important . . . ?

Pastor who are living witnesses...

2010-09-15T10:51:00.001+08:00

“We are building the Kingdom of God here on earth for the sole reason,
that is, for the salvation of souls.”

I am, indeed, blessed for the opportunity to be able to listen to our two speakers, namely: Rev. Fr. Pedro Sombilon and Rev. Fr. Raul Dael. They are just few of the many pastors who are living witnesses of God’s caring hands moving through the hearts of many people in the parish.

Listening to them makes me more courageous in pursuing my vocation to the priesthood. Fr. Pedro emphasized that “Following Jesus Christ, we need to leave everything: our families, parents, love ones and a like. We need to deny ourselves and live a simple lifestyle.” Hearing these things led me to reflect and examine myself as to how far am I doing in terms of following Jesus Christ and leaving everything and especially living a simple lifestyle.

Fr. Raul pointed out that “It is better to establish friendships than hostility.” Being new in the parish, one should be “incardinated” with the parish. It is the same thing in contextualizing oneself in the parish. And in contextualizing oneself, one should know his people. Fr. Pedro shared about “Theology of Presence,” which is one way of knowing ones people: eating with them, drinking with them, mingling with them and a like. In addition to the Theology of Presence pointed out by Fr. Perdo, Fr. Raul gave great emphasis on being with them during their special occasions but more so, with their intense sorrows cause by a loss of their loved ones. You can forgo with the happy moments but not the moments of grief because that is the time they need you most as a spiritual leader. It is the best moment to console them. In your presence, God is present. They can experience the presence of God through your presence. One visit would be fine just to be “with” the people, and it is one way of knowing your people. Work with them, laugh with them, cry with them. To be one with them is to be one with the Body of Christ.
A parish priest needs to organize the parishioners. It is the best thing to do in the parish. Tapping key persons in the parish and empowering them would allow the priest to maximize one time in establishing friendship with the people and exercising ones ministry. And I can see these things happening in our parish, mobilizing the people in doing the projects for the betterment of the parish. Parish works are not just the work of the priest, but it is the work of the parishioners with the guidance of the priest.

As a priest, “to serve” is what makes Fr. Perdo. It is good, if not best, to always do the work of God and at the same time not forgetting the God of work. As Fr. Raul said, “If you do not ask anything from the people, and only serve them, you will receive more than enough.” We do not lose anything if we give our whole selves to God. In fact, God will always provide what we need for the day. Fr. Perdo stress that “We should not aspire the things beyond our reach.”

I am very moved by the answer of Fr. Perdo when he was asked of his most difficultly as a priest, he replied, “difficulty… inside of us… self destruction… human desires and leanings.” Indeed, the greatest enemy is oneself. And if one tames oneself, one has the opportunity to minimize the difficult life of being a priest. And here comes the “human formation.” Human formation plays a great role in our lives. Wither ordained or non-ordained, we need to have human formation.

Prayer life is the very core of one’s life. It was very well said by Fr. Raul regarding prayer life, saying, “We may sometimes fail to pray but we must always welcome in our hearts the fidelity of God because He does not leave us.”

Even how busy you are in doing the works of God, you should enjoy and give your whole self every second of it because, with God’s grace, it will give you strength and energy to continue in your journey as a priest.

Step 10: Down and Out

2006-03-02T15:37:00.000+08:00

“Love Begets Love”

In a magical point of view, there is this thing that they called love potion. It is a potion that you cannot help but love the person who intentionally has personal interest in you. I don’t say that love potion and the revelation of God are one and the same. In terms of characteristics, there may be a slight similarity, in some sense, but there is a huge difference between them, that is, the freedom in the recipient’s point of view.

Talking about love potion, it may speak of love but a love that is selfish. It is a self-centered love. The recipient responds to it not because of love but because the recipient is under the spell.

