GAME ON!

The afternoon of Friday September 10 saw the Redemptorist Community, students, priests, sister and even staff head down to the St Francis Xavier Major Seminary (Remase) for an afternoon of physical interaction, in the form of basketball and volleyball.

This was the first outing and match for our newly formed Varsity Teams who as previously blogged have been practising very hard. We were warmly welcomed at Remase by the Rector of the Seminary Msgr Abel Apigo who is also our professor for Church History here at SATMI.

Our Varsity Teams wasted no time and in their brand new designer uniforms, they were soon on the courts warming up. Shouts of “Eye on the ball, eye on the ball” reverberated around as the players started their warm up routine.

Meanwhile, the cheering squad were also busy getting ready ensuring that they had to the best seats in the house so as to maximise the effect of their moral boasting, power giving, spirit filled cheers, shouts and whistles led by none other than our very own Dean of Students, Sr Miriam.

After a short prayer for a fare game and a petition that no limbs, appendages, fingers or toes would be harmed during this afternoon's friendly matches, the players entered the courts, the referees stood ready, Msgr Apigo and Fr Cruz eyes turned to heaven, and it was GAME ON!

Both the Basketball and Volleyball matches were played simultaneously providing non-stop action for the spectators and cheer squads. Encouraging shouts resonated up and down the courts as the captains of the teams gave their instructions, encouragement as well as the occasional lambasting to their teams. The cheering squad were screaming, squealing from one side to the other “Go go Ryan”, “Volleyball quick turn turn”, “Go Felise”, “Turn back turn back to basketball”, “Go Bird”.

It was a nail biting afternoon as the scores for both sides were very close and each side gave its all. Did it really matter which won or lost? For me, it really does not. What is more important was that it showed that it is possible for people of diverse backgrounds, cultures, personalities and abilities to come together and work as a team and in working together also have fun.

In the end there is only one winner..God. For we are all working as brothers and sisters in all we do for the proclamation of the Kingdom of God. In that, both the basketball and volleyball matches proved that we all have in our own way, whether as players, reserves, supporters or formators, we each have our place in the proclamation of God's kingdom. Until next time, this is Mark signing off.

Jail and hospital apostolate

After I heard that all 2nd year students would have a pastoral work at Davao Medical Center (DMC) and at Davao Jail, I was really excited because it would be a new experience for me. We, 2nd students, altogether have 10 students. We were divided into two groups. In DMC after the Sunday 7.30 am mass, we would help in giving a communion for the sick and visiting them as well.

Visiting patients makes me realize that there are many people who have worse conditions in life than us. Most of the patients are poor and could not pay for the expenses of the medicine and their stay in the hospital. I still remember when I visited a 10 year-old girl who had a kidney problem, lying on the bed. Her aunt shared to me that she had not enough money to pay for her niece. I believe there are many other patients who have the same problem. I also visited bone cancer patients. When I saw their eyes, it seemed that they were desperate in their life. It made me have pity on them. To see the patients’ condition, I understand that there are many people who are facing more difficult problems in life than me.

For the jail apostolate, there are almost 1000 detainees for male. They are separated into two zones; under 50 years old and over 50 years old. And there are almost one hundred female detainees in another side. There are around 20-30 people per cell (room). The mass started at around 7.15 Am. What amazed me was the way they sang the songs; it was very lively as though they sang them with their sincere heart. When I visited a male zone, I saw a woman who came to visit her husband. The wife was weeping and embracing him tightly. He was trying to soothe and stop her wife from weeping. When I saw this, I was really impressed by that moment.

The experiences I had from the jail and hospital apostolate make me realize that life is both a hope and also a struggle. Both patients and detainees are waiting for a person who cares and concerns them. Our presence is meaningful for them all. Perhaps these experiences would remind us of what Jesus has told us “I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me (Mt. 25:36).” It is a good opportunity for me to visit them and more importantly it makes me reflect more about my own life. I sometimes never thought and appreciated much about life until I experienced both the patients and the detainees. Now, I really appreciate and extremely thank God that he has given me many things and is also always with me. However, let us care and love one another in the community. I feel that I understand my own life better when I experienced other people’s lives that have worse conditions than my own. If we have hopelessness, disappointment, difficulties, sadness, despair in life, we need to ask God to enter into our heart and let God help us with our journey in our everyday life.

(Pui)

Varsity Team

Living in this community, we are not only expected to develop our spiritual dimension but also the physical dimension. Last month, the human committee purposed the community to have the basketball and volleyball varsity team and it was responded positively by the community. It is showing that all the members in this community are gifted and willing to develop that gift.

