realize that it is this love for my personal God that I fully give myself to whatever He calls me to do despite the difficulties and challenges. As I end my day, as I end it with a short prayer, I always offer to my God whatever I have accomplished and simply thank Him for allowing me to humbly take part of His work. These are the hard consolations and joys that have brought about my dealings with students and colleagues.

I admit that I am not a good teacher and a campus minister. I know there are more qualified persons in school who can perform much better than I am. Yet, I give myself to my work because I know despite my weaknesses; I can still touch a soul to bring him or her closer to God. As I usually say, if I can only help one soul, to show that person that he is loved by God, then I feel I have done my part and I am truly happy.

Community and Friends

I am blessed with a good community both in the convent and in school. I describe my Jesuit community as a complete package. Though we are only five in the community, it may represent already a typical Jesuit community where the “drama of life” really unfolds (ask a Jesuit if you don’t understand this part). Life with these persons can be really a challenging one. Come to think of it, how can someone live with his bosses under one roof? Well, that’s the Jesuit way. But what I am grateful for is that despite our differences and concerns, we can laugh together especially when we eat and share stories. I guess that sustains us as a community. We understand somehow our differences, yet there is the spirit of understanding.

In school, especially the faculty and staff, I really appreciated how they welcomed me. Is it because I am a Jesuit? Well, that is a factor. But I have felt I have been welcomed for who I am and that meant a lot to me. Because of these, I can easily relate from one person to another. I can simply be myself. I am grateful how they also open their lives to me. As they share their stories I am always reminded of my mission – to be a companion with Christ.

Outside of the convent and school, I have a circle of friends that I usually meet at least once a month. They are friends that I can easily unwind myself and share stories that are not Jesuit and school related. I thank the Lord for them because it is a special blessing how we met and brought us together here in Iloilo.

These people are the sources of my consolation as I move along with my journey. And I really thank the Lord for giving me such persons who takes care of me as well as molding me into the person the Lord desires me to be.

Four Integrity Spartans

Being a first time teacher here in Ateneo, I was hoping to be assigned as an adviser of the first year, second year, and even of the third year. No. I was assigned in a fourth year class called Spartans. I sometimes pity my class because they deserve a veteran adviser since this is their last year – like in the traditions of Sir Primo and Maam Lally.

Looking at the situation as I pray, I have found more meaning to why I was assigned in this class. They are a good class. There are natural leaders in the class that lead and guide them to whatever activities and tasks at hand. Then I realized that they don’t really need someone to stern at them – though at times they really need that and I thank to Sir H (my co-adviser) for being that – they need someone to affirm them, to push them and support them. And I guess that is my role to them. Someone who is by their side whatever happens. I only hope that I have been a good adviser and a friend to them. For the rest of their stay, I will do my best to make these last months more memorable and meaningful to them.

These are the few three areas of gratitude that I prayed over during my personal retreat. After reflecting my stay here in Iloilo, I thank the Lord that I have grown here. Each step is a learning experience for me that I allow myself to fail and to nurture. I continue to ask God to give me the grace of sensitivity so that I may be able to sense Him in every person, places, and experiences that I will encounter.

october medal

2007-09-30T16:34:00.001+08:00

{This is a little speech for the October Medal Blessing. Some of the points here are from a homily given by Fr. Tito Caluag, SJ some years before.}

October Medal Blessing
1 October 2007

Ateneo de Iloilo

St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus, was a devotee of the Blessed Virgin Mary. His first act after his conversion was to offer his sword signifying his offering of self to Our Lady of Montserrat.

Mary is the patroness of the Ateneo de Iloilo. During the month of October, which is dedicated to the most Holy Rosary, the month of Mary, Ateneans, with their deep and tender devotion to the Mother of God, have a long-standing tradition of not only carrying the rosary in their pockets, but also wearing the blue-ribboned October medal. The image of the miraculous medal pinned on their chests ever reminds them of their prayer: “Mary for you, for your white and blue. We pray you’ll keep us, Mary, constantly true, we pray you’ll keep us Mary faithful to you.”

The tradition of wearing the October Medal begun as the Ateneo moved from old Padre Faura to Loyola Heights campus in the early 50’s.

When we wear the Medal of Mary we proclaim that we are Ateneans: sons of God, sons of Ignatius, sons of Mary. “Mary, place us with your Son.”

bohol shot

2007-08-30T10:26:00.000+08:00

{i was amazed how i captured this shot. i guess the lighting and opportunity was really at hand. if you want to view other bohol shots that i took, please go to er2ol.multiply.com/photos. enjoy!}

homily on the feast of st. ignatius

2007-07-31T21:06:00.000+08:00

Ignatius: the Limping Pilgrim
31 July 2007, Santa Maria Parish, Iloilo City

Good afternoon. Every year, during this time, the Jesuits, especially the Jesuit Scholastics are busy in giving recollections, prayer sessions, talks, and para-liturgies to Ateneo students from different levels, regarding the life of St. Ignatius of Loyola. Yesterday, I took part of that tradition by giving a para-liturgy to our primary school students which includes the students from grades 1, 2, and 3. I started my homily with them by asking “What was the height of St. Ignatius?” To facilitate this question with the young ones, I gave them two options to choose from. Perhaps, you would like to make a guess from this question. The first option was 5 feet and 1 inch and the other is 5 feet and 2 inches. I presented these options to them and I asked them to raise their hands when it was time to choose. Predictably, many of them were confused on which was the right answer.

But “What was really the height of St. Ignatius?” Historical facts show that St. Ignatius was indeed 5 feet and 2 inches. Just like the height of Dr. Jose Rizal, Christina Aguilera, yours truly and the like. But because I wanted the kids to be motivated and get their attention, I made a little twist from the answer. I told them that the height of St. Ignatius was both 5’1” and 5’2”. After saying this, I went in front and made a limping action. I refreshed their memories by saying that St. Ignatius was hit by a cannonball that is why his right leg was shorter than his left leg. That is why he walks 5’2”, 5’1”, 5’2”, 5’1”. Hence, his height was practically both.

My friends, I told you this story because today we celebrate the feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus. It was in May 1521 that he was struck by a cannonball during the battle defending the fortress in Pamplona. One leg was wounded, the other broken. He was brought back to recuperate at his home, the castle of Loyola. St. Ignatius, being worldly and vain, really wanted to go back to a life of a gentleman at the royal court. Hence, he doesn’t want to have a crooked leg. So he demanded that the bones of his leg be reset even at the price of two painful surgical operations without any form of anesthesia during that time. The leg eventually healed, but he was left with one leg shorter than the other. Because of boredom, he read the only two books available in the house – a book on the Saints and a book on the life of Christ. Then a miracle happened. The more Ignatius read these books, the more he considered the exploits and courage of the saints worth imitating. This experience marked the beginning of a conversion that eventually led him to become a pilgrim, a scholar, a priest, a saint – all for God’s greater glory. And the rest is history.

The story I told you at the start is something that is very catchy especially to the young ones. At least at their very young age, they know something about St. Ignatius which is actually a very crucial part in Ignatius’ life. Furthermore, we can draw some insights from this story for our personal reflection and consideration. There are two things I invite you to focus on. First the cannonball experience. And second, the limping Ignatius.

First, the cannonball experience. The famous cannonball really paved the way for the conversion of Ignatius. The experience made Ignatius think and reflect upon what to do with his life. We too experience different cannonballs in our lives. Some hit us soft and others hit us hard. But these cannonballs make us think of ourselves, our love ones, and perhaps life and God in general. These are the moments when our principles and values are tested. These are the experiences that make wonder. Yet, I like to believe that our cannonball is our cross in life that constantly invites us to follow our Lord. The most important component of the cross is not that it causes pain and not that is causes suffering. The most important component of the cross is that it gives life to others. When our pains do not bring life to others, this is not the cross of Christ because the cross of Christ always gives life. Christ invites us in the Gospel to give more of ourselves in order to give more life to others.

Second, the limping Ignatius. I think it was really hard for Ignatius, being a courtier, to accept that he was crippled. Yet that didn’t stop him from giving himself to the call of God. It wasn’t an excuse for him not to go the extra mile. Instead of just staying in Loyola, he traveled far places by foot just to reach Jerusalem and eventually Rome, to serve our Lord. For me, this is Magis: the desire to serve impelled him to give himself more, and to be more available for others. This is also very evident in the life of St. Ignatius and his companions. When St. Ignatius and his companions waited for a boat to go to the Holy Land so as to give their service, “to save souls”, they waited for sometime before finally resolving instead to serve under the Vicar of Christ in Rome. During those times, travels could take months and even years. Yet, while waiting, they never become idle. They busied themselves with many ministries like attending the sick in nearby hospitals, teaching and preaching the young and old alike, and even doing ministry with prostitutes and prisoners. They always found an opportunity to be missioned, to be called by Christ, even in situations of waiting, even in situations of great challenges. And this was all possible because they knew where their heart was, it was always in Christ, in all that they did for His greater glory. Christ was always the center of their life.

