Theresians (2016-2017)

It's been a month since we graduated from this great institution. We survived the 5 grueling years of formation, and we thank our Lord and St. Therese for keeping us motivated and strong to overcome these trials we encounter inside the seminary everyday. Some of our comrades who left seminary earlier than us came to witness this memorable event and congratulated us for a job well done.

I know some of us graduates here will not proceed to Theology in their own will or are advised to take the regency program for a time period by their superiors, but we will never forget the memories of love and hope in our 5 years of seminary formation. May St. Therese be our everyday companion wherever we are.

This is also dedicated to Rev. Fr. Hover F. Jocson, DCD ( + ), our first formator and our beloved spiritual father.

Rev. Fr. Hover F. Jocson, DCD ( + )

Born: 07 May 1965

Ordained Priest: 20 April 1994

Died: 28 January 2017

Thank you for being a good example to us seminarians and for helping us in times of our spiritual need. We hope by our prayers and good works may you enjoy the eternal reward God is preparing for you there in His Kingdom. 

{From the people of Seminarians' Musings and seminarians of Batch 2017 from St. Francis Xavier College Seminary.}

“Forgiveness is caring; caring is loving”

(Edited/summarized version of the sharing given at the family Vigil for the late Arnold Sator, March 4. 2017)

My dear brothers and sisters, my dear family members of both Castillo and Sator Families, good evening to all!

Many have already noticed Papa Bebot/Uncle Arnold’s coffin did not have names on it (as we usually do), but a single quote: “Forgiveness is caring, caring is loving”. Tonight this sharing will center on this quote and on the light of the readings we have chosen for tonight’s vigil.

First, we will try to dissect this quote according to three important points: forgiveness, caring and loving. Forgiveness is essentially letting go and forgetting the pain caused by our faults and instead building communion with those whom we have hurt. Forgiveness is when we realize that we too are human, commit mistakes, and harm each other in the process. Forgiveness is our painful yet liberating struggle to restore or even to increase friendship and love where it was lost by sin. To forgive is not really and innately human (as we would want to get things even) but it is a gift of God: forgiveness is essentially divine, something that is a result of God’s grace. When we forgive, we reflect the image of God. Where forgiveness reigns, there God dwells.

Caring, on the other hand, is to put oneself at the other and to nourish the other with what he has and what he can still give. Caring is there when we cherish each other not because of what they are and what they are not for us, but because of who we are. It is unmerited in nature: we care for those people whom God has sent to us. Caring is manifested in our wholehearted service to others and to our unselfish and undivided love towards our family. And yes, when we care, we reflect the image of God. Where caring is present, there God dwells.

Loving, above all, is to will the good of the other. Love is to give one’s life at the service of the other. Love is to give care, forgiveness and attention to the ones that we love: it is not momentary or emotionally-based but it is a choice that we make each day- to give all that we can and all that are for the growth and success of the ones that we love. Young people, we always have to remember that love is real when it hurts: it means that pain is always a part of love, an authentic love that gives life. Where there is love, God abides in us. Where there is love, there is the presence of God.

If we are to even shorten this quote (the last words of Papa Bebot), it would simply appear as one word: LOVE. Love is the one that keeps us as a family: it is not really the common lineage that binds us, but the love that we have for each other. When we love, care and forgive, we are family. In a sense, all of us gathered here tonight are gathered for love: the love that we feel for Arnold and for each other as companions on the journey. And in this night of mourning, remembrance and hope, God is here!

My dear brothers and sisters, isn’t it the example that was shown to us by Uncle Arnold/Papa Bebot? Isn’t his last sickness an integrated manifestation of these three? Have we seen the presence of God, the share in the Passion of Christ, as manifested in his weak body that suffered for 40 short and fast days? Have we seen the words of God come alive to us in these simple words of Uncle Arnold/Papa Bebot? (Here, while I was browsing my cellphone, I was asked by Yangi and Ate Bem-bem if I can provide a Bible passage to cap whatever feelings we had now: I simply said no because the quote was already enough and more forceful than any Bible message in bringing to life what life and love were all about for him)

The challenge for all of us is to mirror (panalaminan) what he has done for us, so that his dying will not be in vain. His life was short, but indeed, it was meaningful for all of us. In one way or another we have experienced his care and his love, even with our shortcomings and failings, even if at times we do not feel that we deserve his love. Isn’t it the time to mirror what he has done for us, to be a reflection of “Bebot/Arnold” in our life as a family? Isn’t it the time that we begin to become more like God, in loving imitation of Jesus Christ, as expressed in the life of Uncle Arnold/Papa Bebot?