In each team is composed of 15 players. These varsity teams are formed to respond to the need of having friendly games with the church groups and other seminaries such as Eucharistic minister group, REMASE etc. These varsity teams are working very hard to improve their skills of what they are playing. As of now, both basketball and volleyball teams already had some friendly games and the results were quite good! Of course we won (wink!).

This coming September 10 will be a big challenge for the basketball varsity team because they will have a game with REMASE seminary which they lost last year. They hope that this time the history will not be repeated again since this time they are well prepared unlike last year (accusation). We as community cannot do but wholeheartedly support them.

(Bond)

Come and Sing!

Music is the language of the Soul. St. Augustine once said, “he who sings prays twice.” In the liturgy, music is a form of prayer. As such, it is an essential part of the liturgy; it is the most excellent mode of expression in the liturgy; it expresses the festivity of God’s people who celebrate His wonderful deeds. As a medium of expression, music helps to build community and to create unity in the assembly.

Building such unity, the Redemptorist community in Davao responded for such a vibrant participation in every liturgical celebration. Thus, involvement of its members in music ministry is part of the Redemptorist Formation Program. Since June this year, the students hold a regular music practice every Friday night with the giftedness of Mr. Roman Casayas, the choir master of The Choristers of the Sacred Heart. An essential preparatory element for every song practice is the vocalization which is done in every session. He teaches the group with much enthusiasm and patience for both secular and liturgical songs.

By personal choice and as per personal capacity, the students were grouped according to voice. The groupings, thus, are Tenor I, Tenor II, Bass I and Base II. In addition, another grouping – also in four groups – is organized to take charge in the singing sponsorship for the weekly students’ mass in the community and in the parish church. Each has an organist, a guitarist and song leaders. They select the appropriate songs; and thus, that the songs be familiarized, a community music practice with the group in-charge is expected a week before. So, for instance, the group assigned for next week will spearhead in the community music practice this week.

Being a part of the music ministry is one of service – service to the Word and service to the People of God. The Redemptorist Community in Davao will continue to lead the Christian community to prayer with the liturgical music. Thus, each is encouraged to participate actively in creating an atmosphere of a prayerful community. Indeed, music has brought us together! And when we sing in harmony, music will make us one! Come and sing along!

(Dennis)

Keep Rolling

I was a bit excited when I heard that this month’s recreation is bowling for it would be my first time and I found out most of us were. I wondered what it would be like. Its eemed easy to roll the ball but to hit the target is another thing. Anyway, thanks to the initiative of the BEC of the month – St. John Neumann’s group, for organizing the activity which was held in NCCC mall last Monday, August 23 2010. The fun started at around 2:00 in the afternoon and lasted for an hour. Together with the students, the senior community joined. Fr. Cruz, Fr. Caloy, Fr. Bebot were present and a confrere from Singapore, one of the students’ spiritual directors, Fr. Vincent was around. Looking back to what had happened, I realized that bowling is not just a game as the recreation was not just for fun but a lesson to be appreciated and learned.

It was good to see everybody enjoying, playing with enthusiasm and passion. Moreover, it is even better to notice the way the community behaved. I tried to be observant not for the sake of making an essay for the blog, of course I didn’t know I was going to (ha-ha,) but rather to be more appreciative of the community where I belong. After the game, I realized how vital it is to feel at home in the community for only then when you can express and develop yourself. Isn’t it good to be who you are and everybody accepts you no matter what. Besides you can only mature when you are yourself, free and vulnerable.

Remembering the ball on my hand, feeling its heaviness and trying to manipulate it to hit the pins on the end side, I was drawn into a reflection. I asked myself, “What or who keeps me going like the ball which was driven by a force?” I went farther in asking, “Who holds me in the first place like the ball?” Taking figuratively the image of bowling, it seemed that the one who holds the ball has his/her purpose at the beginning of the game– to make a strike or if not a spare. No one would have wanted a canal unless he/she desired I guess. The truth is the holder would aim for a good strike always.

Moreover, the more accurate and harder the ball hit the pins the greater the possibility of a strike. Glancing around,it was noticeable when anybody had a strike there were yells and cheers. Indeed, you are happy when you did a strike. Isn’t it what life is about? - Being happy. And isn’t happiness is like when you had a strike as you intended. What keeps us going, anyway? - A desire to be happy? But, before knowing where to go, would it be best to know who holds it and what’s his/her intention is?I guesshappiness lies in understanding who we are and where we come from. It is a rather difficult to unravel but the journey would provideanswers. It is as if asking, “What keeps us to love?” And only when you love that the answer is found. One face of life is about the experience of meanings.

