Cleanliness is next to Godliness

I was set to accompany Fr. Gelo at Barangay Tarican for the Holy Mass. It was raining and I already wore my cassock for we were in a hurry. Carefully, I went inside the tricycle. At first, all was well, however cautious to keep my cassock clean, until we got off and saw my white cassock with rust stains! Just the other day, my surplice got grease stains as well! After the Mass, I hastily asked Google how to remove the rust stains, just like I did with my surplice. Removing the stain was difficult but if I want it to be worthy for the Mass, I need to exert effort. Keeping my cassock and surplice neat is a tough challenge, considering both are white which makes it prone of dirt and stains. In life, we also experience the same struggles in our aspiration to lead holy lives. We all aspire for holiness. But to become holy, one must pass through the eye of a needle; it is not an easy way of living. What must we do to achieve this goal?

Holiness requires one to be clean physically and spiritually. Yes, it is REQUIRED. We must be reminded that for us to be able to see God, we must have a pure and clean heart lest we become like the Scribes and the Pharisees who "clean the outside of the cup while the inside is covered in dirt" (Mt. 23:26). After the fall of Adam and Eve, we became vulnerable to evil. Keeping ourselves unblemished from sin is a struggle, just like my experience of keeping sotana clean from mud and rust. However, if we want to see God, we must have a pure heart, a pure soul free from the corruption of sin.

When one succumbs to the cravings of the flesh, he must rise up. The struggle is real but it is the ONLY WAY towards holiness. It is given that we are made in the "image and likeness of God." The challenge however is to keep ourselves aligned with what God has intended us to be: His children. Cleaning my sotana was difficult, but that is the only way to remove the stains that makes it undignified and unfit for service. It is the same with us. We must exert our efforts to make ourselves pure again to become worthy of God's mercy, to be with Him in His kingdom.

Recently, Mother Teresa of Calcutta was canonized for her exemplary way of life that inspired the modern world. Her whole life was dedicated at the service of the poorest of the poor, offering sacrifices for their sake. In spite of the struggles she faced head-on, we learn from her that the key to leading a holy life is perseverance. To persevere in serving the Lord, to persevere in our vocation, to persevere in doing works of mercy, to persevere in prayer and, to persevere in humility, accepting our frailty and asking the Lord for pardon and strength. We don't become saints overnight. It is a lifetime challenge to be accepted wholeheartedly. With perseverance, one can become like St. Teresa of Calcutta.

As I continue my journey towards the priesthood, God reminds me that a pure heart is significant and inextricable part of my vocation. How am I able to become an alter Christus if I do not have a close relationship with Him? How can I have a close relationship with Him if I keep myself away from Him by wallowing in sin? Truly, cleanliness is next to Godliness. Just like my cassock and surplice, I, too, must be clean to be of service to Jesus Christ our Lord.

The Best and the Least

"He must increase; I must decrease."

- John 3:30 NABRE

Nowadays, we seek fame and glory. We seek attention from everyone. Every move that we make must be affirmed and talked about especially when one has done something that is good. We tend to sensationalize the goodness of a person. Looking at this scenario which is prevalent in our society, a question arises: Does being good entitle us the attribution of greatness?

"I" MUST INCREASE
It is very tempting for us to be credited for our charitable works. In whatever we do, the spotlight is focused on us, gaining the admiration of others. When we demand this, we fall to the sin of pride. In a generation of "Me, Myself, and I," one must be reminded of our Lord's instruction pertaining in doing acts of charity, "But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing" (Matthew 6:3 NABRE). It will prevent us from placing ourselves on the pedestal and focus ourselves on the plight of our needy brothers and sisters.

"HE" MUST INCREASE
If we should not be the one credited for our good works, then who is? The one who must be acknowledged and be thanked for is none other than the Creator of man, God. Isn't it that we congratulate the parents every time their child performs well? It is in gratitude for the parents who raised their child to become a better person. It is the same with God. We congratulate Him for His creature (man) has done his mission well. Every time that we do what we're supposed to do (being good), God is praised, not us. It's not about us, it's all about Him! If we learn to acknowledge that we are just mere instruments of God's plan, we'll be constantly reminded to keep our feet on the ground.

DECREASE TO INCREASE
So, does being good entitle us the attribution of greatness? Yes, but with a condition: We must be humble enough to accept that we are nothing without God. We need Him. The problem with pride is that it removes God in our lives and making us "lords" and "gods," just like Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:4-5 NABRE). Humility, on the other hand, keeps us grounded and direct our actions to the Almighty. In this way, we say that the Lord is the BEST and we are the LEAST, not the other way around. By this virtue, we become great, just as our Lord Jesus Christ assures us, "Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted" (Matthew 23:12 NABRE).

Dealing with the Present

Time flies. It seems it was just yesterday when I received my evaluation from the priest formators that I have to undergo a 2-year regency program. Now, the first year is almost over!  What happened during those months when my batchmates were too busy inside the seminary while I was outside? Did I lose hope? Did I lose the drive to continue my formation? Have I decided to take another path?

I spent the first three months “consoling” myself over what happened. At first, I was disappointed since I have to endure TWO YEARS outside the seminary. I accept the decision but the question is how I am going to deal with it, knowing that I am not graduating with my batchmates. Thankfully, my spiritual director, our parish priest, my family, friends and all the people who knew me were there to support and pray for me. Did I lose hope? No.

