Foundation Day, today

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, “Marist Built on Rock!” 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.

Year-End Recollection: The Empty Clay Jar

In this recollection day, the end of the year, I would like to reflect with this empty clay jar. This empty clay jar represents my self. The emptiness symbolizes a state which sometimes not really empty but full in content; empty of graces, full of unfaithfulness; sometimes empty of unfaithfulness, full of graces. The clayness, the matter of this jar is the vulnerability to be broken, to be shattered, that demands for gentle handling, handling with care, the essence of this thing as a jar is to hold anything inside, and pouring out what is inside. The whole year round was just like the daily activity of this jar, containing and emptying, containing new experiences of joy and sadness, of graces and unfaithfulness, sometimes emptying of some unnecessary tings, ideas and memories, bad memories of experiences. Last Christmas, I spent my days with my family at home. With my mother, sister and brother-in-law, we recalled the memories of my father, who was a typical father: another human experience of joy and sadness. Last new year, though we were small family, we spent it solemnly. Formation was continuous until the big day came this year, a celebration of new life for me n public as I professed my vows to be chaste-celibate, poor and obedient for and to God; this was containing all the graces from God and people, It was pouring of love within the jar from God and the people. From God, the courage to say yes to the demands of religious life; for the sake of His kingdom; and for the demands of the people from me. It was also and experience of emptying of my whole-self, of my own desires and longings, emptying, sacrificing my own will, to be in a place, living what is consecrated life. Until this end of year, consecrated life demands new experiences, to fill in my life. Yet also within this year, as a clay jar, vulnerability to be shattered is always with me, as a human being, as an ordinary person just like an ordinary man, professional, student, mason, labourer, kid, beggar, engineer, electrician, driver and so on. I also faltered and lived in desolation: this jar experienced also emptiness of heart, just nothing and very ordinary, dry and really desolating. Those were empty moments. But I realized that those should happen to purify, to clean the inside of this jar and that new grace of consolation is poured in again, new experiences of love, of friendship, of brotherhood, a new one. The silence of my heart gave me the grace to give silence for others, to be with others and with God. My apostolate exposure every Saturday with the kids at Payatas and Balubad were another self-fulfilling while self-emptying of my old self. It was living my consecrated life as a religious, as a person for others. Yet, in those experiences, I was also challenged to grow, to be matured and be resolved. One time that I asked a grace to really know if I am in married life or in consecrated life…shattering moments in my life, wanting to have a son of my own but wanting to have them all, thus I remained. Emptying of my own desire, of my own pre-occupation for others was difficult. It needed extra courage and effort, for the desire was still with me, to share my being to others full of compassion and willingness in saying yes to God’s call in my life. In all of these blessings of containing and emptying, there was this maker of the clay jar, moulded it, formed it into its essence. As the year ends today, I recognize the presence of this great Maker, who moulded me, formed me into being, into a purpose I must be, to contain and empty different experiences this year. It is always a great joy to be an empty clay jar for myself for others and to God. My gratefulness for the simplicity, clarity of this essence, of being a clay jar; vulnerable yet has the purpose to be a jar. In this moment of recollection and contemplation, God’s graces are poured once more into this jar, to recall and to forget and be in His presence always, to be shattered and moulded again, formed again in this New Year. The people around me, whom I let them pour themselves in my being and mind, are ways of emptying as I share what are within me, people around that affected my life in many ways, one thing for sure: God made me to a purpose like this in a way of consecrated life. Father in Heaven, maker of everything in heaven and earth, you who formed me in my essence, I praise and thank you for this year, for all the graces and learning for all the experiences, good and bad. You grant them for a purpose for me and for others. You sent people into my life, once again, I entrust them back to you. As I empty myself once more, pour your grace in me to be faithful: to be chaste, poor and obedient: to you and to your people. All these I pray in the name of Christ Jesus in the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The Marist Brothers of the Schools

Saint Marcellin Champagnat,
then a young priest of a strong mind and a gentle heart, saw the need
for dedicated men to serve as teaching brothers to young people in the
remote barrios of France. He responded by founding, in 1817, the Little
Brothers of Mary, now recognized worldwide as the Marist Brothers of
the Schools.

The Life We Live

As bearers of the name of our Good Mother, we witnessed to the
qualities of humility, simplicity, modesty, family spirit and
attachment to and affection for Mary who is our inspiration and
Ordinary Resources. We live in communities, where we are given
opportunities to grow and mature as persons and as disciples,. These
communities, where forgiveness is a habit and reconciliation is no
stranger, witness to the truth that people can live in peace and
harmony with one another.
We strive to live the mission of Jesus - revealing God’s love for all.
Together with our lay mission partners, we respond to the needs of
people of our time, especially the young who are less privileged and
disadvantaged. We walk with them as brothers, with care and practical
concern, so that they, too, may grow into fullness of life.

