Sinulog in my mind

After the Manileños showed their way of glorifying Señor Nazareno, Sinulog is the response of the Cebuanos, hailing from the Queen City of the South, in praising Señor Sto. Niño.

Both titles of Jesus Christ, which trace their roots from the Spanish era, mark the intense devotion and religious fervor of the Filipinos since Christianity reached the country in 16th century.

This Sunday, all roads lead to Cebu for the nth celebration of Sinulog.

Unfortunately, I will not be there once it happens.

Fortunately, I've got tons of photos which I took last year when I myself was in Cebu to be part of the revelry. I had goose bumps all over, overwhelmed with how this devotion to the Holy Child has been part of the culture and religiosity of the Cebuanos.

The highlight of the celebration of course is the Sinulog Mass concelebrated by as many priests available and attended by an ocean of people. I've got a couple of footages:

To prepare ourselves for the experience, we even had a session in the novitiate in order to learn the right stride and rhythm of the Sinulog dance.

I hope to be able to make it the next time around. Viva Pit Senyor!

Angklung redux

I've seen the numbers.

So far, one of the items requently visited here in my site is that entry on Angklung. I found another one in my hard disk and let me post it here all in the spirit of the season. 

Big thanks go to Jan who shared this video last year!

Some annotations are in order.

This video was shot when we 'performed' at Don Bosco Technical College in Cebu last year to the delight of the Salesians, staff and boarders who welcomed us. 

Let me introduce you to the personalities in this video: Fr. Nioret, me, Fr. Wilbert, noble, Br. Dominggus, Boni and Migs

The notes were arranged by Fr. Nioret, our novice master.

Two weeks a Salesian!

I turned a second-week old Salesian today and I wish to share with you the speech I delivered on the very day of our profession.

* ** *** ** *

Fr. Julius Sanchez, SDB, Provincial of the Southern Philippine province,
Fr. Danilo Torres, SDB, Acting Provincial of my very own Northern Philippine province,
Fr. Ronel Vilbar, SDB, Rector of Don Bosco Formation Center,
Fr. Honesto Geronimo, Jr. SDB, my novice master,
Salesian priests,
Salesian lay brothers,
Religious sisters,
Pre-novices and aspirants,
Dear friends and guests,
Dear young people in our midst,

A happy feast day of St. Dominic Savio to each of you!

My heart only knows how to speak the language of gratitude at this moment. And when, I mispronounce or commit grammatical flaws in this speech, please accept my apologies.

The great year of my novitiate has quickly come and gone. Even up to this point, as I take a deep breathe and as I marvel on the omnipotence of God’s grace, I could not believe that in a couple of days from now, I’ll be heading back to my post-novitiate formation in Canlubang—as a professed Salesian of Don Bosco. And I would have to leave Cebu which has been my home for the past year.

Novitiate has been a wonderful year, not because I enjoyed the extraordinary attention given only to the novices, nor because I am enriched and edified by the shining example of St. John Bosco as I delved into his life and in his numerous writings.

My novitiate has left in me a sweet after-taste because it has been a concrete intimate experience of God. And I guess, this is what has made it extraordinarily remarkable.

I encountered God in the Salesians of the South who, despite the difficulties in the mission due to the scarcity of resources and manpower, continue to function remarkably well, excelling in the field of journeying with the young people—especially the poorer ones!

I encountered God among my three companions then: Miguel, Boni and Noble. In them, I saw the distinct movement of His Love and Grace. Their bearing up with my intricacies and human weakness is more than a proof that God is patient with me by giving me co-journeyers who stand to mirror His bottomless understanding and love.

I encountered God among the lay associates I interacted with, whose firm faith and devotion to the Almighty never failed to amaze me. Through their lives, these lay people taught me concrete, practical application of what Pastoral Charity is.

I encountered God among the young people of Lawaan—of whom I worked with and for, whose very tongue spoke a different sound—but all the same, He invited me to journey with them, not because apostolate called for it, but because it was for my greater edification as a future apostle in their midst.

Finally, I encountered God in moments of difficulties and spiritual droughts.

Five months ago, my mother was diagnosed to have a malignant cancer in her right kidney. It needed to be removed right away. This came to me not only as a bad news but it has shaken all of me—my vocation, included. It’s one of the most difficult tests I took during the novitiate.

I wanted to question God what were His motives for such, but I did not. I could not. He has been amazingly good to me. And I could only trust in His wisdom. I have come to embrace the fact that His Grace is enough for me. I could only thank Him for the strength He breathed into me and to my family.

Let me end this speech by expressing my gratitude to my novice master, Fr. Honesto Geronimo, Jr., SDB, foremost for his effort to lead an excellent Salesian life following the spirit of our Constitutions, the subject he also efficiently taught us. He has been an outstanding teacher and an amazing spiritual guide.

Please continue to entrust Br. Noble and me so that we may be able to respond always with generosity and love all the days of our Salesian life.

Thank you very much for being with us in this event. Happy Feast Day once again.

First Profession

In the year of the 26th General Chapter with the theme "Return to Don Bosco," two young men professed to "remain with Don Bosco" as they embraced a poor, chaste and obedient life with firm intention that this be forever, following the footsteps of our great Father and Teacher. Br. Donnie Duchin Duya (FIN) and Br. Noble Lal (FIS- Pakistan) made their First Profession as Salesians at the Don Bosco Missionary Seminary, Lawaan, Cebu.