The story of St. Ignatius is also our story. Everyday, God invites us to follow him more, to be with him more, to be like him more, even in situations of waiting, even in situations of difficulties, even in situations of great challenges. Come to think of it, we could have just settled with the height of St. Ignatius as 5’2” or even 5’1”. However, there is a bigger story in the one-inch difference of Ignatius’ height. It is a story that reminds us that there is always an opportunity to see Christ more clearly, love Christ more dearly, and follow Christ more nearly. And this is what we are celebrating this afternoon. We are all invited to follow Christ more so that we can give ourselves more to others whether we are 5’1” or 5’2”.

St. Ignatius of Loyola, pray for us.

the sacrament of waiting

2007-07-19T21:57:00.000+08:00

The Sacrament of Waiting
by Fr James Donelan, SJ

The English poet John Milton once wrote that those who serve stand and wait. I think I would go further and say that those who wait render the highest form of service. Waiting requires more discipline, more self-control and emotional maturity, more unshakeable faith in our cause, more unwavering hope in the future, more sustaining love in our hearts than all the great deeds of derring-do that go by the name of action.

Waiting is a mystery—a natural sacrament of life. There is a meaning hidden in all the times we have to wait. It must be an important mystery because there is so much waiting in our lives.

Everyday is filled with those little moments of waiting—testing our patience and our nerves, schooling us in our self-control—pasensya na lang. We wait for meals to be served, for a letter to arrive, for a friend, concerts and circuses. Our airline terminals, railway stations, and bus depots are temples of waiting filled with men and women who wait in joy for the arrival of a loved one—or wait in sadness to say goodbye and to give that last wave of hand. We wait for birthdays and vacations; we wait for Christmas. We wait for spring to come or autumn—for the rains to begin or stop.

And we wait for ourselves to grow from childhood to maturity. We wait for those inner voices that tell us when we are ready for the next step. We wait for graduation, for our first job, our first promotion. We wait for success, and recognition. We wait to grow up—to reach the stage where we make our own decision.

We cannot remove this waiting from our lives. It is part of the tapestry of living—the fabric in which the threads are woven that tell the story of our lives.

Yet the current philosophies would have us forget the need to wait. “Grab all the gusto you can get.” So reads one of America’s great beer advertisements— Get it now. Instant pleasure—instant transcendence. Don’t wait for anything. Life is short—eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow you’ll die. And so they rationalize us into accepting unlicensed and irresponsible freedom—premarital sex and extramarital affairs—they warn against attachment and commitment, against expecting anything of anybody, or allowing them to expect anything of us, against vows and promises, against duty and responsibility, against dropping any anchors in the currents of our life that will cause us to hold and to wait.

This may be the correct prescription for pleasure—but even that is fleeting and doubtful. What was it Shakespeare said about the mad pursuit of pleasure? “Past reason hunted, and once had, past reason hated.” Now if we wish to be real human beings, spirit as well as flesh, souls as well as heart, we have to learn to love someone else other than ourselves.

For most of all waiting means waiting for someone else. It is a mystery brushing by our face everyday like stray wind or a leaf falling from a tree. Anyone who has ever loved knows how much waiting goes into it, how much waiting is important for love to grow, to flourish through a lifetime.

Why is this so? Why can’t we have love right now—two years, three years, five years—and seemingly waste so much time? You might as well ask why a tree should take so long to bear fruit, the seed to flower, carbon to change into a diamond.

There is no simple answer, no more than there is to life’s demands: having to say goodbye to someone you love because either you or they have already made other commitments, or because they have to grow and find the meaning of their own lives, having yourself to leave home and loved ones to find your path. Goodbyes, like waiting, are also sacraments of our lives.

All we know is that growth—the budding, the flowering of love needs patient waiting. We have to give each other time to grow. There is no way we can make someone else truly love us or we love them, except through time. So we give each other that mysterious gift of waiting—of being present without making demands or asking rewards. There is nothing harder to do than this. It tests the depth and sincerity of our love. But there is life in the gift we give.

So lovers wait for each other until they can see things the same way, or let each other freely see things in quite different ways. What do we lose when lovers hurt each other and cannot regain the balance and intimacy of the way they were? They have to wait—in silence—but still be present to each other until the pain subsides to an ache and then only a memory, and the threads of the tapestry can be woven together again in a single love story.

What do we lose when we refuse to wait? When we try to find short cuts through life, when we try to incubate love and rush blindly and foolishly into a commitment we are neither mature nor responsible enough to assume? We lose the hope of ever truly loving or being loved. Think of all the great love stories of history and literature. Isn’t it of their very essence that they are filled with the strange but common mystery—that waiting is part of the substance, the basic fabric—against which the story of that true love is written?

How can we ever find either life or love if we are too impatient to wait for it?

i will sing forever (in chavacano)

2007-06-24T12:18:00.000+08:00

{hey guys, i was so impressed with this one. one of my favorite religious song in my own vernocular. and the translation is impressive.}

for my unit

2007-03-26T16:20:00.000+08:00

{hay, saying goodbye is so hard. this is the video i gave to my unitmates in aclc.}

vocprom spoof (magbalik)

2007-03-11T20:07:00.000+08:00

{hey guys, wala akong magawa the other day so i spoof this terrific
mtv and made it into a vocprom ad. enjoy!}

regency assignments

2007-02-25T08:50:00.001+08:00

{it was announced last friday that i will be assigned in ateneo de iloilo. here are the other assignments of my batchmates (+2)}

ash wednesday and lent

2007-02-21T16:08:00.000+08:00

{Many people are asking me about ash wednesday and the season of lent so i decided to post this one from our Jesuit Ordo. Hope this helps. May you have a meaningful and Christ-centered Lenten season this year.}

Traditionally, the ashes for the Ash Wednesday service come from burning the palm fronds from the previous year’s Palm Sunday celebration. They are made by burning palm fronds which have been saved from the previous year's Palm Sunday, the Sunday before the Easter. They are then blessed by a priest.

Ashes are a biblical symbol of mourning and penance. In Bible times the custom was to fast, wear sackcloth, sit in dust and ashes, and put dust and ashes on one's head.Blessed ashes having been used in God's rituals since the time of Moses (Numbers 19:9-10, 17).

They also symbolize death and so remind us of our mortality. Thus when the priest uses his thumb to sign one of the faithful with the ashes, he says, "Remember, man, that thou art dust and unto dust thou shalt return,"

Getting self-ashed:
Of course, it is easier to purchase them from a religious supply house. However, if you burn the palm fronds yourself, don’t add any other ingredient—just burn the ashes plain. Add a little oil to the ashes so that they will stick to people’s foreheads.
Don’t overestimate how much you need! It is amazing how far a small amount of ashes will go!

Lent is a preparation for the celebration of Easter. For the Lenten liturgy disposes both catechumens and the faithful to celebrate the paschal mystery: catechumens, through the stages of Christian initiation; the faithful, through reminders of their own baptism and through penitential services.

Some Notes on the Lenten Season
(lifted from the Jesuit Ordo of the Philippine Province)

1. The Sundays of Lent are so important that not even a solemnity can take their place. Solemnities occurring on these Sundays are observed on the Saturday preceding.

2. The weeks of Lent from Ash Wednesday to the Saturday before Palm Sunday take precedence over the memorials of saints, which may be celebrated only according to the norms established by liturgical statutes.

3. The Alleluia is always omitted where it is found in the Liturgy of the Hours and in the celebration of the Mass.

4. The Te Deum and the Gloria are suppressed except on solemnities and feasts, and also on festive occasions.

5. In the Office: the antiphon at the Invitatory, hymn at the Office of Readings, Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer, and the antiphon at Daytime Prayer and Night Prayer are found the proper of this Season.

6. Flowers and decorations at the altar are prohibited; the organ and other musical instruments may be used only to accompany the singing, except on Laetare Sunday (4th Sunday of Lent) and during solemnities and feasts.

7. Catholics are obliged to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday and are to abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and all the Fridays of Lent. We are also reminded, as stipulated in the Code of Canon Law, that there are other works and means of doing penance: prayer, acts of self-denial, almsgiving and works of personal charity. Attending Mass daily or several times a week, praying the rosary, making the way of the cross, teaching the illiterate to read, reading to the blind, helping at a soup kitchen, visiting the sick and shut-ins and giving an overworked mother a break by baby-sitting—all of these can be even more meaningful and demanding than simply abstaining from meat on Friday.

bakit po?