When we talk of God’s revelation, or shall I say God’s love, we cannot help but thank Him for the love that He has revealed to us, a love that is gentle, and a love that is kind. One of the paradoxical characteristics of faith is faith, yet morally obliging. No one, not even God, forces us to respond, yet we are morally oblige to respond not because we are under the spell but because we, ourselves, experience the love that God revealed to us.

In the article entitled, Eclipse of the Love of God, it says that when we experience the love of God, we simply acknowledge and accept the love of God for us. Thereafter, we can and should love God in return. Our love for God makes us want to cooperate with God in doing what God wants us to do, the down-and-out-ness.

Love for God leads us to love of neighbor whom God loves, a love that begets love. As the saying goes, “strike while the iron is hot.” Since I am in the seminary undergoing a process of formation, I should do my very best to form myself in view of my future ministry, that is, to love God through serving the needs of others as a holy priest.

/Lino Abuzo Macatol II

Step 9: Christ Encounter

2006-03-02T15:34:00.000+08:00

“Transparency”

Every Saturdays and Sundays, I usually go home not because I want to but because I need to. I need to bring home my dirty clothes to be washed and to get my clean clothes. And sometimes I, myself, am the one to wash my clothes. I would go home if there would be no conflict of schedules in the seminary.

I have been away from our home for eight years since I spent my high school and college years in Cebu City. Fortunately, now that I am in theology, I’m back in Cagayan de Oro City, not in our home but in the seminary. I can say that “I am used to be away from our home,” to be away from home is not a big deal for me.

In the middle of the second semester, I notice myself that since the first semester, I would go home almost every weekend, but not always. So I decided not to make it as a habit to go home almost every weekend.

The situation is that, I usually go home because I don’t have anything to do every weekend. I don’t like going to the malls and doing nothing. Since I decided not to go home every weekend, my problem is that I have nothing to do.

I prayed and told my friend “J” (Jesus) about my situation that I don’t have anything to do every weekend. And that’s it. After a few days, my Spiritual Director asked me if I am available during Sundays, to give a sharing on the Gospel reading. So I accepted the offer to go with him since I don’t have anything to do during Sundays. Few days later, during our break, Rodrigo entered our classroom and asked us if we would be available during Saturdays, to facilitate the recollections but nobody mind him. During our consciousness examination before lunch, I was bothered because nobody mind Rodrigo when he entered our classroom to ask if somebody would be available during Saturdays to facilitate the recollection. So I decided to volunteer in facilitating the recollections on Saturdays since I don’t have anything to do during Saturdays.

Later on, I realized that I already have things to do during Saturdays and Sundays. God helped me find things to do for my vacant days. I could not imagine the goodness of God. As I recall my prayer, I didn’t ask God to give me something to do during my vacant days, I just share it to Him that I don’t have anything to do. I am just simply transparent to God in terms of my feelings and emotions. There is a line from the song that goes, “how did you know, I needed someone like you in my life, you fill up the empty space in my heart.”

From emptiness to fullness and that fullness overflows. At first, I don’t have anything to do during Saturdays and Sundays, and then God gave me things to do. From those activities that God gave me, I learn many things and I also shared something to the people.

/Lino Abuzo Macatol II

Step 8: The Experience of Spirit

2006-03-02T15:30:00.000+08:00

“Core Experience”

My first few months of stay in St. John Vianney Theological Seminary was my adjustment period, a period wherein I have to attune myself to my new environment. I have to accustom myself to the new schedule, new faces in my new community. Having new lifestyle as theologian, which is looser (in a positive sense) than during my college life, I had a tendency to drag myself. I would usually delay needlessly the things which were supposed to be done because at the back of my mind I would say that I would do it later.
The deadline of the requirements was fast approaching and I still haven’t done anything yet. And the final examination for the first semester would be the week after. I don’t know what to do first. On the one hand, I wanted to finish my requirements and on the other hand, I still have to study because we had an advance final examination the day after the following day.

What I did first was that I went down to the chapel and pray. Honest! I tried to talk with God and asked for help. I felt sorry for what I have done. It was all my fault. I was hopeless.