The two new Salesians made their profession before Fr. Julius Arthur Sanchez SDB –FIS Provincial. Fr. Danilo Torres SDB–Acting FIN Provincial was present to witness the occasion. The event was likewise attended by other Salesians, Cooperators, Religious Sisters, aspirants, alumni, seminary workers and many young people among whom the two new brothers have carried out their Sunday apostolate for the past year.

During their novitiate year, this batch of newly professed Salesians had called themselves "GC Novices" in allusion to the current General Chapter. But the initials GC stand for "Grace of Christ." Hence, on their First Profession, they had taken inspiration from St. Paul who wrote "My grace is sufficient for you" (2 Cor: 12:9). After their First Profession, Bro. Donnie and Bro Noble will continue their Philosophy in Don Bosco College

in Canlubang (FIN).Let us welcome our two new confreres with support through our prayers.

FIN incoming novices

The three incoming novices from the Northern Philippine Salesian province have arrived this evening. We still await the other five novices from the Southern province. The acceptance rite will take place tomorrow during the vespers in the DBFC chapel.
Photo above (R-L) Ramil, Juvelan, Marc Will and Br. JM their brother assistant. I squeezed myself in the photo below.

Ramil, Juvelan and Marc Will, may this period of the novitiate truly prepare yourselves to give your all "to God for the service of the young in the spirit of Don Bosco." (C 110)

I assure you of my prayers.

Arrivals...

The past days have ushered in a moment of arrival. The otherwise isolated bungalow house of the novitiate has been frequented by individuals who may be just mere visitors or even permanent residents of the house for the next couple of years or so.

This streak goes on, albeit for the next couple of days, as the novitiate house opens its humble portals to well-wishers—and yes, even to curious onlookers!—as the tide of change takes place in the only Salesian novitiate house in the Philippines.

Br. JM, the new assistant to the next batch of novices, arrived last April 23.
Fr. Godo, the new novice master arrived yesterday.
And of course, the eight new novices—five from the FIS province, and three from my very own—arrive this afternoon.

Soon, I'll write about departures.

Food trip

Thanks, Novice-to-be JP!

Random photos

There is a bane in having a relatively big memory card stuck in my camera, it has taught me to become complacent in emptying my memory card thinking that it will always have an ample space anyway.

The advantage, definitely outweighs the drawback.

The Youth Jam, Lawaan style!

The aspirants way of sending off Frs. Nioret, John, Wilbert and Br. Dominggus farewell.

The novitiate house before my lens.

Paula and Kinji, chihuaha puppies of my good friend Jesvir, seemed to be satisfied being stuffed in his traveling bag. He brought them with him when he dropped by for a visit yesterday.

Ma'am Elsa Villordon, mom of Br. Ed, turned 70 years old last Saturday. We came to join the rest of the well-wishers.

JJ, one of our KOAs in Camella, poses before the camera with gusto! He bagged the KOA of the month award for March. This was taken two Sundays ago.

Our own KOAs belt it our for Br. Noble as they serenade him on the ocassion of his 31st birthday!

Gari accompanies me to SM today.

Welcome to my life, Bud! Thank you, Fr. Master.

A postscript to prenovitiate

After four long years of labor to earn a bachelor’s degree, an extern student will have a wider choice of exploring the real world after college graduation. Having equipped himself with the diploma, he goes on achieving his dreams, typically of having a brand new car, a decent home, and soon, a family he can call his own.

But for us who graduated from being prenovices and who decided to continue with our discernment in following God’s call in the realm of the seminary, it is an entirely different story. We're to be uprooted from our first seedbed of vocation (Carreno House of Formation) flown to another island (Cebu) and would be contained in a house relatively smaller than CHF (Sacred Heart Novitiate).

Experiencing novitiate for over two weeks now, I can say that our life is not far from being exciting. Unlike the general majority of male bachelors freshly spawn out of school we may not be able to land a job in our dream company and receive a hefty pay check every month (honestly, I did! But that was ages ago!), or see the latest movies every week, or even date pretty ladies night after night.

Two Saturdays ago, we were given the chance to go to Ayala Mall to buy personal stuff using our own money. The remaining amount would have to be surrendered to our Novice Master. Once upon a time, it was difficult for me to imagine myself penniless. But now, I don't only imagine it. I live it. And believe me, I struggle. To put it more accurately, each day in the novitiate is a struggle: the pains of starting again, of detaching from people, places, things and relationships we need to set aside, albeit for a while. The fear of what tomorrow brings.

The road to adjustment is still a long way to go.

An e-mail I got from a close buddy strikes some sensitive chords in me, I cannot but get some dose of inspiration from it "issues and crises are part of this vocation. our novitiate initiates us to that. religious life is indeed a cavalry...it's difficult...not that i am beeing pessimistic (although i am a pessismist)...what saves our vocation is the fact that we are happy despite the difficulties. kung hindi ako masya, hinding hind ako magtitiis ng ganito."

I can very well relate to what he's saying. But apart from the "joyful serenity" I experience here, what consoles me and what makes me stay is my belief that God is pleased to have me in this place where I am now.

Three years ago, I should have been here. But I begged God to wait. I was not ready then. Now, despite the difficulties, and perhaps especially because of them, I am all the more convinced that God is brewing a special plan just for me. The only thing He asks of me is to rely on His Grace.

Back in Canlubang, I thought that becoming a prenovice was the most thrilling part in all the stages of the seminary formation. I was wrong. On the hindsight, prenovitiate is not that exciting afterall, or it is the terminal end of an asprirant's seminary sojourn. It’s merely a prelude to a new exciting beginning.

True, we may not be able to experience all the perks other may be experiencing at the moment, but modesty aside, we have the best.