2007-02-20T00:24:00.000+08:00

{this is one of the video i made for my group in social marketing class project. this video has been broadcast thru the dream cable. enjoy.}

the parable of the prodigal son

2007-02-14T11:35:00.000+08:00

{this is a homily i gave for my community years ago. :) but since its valentines day, i would like to share this because it speaks so much about this deep love which we suppose to celebrate today.}

26 February 2005, JP
by Arthur W. Nebrao, Jr., SJ
2^nd Week of Lent (Year A)

The Parable of the Prodigal Son

Magandang umaga mga kapatid. Nais kong simulan ang aking munting pagbabahagi sa umagang ito, sa isang matamis na tanong; isang tanong na marahil magbubukas ng mga magaganda at mapapait na alaala sa atin mga buhay -- umibig na ba kayo? In English, have you been in love? Marahil lahat sa atin’y sasagot ng “Oo”. Oo, umibig ako. Oo, nagkasabay ang araw at buwan sa iisang langit. Oo, nagkaroon ako ng sinta. Di ba’t kay saya umibig? Di ba’t kay sakit rin mabigo? At kapag pinag-uusapan tungol sa pag-ibig at pagkabigo, isang kwento ang naiisip ko. Ito ang kwento ni Cyrano de Bergerac. Hayaan ninyo ako sariwain sa inyo ang dula nina Cyrano, Roxanne, at Christian.

Isang magaling na mang-espada at makata si Cyrano. Hinahanga siya ng maraming tao. Ngunit, may problema. Mahabang-mahaba ang ilong ni Cyrano. Kung nasa paligid si Cyrano, hindi pinag-uusapan ang kanyang ilong. Kapag mayroon magbigay ng puna tungkol sa ilong ni Cyrano, siguradong uuwi nito nang bugbog sarado. Iisa lang ang iniibig ni Cyrano at ito’y si Roxanne. Ngunit si Roxanne’y iniibig si Christian, ang isang kawal na kasama ni Cyrano. Iniibig rin ni Christian si Roxanne, ngunit meron rin isang problema. Hindi magaling magsalita at magsulat si Christian. Kaya’t tinulungan ni Cyrano si Christian sa pamamagitan ng pagsusulat ng mga matatamis na salita para kay Roxanne. Mayroong nga isang eksena sa dula kung saan si Cyrano ang nagtatalumpati sa dilim na inaakala ni Roxanne ang mga matatamis na salita ay galing kay Christian. Ngunit hindi. Ang lahat ng damdamin ay hindi galing sa salita ngunit sa puso ni Cyrano. Dahil sa tulong ni Cyrano, nagpakasal si Roxanne kay Christian. Hindi nakapag-honeymoon yung dalawa dahil nagkaroon ng isang giyera. Ngunit, hindi ito hadlang sa paghihiwatig ni Cyrano ang kanyang pagmamahal kay Roxanne. Araw-araw pa rin ang sulat ni Cyrano kay Roxanne na inaakala ni Roxanne ay galing kay Christian. Sa kahulihulian ng dula, namatay si Christian at pagkalipas ng labing-dalawang taon, bago namatay si Cyrano, nalaman ni Roxanne ang katotohanan.

Bakit ko sinalaysay ang isang masakit at bigo na kwento sa mga Heswita tulad natin? Sinalaysay ko ang kwento ni Cyrano dahil ito ay kwento rin ng ating Ebanghelyo ngayon sa araw na ito. Sino ba ang hindi pa narinig ang kwento ng Prodigal Son? Siguro lahat tayo ay mayroong malalim na karanasan sa pagdarasal sa kwentong ito noong ginagawa natin ang Banal na Pagsasanay. Ngunit gusto ko pang magdagdag ng isa pang punto para sa atin pagninilay. At ito ang pagtitiis bilang tunay na pag-ibig. Sa kwento ng alibughang anak, maaari natin tingnan ang pagtitiis ng tatlo: ang pagtitiis ng masunuring na anak, ang pagtitiis ng alibughang anak, at ang pagtitiis ng ama.

Ang pagtitiis ng masunuring na anak ay isang mabuti at ideal na halimbawa. Hindi siya nag-rereklamo. Hindi siya naghahanap ng kapalit. Hindi siya umaasa. Lahat ng ginagawa niya ay dahil sa pagmamahal niya sa kanyang ama. Ang pagtitiis naman ng alibughang anak ay tunay na tunay. Siya’y nagbigay sa kanyang kahinahan. Siya’y tumangap ng kanyang kapalaran. Siya’y bumalik sa kanyang pamilya. Lahat ng ito ay dahil sa kanyang pagmamahal sa kanyang ama. At ang pagtitiis ng ama ay walang katulad-tulad. Ang pagtitiis ng ama ay ang pagtitiis ng dalawang anak dahil naintindihan niya ang kanilang dinadaan. At kahit sino pa sila, masunurin o alibugha, mahal na mahal niya sila. At ito ang pagmamahal ng ating Diyos sa atin. Kaya niyang tiisin ang lahat para sa atin.

Nakakatuwa rin itong si Roxanne. Sa kwento, makikita natin na gusto ni Roxanne ang gwapo, elegante, matapang na lalaki para sa kanya. Kapag ang lahat ng mga babae ay katulad ni Roxanne, lahat ng mga lalaki ay mag-papari. Ngunit, hindi niya nakikita na ang tunay na kagandahan ay nasa loob. At ito ang ama sa kwento ng alibughang anak. Ito ang Diyos natin. Handa siyang yumakap sa atin, kahit gaano tayo kabaho, kahit ano pa ang ginawa nating karumaldumal, kahit sino pa man tayo, nakabukas palagi ang kanyang pinto para sa atin.

Ang pagmamahal ni Cyrano ay isang malalim na pagmamahal. Tiniis niyang makita nagsasama sina Roxanne at Christian. Tiniis niyang marinig ang puri ni Roxanne kay Christian, na sa katotohanan kay Cyrano ang pagpupuri. Tiniis niyang sumama sa giyera at nag-alaga ng kanyang karibal. Tiniiis niya hindi ibunyag ang kanyang tunay na damdamin hanggang sa kahulihulian. Tiniis niya ang lahat-lahat. At sa pagtitiis na ito, nakita niya ang tunay na kaligayahan, ang kaligayahan ng pagbibigay ng sarili sa iba.

Sana sa panahon ng kwaresma, ibigay natin ang atin sarili sa pagtitiis, tulad sa pagtitiis ni Kristo para sa atin. At sana sa pagtitiis na ito ay hindi karihapan ang atin mararanas kundi tunay na pagmamahal. Di ba't kay saya umibig? Di ba't kay sakit rin mabigo? Ngunit sa kahulihulian, sana mayabang natin sabihin, "Oo, oo, umibig ako!"

signs

2007-02-11T23:48:00.000+08:00

{Homily for tomorrow, 12 February 2007}

Mark 8: 11-13
"The Pharisees came forward and began to argue with Jesus, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him. He sighed from the depth of his spirit and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Amen, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.” Then he left them, got into the boat again, and went off to the other shore."

Good morning. Perhaps for most of us, in some point in our lives, we ask for signs. We ask for a sign if we are accepted or loved. We ask for a sign if what we will do is right or wrong. We ask for a sign to know where we will be assigned for regency or summer apostolate. We ask for a sign whether this vocation is really for us. Maybe asking signs is indeed part of our human living – the need to be affirmed and to be sure of things.

In the Gospel for today, we heard that the Pharisees were also seeking for a sign from Jesus to prove that He is indeed the Son of God. On one hand, I guess this was natural for the Pharisees. Who could blame them for asking? I am sure that for some of us here, who underwent the Pilgrimage during our Novitiate, have also experienced the similar experience of asking signs by the people we seek assistance during the long journey. On the other hand, I guess that the Pharisees’ eyes were not really looking beyond. Instead, they wanted the concrete and the real. And this is very true in our secular world where the presence of God is so hard to see and feel because of the different noise and chaos that is happening all around.

Jesus is the sign. Jesus gave them no sign except himself and the ultimate proof of his divinity when he rose from the dead. Today Lord reveals himself to us in many ways -- in his word and in the "breaking of the bread" in the Eucharist, in his Church -- the body of Christ, in his creation, and even in the everyday circumstances of our lives. He reveals himself in people, in friends, and even in enemies. If we seek the Lord, we can be confident that he will give us everything we need to do his will. Most of all the Lord assures us of his presence and the promise that he will never leave us. How sad it is to hear that other people loose faith because they haven’t seen signs of hope.

I would like to end with the prayer of Theresa of Avila which speaks about the important signs that we must be searching. Let nothing disturb you, let nothing frighten you; All things pass: God never changes. Patience achieves all it strives for. Whoever has God lacks nothing, God alone suffices. Is God enough for you?

a tribute for pia

2007-02-04T09:36:00.000+08:00

{this is a tribute video for pia who will be leaving for zambia for her vso service. miss you mama p!}

aclc and kim nominated for coa awards

2007-01-28T23:05:00.000+08:00

{just got word, i am so happy for aclc and kim for having been nominated for the coa awards this year. win or loose, nomination is a wonderful grace from GOD.}

To: coaawards07@yahoogroups.com, coa0607@yahoogroups.com
CC: mdelossantos@ateneo.edu
From: Jo Pua
Date: Sun, 28 Jan 2007 02:38:29 -0800 (PST)
Subject: [coa0607] COA AWARDS 2007 FINALISTS

Hi everyone,

On behalf of the Council of Organizations of the Ateneo and the COA Awards team 2007, I am pleased to announce the finalists for COA Awards 2007.

