Pagkakaibigan

Based on John 15, this song speaks of the gift of friendship that Christ gave to His disciples and to us.

We are chosen—set apart—by His love for us. We are not merely followers, for Christ calls us His friends. It is a gift that comes with a duty—to serve as He served, to love, as He loves.

Pagkakaibigan

Pagkakaibigan - Hangad

Music and lyrics by: Charlie Cenzon, SJ
Arrangement: Arnel Aquino, SJ
Paulo K Tirol
Soloist: Lance Lazatin
Listen: Stream audio

Ang sino man sa Aki'y mananahan
Mananahan din Ako sa kanya.
At kung siya'y mamunga nang masagana,
Siya sa Ama'y nagbigay ng karangalan.

Mula ngayon kayo'y Aking kaibigan
Hinango sa dilim at kababaan.
Ang kaibiga'y mag-aalay ng sarili niyang buhay;
Walang hihigit sa yaring pag-aalay.

Kung paanong mahal Ako ng Aking Ama,
Sa inyo'y Aking ipinadarama.
Sa pag-ibig Ko, kayo sana ay manahan,
At bilin Ko sa inyo ay magmahalan.

Pinili ka't hinirang upang mahalin
Nang mamunga't bunga mo'y panatilihin.
Humayo ka't mamunga nang masagana,
Kagalakang walang hanggang ipamamana

source: www.hangad.org

Pilgrims Theme

There comes a time in everyone’s life when one has to choose between roads. Often it’s a choice between a road we already know too well, and one that’s much narrower, less familiar, bending beyond what your eyes can see. The thing is, you know you must choose—lest you remain a wanderer all your life and you simply run out of roads. Each one’s road is different. But all of us are born pilgrims: We are all meant to seek that one road that will lead us home. It’s not an easy task, but don’t be afraid.

If you seek it, your road will find you.

Pilgrim's Theme (Greater Scheme Of Things)

Pilgrims Theme - Unknown Artist

Music by: Manoling Francisco, SJ
Lyrics by: Johnny Go, SJ
Arrangement: Paulo K Tirol
Soloist: Julius Guevara
Listen: Stream audio

Tired of weaving dreams too loose for me to wear
Tired of watching clouds repeat their dance on air
Tired of getting tied to doing what's required
Is life a mere routine in the greater scheme of things?

Through with going through, one more day what's new?
Does my life still mean a thing in the greater scheme of things?

I think I'll follow the voice that calls within
Dance to the silent song it sings
I hope to find my place
So my life will fall in place
I know in time I'll find my place
In the greater scheme of things

Each must go his way but how can I decide,
Which path I should take, who will be my guide?
I need some kind of star to lead me somewhere far
To find a higher dream in the greater scheme of things

The road before me bends, I don't know what I'll find
Will I meet a friend or ghosts I've left behind?
Should I even be surprised that You're with me in disguise
For it's Your hand that I have seen in the greater scheme of things

I think I'll follow the voice that calls within
Dance to the silent song it sings
I hope to find my place
So my life will fall in place
I know in time I'll find my place

For Yours is the voice in my deepest dreams
You are the heart, the very heart of the greater scheme of things

Why don't we follow the voice that calls within?
Dance to the silent song it sings
I hope to find my place
So my life will fall in place
I know in time I'll find my place,
In the greater scheme of things.

Examen Tips

Here are some practical suggestions for doing an examen, which you can use in your journal.

Some guide questions
• What has been the most important thing I’ve done today?
• How have I been an instrument of God’s love towards others?
• Who has shown me God’s love? In what way?
• Have I hurt anyone today?
• Have I treated anyone as a means to an end rather than as a person?

Some Meditations

• Review your day slowly. What stands out? What are you most thankful for? What do you regret? What caused you pain? Pay attention to small things, like a feeling of satisfaction for doing a good job or feeling sorry for missing something important. Pay attention to the memories of how you felt about things.
• Ask God for the grace to know God’s will for your life and to see the ways God is working in your life.
• What do your actions (or failures to act) tell you about your relationship to God? Does anything stand out – a conversation, a time you got angry, something that moved you, an unexpected event, and regret? With patience, ask yourself what your feelings at the time tell you. Does your feeling manifest a willingness to listen to God or to ignore God?
• What patterns do you see over the last day, week, month, or year? What do these patterns tell you about relationship to God?
• Take your observations into prayer, telling everything to God and asking God for understanding. Allow God to move you --- and to surprise you if necessary.

Source: Tim Mouldon, The Ignatiuan Workout

On Making Resolutions

Man in the Mirror
by: Michael Jackson

Man In The Mirror - Michael Jackson

I’m gonna’ make a change,
for once in my life.
It’s gonna feel real good,
Gonna’ make a difference, gonna’ make it right . . .

I’m starting with the man In the Mirror
I’m asking him to change his ways
And no message could have
Been any clearer
If you wanna’ make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself and the make a change!

