Happens Again
It’s not excitement! It’s anxiety. Expect dandruff but thanks to Clear. It does happen every time I am assigned in a new place. This time, it’s totally different; a big change, added more to my previous tasks. Continue Reading »
Archive for the 'Formation' Category
Monk and the modern world
My first notion about monks was too broad, generalized and really a different idea from what we have now. Monks were the people who live in the forest alone and secluded. The cloisters they have do not accept visitors openly and they lived as farmers and beggars. Yet it is common for them as simple people, living their vows with austerity. They were tagged as ascetics, hermits, old people to mendicants, beggars, who can also be found in the cities. I met the founder of a newly established local congregation under a Bishop, and he said that they are the modern mendicants. Being a monk follows with the world’s trend, from old to modern, and they exist at the edge of the society. When the world is getting modernized, globalized and chaotic, where is the simplicity and how they can live the challenges of the modern lifestyle? Religious life is a 24/7 life, and a monk lives a unified and well-integrated life. He is not being disturbed nor affected with the world’s change, faithful and is calm; he is being in contemplation, having a constant attitude of being a religious monk whatever their professions or works. This should not be misinterpreted with the activities of being a monk will make a monk. The identity is being changed from “practices” to “being” not for showing only. Like the virtues of the vows, give way to a constant intimate communion with God in every events of everyday dealings. This is greatly demanding and yet a privilege to a monk to be wholly and well-integrated being. Monks continually exist in spite of having nothing, a realization that even without any securities and social identities, continue to evolved and seek transformation and conversion in Christ, whom we always find our identity; it is spirituality.
Every Christian is called to follow Christ, this is religious life; since everybody is consecrated to God by virtue of being adopted brothers and sisters of Jesus. Thus we are always the “people of God” and that encompasses everything. This gives life to a new way of monasticism in our modern time, being integrated with every individual and communities; from our families of our own to our professional career, on how the values of the monks are lived. The new communities of Christians are gift to everybody and it is being welcomed gradually. We can see the changes of Christian life in our local churches being re-energized with the challenges presented by religious life in the modernized and more secularized world. It started from people’s need, local churches as how the early monastic life was born, spread all over the land.
n.b. Random personal reflection, unedited nor grammar checked.
New Look for Christmas and Anxiety
It was still very early morning when I noticed that it’s almost a year when I changed my room’s appearance. I told myself that something’s going to be changed today. That’s it, something I need to rearrange or change, recreate and play. After the Misa de gallo, I had my breakfast and started cleaning my room and thinking of rearranging my posters.
Collecting the CD cases from my drawer, I started to do something new: CD case Photo Frames. I got this idea from LifeHacker that links to Photojojo on how to make a wall photo frame out of CD case. I have still my old post cards from Reader’s Digest collection of arts. Just cutting cardboards and colored paper, I got six new decorations (Photo inset).
Aside from the photo frames I made, I also rearranged the wallpapers I collected from the National Geographic Magazine’s supplements like maps and my favorite: space pictures that includes the newly released set of planets. I also made two space shuttle origami I learned from Odyssey Magazine when I was in primary school and hung them on the ceiling. I was amused like a little kid with my new room’s atmosphere. Of course, not forgetting the season of Christmas, I added a little bit of Xmas themes cut from gift wrappers. I’ve not done this so far for long time and Im happy about it. I had just a great taste of change today.
Perhaps, it was all about thinking some changes starting today. For two days, I felt down and so silent yet disturbed and just refusing to think about the issues I have this time: missing loveones this Christmas, fraternity responsibilities and many important and not-so-important concerns. I was tormented with headache and drowsiness until I got a chance to why-not-change-a-paradigm thinking. My Christmas wishes might not come true but the mere wish gives me hope to have a new look again. Just like with what I have done with my own room, it’s a manifestation of being new again; gradually perhaps.
In connection with this, it’s time to make an application for renewal of vows again. The deadline is fast approaching and I haven’t made any letter addressed to my superiors yet. The evaluation sheet is still unread and the worst thing, I am anxiously waiting for the evaluation of my formators. I need enough time to contemplate for this matter that matters my life, not only of the present but of my future.
I am Balong
“So now that your namesake has just gone home, should we call you now with your name?” My older brother in the community asked me while we were having our lunch at the refectory just this afternoon. “No, it is still Vince, that’s the name I adapted and been using that name since then,” I replied. “Balong…” he said. I stopped eating and again told him, “No, only my father and mother are authorized to use that name for me.”
Everytime I hear that word, I always remember my parents who call me with intimacy with that name. “Balong” is not a given name for me but it is used to call the first son in the family. It is not a nickname but an address or a title given to the eldest son; and that’s me. When my parents call me with that name, I feel being loved, tickled and being taken cared by their presence. It’s a feeling like sleeping on their lap as what an infant always does. What a moment of joy for a young boy being called as “Balong.”
The word came from the local dialect of my mother; Ilocano; which literally means, “first son” or simply “my son.” Though my father speaks different dialect, he used that with power and love to me. I have always an attentive ear to listen to that word which became my name for them. The word always give me a sense of greatness since it also connotes responsibility to our family, to my younger sibling and shares in making decision for my family’s welfare. That word gave me a sense of sonship and authority, and even fear and respect to them. In the contrary, that same word gives a wonderful feeling of being the first son, beloved and heir. There are privileges that cannot just be given to any sibling, one of those is being the first born. Due respect from my younger sibling is given and is being usually consulted. Only my parents call me with “Balong.” Now that my father is gone, my mother calls me with kindness with the name, “Balong.”
The name I am using this time is not my complete name but I am comfortable using it even with my official papers. I asked myself with,”What’s in a name?” but so many answers were given to that question. I am Balong.
My name makes me unique. I might share the same name with others, but never the same set of moments and circumstances that have made me who I am — I who go by this name.
My name sounds differently, coming from the lips of the different people who call me at different moments of time. But only those who love me say my name with all the hopes I am called to, with all the fullness I am invited to, with the sound of who I am really meant to be. Only those who love me speak my name within that dream.What does it really mean to be called by name? What does it truly mean when I hear my name being spoken by God…by those who love me…by those who don’t love me…by those who know me… by those who don’t really know me? Let me ponder the mystery of hearing my name being spoken.
*Called By Name, an adapted excerpt.
*Tnx to Narna for the child’s image, thats not me.