We would like to thank all the organizations who had participated in this activity. We know that there were a number of requirements which were asked from you. hehe :) Thanks again for submitting your entries. The COA EB had a difficult (and long) time judging all the entries. The organizations that participated really exerted all their efforts in completing their application forms and in getting recommendation letters. However, as in any awards program, we had to trim down and screen the applicants.

Here are the Top 5 finalists for the COA Organization of the Year (in Alphabetical order):
Ateneo Celadon (Celadon)
Ateneo Christian Life Community (ACLC)
Ateneo Management Association (AMA)
Ateneo Mathematics Society (AMS)
Company of Ateneo Dancers (CADS)

Here are the Top 7 finalists for the COA Leader of the Year (in Alphabetical Order):
Nill Arroyo (AJMA)
Christian Canlas (AMS)
Michael Chong (MEA)
Kim Ko (ACLC)
Frederic Lipio (Kaingin)
Diane Tan (AMA)
Daphne Uy (Celadon)

Congratulations to all the finalists! We would also like to congratulate and thank all organizations who submitted entries for the COA Org of the Year including: Ateneo LEX, Ateneo Management Engineering Association, Gabay, Kythe, Ateneo Junior Marketing Association, Management Economics Organization, Ateneo Special Education (Speed), Ateneo College Glee Club, Kaingin.

We would also like to ask all the nominees to sign up for an interview schedule. A sign up sheet will be posted in the COA Room by 1 PM tomorrow (January 29, 2006). For presidents of the nominated orgs for the Org of the Year Category, you are required to bring with you two officers (could be current or incoming) for the interview. A total of Three officers and three members per org will be interviewed for the Org of the Year Category. In addition, we will be sending an SMS to you (the president) about the names of the members that we have randomly selected for the interview based on the list that you have provided us. Please inform them (the three members and the two other officers) about the interview slot that you have chosen. First come first serve for the interview slots.

Nominees of the Leader of the Year are also required to schedule an interview with the COA EB (solo lang). Same sign up sheet also at the COA Room:)

For the sake of consistency and fairness, all interviews will be conducted on Saturday FEBRUARY 3 from 1230 PM to 5 PM at SOM 211. We cannot conduct interviews outside that period. The reason for this is because we want to have the same set of interviewers for all organizations in order to be as fair as possible. In addition, the LS Awards Committee is also asking us to send the winners as early as we can.

Again congratulations to all the nominees!

Ad Majorem dei Gloriam!

Jonathan Pua
External Vice President
Council of Organizations of the Ateneo

ika'y aking kaibigan

2007-01-24T10:22:00.000+08:00

{here is a song that i love from the play "kaharian ng araw." i hope you'll like this one.}

Ika'y aking kaibigan
Ka'y raming pinagsamahan
Ngayon ako'y kailangan
Paano kita, iiwan

Anumang tarik ng bundok
Kasama mo ako sa taluktok
Kung rurok dagat ang siyang alok
Kasama mo akong aarok

Anumang lagim ng bangin
Anumang bangis ng hangin
Malalaglag man ang mga bituin
Makakaasa ka sa akin

urban trials

2007-01-12T21:08:00.000+08:00

{this is a little tribute to our foster family and friends during our urban trials last november 2003}

loyola house community picture (jps)

2007-01-08T00:55:00.000+08:00

coming out of the water

2007-01-08T00:46:00.000+08:00

Homily
ACLC Retreat
23 October 2006

Good evening. Let me start my simple sharing with an image -- a fish coming out of the water. Just imagine, a photo, a painting, a captured movie frame, an image of a fish suspended some inches on air above the water. I invite you to take that image with you as we move along.

Studies show that no fish would just jump out of the water for no reasons at all. A fish would jump out of the water for the following reasons: 1. when a fish is in threat like it is being hunted down by its predator or fishermen; 2. when it is being startled or surprised; 3. during events of environmental hazards; and 4. a fish is simply a flying fish that is capable of getting out of the water from time to time. But there were very rare cases recorded that a fish would simply jump out of the water for no logical, rational, and perhaps, if a fish would have one, even psychological reasons. However, for the purpose of my sharing, the fish simply jump for a spiritual reason – just to be with God even just for a while.

My friends, I started out with this information because it speaks so much of what we are doing here right now. We are all coming out of the water. Coming to this retreat is coming out of the water. And I would like to believe our water is our home, our family and friends, our time doing the things we like to do leisurely, like watching movies, going to the beach, attending parties and gigs, playing bridge or basketball, and even perhaps just savoring that tasteful new cake of red ribbon. This is our water. And surely for most of us, leaving our water is not an easy thing to do. It takes much courage and love to do this.

The Gospel for today speaks the opposite of this love and courage. Our Gospel for today is about greed. Jesus said, “Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.” Then Jesus narrates a parable about a rich man who invested and invested, rested, ate, drunk, and cheered, without realizing that he can’t bring all of these to heaven. The rich man didn’t value true wealth. The rich man then didn’t come out of his water.

My friends let us realize that when a fish comes out of the water, it can’t breath. It is a new world for the fish. It is like a desert where our water ends. Just like the fish, when we are in retreat, we can’t breathe the way we breathe when we are in our water. It is like a desert for us. As if we are not breathing for five full days. Yet when we stop breathing, when we are in our deserts, we are giving ourselves spaces, spaces to find that inner peace, hope, healing and perhaps truthful discernment and perspective of life.

As many of you are aware of, part of our Jesuit formation is to make the 30 day retreat. Thirty days of silence and prayer, which is the Spiritual Exercises. And part of that retreat was a prayer called, “Mediation of Hell.” We are to meditate the feeling of being in hell. And so our retreat director would ask us to choose a scary and difficult place for us to pray, to really experience hell. Perhaps, for most of us, hell is already being in a classroom. Yet some of my batchmates did this exercise in our cemetery in Sacred Heart at 12 o’clock midnight. Others did it at our piggery with all the dirt and stench. I did this exercise in our showers where it was once a morgue during World War II. The exercise made us feel spiritually poor and hopeless. The exercise choked us. But it was through this experience, this sense of being choked, that we were caressed by God’s loving embrace.

So friends, don’t worry too much. Be open to God’s love and grace during this retreat. And in His own time, he will reveal himself to you -- from the most profound and mysterious events in prayer, to the simplest and effortless routine that we do in this retreat. Just like when a fish jumps out of the water, it will eventually fall back again in the water. And always remember that you are not alone in this retreat. We too, as your Retreat Directors and Quarter Masters, we too jumped out of our water to stop breathing to be with you on your spiritual journey. So don’t worry too much. Just give yourself and it has its own rewards.

Let me end my sharing with a reflection about the fish the jumps out of the water. It is said that a fish that jumps out of the water with no reasons at all is a very rare case, one out of a billion, a phenomenon, a miracle. Again, studies show that 99% percent of these fishes or all of these fishes would never, ever jump again on its own without any valid reasons. Scientists consider this as one of natures’ mysteries. Nevertheless, I believe I know the answer. Perhaps, when such fish jumps and returns back to the water, when someone like you who will undergo spiritual solitude and silence for five long days, going back to the water, going back to your own world, with such longing and grace, things will never ever be the same again.

As we continue to give ourselves to the retreat, let us continually ask the Lord to keep that spirit always alive in our hearts – the spirit of being invited to come out of the water and to be with God even just for a while. Amen.

my homily for my sister's wedding

2007-01-04T13:17:00.000+08:00

Do Whatever He Tells You
(A Wedding Homily for Chris and Cheng)

Before I begin I would like to thank Fr. Edwin for allowing me to give the homily for this matrimonial celebration. It is a rare opportunity to have the permission to give a homily in a wedding, so thank you very much, father.

It is only appropriate that for our gospel reading today, we have the story of a wedding party. Jesus and his friends are guests in the celebration, along with his mother Mary. But suddenly we’re told of a nightmare-come-true for every party host: They run out of drinks. So Mary, ever helpful, decides to come to the rescue. She goes to Jesus and presents the problem to her son. But what does Jesus say to her? Jesus said, “Woman, my hour has not yet come.” Not by any stretch of the imagination does that sound like a “Yes.” But what does Mary do? Instead of walking out of the party in a huff and going home to pout, she stays and instructs the waiters to “do whatever he tells [them].” Her wisdom and patience pay off: Like a good mother, she knows that her son won’t be able to resist helping those in need. We are told that Jesus eventually turns six stone jars of water into wine. Mary, and we imagine the parents of the groom and bride; all have a collective sigh of relief.