I was confused whether what I was doing was right, I just prayed to God just because I was in trouble. I was not expecting a huge response from God. I just wanted God to let me past.

Result…? It was awesome! I never expected that kind of result which made me feel unworthy of such thing. The unexpectedness of the result made me cry for thanksgiving, a cry of happiness. I could not understand the goodness of God despite my unworthiness. I couldn’t just imagine the unexpectedness of the gifts, a gift which came from God.

Because of that experience, I consider it as an “Exodus Event” or shall I say “the core experience” in my life, an experience which I could go back from time to time whenever I experience hardships in life and an experience that could lead me to faith.

Now that I have learned from my experience, concerning procrastination, I am doing my best to do thing on time and most of all, to pray not just because I am in trouble but because I learned the value of prayer.

/Lino Abuzo Macatol II

Step 7: Calls of Conscience

2006-02-14T10:35:00.000+08:00

“Balay sa Gugma” (House of Love)

When I was still in third college, I could still remember that we, the third college seminarians, were assigned to the Balay sa Gugma (House of Love) for our pastoral assignment. Balay sa Gugma is a house for the aged. We would go there every Saturday afternoon. We would visit the old people and some times help the sisters in serving their food and while they were eating we would chat with them about anything under the sun.

What caught my attention was that every time we would leave the place, I could always see the waving hands of the old people and the smile on their faces. On our way to the gate, some of them would say, “salamat sa pag-bisita kanamo… hina-ut pa unta nga mamalik pa mo” (thank you for visiting us… we hope that you will comeback). Those were the words that I could hear from the old people, hoping that we would visit them again.

The waving of their hands, the smile on their faces and especially the words from their heart would always appear briefly on my mind. I asked myself, what is in the waving of their hands, smile on their faces and some departing words that make me wonder, wondering on why I am wondering on it.

Having a restless mind at that time, wondering on that matter was not yet my cup of tea. But now, after I have read the step seven concerning the calls of conscience, it reminds me of my experiences in balay sa gugma and the wondering that I had, wondering on the whys of life.

I asked myself, now that I’m in the seminary, what can I do having those wonderings in my mind. Brought into prayer, I come to a realization that “a simple act of visiting the old people in balay sa gugma would give joy to their hearts, how much joy would I bring if I would live with them and to be with them.”

Looking forward to my future ministry as a holy priest someday, I will do what is expected of me as a priest. To bring the Word of God to the people which gives everlasting joy, to live with the people of God and to be with the people of God.

/Lino Abuzo Macatol II

Step 6: The Wondering Mind

2006-02-13T09:01:00.000+08:00

“What do you think…?”

I could relate this topic to one of the topics in the book of Fr. Avery Dulles, S. J. which talks about faith and reason. The book says, “In St. Thomas’ view, autonomous reason paved the way for the decision to believe; it could also confirm the truth of some doctrines of faith. Faith, grounded in divine revelation, elevated reason, gave it a broader range of vision, and prevented it from falling into errors to which it would be subject without the guidance of revelation.”

Reason has its own role in our quest. A role that to some extent is important.

Human as I am, I can not but accept the reality that there is a greater tendency in me to go for an idea that is more sensible. It is easier for me to believe in an idea which can be proven by reason than to believe in an idea which can not be proven by reason.

Take the five ways of proving the existence of God by St. Thomas as an example. St. Thomas used reason to prove God’s existence. And it is easier for me to believe on it because it was proven by reason. It does not mean that I do not believe on the ideas which can not be proven by reason. It’s just that it is easier for me to believe in ideas which are proven by reason than the opposite of it.

I, some times, can not help but wonder on the whys of things. But wondering on the whys of things could lead me to a deeper understanding, an understanding that can broaden my horizon on the whys of things. The wider the horizon I have the better it goes because I am more open to the possibilities truths which reason can not prove. The wider the horizon the more I can easily transcend from a mere sensible level to the spiritual level where reason has its reason which reason does not know.