Our Initial Formation Stages

For young people exploring a commitment to Marist life, the initial formation stages are:

A. Preparation and Orientation: Weekend and Summer Vocation Workshops.

B.    1.     For High School graduates:
Two-year Pre-Novitiate or Aspirancy while
           studying
BS Education at Notre Dame of Dadiangas College.
       2. For College Students: One-year
Pre-Novitiate or Aspirancy while studying at Notre Dame of Dadiangas
College.
       3. For College graduates and
professionals: One-year Pre-Novitiate or Aspirancy while attending a
series of Courses/modules and going-on Exposure/immersions.

C. Two-year Novitiate in Marian Hills, Tamontaka, D.O.S., Maguindanao.

D. Three-year Post-Novitiate or Scholasticate at the Marist Asia
Pacific Centre in Marikina City leading to a BSE Religious Education
Degree.

E. Apprenticeship (Minimum of Three years) in the different ministries of the Marist Brothers.

(If you want to know more about us, please feel free to contact us).

The Marist Vocation Director

Marist Province Center

P.O. Box 42

9500 Gen. Santos City

Telephone Number (083) 552-5994

Mobile Number 0917-715-0802

Thinking Aloud!

I’m wondering what made me happy today…hmm,maybe because untilnow,i’m not yet finish with my page’s details…

Looking forward!

Me and my Brothers will attend the National Convention of Religious Brothers in the Philippines. That will be on October 21 to 23, Friday to Saturday in Lipa Batangas, hosted by the Capuchin. I hope to meet acquintances from the previous National Convention last 2003 in Bacolod Masskara Festival. It was a great experience!

Growth of Faith

In my reflection about my faith, I can say that I am now in transition between Individuative and Conjunctive stage of faith growth. In tracing my faith growth, I can start from my childhood, from when my parents nurtured me in Catholic beliefs. My father was an ex-seminarian and lay minister; the factor that influenced my desire to become a priest when I was still in high school. During my high school, I joined the Catechists team in our local parish, joined the Catholic Youth Ministry and Knights of the Altar. These organizations somehow, I realized, that they influenced my understanding and belief as I keep on growing in my faith. That was my conventional stage. Time came for me to ask for permission to enter the Diocesan seminary and that was with the influence of my teachers and classmates. But to my dismay, I was not permitted and told to proceed in college instead. So I did.

I started questioning my faith during my college life. Maybe it was an unconscious search for my fate as a human being and my existence. I studied different books about mythology and philosophies though they were different subjects from my course which is science related industrial subjects. I was asking myself if where am I leading and why at that early age I had, I always ask questions that seek for answer regarding my own beliefs. I questioned about God’s existence; where God is and how he exists around me. An old, uncovered booklet I found at my boarding hose entitled, “You are God”, somehow influenced my mind that I can be a god in by living in a state where I am well aware of my existence. I even started preaching my family members that I can be a god. Imagining that experience I had makes me conclude that it was really a crises of my identity and how close or aware I was with myself. I tried to join some organizations that I believed can give answers to my questions. I joined the World Union of Deists, a monotheist organization that believes in God one who is also different from the Christian God, for they defend their god from the Christian Bible. I also joined the Freethought Perspective of the Atheist organization based in Ontario. But my quest for answer to the vague questions I had was in vain for they didn’t able to answer me. I let the days and months pass, graduating my college course just like an ordinary student. I seldom went to attend Mass during weekdays and Sundays, and focused myself in reflecting on the way I always did….being alone and feeling unique. I had no community that time which I realized now to be important and beneficial in my faith growth. While I was working then I Davao, I still wanted to grow and be affiliated to the organizations that always lead me to enlightenment but unfortunately, I was not able to be helped. Being with the businessmen and entrepreneur lead me to a mature life of relating to other people but lacking in being intimate to myself, being at home to my own beliefs. I easily saw myself hopping from one organization to another. At least they became community for me and help me more mature in a real world of career.

One day, as I was spending the time waiting for our cargo ship to dock, I made myself comfortable in front of our office facing at the sea; it was midnight and started to reflect where I was already in my life as a young professional. I had a job, subordinates, social life at night and commitments. But those became useless when I recalled my longing to become a priest. After sometime, I went home a visited my family, there I found a vocation brochure which I responded just for a curiosity. That day started another day of my life’s chapter. I visited the Marist community and talk about myself and about my “faith” to the vocation director. From that time on, I was able to say that my soul will rest in peace with the choice I am going to make.

And now, in this moment of my life, there are still remnants of my faith that I can say, product of my early formation from my own family. That my parents’ faith was passed to me by going to Mass every Sunday with them, by believing them of what are bad and good, doing the god things according to what was pleasing to them for me. I even believed to the power and magical stories of the Bible. Yet, that time of my adolescent years made me question everything and now, ready to receive new commitments in life based on my belief. I made myself available by professing my vows, more than what ordinary men have. This is more important to me as how I see it now. Living my faith doesn’t mean a possession I have but a state which I am going to live. Sometimes, this transition is so obvious that sometimes I still question how credible my reflections are and how deep are my discernments in terms of my relationship to God and doing the work of the Kingdom of God.

Vow of Obedience

In my own understanding, vow of obedience is
listening and doing God’s will… not what my superior is saying. I
understand that superior has no monopoly of listening to God but he can
be my co-discerner. We reflect together and process together, read the
signs together.

Invitation