Today, as we gather here to witness the sacrament union of Chris and Cheng, we too cannot help but have a collective sigh. Finally, Chris and Cheng will tie the knot this afternoon!

Chris and Cheng first met in a YFC camp at the Spinola Retreat House in 1996. But it was hardly love at first sight. Right Chris? Right Cheng? Both were serving YFC as leaders and they work together to conduct YFC activities in the region. Chris sees Cheng as snobbish, and on the other hand Cheng sees Chris as goody-goody – or so they claim with each other. But as these things go, they met more often when both were studying in the Ateneo, working much closer in YFC, and they remained good friends because of all of these. After two years of discerning, Chris finally decided to make the first move. So the phone calls began. Letters were exchanged. Even oppositions from here and there. And the rest is history.

After ten months of waiting, they decided to go steady in 2000, and they’ve been together for the last six years – except for some complications at times, according to their best estimate, about five months and three days. In those six years, what started out as mere youthful friendship has evolved into something more mature, something stronger – thanks to the years and at times even the tears that both Chris and Cheng have shed in nourishing their relationship.

By this time I’m sure Chris and Cheng have had their share of disillusionments about each other. They certainly already know – all too well! – one another’s fault and frailties. Like for example, Chris often notice how Cheng would walk out on him when they have a fight. And it irritates Cheng how Chris takes much time to decide on things, even in just choosing on what food to order in the menu.

But here they are today before us. They come to this wedding, eyes wide open, in full knowledge and freedom. As they exchange their free consent in our ceremony, they know who each one is saying “I do” to, what each one is saying “Yes” to. When Chris tells Cheng that he takes her as his wife, Cheng responds likewise, well does each one know who and what it is that they are taking: the lovable part, but also the not-so-lovable part; the good and happy times but also the tough and sad times.

For as we all know, even in the best marriages, there comes the time when the honeymoon ends, when Chris and Cheng, like the couple at the weeding banquet in the Gospel, will also run out of wine and will only have water, at times even stale water. And even in the best of life, there come those times experienced by every married couple when even the water in the cup from which they drink becomes mingled with tears. When that time comes, Chris, Cheng, do not lose heart. Do not panic, do not pack up and leave. Let us learn from Mary, the mother of Jesus who in our gospel story suggests two very important things, which you may want to use as guidelines as you begin your new life together.

First, Chris and Cheng, wait. Wait as Mary waited even if at first Jesus did not seem inclined towards granting her requests. She waited and kept faith even when her prayer was apparently not going to be answered. You are called to do the same, to learn to be patient especially with one another, and especially when life grows bland or bitter. Be assured that in time – and only in time – God turns our stalest water into the sweetest wine.

Second, as Mary suggested, do whatever Christ tells you to. Love one another as Jesus asks you to love one another. In this day and age when love seems printed everywhere in all sorts of font types and sizes, when love is found on the lips of every other pop singer, it is good to be reminded of what love really means: an unconditional acceptance of, and commitment to, a person, including all his or her strengths and weaknesses. This is the love that you, Chris and Cheng, have been trained for the past six years, and are now called to live out for each other starting today. It is a love that, with Christ, can grow stronger through the years.

This is our prayer for you, Chris and Cheng, we, your family and friends, who love you both dearly: That after many many years, as you sit surrounded by the laughter of your children and grandchildren, you will finally understand that if we do what Christ tells us, He will truly save the best wine for last. Amen.

my baby pic

2007-01-03T20:26:00.000+08:00

{here is my baby pic, i am around 1 or 2 years old here. this is me even now. my hair stands and this is the way i sleep. hehehe, just a realization. this is alo the new logo for my site.}

lagi magsuot ng malinis na salawal

2006-12-05T21:56:00.000+08:00

Homilya
Kapilya ng JP
Ika-5 ng Disyembre 2006

Magandang umaga mga kapatid. Nais kong simulan ang aking homilya sa isang pagpapaliwanag sa librong nabasa ko na may pamagat na “Always Wear Clean Underwear.” Sa tagalog, “Lagi magsuot ng malinis na salawal.” (Ginawa ko lang yun para ma-impress kayo) Nakakatuwa itong libro na ito dahil ito ay mga listahan ng mga sinasabi ng ating mga magulang tulad nang, “Huwag umihi sa swimming pool,” o ”Kumain kayo ng gulay,” o “Tumingin muna sa kaliwa’t kanan bago tumawid sa kalsada.” At sa bawat naka-lista, meron mga dahilan na binibigay ng taga-akda kung bakit sinasabi ito ng atin mga magulang. Halimbawa sa “Huwag umihi sa swimming pool,” sinasabi nito ng atin mga magulang dahil para turuan tayo na huwag gumawa ng masamang gawain, kahit na walang tumitingin o walang makapag-huli sa atin.

Mga Kapatid nagsimula ako sa librong ito dahil ito ay angkop sa sinasabi ng Ebanghelyo. Sa Ebanghelyo natin ngayon sinabi ni Hesus, “Nagpupuri ako sa iyo, Ama, Panginoon ng langit at lupa, sapagkat inilihim mo ang mga bagay na ito sa mga pantas at sa matatalino, at ipinahayag sa maliit. Gayon nga, Ama Ko, ang ikasisiya ng iyong kalooban.” Dito sinasabi ni Hesus na masaya siya na makita ang mga karaniwang tao na naiintindihan at tinatangap ang Salita ng Diyos.

Ngunit meron pang sinasabi dito sa Ebanghelyo at ito ay ang epekto ng mapagkumbaba at ito ay ang espiritwal na pagkabata. May katumbas ito sa Mateo na sinasabi, “Katotohanang sinasabi ko sa inyo, malibang kayo’y magsipanumbalik, at maging tulad sa maliliit na bata, sa anumang paraan ay hindi kayo magsisipasok sa kaharian ng langit." Subalit sa pagka-alam natin na itong espiritwal na pagkabata ay hindi tungkol sa pagiging mahina, pagiging malambot, o pagiging mangmang. Ngunit pagiging bata dito ay tungkol sa pagtaboy ng atin sarili bilang mayabang at hustong tao. At sa ganitong paraan, mas nakikita natin ang atin sarili na hindi natin kaya gumawa ng ano man bagay ng atin sarili lamang.

Ngayon balikan natin ang librong tinutukoy ko kanina. Siguro para mas tugma sa buhay natin ngayon, palitan ko ang ”Kumain kayo ng gulay” sa “Kumain kayo ng isda.” Siguro kung sasabihin tayo nito ni Fr. Herb, hindi pa rin tayo susunod dahil karamihan sa atin ay ayaw kumain ng isda lalo na kung ito ay naka-lutong sabaw. Ngunit sa mga bata, kahit ayaw nila, kahit hindi nila ganap na maintindihan ang dahilan kung bakit kailangan nila kumain ng isda, gagawin at gagawin nila ang sinasabi ng kanilang magulang. Kaya masaya si Hesus sa Ebanghelyo. Masaya siya dahil kahit ang mga karaniwang na mga tao sa pagkakataon na iyon, tulad sa mga bata, naniwala at tinanggap ang mga Salita ng Diyos.

Mga kapatid ito siguro ang hamon natin bilang mga relihiyosa na araw-araw ay tinatanggap ang Salita ng Diyos tuwing misa. Sana, katulad ng mga bata, kahit tayo’y natatamad, kahit hindi natin naiintindihan ang mga pagbasa, tangapin pa rin ito at magtiwala. Tulad ng mga magulang sa librong binangit ko, meron itong dahilan, at ang Diyos Ama natin ay may dahilan sa mga utos niya sa atin. At syempre alalahanin rin natin na kailangan natin ng grasya at ang tulong ng Diyos Ama para hanapin ang tamang daan at manatili dito. Sa pagiging maliit na bata, kailangan magpabaya ng sarili tulad ng bata, magtiwala tulad ng bata, humingi tulad ng bata.

Sa panahon ng adbiento, sana lubos natin nagagalak na hintayin ang pagdating ni Hesus at tangapin at lubos magtiwala sa Salita ng Diyos. At syempre, “Huwag umihi sa swimming pool,” ”Kumain kayo ng isda,” at “Tumingin muna sa kaliwa’t kanan bago tumawid sa kalsada” dahil meron itong mga dahilan.

my birthday captured!

2006-11-30T10:52:00.000+08:00

{here are some photos and stints of my birthday celebration, with jvp, my unit, and aclc, maraming salamat sa lahat!}

first star i see tonight

2006-11-27T10:08:00.000+08:00

{for the next days, i will post my christmas entries during my juniorate. this one is my short story entry that won first place. hope you enjoy this}

First Star I See Tonight

In an open window of St. Francis Orphanage stands a little girl named Jenny. Almost every day, before the sun fully sets, she goes to this small window to wait for the first star to appear in the evening sky. Soft as a whisper, she recites a wish from her heart. “Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might, get the wish, I wish tonight.”

