Not at all times that inspiration comes to every individual. Same as true to a blogger, I should say. Or, I must speak only for my behalf.
For almost four months of being away from my blog-site, I again realize that there are people who look forward for my another entry. Whether boring or interesting stories I got to share, they are, still, worthy to be shared, I suppose.
Let this be an expression of my prayers, Lord, in thanking you for helping me open my eyes to all my experiences every day of my short life…
So this time, I would like to re-launch my blog. It’s time again to move on with my journey as a blogger. As the title of this blog, ‘Ot! This will be another entry that marks it’s new beginning. The Itinerant wants to move on, with more passion this time, marked with another new inspirations; experiences, simple spirituality in everyday life, the children, the people, in general. They are just some of the reasons why I do blog. Nevertheless, I do blog because I got something to share, too… Not necessarily I got to share something…
Let this be an expression of my prayers, Lord, in thanking you for helping me open my eyes to all my experiences every day of my short life…
Few days before Christmas, I reflected on my experience that day about
Teby, a young boy. I was reminded by an experience that he once told me about running away from home and for few years, he didn’t see his family and now living in an orphanage for the abandoned. I asked myself of what would be a Christmas on the street; I remembered them in my prayers. The Institution had a chance to participate in an afternoon show, Wowowee last December and Teby was given a chance to speak to the tele-viewers and said, “Kunin n’yo na po ako rito…”
Today, as usual Saturday of my visitation with the children at Asilo to teach them with their basic subjects. I found a real and valuable gift for Christmas when I arrived. I entered the office to log in when I noticed an old man and a young woman. Teby was there also, standing behind the man. I greeted the and entered the room while waiting for the logbook from the counter. I was wondering what were the two doing there and Teby was talking to them. The social worker, guessing my reaction, told me that the man with the boy is his father, and the woman is his sister-in-law. I was very happy at that very moment that the boy found his family or maybe his family found him! They saw him on TV and they started looking for the Institution from that day. I learned from the father that they gave up looking for him after a year and presumed dead or adopted. I was little bit disappointed that he lost his hope but I saw with my very eyes how happy he is that he has his son again after four hopeless years of losing him. Teby hugged his father. His age is not 12 as he related to me last time, but he is now 14 and five months old. He is already a teenager and yet he seems to be underdeveloped basing the developmental growth of his age.
I turned to him and smiled, he came to me and hugged me while happily telling me how grateful he is this time. He thanked me for the time and laughter we shared everytime we have our tutorial. I recalled how hesitant he was with me at first but we became friends when I related with him a story about a father and son who escaped from prison using birds’ feathers’ to fly (I forgot the whole story…) I was touched of this morning’s grace. We bid goodbye as if we will not meet again…kaya pa-pics na kami 
After many days of looking from the time they saw him on TV, at last they found him, and now, Teby found his family. Who was lost? There was that moved them into that situation, I was sure, there was that atmosphere of longingness and love this morning. I was very happy, everybody was happy. How much more with Teby and his family? What love can do?
n.b.
Unchecked grammars and spelling.
Teby is not his real name.
Can’t continue writing, iiyak na ako!
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.
We just celebrated our foundation day. We had the thanksgiving Eucharist this afternoon. It was another year of fruitfulness in the Church and faithfulness to God. We thank the founding people and his contemporary brothers.
Today, in 1817, in La Valla, France, Marcellin Champagnat founded the Institute of Teaching Brothers. He started with two young men, Brothers Jean Marie and Louis.
Marcellin’s inspiration in founding the congregation was rooted in the need of his contemporary time. He became aware of the extreme difficulty of the people especially the young in learning how to read and write, and the urgent need of creating a society to cope with those hardships. Moreover, His experience with the Montagne boy reinforced his desire to teach them in a Christian way of education. His dream, to send the Brothers to all dioceses in the world is now becoming a reality in our contemporary times.
With our theme in today’s commemoration, “Built Wisely, Living Today!” is the realization of our foundation as congregation of teaching Brothers. But indeed, “If the Lord does not build a house, in vain do the builders labour,” A wise man builds his house on the rock, so Champagnat too, our wise Father priest, inspired us to be here today to celebrate with him in thanking God for the graciousness in finding our own giftedness in the institute.
We pray for all the Brothers in the whole Institute, all those who have gone before us, and those who, in many ways, shared their lives as Marists in spirit.
With the spirit of Champagnat and with Mary our Good Mother, our first Superior, let us begin the celebration with joyful hearts and minds.
by Br. Vince, FMS