Indeed, when we love, what can separate us from each other? (as the First Reading tells us) Can problems separate us? Can our personal wrongs and misdeeds do so? Can anything else separate us from each other? No. Indeed, when we love with Christ’s love, death is not a distance nor a goodbye, but a passing from life to Life itself. In eternal life, love takes its full completion and meaning.

In this Vigil, we pray primarily that his soul will reach eternal joy with God. We ask God not to look primarily on his sins, but on the love and faith he had offered to Him in this life, and the forgiveness and care he has shown to all of us. We pray that the peace that was promised by Christ to those who love Him be granted to him.  And in some way too, we pray for ourselves, that we can become more loving, caring and forgiving like Christ Jesus, as shown to us by Uncle Arnold/Papa Bebot.

As we continue this Vigil, and in praying for the eternal repose of the soul of Arnold, may we be people who in our care, forgiveness and dedication for others, bear witness to that love that gives life, to that love that goes beyond death, to that love which is God’s nature and character- manifested in life of Christ Jesus, his Son, our Lord. Amen.

Deliver us from every evil

"Deliver us, Lord, from every evil, and grant us peace in our day."


In daily and Sunday Masses we never cease to hear these words after reciting or singing the Lord's Prayer on the Communion Rite.  This mere part of our Catholic ritual gives us the sense of comfort and assurance that the Lord will deliver us from any tribulation, temptation and suffering we face in our earthly journey. That the Lord in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass would heal our wounds and turn us into His good sons and daughters working together to get to the Kingdom of Heaven.

My dear readers, I know this might shock you, for some of you might have thought that these seminarians are like angels, acting in a reserved way and dressed impeccably in their clerical shirt, slacks and in their polished leather shoes. You thought that the seminary is simply a holy place where you can meditate the greatness of the Lord in silence and in harmony with the creatures. Well you are wrong. Definitely wrong.

For some seminarians, the Seminary is literally 'hell on earth'. Seminarians coming from different backgrounds come together and boast to each other of who they are and what they have, and the aloof and weak ones are always being tripped, humiliated and bullied. They tease, annoy and even insult a seminarian just for fun. They even do some physical acts of bullying their companion: for example, there was a time when a group of seminarians threw urine at their companions' desks out of rage while the rest were gathered for night prayer.

There is this advice given to us by those who were ahead of us in the formation that 'a seminarian must blend with the crowd in their interests and the like.' If you show anything that makes you aloof within the community, you really need to pray a lot for they will make you an object of their entertainment. You will suffer much humiliation and undergo a sort of 'crisis' in which you clearly doubt your vocation over a community that made your stay in the halls of the seminary like a load of crap.

Now what were the reasons why do some seminarians tend to make fun of their companion's defects and aloofness? First is boredom. For those who weren't used to discipline and silence, they try to find things that can entertain them and that includes calling them names or making unnecessary noises when their companion is given a chance to speak. Some are quite sensitive or even paranoid when they were called names. Another thing is their inability to express their inner thoughts and feelings on their formation. They sometimes get physical just in order to send a message to their companions that this seminarian needs your help. Another is that they are trying to fill the empty space as a person, by their insecurity they wanted to make others suffer and feel insecure too through their actions.

Now this does not mean that those who were being bullied are vindicated. They are not also free from suspicion. Maybe this bullied seminarian was a know-it-all asshole who annoyed their companions of his antics and even drove them crazy. Or maybe this seminarian is too hesitant to express his feelings and or reluctant to share things about his life, and that leads into misunderstanding. Another thing is that maybe the seminarian has personal issues that might affect his dealings with his community and might affect the formation process he has undergone into.

In the seminary, there is no such thing as 'be yourself.' You are trained to become a priest. You are trained to preach, mingle and talk to the faithful of different groups and backgrounds and to become a leader, taking responsibility as a pastor and shepherd of the multitude. You are not there to become more narcissistic. You are not there to become more of an introvert. You are not there to do your own way. You are there to be trained a priest, a person who was transcended by the grace of God to bring the people back to Him, whether you like it or not.