When I’m listening to this song (by Michael Jackson) I always see myself as the man in the mirror. But here’s the catch, I’m a also the type who is fond of making resolutions only to find out that I failed to stick to it overtime. This tendency, overtime counts into the many failures I encountered in life. I figured out it has something to do with Ningas Kugon, when the zeal towards a particular goal is gradually being lost, extinguished like the fire of a kugon (coconut husk; blazing with fire once lit but unable to keep it burning).To give you a classic example, every new year I usually create a list resolutions in the hope of ‘starting the year right’. For me, it is as simple as not being late again, or to sleep early or even have a daily exercise as part of daily routine. When I’m younger I used to have more idealistic resolutions from becoming Mr. Perfect to becoming a holy saint even. But then again, as I have said, I wasn’t able to justify [most of] them, even when I resorted to more the ‘realistic’ one, still, I falter along the way. Struggling with this inconsistency, I realized the need to stop, pause and think hard about this issue of mine. It is really good to have resolutions—that is as long as we really commit to it and put our heart in it, so as not to put it in vain.

“Intentions do not count, only actions do”. – Bo S.

The advent of making resolutions usually comes with the intention to make a change. But unless, we take it into our action and in our daily lives it will not transpire as a real resolution, but failure, so that we ask for God’s grace to help us change our ways, then we pray. But when we pray for this(and oftentimes when we need something), we usually bargain and even compromise so that we say Lord give me this first and I’ll quit this or Lord grant me that and I promise never do this again. We become silly to think that we can actually twist God’s arm to grant us something we wanted or to give us a favor. We often see God as someone who will just have to snap His fingers and tada! Goodbye old filthy self! Welcome new me! (Although i’m pretty well sure He can do, but rather not). As the clitche goes, “Nasa Diyos ang awa, nasa tao ang gawa”, still everything counts on us.

But how can we really change? Some say change can only happen when a person hit rock bottom or after a life threatening experience. Like surviving a deadly disease, or an addict getting tired of his addiction or a rich person losing all the money he has in a casino and decided to quit it. But do we really have to face and get into such trials in order to really, really change? Looking back on how I failed to sustain resolutions; there is one thing that made me commit to some (small triumphs, i consider), and this is the desire to change in the name of love (the romantic type also counts here). And a lot of times it is even automatic, we are flamed and fueled by this desire to love that we often times never even aware how we are slowly (but surely) being changed by it. Fr. Arrupe, SJ has put this great power of love (to change lives) profoundly in the following passage:

“Nothing is more practical,
than finding God
that is, than falling in love
in a quite absolute,
final way.
What you are in love with,
what seizes your imagination,
will affect everything,
It will decide
What will get you out of bed in the morning,
What you will do with your evenings,
How you spend your weekends,
What you read,
What you know that breaks your heart,
And what amazes you with joy and gratitude.
Fall in love, stay in love,
And it will decide everything.”

- Fr. Pedro Arrupe, SJ
27th Superior General of the Society of Jesus

Let God’s love take charge and dictate everything in our lives (this is the challenge). Only trough this we can be molded into the person we are meant to be.
May God grant us the grace to love as He loved, so that we can be able to change our lives and others’ as well.

A Blessed 2009 to everyone!

http://tjsunga.wordpress.com/2007/07/31/man-in-the-mirror/

Third Quarter Final Project

To be done by Group/RT.
(For Year IV: Wisdom, Integrity and Prudence)

Do a research on the following religious orders:

RT 1: The Society of Jesus (SJ)
RT 2: The Dominican Order of Preachers (OP)
RT 3: The La Salle Brothers (FSC)
RT 4: Religious of the Virgin Mary (RVM)
RT 5: Hijas de Jesus (F.I.)

Find out their histories, who their founders were, why he or she founded the congregation, what their missions in the church are and their way of life. Be ready to submit a written report/ documentation of the religious order you've been assigned and be ready to share/report your findings in the class.

*Deadline of Submission:
Monday January 12, 2009
*Please also submit all your journal requirements on or before Friday, January 9, 2009.

Journal #6: The Religious and Priestly Vocation

God calls the great majority to the married lifestyle. He calls persons to express their love and service to God as one body. But there are members of the Church who are called to express their love and service through the consecrated and celibate (unmarried) lifestyle. By the grace of God, such persons choose not to marry. These persons are called Religious.

In the short documentary we have watched entitled, May Call Waiting Ka Ba? We learned from the testimony of different individuals how and why they responded to God's calling and embraced the religious way of life.

Reflection Points:

Based on the film we watched:

• What struck you most about the testimony of featured religious why they choose to embrace the religious way of life?
  
• Like in the married way of life, there are challenges that a religious person must face. What do you think are these?


• Go back to our previous discussion about the Sacrament of Matrimony. Compare and contrast this two vocation, take note of the similarities and difference. In what way are both serving God and others?


• Say your prayers for the religious men and women, specially those you know personally that they may be a ble to persevere and carry out their duties to serve the church and others.