Nobody knows Jenny so as much as Norie, a social worker in the orphanage. It was one rainy night, twelve Christmases ago, when Norie heard a knock at the front door of the orphanage. She rushed to open the door and found no one, no one but a crying baby girl wrapped in bright colored linen, lying on their doorstep. Norie immediately took the baby in, changed her clothes, and fed her with warm milk. The baby’s cry subsided. Strangely, the baby’s bright eyes were fixed on Norie as if the baby had seen her before. From then on, Norie called her Jenny. As Jenny grew up, the two became the best of friends.

It is three days before Christmas and everybody in the orphanage wears a big joyous smile on his or her face. No corner of the house is without bright Christmas decorations, twinkling lights, the smell of unwrapped goodies, and the sound of merry cheers that go with all of these. Since the holiday started, the three storey orphanage is always cramped with different charitable groups who come yearly for a scheduled visit to the children. With their visit, they bring food, clothes, and Christmas presents creating for the children a little heaven in the small house. They talk to them, sing for them, and play with them. It is indeed the most wonderful time of year in the orphanage. Everybody is happy. Everybody but Jenny.

Every year, every Christmas, Jenny is this way. She goes out of her way to try to experience what Christmas is all about. She stuffs herself with all the yummy food she can eat until her tummy aches. She puts on all the clothes given to her until she is laughed at by the other children. She plays with all the toys until the thrill expires. Yet in the end, she still feels abandoned and confused. She often sits in one corner, quietly feeling the delight of her surroundings to unfold.

“Is this all that Christmas is about?” Jenny asks Ate Norie.

“Why do you ask?” Ate Norie politely retorts stooping down in front of Jenny.

“I eat all the food, I wear all the clothes, I play with all the toys…but I still can’t see what’s so special about Christmas.”

Ate Norie, with admirable patience, simply replies, “Christmas… Christmas is special not because of the gifts we receive, but because of the great love we feel in our heart during this season of giving and sharing.”

“But I still can’t see it?”

Ate Norie smiles. She holds Jenny’s hands. “You know what I usually do? I listen to my heart. It can see things beyond what our eyes can see.”

On the next day all the children, from five years old and above, are busy preparing for the most awaited day of the season – the Christmas adoption day. Each year, a family or a childless couple would pick an orphan to adopt and the child then spends Christmas day with them. It is a special treat for the children of St. Francis Orphanage. However, the painful reality is that not all the children are brought home for Christmas. Many are luckily picked but a few are helplessly left behind. Unfortunately, for years now, Jenny is one who hasn’t gone with a couple for Christmas. Even though she dresses herself beautifully, even though they say lovely things about her, even though she always presents herself with the cutest smile, the couples never pick her.

It is Christmas Eve tonight. The gate of the orphanage is opened as early as four o’clock in the afternoon. All eligible children are placed inside the T.V. room to watch endless Disney movies as they wait to be called. By late afternoon, most of the children have been picked and fetched by their adopted families. And there in her little corner Jenny, in her very best, patiently waits for someone to pick her. The afternoon sky starts to turn into a mellow, reddish portrait. It’s getting late. Nobody is arriving any more. She and a few others are the only ones still watching the movie.

Finally, the sound of the closing gate resounds. It is final. The rest of them won’t go to a family tonight. All of them are called back to the dining hall where the staff has prepared a grand noche buena and gifts for them. Jenny seems not to be interested. She goes upstairs to her window and recites her wish, as she usually does. Then a surprise. Someone is beside her.

“Who’s there?”

A familiar voice tickles Jenny’s heart. “Don’t be afraid, Jenny. It’s me.”

“Ate Norie! What are you doing here?”

“Well, I am going to take you home with me…tonight…and the rest of the nights. You don’t need to come to this window and make your wish ever again.”

“O, Ate Norie!” Jenny embraces Norie and bursts into tears.

“Why are you crying, Jenny?”

“Ate Norie, all I’ve ever wanted is to be able to see, so that I may see the world as you see it, with your own eyes. I wish I could see the goodies I eat, I wish I could see the clothes I wear, I wish I could see the toys I play with, and I wish I could see all of these…”

Silence fills the room. With her hand, Jenny is feeling her heart throbbing with much gladness. Jenny smiles. Then, in her blindness, she tries to feel Norie’s face with her hands.

“But most of all, I wish I could see you, the only mother I recognize. Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight, I thank you for the wish you granted me tonight.”

Arthur Nebrao, Jr., SJ
2 December 2004

salamat aclc

2006-10-29T11:29:00.000+08:00

then i will buy you shoes like mine

2006-10-20T14:22:00.000+08:00

{this is a homily i gave for aclc retreat last 2004. for the next week i will be giving again the same retreat for the third time and i would just like to share this to all of you.}

19 October 2004
Memorial of St. John Brebeuf, St. Isaac Jogues, martyrs and companions
Tuesday, 29th Week of Ordinary Time

Perhaps for some of us here, our brothers or sisters have already their own children; we already have nieces in our family. I have a niece and her name is Camille. I’d like to share with you a story involving my niece. It is a story I cannot forget.

I think that it is common for little girls to love playing “grown-up.” Perhaps, many of you have experience this when you were still a child. They put on their mother’s shoes, slinking their moms’ handbags around their arms. They sit in front of the dresser and put on their mothers’ make-up: lipstick and powder. Girls start to do these things even when they are only three or four years old.

My niece, Camille, was no exception. She loved wearing her mother’s shoes even if they were too big for her tiny feet. She would often ask my sister, “Mommy, when will you buy me shoes like yours?” My sister would always tell her, “You eat and you sleep so that you’ll grow up and your feet will become big. Then, I will buy you shoes like mine.” She got to be so persistent about this that she’d ask my sister day in and day out: “Mommy, when will you buy me those shoes?” My sister, with admirable maternal patience would always give the standard reply: “You eat and you sleep so that you’ll grow up and your feet will become big. Then, I will buy you shoes like mine.”

I would like you to call to mind this story each time you ask: Why does God take time in answering prayers? I say this because, probably, just like my niece, our feet are too small and our petitions are too big. And God would have to say, “You eat and you sleep so that your feet will grow big. When your feet are big enough, I will grant you the shoes you are asking for.” That is why God seems to delay. Not that God is a sadist. Not that God enjoys seeing us grovel. Not that God enjoys seeing us suffer. It is not because of all these that He has not given us our shoes. No. It is simply God’s way of encouraging us to eat and sleep and take care of ourselves. As it were, to grow and grow some more in His grace so that our hearts will grow big, big, big enough for all the love that He will give us.

My friends, I am telling you this simple story because there is a certain truth about prayer. Prayer is a mystery. Perhaps for some of us here, even at this midpoint of our retreat, we are still encountering difficulties in our prayer. Perhaps, it is still hard to find that inner silence. Perhaps, we are still clouded with distractions and expectations. Perhaps even, we are just starting to find that perfect spot to encounter our God. Why some good prayers are not answered?

Today, we celebrate the memorial of St. John Brebeuf, St. Isaac Jogues, and companions. They were French Jesuits who missioned for the native Hubron of North America. They were martyred by the tribes who believed in a different value. The stories of these martyrs are very rich, but what struck me was the prayer of St. Brebeuf. It is said, that even as a child, St. Brebeuf prayed to God that he would like to die as a martyr, he would like to die for the faith, he would like to die for Him. And his prayer was granted many years later, many years of difficulties, many years of graces, many years of consolations and desolations. And after all of these, I guess the feet of St. Brebeuf grew perfectly to fit with the shoes he was asking for.

The Lord tells us that all prayers are answered. Knock and it will be opened, seek and you will find. But we know from experience that not all prayers are answered. Whether we like it or not, some prayers are not answered, or better still, are not answered the way we like it. This then places us in a dilemma because God promises that all prayers will be answered and then somehow we experience that even good prayers don’t seem to be answered by God.

My friends let me share with you what my friend do when that occasion of difficulty and struggle occurs. When I pray, when I sacrifice and practically cry and kneel before God and ask Him to give me grace and blessing and grant my petitions and nothing happens, I look at the cross and ask the Father, “Why did you allow Your Son to suffer this way?”

It is a mystery that the Father allowed His only Begotten Son to suffer that way. It is also a mystery why some of our prayers are not answered by God the way we expect them to be answered. There will always be mysteries in life. If you can understand why the Father allowed His Son to die on the cross perhaps you will be able to understand why some good prayers are not answered.

God wants to answer our prayers. Unfortunately, in the story of Camille, our feet are still too small for the big shoes He has in store for us.

As we continue to enter deeper into this retreat, let us continually ask the Lord to keep that spirit always alive in our hearts. “You eat and you sleep so that your feet will grow big. When your feet are big enough, I will grant you the shoes you are asking for.”