Creating safe-spaces for those who were victims of bullying are not applicable in the seminary formation. We do not train sissies; we train God's warriors who are not supposed to be cowards when preaching the Truth that guarantees eternal life to those who listen and keep it into their hearts and minds. If we train sissies then the Church would simply cease to exist. Rather, these victims should assert themselves; either use their rational capabilities or simply use force. That should help realize the bullies that they are wrong in all sorts and force them to recognize that the world they live in is not merely entertainment. It is also a struggle of suffering and pain due to their emptiness inside. In that way, in the emptiness of their hearts and minds they can help each other solve their own problems, address their personal issues and help each other become good and holy priests.

I think this picture sums everything that I've said here.

Catholic vote

Election campaign is getting heated these days with lots of mud thrown at each opponent. No time is wasted for candidates questioning the morals held by each opponents. This candidate is a womanizer, this candidate has secret bank accounts in Swiss banks and this candidate promises to kill everyone who violates the law. People get easily affected with these rumors, and they tend to switch sides and vote for a candidate who is less immoral. Suppose that all candidates have a dirty past and still doing vices. This will result into a crisis and in the end people will not vote. 

It also invites us to think on what the Church has done to teach good morals to people for half a millennium.They have spent millions of pesos given by donors and lots of energy to form Catholics into good Christians and patriotic citizens of the State and yet they seem to lose this never-ending battle with evil. 

Honestly I cringe to see some devout Catholics raising up the importance of a "Catholic vote" wherein Catholics must vote for a leader who is a devout Catholic with a strict upbringing that would put the interests of the Catholic Church first in State matters. Church teaching must be adhered by all secular institutions so as to realize the reign of Christ the King in the State and in the Universe. The question is, does the "Catholic vote" really exist?

Technically not. 

Well here are the reasons why it does not exist:

 - We live in a society where authority loses its power and influence to command people to follow their precepts. Millennials either believe in God but doesn't identify with any organized religion or do not believe God at all. If a religious leader reacts against a candidate who is known to commit a mortal sin, he is accused of being a hypocrite and raise up issues like "clerical corruption" particularly sex abuse cases committed by priests and clerics as form of blackmail.  

- Catholics are now divided on who they should vote as president. Unlike the Iglesia ni Cristo who commands her followers to vote according to the choice of their elders, the episcopal conference encouraged Catholics to vote according to their 'conscience.' They must vote on what their 'conscience' and reason say that it is right. 

The lay-run Catholic Faith Defenders, who profess themselves as "orthodox Catholics loyal to the Pope and ready to defend Church doctrine from enemy attacks", are now divided on the choice of their candidates. Most of them support Duterte and some of them do not agree with what Duterte says. It badly damaged the image of the Church as a 'non-partisan organization' because it implies that bishops are now commanding their flock not to vote for this guy as what some 'apologists' think.

- We do not have a strong and influential political party whose ideology is based on Catholic social teaching and conservative ideals (not American neoconservative ideals) that give importance of human life, tradition, family and a Catholic State. We have the Ang Kapatiran Party and Pro-Life Partylist, but they are not big and influential unlike the Nacionalista Party, Liberal Party and other political parties in the Philippines. Besides, our political system is only based on getting peoples' sympathy and support sans political ideological spectrum. We easily fool people of promising an 'earthly utopia' in just few years.

Whoever wins the national elections, it is a great opportunity for us Catholics and us Catholic seminarians to assert our spiritual influence towards the masses by creating a social movement, a movement that put the interest of the family, tradition, the Faith and also the State and a movement that recognizes its human faults yet strive to become holy Christians. Enough of voting for candidates who keep on promising to make laws that respect human life yet very incompetent and corrupt. We must establish a new order, an order where Jesus Christ is Head of the State that is not subservient to any corrupt political power.  

Mercy: God’s Gift, Our Mission

(Editor's Note: This article was submitted to the Touchstone- the official student publication of the St. Francis Xavier College Seminary. It was later published in a simplified form. We publish the original script used by the author. Enjoy!)

As defined by the Angelic Doctor, St Thomas Aquinas, mercy in the human perspective is the compassion we have for another’s distress, driving us to do anything to help the other (Summa Theologiae, II-II.30.1). We are inclined to feel compassion for others because we can connect with their pain: we are just frail creatures who cannot do much. On the other hand, mercy in God’s perspective is his compassion for our frailty that drives Him to do everything- going beyond sin and punishment- so that he can pour out his abundant love on us. In this sense, mercy can be considered another name for love, and even of God himself. This reflection will speak of these two facets in the light of Church teaching and the experiences of some seminarians, while at the same time challenging us to enter into these realities using three different contexts of the word “mercy” found in our Filipino culture.