Life is not about the destination, but the journey. The journey might lead us to various paths which may not be a straight line and a smooth floor like of the bowling court and many canals may be around yet still we are hopeful that amidst those adversities we will get a strike. We are even luckier, for we journey within a network of relationship – a community that loves us, unlike the ball rolling alone. Canals and low scores cannot hinder us to stop trying again and again for each second or later attempt is another phase of opportunity and gained strength. Our greatest defeat is to deny ourselves of another opportunity and quit. So, keep rolling!

(Danilo)

Indonesian Night

Freedom is something of great value. Without freedom people could not actualize and express themselves including their capacities and talents freely. Without it people could not do any creative thing that makes their live better and better.

The urgency and the necessity of freedom have made it a long struggle for Indonesian people, especially the Indonesian national heroes in the past years. They struggled to be free from colonization that had been burdening, monopolizing and limiting the freedom of people since hundreds years ago before we declared our independence day on August 17, 1945. They sacrificed everything they had and even their life in order to reach the freedom that is deserved for everyone.

In memory of the wonderful struggle and the great sacrifices of Indonesia people in the past and in thanking God for the independence which the Indonesia peoples have been enjoying for 65 years, Davao Redemptorist Community made August 15, 2010 night as a special moment for Indonesian Redemptorist brother and priests. This night was called “Indonesian Night.” It was held during dinner among confreres of Davao Redemptorist Community.

In this special occasion, some programs were presented by Indonesian Redemptorist brother and priests (Bro. Redempt, Fr. Efrem and Fr. Robby). Prior to the opening, some videos of indonesian traditional dances were shown such as Balinese, Javanese and Sumatran dances. For the opening, the Indonesian anthem, “INDONESIA RAYA” was song by all brothers, sister and priests from different countries. There was a brief presentation about the history, the cultures and the wonders of Indonesian. “Indonesia night” was closed with a little game that involved everyone with a little prize. There was also a little decoration and a display of some pictures about Indonesia, traditional clothes and Indonesian currency.

The freedom has been owned by Indonesian people and many countries. Now, it is the time to fill it with many good efforts, endeavors and activities in order to make the world a better place for every creature. This is the spirit was echoed during the “Indonesia Night” that there are a lot of good things to do with the freedom we have claimed as one of our fundamental rights. 

(Robby)

Culture and Mission (and some glam shots!)

 

The evening of August 8, marked another significant and record-breaking event in the whole SATMI history. The institute held the first ever Open House Cultural Exhibit showcasing the different cultures of Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Samoa and Philippines. The event formally opened by the ribbon cutting ceremony with Sr. Miriam Alejandrino, OSB – the Dean of St. Alphonsus Theological and Mission Institute and Fr. Senen Javier, C.Ss.R. The whole activity was graced with the presence of different visitors from the Church groups and parishioners, students from other congregations and orders with their respective formators and superiors, staffs of the SATMI and some friends of our dear students.

The Cultural Exhibit showcased both the diversity and uniqueness of different cultures in Asia. Each boothwere prepared, arranged and manned by our brothers according to their respective nationalities with some basic information regarding their cultures. It was also the time for the 4th year students to exhibit the details (including some glam shots) of their experiences during their immersion year in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.

After few minutes of chit chats and some cocktails, the rest proceed to the second half of the Cultural Night which is the program proper. Showcase of talents followed next. The first years (count me in!) wowed the crowd (I hope!) with their opening salvo. One also of the highlights is the presentation of different entries of the students in different categories such as visual arts, essay writing, poem writing and song writing. The audiences were also had the chance to listen and be informed ( and be entertained!) by the extemporaneous speeches given by each representatives from different year levels focusing on the theme, ‘Mission through Culture’.

It is interesting to see and learn how the students envision their role in this widening mission and how they recognized the importance of culture in realizing the mission of Christ. The rich experience of every student shared during this event served as inspiration to others upon realizing the giftedness of this pluralistic and diverse community where we belong. The message of the whole activity focuses on how each culture though has their distinct character and substance, see and appreciate its semblance with others. It is this connectedness that makes us appreciate more the mission that God has entrusted to us.

The night ended with pure joy and appreciation both for the message and importance of our persons: distinct and unique and of course…the prizes that we received.

Thanks folks! ’Till next time... xoxo!

(Lhionell)