St. John Brebeuf, St. Isaac Jogues, and companions, pray for us.

Arthur W. Nebrao, Jr., S.J.

prayer for final exams in education

2006-10-16T22:52:00.000+08:00

{I was assigned today in leading the prayer before the exam so I made this prayer and I think my classmates really liked it.}

Dearest Lord,
source of all knowledge and understanding
We humbly beg You for the grace of a learned heart
That we may be able to give ourselves fully in our assessments
especially for this class -- Foundations of Education
Help us Lord to recall the different Psychological Theories of Education
both the Non-experimental and the Experimental
And also appreciating the differences
between Behavioral and Cognitive Theories of Learning
Help us Lord to also bear in mind the important role of Philosophy in Education,
from the simplicity of Naturalism to the complexities of Existentialism
as well as the worth of Guidance Counseling and Values Education
But most of all Lord, we simply beg you
to help us become good teachers, right here at this very moment
so that after this final test, our desires may be like yours
which is to teach goodness and help those who are in need.
Amen.

even for a while

2006-10-03T16:19:00.000+08:00

This is a very good song. For the past weeks, "waiting" has been a theme in my life. Waiting for what? I don't know. But you know the feeling of waiting? This is how I am feeling. And in the midst of "waiting" my God is with me.

Even for a while
Gary Valenciano

Why do hearts feel the way they do
Why does mine wanna say that I love you
Till the end of time
Till I lose my mind
Till it’s over and left so far behind

I just can’t keep it all inside
So unbelievable how much I’ve tried
Yet I call for you
I long for you
And I say the words I wish you’d want to hear
Though you’re never near

[chorus]
Our heats and though they beat as one
But time, the time for us will never come
So I, I just go on
And just remember those eyes
That look right through my heat
The smile that shows what’s in you
That makes me wanna cry
Coz I know
I’ll never have you even for a while

Now all is said and done it seems
I keep remembering what I would call a dream
Where you came true
For a minute or two
That was all the time it took
To make me know you had to go
[Repeat Chorus]

Cause I know
I’ll never have you…
And I know
I’ll never have you
Even for a while…

my speech during richie fernando exhibit launch

2006-09-25T23:47:00.000+08:00

Good afternoon. Let me start with a story. One night, while Weyms, Shio, and myself, were having dinner with Fr. Provincial, ideas were popping out on how to celebrate the 10^th Death Anniversary of Richie Fernando. One original idea was a youth camp for the Socially Oriented Organizations in the Loyola Schools. I was so eager to spearhead the idea. While I was moving around the groups in Loyola Schools, trying to sell the idea, I was sadden to hear the question: “Bro, who is Richie Fernando?” Then I realized, indeed it has been ten years.

So we decided to start with this simple exhibit with the conviction to rekindle that spirit in which Richie echoed one October ten years ago. Let me share with you some thoughts about Richie…

There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends (John 15:13)

On 17 October 1996, Filipino Jesuit Scholastic “Richie” Fernando laid down his life for his friends at the Jesuit Refugee Service’s school for disabled called Bataey Prieb (Center of the Dove), near Phnom Penh, Cambodia. A disturbed student was about to throw a hand grenade into a classroom of other students. Richie grabbed him from behind. The grenade fell of the ground and exploded. Richie was killed instantly, while everyone else survived.

Those students were truly Richie’s friends; he loved them and wished to dedicate his life to their service. Even the one who caused his death said of him, “Richie ate rice with me, we were friends.” The others, on wheelchairs and crutches, formed a guard of honor at his wake. Days later, as his body was being buried with his fellow Jesuits at Sacred Heart Novitiate, Novaliches, his friends in Cambodia solemnly carried an urn containing cloths soaked in his blood to a Buddhist burial mound sculpted by themselves.

The instant in which Richie grappled with the student rather than saving himself was his moment of truth; it revealed what was deepest within him. There was no time to think. He acted by instinct, an instinct honed by values learned in a loving family, by two years (1988-90) of coming to know himself better and Christ better in Arvisu House Jesuit Prenovitiate, by his vows and retreats as a Jesuit, by his response to his missionary call.

Thus, he could say it all in a letter written four days before his death, “I know where my heart is. It is with Jesus Christ, who gave his life for the poor, the sick, the orphan…”

The items from the exhibit are taken from the collections of the Fernando Family, Arvisu House, Sacred Heart Novitiate, Loyola House of Studies, collections of Fr. Jojo Magadia and Sch. Robbie Sian, pieced together here by the Juniors, Sch. Jason Dy, and myself. This exhibit will be displayed in the Loyola Schools, the High School, in Xavier Schoolx, and other possible areas until December. Having said all of these, without formalities, I welcome you to the opening of the Richie Fernando 10^th Death Anniversary Exhibit here in Loyola House of Studies.

10th death anniversary of richie fernando

2006-09-21T09:06:00.000+08:00

if i told you

2006-09-21T08:52:00.000+08:00

This is really a good song from the play the wedding singer broadway musical ost. Enjoy.

Standing here underneath your window
Searching for some kind of sign
Every move, every tiny gesture
Only proves that you're not mine
I could write you a thousand love songs
Search the world for the perfect tune and rhyme
But what good would it do when it seems I'm out of time

If I told you
All the words I've yet to say
Would they matter
Or would you simply turn and walk away
If I hold you
Will you tell me I should go
Do I chance it
Or would it just be better not to know

Who's that girl with the perfect future
Her reflection says it all
Trying hard to pretend she's eager
Searching for some way to stall
So unsure of the road she's chosen
Faced with feelings her heart should not allow
One thing's certain, it seems
That she just can't turn back now
If she can, tell her how

If I told you
All the words I've yet to say
Would they matter
Or would you simply turn and walk away
If I hold you (if I hold you)
Would you tell me I should go
Do I chance it
Or would it just be better not to know

Would it just be better...
Not to know

a community in love

2006-09-21T07:54:00.000+08:00

Homily
Memorial of St. Andrew Kim Taegon and companions
14 August 2006

Before I would begin my sharing, I would just like to make two points clear. First of all, as some of you have asked me, this sharing is not about my love life or anything that deals with relationships that are “more than friends but less than lovers.” Second, this sharing is not a Papal Bull or some sort that I am passing down or it is not intended to single out any ACLC member for that matter. This sharing, though how difficult it will be for me as a moderator, is simply a reminder to all of us on how we can grow as an authentic Christian community. Having said all of these, I begin my sharing.

A Good Shepherd sister-friend of mine told me a story about the sinking of a ship. It was called the MV Cassandra, and it sunk en route from Butuan to Cebu more than twenty years ago. The ship never reached her destination. The MV Cassandra went down into the sea bringing several hundred passengers with her.

There were four Good Shepherd sisters on that ship: Sisters Consuelo, Consolacion, Concepcion and Virginia. At one point during the sinking, they were given their own individual life vests. They immediately took them and put them on. However, when they started going around the ship, they realized that many of the passengers did not have any life vests simply because there were not enough for all.

Thus, what these four sisters did was, without any hesitation, they courageously took off their own life vests and gave them to people who had none. In the end, when rescuers started recovering and counting the bodies of the victims who had drowned, they included the bodies of these four sisters – Consuelo, Consolacion, Concepcion and Virginia.

My friends I started with this story because it tells us so much on community life which is an integral part of being an ACLCer. Community life is not simply meeting together in a certain place at a certain time, doing communal activities like prayer and apostolate, then afterwards go home. No. Community life is more than just a gathering. Community life involves acts of love especially listening and companionship. But to do either without love is an empty gesture and bears no fruit. In ACLC, we are invited to love one another, not in a romantic way but in Christ-like. The most helpful thing one member can do for another is to love him or her, and this is as valid for Christian relationships as for any other kind.

This is my second year as your moderator. And perhaps part of my job description, and perhaps most of you already know this, is to take care of members with “special needs.” Often times, it is sad to hear their stories how they fall in love with a fellow ACLCer. Let me give you a ficticious example. It started out with happy relationship. He likes her and she likes him. Happy. Then when difficulties and challenges come, it is really a struggle to keep such a relationship. Then you ask yourself: “Paano na lang ang PS ko kasi nan doon siya? Paano ang area? Ang retreat? Ang welcoming night? Ang caroling? Ang EvSem? Ang paglalaro ng paborito kong bridge? Paano na lang?” What makes the situation worst is that, your unitmates, your areamates, and no doubt the entire community got involved already in various forms. There seems to be no escape when you are in such a situation because for the reason that we are simply a community.

This kind of loving is our way of loving that is initially be self-centered. Our way of loving may be self-seeking, self-serving. Many times, perhaps, we are too concerned with “what will I get in return? What will I receive in return? Ano kapalit nito?”