Mercy: God’s Gift for Broken Humanity                

                                                                               

“A seminarian arrived late from his day-off. Knowing that this was his first time to be late, he felt scared and worried; their evaluation day was fast approaching and he could be questioned about this. Emotions got the better of him, until he was called by a formator to his office. The formator asked him to sit down, explain why he had been late- and on seeing the worry-stricken face of the seminarian, consoled him and told him not to do it again. The seminarian went away comforted, and was inspired not to violate the Rule because of the compassion of his formator.”

We cannot speak of mercy without pointing out to our human condition: from the moment our first parents erred to the present moment, sin has entered and dominated our lives, leading us into poverty, bloodshed and division. Seeing everything go terribly wrong, man has turned to God, asking for mercy and love to rain from his abode. As a response, the Father of mercies repeatedly made covenants with them, showering them with a mercy that “prevails over the sin and infidelity of his chosen people” (St. John Paul II, Dives in Misericordia, 4).

Not limiting himself to intervening in our history, he sent us in the fullness of time, his Son, Jesus Christ, the “face of the Father’s mercy” (Pope Francis, Misericordiae Vultus, 1).  Jesus proclaimed a “time of favor” and made it manifest in his life and ministry. “Making the Father present as love and mercy is the fundamental touchstone of his mission as the Messiah” (DM, 3). But his greatest act of mercy towards us was to show us His love by offering his Son as a redeeming sacrifice. During his Passion, Jesus became the “Door of Mercy” which opened for the whole world: his wounded body became our way to the Father, his Blood becoming an ocean of mercy which forgives a multitude of sins. And as an everlasting memorial of this redemptive act, Jesus gave his Church the Sacraments of Mercy- Eucharist and Penance- for us to experience that mercy which “overcomes everything, filling the heart with love and bringing consolation through pardon” (MV, 9).

Our approach to this tremendous gift of mercy consists in the first context of mercy in our Filipino culture termed as awa, kalooy or compassion. We must ask for the Father’s mercy to pour down upon us, and receive His infinite love for us revealed in Jesus Christ. We must then let it define our own lives; to heal the wounds caused by sin and evil, to reawaken us to new life and to instill in us the courage to look at the future with hope (MV, 10). “So let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help” (Heb 4:16).

The Church: Sent to be Merciful like the Father

“A group of seminarians and their friends decided to have a Christmas outing; it never materialized despite their well-organized plans. Instead, they decided to forego it and visit a nearby Home for the Aged; at first out of pure curiosity, but later on simply to thank God for the year’s blessings by helping the elderly. And it so happened that when their funds were pooled together, it was insufficient; so one of them posted on Facebook asking for assistance for their visit. And out of various places, money and goods poured into their hands so that they were able to hold that party successfully. Later on, they reflected that it was a good experience for them to be God’s instruments of care for these people: out of the blessings they received, they gave towards those who need love and support.”

Out of the flowing abundance of God’s mercy, man realizes that his dignity rests in being loved by the merciful Father; his vocation consists of becoming a vessel of mercy for others. The Church, a people chosen by the Lord’s mercy (miserando atque eligendo), received the fullness of grace from the Paschal Mystery and continues the mission of her Lord in becoming a sign of mercy for all.

In order to let the gift of mercy grow and flourish, she asks her children to first receive the Sacraments, especially of Penance and the Eucharist, so that they may conform themselves to the Merciful Jesus. Second, she invites them to become merciful themselves, especially in performing the corporal and spiritual works of mercy- those time-honored exercises she teaches us to become “merciful like the Father” (Lk 6:36).

On this year 2016, the Church offers us a special “time of favor” called the “Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy” to ponder and reflect on the wonderful mystery of God’s mercy. The various initiatives offered by the Church during this year invite us to open ourselves to God’s mercy, to extend mercy to others- not by discriminating or shunning them, but by opening our arms towards them and leading them to the Father “who desires all men to be saved” (1 Tm 2:4).

As a means of responding to our mission, we now arrive at our second definition of mercy, which is unawa, pagsabot or understanding. We must know how important mercy -the “beating heart of the Gospel” (MV, 12) - is in the life and mission of the Church, and how it has animated all her endeavors over the centuries. We must understand the necessity of taking up this joyful call to mercy (MV, 10) as a Church.  We must understand our duty of breaking our personal “comfort zones” and going into the “peripheries” where the message of divine mercy has not yet penetrated.