/Lino Abuzo Macatol II

Step 5: The Heart’s Hunger

2006-02-13T08:59:00.000+08:00

“Obey your hunger…!”

Wanting something is the starting point. A point when you feel that something is missing in you. And knowing what you want is of great help.

Every time I enter a restaurant to eat, I have to have an order. Then a waiter would asks, “What’s your order sir?” and I would tell the waiter what I want to eat. But before I can order, I have to know what I want to order.

In ordering food, I have to know what I want to eat. On the spiritual level, I have to know what I want. But because of the allurements of earthly things I would be confuse as to what I really want.

Knowing the experiences of St. Augustine in search for what he really want, do I have to undergo those experiences of St. Augustine to be able to reach what he had attained? I would rather be thankful to God for the experiences of St. Augustine that serves as bases for my journey in search for what I really want.

The thing that I want can also be called a goal. After know my goal, the next thing to do is focusing on the goal that I need to achieve. On the road to the fulfillment of my goal, I can not deny that obstacles and temptations along the way that so alluring to the point that I would there is a tendency to give up my goal in life. But to think that achieving my goal is not impossible, just tricky and at times baffling, this would give me courage and perseverance to continue my journey in achieving my goal.

To obey your hunger is to achieve what you really want. To obey your hunger is to know your goals in life and to have the spirit of courage and perseverance in achieving your goals.

/Lino Abuzo Macatol II

Step 4: Escaping from Strange Gods

2006-02-13T08:53:00.000+08:00

“God… is that you?”

I am not sure if it was a saint that says, “It is true that false gods exist. The role of the false gods is to lure us into temptation. These false gods would lead us away from the true God.” It may not be the exact words but the thought is present.

These false gods that I am talking about have many forms. We may perceive is as true but in the long run it’s a false god. The way we perceive “God” is always influenced by our surroundings, environment, on how we were treated by others and many things.

When I was still I child, I was never beaten by my father, not even once. Every time I commit mistakes, my father would just talk to me, make me understand that what I have done is wrong. He is very serious every time we talk concerning my attitude and behavior. But during casual talks, he is also good in talking and we laugh much.

The said relationship with my father has a parallelism of the relationship with my personal God. My relationship with my personal God has an influence with how my father treated me. That is why I could say that parents should be sensitive enough to their children because it affects the relationship of the children with their personal God.

I could see the connection concerning this strange God with regard to erroneous faith, it is believing on something which you think is true but in the long run you realized that you are not in the right tract. What is important is the awareness of these strange gods that we have, then later on the transformation of one’s self, that is prayer.

How we perceive God depends, more or less, on how we are treated by our surroundings, our environment and upbringing. It is up to us on how we approach these strange gods who are knocking on our door. That is why before you open the door, you ask, God… is that you?

/Lino Abuzo Macatol II

Step 3: Escaping from the Wrong Question

2006-02-08T10:37:00.000+08:00

“Wonder…! Eurika…! Awesome…!”

There is a song that goes, I wonder how… I wonder why…, that line of the song expresses confusion regarding the whys of things. The word Eurika! or as it is translated in English saying, I found it!, that phrase expresses that you have found something, which I presumed to be important, that you know something which you haven’t known before. The expression Awesome! Would some how expressing an affirmation of something or knowledge that you already know.

That wonder-eurika-awesome thing is just my own version of a geometric approach. It is a process of inquiring something which will hopefully lead you to the truth. Just like the basketball ball, at first you would wonder why a basketball ball bounces. Then as you inquire, you would say eureka! I found it!, the ball bounces because it is a rubber or what ever reason for the ball to bounce. And the third thing would be the awesome thing were in you affirmed the information or the knowledge you knew about the ball.

I have observed that with these three steps of inquiring something, there is this question-proof-affirmation. I am just wondering about the proof thing because human as we are, we always look for proofs in order to prove something. That is why in a trial court, evidence has a great impact in a case.

What if proof is no where to be found… can you still prove something without the aide of proof? Can you still arrive on the level of affirmation without passing through the level of proof?

