Bonding with the 3rd World Community Children

March 20, 2011 - This was a memorable experience to be these children, (on the picture L-R: Robert, me, Grace, Nimfa, Harold, Jeni, Ate Donna, Dora and Edmar). These are the children that Fray Harold attends to in his apostolate area together with Fray Aimark and Fray Tony. Since Aimark and Tony can't come, we were invited to come with them.

A sumptuous lunch was served courtesy of Fray Harold.

The Confessions of St. Augustine: What is the Genre of this Work?

This is an article commentary and reflection I made when I was still a postulant, way back 2009)

The Confessions of St. Augustine: What is the Genre of this Work? (author:Frances Young )

The uniqueness of Augustine’s The Confessions is undeniably a note worthy autobiography. He did not only attempt to tell a story of his colloquial personal experience but he also went deeper into his personal character, as one of God’s creation. This is not just a confession of his misspent youth, together with testimony to God’s providential rescue and celebration of conversion to a new life but, if ancient language would tell us, it is about confessing to God and meant of praising or extolling divine nature. 

Thesis Abstract: Arthur Schopenhauer’s Appropriation of Buddhism in formulating his Concept of the Will-to-live

This thesis argues that Schopenhauer appropriated Buddhist concepts in the formulation of his concept of the will-to-live. He borrowed concepts from this school because he found it as a truth to human existence. This is based from the textual sources and historical accounts that the researcher had gathered. This also argues with the other claim of some of the passages from Schopenhauer’s book that Buddhism did not influence him. 

Augustine on Prayer by Thomas Hand

Summary:

Thomas Hand presented his exposition on Augustine on Prayer in a simple yet vivid understanding of prayer. It was basically a compilation of the thoughts, words, and prayers of St. Augustine. As we all know Augustine don't deal specifically or write a certain concept in just one book or letter. His concepts are scattered in all his works. Thus, in the case of Thomas Hand, he definitely is well oriented and right to publish this book. He made it look easier for his readers to read and understand the view of Augustine on Prayer. Augustine may have lived hundreds of years ago yet his thoughts do still make an impact to the new generation.

Hand began his book by looking back to the very nature of man as searcher for happiness. He established the scaffolding of prayer through deepening and knowing the desires of Man. Human beings had been searching for true happiness since time immemorial yet still undiscovered. For Augustine true happiness won't be found in this earthly city. Possession of temporal goods may make man happy yet not eternally. Jesus Christ taught it to his disciples and Augustine affirms it. For Augustine man can only possess happiness when he finds rest from his God. In order to reach out to God one must pray to him. "knock and it shall be open unto you" and "ask and you shall receive", Christ said. "Prayer is the language of the soul's yearning for God."

What is Prayer?

What really is prayer?

What really is prayer? “Your prayer is your conversation with God” (En. Ps. 85,7). Adolar adds that in every right prayer is a two way conversation with God, even when it so often seems we alone are speaking, to a certain degree, in void.

What does praying mean? Augustine described prayer above all as an act of love. He sees the soul of prayer as a never ending longing of the inner person for God and life eternal. In a sermon he states: “The longing of the heart is a constant prayer. If you have an unceasing longing for God, then you also pray unceasingly.” (Sermon 80,7) On the other hand prayer grows mute when the heart’s longing turns cold, when a person up loving. This longing of love then decides the worth of Prayer.

A common prayer life is not possible without an established order of things. In the earlier Egyptian monasteries a fixed time schedule during the day for prayer was unknown. Manual work and prayer were carried on together.

Spiritual exposure to the sects of the Order of the knights of Rizal in Mt. Banahaw

Professed friars together with the Suprema of Iglesia Mistica Filipina in Mt. Banahaw.  Their so-called organization has a mixed culture of Filipino Spirituality and some Catholic teachings. In front of their Church they have the subscription of the 10 Commandments and the Mi Ultimo Adios of Dr. Jose Rizal.



A 30 minute drive from the Iglesia Rosa Mystica, another separate organization was founded in the name "Samahan ng tatlong Persona solo Dios". One of their beliefs is that Christ ame in the Philippines and left a mark of his left foot in a stone. The stone is laid on the river. Amazingly, according to the people we've asked, the water that flows from where the foot is laid, tastes like soda.



Commentary on the Rule 3,15

"When you come to table, listen until you leave to what is the custom to read, without disturbance or strife. Let not your mouths alone take nourishment but let your hearts too hunger for the words of God." (St. Augustine, Rule 3,14)

One of the many interesting characteristics of an Augustinian community is the value of common meals. It is in meals that many things are happening. Actually there are many images we can identify, which is very significant in our lives as Augustinians. Let me mention some of those images. Common meals had been an avenue of our mixed emotions. It is a place of place of our joys and sadness. It’s a meeting place of people coming from different regions. It’s a place where people just come and go. It is also a place where we laughed together sometimes so loud and sometimes normal. We sometimes share on the table our corny jokes and even green jokes. We share on the meals our personal backgrounds in life, like our past works and life in high school. We also share our resentments from our professors. We even share our dreams in our sleep. There are also times that in a split of a second silence come in the middle of the meals. We then say “Aba dumaan ang Dios”. We don’t know why but we suddenly laugh all together because of the candid moment. And, it has been a place of some heated debates and arguments. These are just some of the many images of common meals. It is like a rainbow in the sky, which very colorful. However, there is one image of community meal that I’d like to emphasize tonight. Common meal is also a place where we meet people whom we don’t like much. Whether we like it or not we can’t but to share a table with them. Right? So what's your attitude about it?