The Seminary as a School of Mercy

A quote attributed to St. Francis Xavier notes that “The world is full of closed doors”. In the modern world, the concept of mercy is nearly non-existent, sounding almost foreign to the ears of today’s men and women (DM, 15). From the very dawn of life, children are being killed in their mothers’ womb. The elderly are left to fend for themselves in a fast-paced and harsh world. Many are dying from violence, hatred and neglect, away from the eyes of the multitude who are just engrossed with materialism, egoistic behaviour and pleasure-seeking. Even inside the Seminary, the spirit of mercy, a fundamental characteristic of a Christian community, is slowly being forgotten. Bullying, disrespect and intolerance is becoming more prevalent, especially in the way some treat their fellows and the other members of the community.

The third dimension that we Filipinos have of mercy is gawa, pagbuhat or action. Mercy “can never be just an abstraction” (MV, 9). Out of our reception and knowledge of mercy, we must be challenged to live out what we have received: to give credibility to what we are proclaiming and believing as Christian disciples, lest our Christian life be considered as mere theatrics (gawa-gawa lamang). Mercy must lead our intentions, attitudes and behaviors towards helping others, especially those who are distant from the merciful care of the Father and of his Church.

For us seminarians, we must be challenged to build a culture of mercy in our formative community: to rediscover mercy by intense prayer and openness to God’s word, to make our seminary an “oasis of mercy” (MV, 12) by practicing small acts of mercy inside and outside the community, and to become “missionaries” of mercy by living out the values of understanding, respect and dialogue with our brothers, our formators and staff, and with everyone else.

May we, seminarians of today- priests of Jesus Christ in the future- become instruments of God’s plentiful mercy for a broken world. (NCSator- Seminarians' Musings)

millenials r us

We are a generation that benefited from our parents' hard work and sacrifices and to the technological advancement and globalization that took place in the last years of the 20th century and in today's century. We are a generation who witnessed significant changes in politics and in society as a whole. In the past decade there were wars, political revolutions, economic gains and downs and a change in the social customs and norms. The media calls us "millennials", and our motto is "being yourself in all things."

The millennials, as we are called, constantly depend their lives on modern technology. The internet provides excellent source on knowledge and tips on how to be create new things and express ourselves freely. In Facebook and other social sites we see our friends post their feelings through poems, pictures and articles that they have shared. Most of these posts are funny, but some of them are serious and sometimes outwardly edgy. In these posts millennials have started to establish their own personal views from politics to today's social issues. They have expressed, through words online, their sentiments and their feelings too embarrassing to share in real life.

Against the prevailing social norms of today they have bravely spoken up and challenged everyone to reconsider the people's universal belief on sex and gender issues, authority and the importance of religion and science in the modern era. These millennials have absolutely abhorred violence, even if it is sanctioned by the virtue of justice, and wanted peace and respect of all human lives, regardless of who and what they are. Millennials have rejected most aspects of religion that are 'medieval' or 'outdated' as they have espoused division and discrimination among ourselves.  They made new doctrines, doctrines that promote 'progress', 'empowerment' and 'tolerance' in the world of diversity. Love, only love is what inspires and motivates us millennials to believe and we wanted a 'god' who loves and accepts everyone of their uniqueness, but is our perception of what 'love' is similar as God's? We do not know.

We millennials are also fascinated by recent scientific achievements and personal achievements of some celebrities that inspire us to live the life to its fullest. We honor today's heroes; heroes that stood up against the prevailing rigid system and sometimes sacrificed their lives so that others may enjoy the fruits of their work in the name of 'humanity.' They are now the new martyrs; witnesses to unstoppable human progress.  It is like Auguste Comte's vision of a positivist religion that people are  adoring scientists and builders who have contributed much to the progress of human civilization have been realized.

Millennials freely express of who they are and what they want to do with the full acceptance and tolerance of the modern society. Religion is reduced to being an insignificant and irrelevant reminder of the past barbarism and brutality that the enlightened millennials wanted to bury it. Culture never stops to adapt to the new ways of the world. We millennials, unique as we are, are building a new society and a new order out of the ruins of our dark past. But would this new order last? Would our uniqueness help unite and deepen our knowledge to each of us or create disagreement and would create a deeper division?

We do not know. Let's find out in the long run.