I really like the story that was given as an example on proving something or asserting something without proof. There is this boy that was very sure that his retreat director would never spoke anything to the other directors over dinner about what he shared concerning his personal life. The director asked, ‘But you have no proof of that.’ The boy replied, ‘None… except that I trust you.’ This is an act of faith.

If we ask proofs of the existence of God, we should not forget that we are human and God is divine. Our humanity and God’s divinity are of different level. Human as we are, what we are capable of grasping at are practically only in the level of our senses. And the proofs that we can attain in proving the existence of God is sensing God indirectly. We can never sense God directly, given the fact that He is divine. The indirectness that I am talking about is the effect of His goodness, especially all living things. That may sounds like a kindergarten student but its true.

All we need is trust. Just like the trust of the boy that does not need proof.

/Lino Abuzo Macatol II

Step 2: Seeing through the System

2006-02-08T10:32:00.000+08:00

“Hay…! What’s your latest gadget…?”

I don’t know if I got it right… what came to my mind after reading the step two of the book was the Spex of St. Ignatius of Loyola.

It reminds me of my goal in life that is to glorify God. It also reminds of the things around me, as to how to use them for the greater glory of God.

It mentions about the technologies that are arising now a days. The thing I could think of, given the situation of the advancement of the technologies now-a-days is enculturation. The adoption of the behavior patterns of the surrounding culture. It would then be important to know and to familiarize one’s surrounding in order to know how to approach the given situation of the surroundings and to be able to use the things around usefully.

A great tendency to be failure if the things around would be misused. Misused in the sense that in using the things around would lead one to scatteredness of one’s self.

I learned in reading the second step to reflect on how to make the things around me help in my quest in focusing myself into the flux on my own being.

Just as the Spex of St. Ignatius of Loyola states, though not word by word, “to acquire things that could help one to glorify God and to detach freely from the things which hinder one to glorify God.”

Thanksgiving is the word. To give thanks to God for the things around us and the technology that is arising now a days.

/Lino Abuzo Macatol II

Step 1: From False Self to True Self

2006-02-08T10:25:00.000+08:00

“(Inhale) hhhhh… (Exhale) hhhhh… (Inhale) hhhhh… (Exhale) hhhhh…”

It is really relaxing every time I do breathing exercise or what Fr. Michael Paul Gallagher, SJ calls “the prayer of the breath”. I experienced breathing exercise or the prayer of the breath way back when I was still a little child. Breathing exercise, then, was an ordinary physical exercise for me. But now, breathing exercise, for me, has become a prayer of the breath. Now, after reading the first step to faith, there is a transition in me from a physical perspective to a spiritual one.

Doing the prayer of the breath is not as easy as A-B-C, but it is like reciting the alphabet backwards from Z-Y-X for the first time. Self- patience is essential. It takes time to focus and to relax into awareness of this kind. In order for one to recite the alphabet backwards simultaneously, one has to focus on the sequence of the alphabet in backwards.

The prayer of the breath is one of the many approaches that can be of great help in freeing ones self from false self to true self.

“If I am to become free of the false self, I have first to become aware of the flux with in me; until that conflict of moods comes to consciousness little of inner freedom will be possible.” [1] One should be able to identify or to be able to recognize the flux within so that one may be able to know where to go. “Just as there were some war-prisoners who had settled comfortably enough into prison life, so there can be many people who never awaken to what their lives lack.”[2] The healthy dissatisfaction thing would some how make one think of one’s own status quo. And in doing so, there comes a spark of possibilities to be able to free ones self from the bondage of false self.

Being aware of the flux within oneself, to see the whole picture of oneself is the primary step in embracing the stillness that one desires deep within.

The next thing would be, how could I sustain the stillness which I conquered from my false self to true self?

/Lino Abuzo Macatol II
[1] Michael Paul Gallagher, Free to Believe: Ten Steps to Faith, (Darton, Longman and Todd Ltd: London, 1991), 15.
[2] Ibid., 21.