The Itinerant’s Path

Just a quick yet world blowing feeling of rebelliousness at the moment brings me to a realization about my experiences couple of days ago. I just feel tired maybe but it seems not. I just feel stress but seems unacceptable. I just feel rebellious. Anak ng pusa! I was just confirming my booking to use one unit of LCD from the  Marist School library and the librarian murmured, “Samok!” She’s not aware that I understood what she just said. I booked it yet she didn’t include me to the list of borrowers for the day. She overlooked my name. She’s… whatever. Good she has a spare unit to give.

My roommate noticed by sleeping problem, then another person noticed it also (I don’t have my own room yet, still sleeping on the floor in the computer room). I was gnashing my teeth! At first, I wasn’t alarmed about it. Maybe it was just a rare experience for me while I was asleep. Yet I was alarmed after I received another comment. I looked for reasons and asked my self about the causes of my restlessness. And I tried looking back… these may help me find the answers… I was stressed. Continue reading and give a comment » » »

Yep! Just a break from what I’m doing right now. I still have three sets of test papers to check. It was a diagnostic test in Religion given to my students last Wednesday. Oh, the week is finished. It was our first week of classes here at Marist School. I was thinking of telling you about my first week but I seemed to be very cluttered with so many ideas in mind; and also many different tasks to finish.

Let me enumerate… First thing since I wrote the entry about Mellisa Roxas was the Con-Ass… It’s really a pain in the ass listening to most of the people in the government; jukebox! Wait, I can still remember how Mayor Miguel welcomed President Macapagal-Arroyo in Koronadal City. What came into my mind? She was there to avoid the rallies here in Metro Manila during the Independence Day. Kaya nga nasa Koronadal City sya. If she was here, malamang di lang ulan ang kanyang napala kundi batikos ng mamamayang galit sa kanya. That’s our present country’s situation; as I see it. Before anything else, let me be… Continue reading and give a comment » » »

No, it’s not a philosophical question that I am asking you. I’m just relating to you what I have read from the Wednesday news of the Philippine Daily Inquirer regarding the Fil-Am activist who was tortured by armed people. Since I was away since Wednesday for a retreat, I just came across with this shocking news again.

I can say it is shocking for me because I’ve been into an experience almost the same with what Melissa Roxas experienced in the hands of her abductors. Quoting the newspaper, “She was handcuffed, locked in a room, beaten and suffocated with a plastic bag for six days,” She was reported missing on May 19 and returned home on May 25 in La Paz, Tarlac. She was abducted by 15 armed men in civilian cloths wearing bonnets. I almost lost my temper again as I recall my own experience when I was in Gen. Nakar new years ago. I was one of those sent for exposure-immersion; to live with the people in poverty and in their usual daily activities. Continue reading and give a comment » » »

Sometimes there are moments when we feel God’s presence, when we acknowledge that he is always with us, when people around us manifest his love to us. Maybe this is how I feel after down moments, when I felt nobody can be trusted, when I felt alone and grasping for answers to my prayers. God was so silent that he seems to be away from me. But he is not. Thank you Father, in the dark path where I trod you served as the light. Christ, you carried me, felt my pain and never abandoned me. Desolations may come but your grace is enough for me to carry on, to believe once more and to walk with courage… just moving forward… feeling the pain… yet savoring your love in times of sufferings. You were there, and still you are here. Let this be my prayer at this moment…

It’s an old yet new experience to have a “cosmic walk” again. I’ve been to this walk in other ways nga lang but this time, it’s another reflections and experiences while walking along together with the Marist School personnel  who are in a three-day retreat (Institutional retreat before classes start). What struck me most is the new experience of going through it again. It gave me an opportunity to look at the cosmic world in a different perspective.

Cosmic walk, as it is being called by our retreat facilitators, was being developed by Sr. Miriam Therese Macgills, which was inspired by the “New Story” told by Thomas Berry. It is to let the participants experience the sense of wonder and awe to God’s creation, to the creativity of the universe. Continue reading and give a comment » » »

Today is the fourth day of another experiences for me; exactly one week from the time I arrived here in Marikina City. This is another place of challenges as I face my second year of active school apostolate. This is another place where people are new to me; new teachers and students for me. I feel anxious yet excited with what this year would bring. I have mix of feelings, actually. Seems I am starting to miss my previous assignment at Notre Dame of Kidapawan College as a class adviser and Values Education teacher. I am starting to miss my advisory class, the SMC students who are now incoming third year students. Hey guys, if you read this, just smile, OK! Medyo miss ko na ang samahan natin sa klase; medyo terror lang naman ako sa inyo; di gaano, right?

At present, the superiors told me to be at the Marist School. Officially, this is my new address, my new area of apostolate, to educate and of course, BE EDUCATED by the people here, by the students, by the Brothers whom I will be with this year and by the time; pinapahinog, kumbaga. Continue reading and give a comment » » »