In ACLC, we have this term called the “grace of waiting.” And I do believe in this. There are greater fruits in waiting. And what better place to practice authentic love than in ACLC. That is why we need to realize that our quality of loving needs to be given time – time to grow, time to deepen. This is so because we do not immediately begin to love God with all our heart, with all our mind, and all our strength. And surely, we do not all of a sudden just begin to love our neighbor as we love our selves. That is why we go to prayers sessions and area despite whatever feelings we have because we are called to love when love seems to be empty. Indeed it is quite apparent that we are not natural-born lovers.

However, after much practice – after much daily, constant regular practice – our quality of loving may slowly, gradually begin to become better and better. Our quality of loving may slowly, gradually begin to become more and more radical – more and more Christ-like even – and less and less self-serving, less and less self-seeking.

My friends let me go straight to the point. I am not saying that you must not fall in love with a fellow ACLCer or I am not saying it is forbidden to be an ACLC couple. No. Look around you, such relationship do work. And perhaps you also heard the sad stories how it didn’t work and brought even more problems to many members. No one will ever stop you. But, but, but before you enter such a relationship in ACLC, please, please, please, think and reflect upon the reasons you entered ACLC. Did you join ACLC to be in a relationship? Or did you join ACLC to have relationships? If you have the answer to this question, then I do believe you have embraced what true love really is. And I think you are helping the ACLC community this way.

To end this sharing, let us go back with our story of the Good Shepherd sisters. What those four sisters did at the sinking of the MV Cassandra was not an isolated event. They had been loving much even before this disaster. They had been caring much long before this tragedy tool place. What happened in that boat was just a culmination, a climax to all the acts of loving in their lives.

Practice. Waiting. This is what love is all about. This is how the art of loving works. This is how, in the end, we can learn to love with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind, and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. That is why we should not belittle our simple acts of loving. We should not belittle our very capacity to love. Giving thank, forgiving people – especially those who have hurt us – giving our time and our presence to others, affirming them, telling them “You’re ok!” This is how we begin.

And if we start this way, I’m sure whatever ship, whatever sea, and whatever weather you are in, I am sure you are one of those who can easily give out your life vests away. Amen.

gk video

2006-08-24T15:29:00.000+08:00

homily

2006-08-13T22:36:00.000+08:00

Memorial of St. Maximilian M. Kolbe
14 August 2006

Today we celebrate the memorial of St. Maximillian Kolbe; Pope John Paul II canonized Maximilian as a "Martyr of Charity" in 1981. Saint Maximilian Kolbe is considered a patron of journalists, families, prisoners, the pro-life movement and the chemically addicted. Saint Maximilian died in 1941 in a Nazi prison camp where he offered his life, to die in the stead of the other prisoners.

As many of you know, I was assigned in Bilibid Prisons for two years working as a rehabilitation officer. Those two years were memorable for me because those years were the period of lethal executions. Out of seven who were executed, I reached and known all the other six convicts. I did not reach Echegaray. During an execution day, our office was in charge of the family of these convicts. We try to help them in any way we can to face those crucial moments of their lives. One time, as I vividly remember, I was tasked to watch the kids of the convict – a young teen girl and a little boy. The little boy was too busy playing with his toys while the girl was just sitting still in one corner. So I approached the girl and asked her if she is okay. Perhaps it was the dumbest question to ask during those times. She remained silent for a while. Then she answered, “Sana po ako na lang ang nasa lugar ni tatay para magkasama sila nina nanay at bunso.” At first, I was stunned by her reply. Perhaps there is something wrong with what she said. But then I realized there is more right and truthfulness in her words.

I think this simple incident has many things to say us, especially for us Jesuits. When the time comes for us to give ourselves fully, for the poor, for the sick, for the dying, for a cause, for a friend, for a brother, can we truly say, “We are really there for these?” Perhaps in all of our formation years, we are constantly reminded of the meaning of the Cross, yet at the same time, we are also reminded of our weaknesses and limitation. But I think the important thing here is that we are asked go beyond ourselves, to continue on loving and loving. This is true giving. This is true dying.

Like what in our Gospel today Jesus said, "The Son of Man will be delivered into human hands, and they will kill him. But he will rise on the third day." This was the faith of Maximillian Kolbe; fueled by the love of Christ and the Virgin mother; he embraced death joyfully. Through the death, which Christ underwent on the Cross, the redemption of the world was achieved, for this death has the value of supreme love. Through the death of Father Maximilian Kolbe, a shining sign of this love was renewed in our century which is seriously and in so many ways threatened by sin and death.”

St. Maximilian M. Kolbe, pray for us.

Arthur W. Nebrao, Jr., S.J.
JP Chapel

student profie for education of the gifted

2006-08-06T10:15:00.000+08:00

My name is Arthur Williams Nebrao, Jr., SJ. I will be turning 29 years old this November. I grew up as an adopted child in Zamboanga City, but for the past eight years, I was staying here in Manila. On 1998 I graduated BS in Computer Science at Ateneo de Zamboanga University. After college, I taught for one year in the same school teaching Systems Analysis and Basic programming. I also maintain the school system as part of my staff load.

After some time of discernment, I volunteered with the Jesuit Volunteers Philippines. This is a lay organization which sends volunteers as teachers, youth organizer, pastoral workers, NGO program officers, campus ministers and social workers to different poor areas in the country. I was then assigned with Philippine Jesuit Prison Service in the New Bilibid Prisons. I served as a rehabilitation officer for the soon-to-be-released-prisoners under the Pre-Release Rehabilitation program. For the latter part of my stay, I was one of the organizers of Juvenile Assistantcy Program which aims to foster rehabilitation for youth offenders in Bilibid. Proud to say our efforts gave way for the effectively of the Juvenile Delinquency Law and the abolition of death penalty in the country. I stayed there for two wonderful and fruitful years before I enter the Philippine Province of the Society of Jesus on 2001 as a Prenovice.

Presently I am a Jesuit Scholastic taking up MA Philosophy in Ateneo de Manila as part of the two year Philosophy formation program. Hopefully after this school year, I will be sent for the two year Regency formation program which gives us the opportunity to teach basic education in the different Ateneo schools or to do mission work in Cambodia or East Timor. This is all part of the eleven years formation program of the Society of Jesus.

Since I have accomplished enough Philosophy courses since I have started, I was asked to take the eighteen units of Education in order to take the licensure as well as to use these foundations in education during my regency work.

Presently, I don’t teach any class. But what I can share is that we are assigned in different apostolates. My primary apostolate is moderating the Ateneo Christian Life Community (ACLC). This is a student organization in the Loyola Schools which focuses on three aspects of formation: prayer, community, and apostolate. The consolation I am experiencing with ACLC is guiding and experiencing the magnanimity of the youth in proclaiming God’s love and social justice to the poor. My secondary apostolate comes in the form of spiritual direction, retreat and recollection giving, as well as doing multi-media projects for the various offices in the Province. If I may include, it is really a challenge and a grace to guide these gifted and unique souls as they journey in their own life. I may not be teaching but I have close contact with students as a moderator of ACLC and in the process I could help the students realize their giftedness.

Arthur W. Nebrao, Jr., SJ
Ma Ph
5 August 2006
for Education of the Gifted

invitation for st. ignatius province mass

2006-07-20T17:27:00.000+08:00

jp life ko

2006-07-19T20:27:00.000+08:00

JP Life Ko
Errol Nebrao, SJ

Neo, Neo, Neo Saicon (budubudum) (3x)

Bros Flores, ‘Vin Laput, Weyms Sanchez,
Si Jun Delmonte, Jong Oledan, Si Atong Ong
Sila’y nagpapabuhay ng JP life ko.

Bhong, Bhong, Bhong, Bhong, Bhong Tobe

Adapon, Mendoza, Orbeta, Parilla
Anthohy Coloma, Errol Nebrao, Si Mars Tan
Sila’y nagpapakulay ng JP life ko.

Neo, Neo, Neo Saicon (budubudum) (3x)

Konsuelo ko ang mga brothers ko, Eric John Gerilla, Gabe Pestaño
Si Dennis Cruz, Gil Donayre, Honorato Sala-Sala-Salazar
Tumitibok ang puso ko, tugudug-tugudug, kay Ritchie Genilo,
Si Gonzales, Fruto Ramirez, Nemy Que, Jojo Magadia

Ron, Ron, Ron, Ron, Pedro Walpole

Lobrigas, Mark Lopez, Henry Ponce,
Escandor, Legaspi, Chrys at Ernald, Charles Ken
Silay’y kumukompleto ng JP life ko.

Sila’y kumukompleto ng JP life ko.
Sila’y kumukompleto (sila’y kumukompleto)
Ng JP life ko … ng JP life ko … ng JP life ko, wooh, di ba?

maging aking muli

2006-07-10T23:10:00.000+08:00

When the TeleMovie "Maging Aking Muli" was shown on TV last year, I appreciated my unique vocation even more. This is the MTV of that movie. Hopefully, people would realize how human we still are. May you find consolation from this MTV.