My family who are my first supporters

Since the first part of my regency program is “unguided,” I decided that I have to do something other than serving at the parish, helping our parish priest, and staying at home. At first, it was tempting to go on a grand vacation. However, I opted to teach catechism in a school. I was blessed to teach the whole high school department of a private non-sectarian school and the grades 5 and 6 of a public school. It was a challenging task: the making of lesson plans, waking up early, checking of papers, and dealing with mischievous kids! All of these I have accomplished through the help and mercy of God. Here, I have realized why I was so easily distracted, lazy and stubborn: I was too baffled with the activities that I forgot the reason why I am doing all these things: it is for God. I had neglected my prayer life from which I discovered that I forgot to put Jesus at the center of everything I do. Knowing this, I need to re-focus myself. But two years seemed too long. One had suggested that I should study in a different seminary. Another even offered to send me to another country and continue my studies there! All of these, I politely refused because I know that it was my fault in the first place and I need to accept the consequences, not to escape from it. Did I lose the drive to continue my formation? No.

Striking a pose with my students

The vocation to the priesthood is not an easy one. You are expected to be a good and holy priest, an exemplary model to the community and an inspirational person. I’m just a seminarian yet I was exposed to the demanding life of a parish priest. Having a busy and hectic schedule is one of them. I always assist every time our parish priest celebrates funeral masses as late as 10:30 in the evening! Exhausting, right? Another concern is the people who are depressed and with problems. They wanted someone to listen and pay attention to what they say and would understand and give them some pieces of advice. This is not what I had wanted in the first place but God calls me to serve His people unreservedly, to take care of His flock and not to be a selfish person. Have I decided to take another path? No.

At the service of God and His Church

“We do not need to know what will happen to the future because we do not hold it. The past already happened. What is important is that we do something for Jesus today because we hold the present,” said Rev. Fr. Jessie Somosierra in his homily. I believe that there is much more to be done but what is essential is that I put Christ at the center of my formation. Change does not happen overnight but the thing that matters most is that I must improve every day, learning from the past, dealing with the present, and hoping in the future.

Through the help and mercy of God, I CAN!

To Teach or not to Teach

When I was recommended to take a two-year regency program, the first thing that came to my mind was, "What am I going to do in a year? (since half of my program will be prepared by my formators)" Maybe help in the parish, stay at home, or take a vacation; these were my options. All of a sudden, one of my classmates, who also happened to have the same fate as I, said, "I want to teach catechism to students!" What I do not know is that that was the beginning of my "teaching career."

Teaching catechism to students is not something new or different to me. We are trained in the seminary to speak publicly, study the tenets of the faith, and learn the different approaches of teaching catechism. We put it into practice by going to different schools teaching catechism to students and see if we are effective proclaimers of God's message. This is the activity that I like the most. Why? Because it gives me the opportunity to share to them the beauty of our faith and the abounding love of God for us. However, as the Academic Year 2015-2016 ends, I realized that teaching is not a piece of cake.

Here, I am teaching the children about the theological virtues before the
Simbang Gabi in the seminary.

Currently, I teach catechism in San Lorenzo School and in Adelina 1 Complex Elementary School, both in the City of San Pedro in the Province of Laguna. I handle the whole High School Department in the former and Grades 5 and 6 in the latter. The first thing I encountered when I started on July 2015 was the making of lesson plans. I am required to make a lesson plan for each year level. Of course, it was tough on my part, especially it was a BIG LOAD of paperworks! Fortunately, I have textbooks to the rescue. (Thank God!) Next thing is that I have to memorize the names of my students, which is not my field of expertise. (Sorry my dear students!) Another thing is the checking of exam papers and essays. (Another load of paperworks!) But the most challenging part of being a catechist is this: to live-out what you preach, to become witnesses of God's love!

When St. John Paul II coined the term "new evangelization," he did not call for new techniques to be applied in proclaiming God's message nor introduced a new way of preaching. Rather, he emphasized that we must "walk our talk" which our Lord Jesus Christ had shown us. He is what he preach. He calls us to imitate Him, "to be holy as He is holy." Yes, it is a difficult thing to do but it is the only way in which man will learn for EXPERIENCE IS THE BEST TEACHER! When one experiences what was being taught by the catechist, the lesson becomes a part of him and he will never depart from it. This is the best way for students to learn.

Posing with our professor in Religious Education,
Rev. Fr. Rico Villareal (4th from the right).

Lately, I asked myself, "Am I worthy to teach? Am I a good example to my students? Do I give my lessons well? Will I continue to teach or not?" Aside from the lesson plans and paperworks, becoming a role model to students is the most challenging requirement of being a catechist. I am not the exemplary model that my students can look up to nor expect to. But who among us is worthy? I believe that this is where the mercy of God enters. When we admit our weaknesses and flaws, we rely on the mercy of God which renews us and His love which fills up what we lack. Accepting that we are just mere instruments of God is the key towards achieving the goal of evangelization.

While watching the live streaming of the concurrent sessions of the 51st International Eucharistic Congress in Cebu, there was a lay person who asked if it was possible that priests should be the one teaching catechism in schools since they are, after all, alter Christus. The speaker replied that all of us when we were baptized, share in the priestly role of Jesus, the common priesthood. Although there is a difference between ordained priesthood and common priesthood, the goal is the same: to share Jesus to the world. ALL OF US are called to show Christ to those who need Him the most and lead them to the path towards salvation. How? Follow the greatest commandments given by our Lord: love God above all and love your neighbor as you love yourself.

Given all these realizations, I can say that teaching has taught me two things: when you teach, you also learn, and; prayer is an indispensable part of evangelization. I am glad that God gave me the opportunity to inspire young ones and get them to know Him better. To teach or not teach? I think you already know the answer.

The joy of teaching.