To realize how great and personal is God’s love for me as he calls me to the Marist Community.

Compassion

My whole family had to move to Palawan when I was 4-years old. We had to leave our house and that includes our pet, a one-eyed orange cat. I can still remember that cat. After a year, we came back. The house where we stayed was not there anymore, and also our cat. I overheard from the stories of our neighbour how the cat stayed on that place where he used to until he’s gone. Learning about the cat, I felt pity for it and eventually, missed that cat. From pity to compassion, I learned the feeling of being abandoned and how to take care of the abandoned, I learned the word compassion in that experience, not knowing the term, but I experienced it.  Continue Reading »

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.

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…

What made this day rewarding? The people around made this day a rewarding day.

Today’s celebration of the Eucharist was inspiring. Their was really a communion of faithful people. Continue Reading »

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