St. Expeditus: Patron Saint of Speedy Causes

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St. Expeditus:  Patron Saint of Speedy Causes The venerated image of St. Expeditus in  the Lipa Cathedral In the Metropolitan Cathedral of St. Sebastian in Lipa City is a venerated image of a young Roman Centurion saint named Expeditus. Every month of April, a nine day novena in his honor is held in the cathedral that culminates in the celebration of his feast day on the 19th of the month. Who is this saint whose intercession was also invoked in the Oratio Imperata  to avert a catastrophic eruption of Taal Volcano prepared by the Archdiocese of Lipa when the volcano exhibited extra-ordinary activity early  in January, 2020?  St. Expeditus could have found affinity with the Lipenos since the martyr shares a lot of commonality with St. Sebastian, the city’s patron. St. Expeditus, like St. Sebastian was also a young Roman soldier who converted to Christianity and was also martyred as a consequence, during the period of Diocletian persecution.  Hence, a devo...
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Episode 19. Schedule sa Seminaryo

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"From the rising of the sun to its setting, praised be the Name of God!" (Psalm 113:3)

Bro, kung gusto mong pumasok sa seminaryo, isa sa pinakamahalagang dapat tandaan ng isang seminarista ay ang schedule.  Sa Seminaryo, may oras para sa lahat ng bagay.  At kinakailangan sundin ito.   Kung nasanay ka sa bahay mo na kung anong oras mo na lang gustong gumising, aba, magpraktis ka na na gumising ng maaga.  Kung sanay ka na rin na may naglilinis ng kwarto mo at ng bahay ninyo, sorry tol.  Matutututo ka maglinis ng sarili mong kwarto at ng buong bahay (seminaryo).  Sa seminaryo, may oras ng pag-gising, may oras ng pagdarasal, may oras sa pag-attend ng klase, may oras sa pagkain, may oras sa paglilinis (minor clean up - manualia every week; major clean up - laborandum, as the need arises), may oras ng sports, at syempre, may oras pa rin naman sa sarili mo.  

Pero wag mong isipin na mahirap.  Sanayan lang yan.  Ngayon pa lang, ituturo ko na sa iyo ang naging mantra ko na palaging pinapaalala sa amin sa seminaryo na palagi kong inuulit at pinapaalala rin sa sarili ko since the day I heard it from one of our formators, "May wisdom sa likod ng lahat ng ginagawa mo sa seminaryo..."  sabi nya. And that I believe is one of the things that sustained me in my 7 years stay sa seminaryo.   Ibig sabihin, maaring hindi pa malinaw sa iyo sa ngayon (bilang isang seminarista) ang mga bagay bagay, pero ma-aappreciate mo sila pagdating ng panahon - pag pari ka na 'tol! and believe you me, totoo nga yan! haha.  Kaya mabuti sa ngayon eh sumunod ka na lang at be pro-active.  Wag kang reklamador! sa presinto ka na lang magpaliwanag. haha. Pero seriously,  para naman lahat yan sa iyong kabutihan.  Believe in the process!  

Sa mga contemplative o monastic communities, ang tawag sa schedule ay horarium.  Ang horarium ay salitang Latin na ang ibig sabihin ay the "hours". Sa seminaryo, ganuon din yata. Pero sa seminaryo namin, schedule lang talaga eh. Bibigyan kita ng preview ng typical na na schedule sa isang araw.   Sa amin, mayroon kaming tinatawag na Community Board at doon isinusulat ang araw araw naming schedule, tapos sa gilid may mga posting ng mga requirements at deliverables. haha.

 27 April 2020
Monday of the Third Week of Easter

AM
5:30     Morning Prayer / Eucharistic Adoration
6:30     Holy Eucharist
7:15     Breakfast
11:45   Day Time Prayer
12:15   Lunch
4:30     Sports / Manualia

PM
6:15     Evening Prayer
7:15     Dinner
8:15     Night Prayer

Ayan ang typical schedule na fina-follow namin sa seminaryo.   5:30 AM, dapat nasa chapel ka na for the morning prayer.  Ngayon nakadepende ang gising mo sa bilis mong kumilos, kung mabagal ka kumilos, siguro baka dapat 4:30 AM gising ka na. Pero kung mabilis naman, pwede na rin ang gising na 5:15 kasi bababa ka lang naman ng hagdan o maglalakad ng konti, nasa chapel ka na. haha.   

In between, mga klase yon or pag walang schedule ng klase pwede magsiesta, magbasa, makipagkwentuhan, mag-personal prayer, mag exercise o magwork-out, o maglaba. haha (Oo 'pre, kasama din yan) bahala ka.  Responsible freedom, repa.  

Sa gabi naman kung minsan may mga talk o seminar, community meeting, meeting ng batch nyo o ano pa man.  Pag wala naman schedule, pwede naman study time o makipag-usap o mangumusta sa ibang mga brothers. Pagkatapos nga pala ng night prayer, Magnum Silencium na yon.  Ibig sabihin, dapat tahimik na.  Bawal na masyadong activities.  Mahina lang ang boses, in short bawal na mag-ingay.  Hanggang kinabukasan na yan.  Matatapos ito before breakfast kapag nagkaroon na ng Deo Gratias! Sa ibang seminaryo, may lights off sa 10 pm.  So ibig sabihin, kailangan eh tapos mo nang gawin lahat ng gagawin mo before 10 pm.  Kasi wala nang ilaw, lights off nga eh! haha.  Mahalaga talaga ang silence both exterior and exterior para mapakinggan mo ang boses ng Diyos na tumawag sa Iyo.  Kaya ang atmosphere sa seminaryo is generally of peace and quiet to dispose the seminarian, the would-be priest to prayer and communion with God - O baka gusto mo pakinggan yung kantang "God of Silence?"

Kailangan rin ng time management sa buhay ng isang seminarista.  Dapat ay pinaplano mo ang bawat araw at activities mo... Makatutulong kung may planner ka. Tapos, i-plot mo na ang daily, weekly at monthly activities mo.  Parang tedious ano? Pero hindi. Mas mabuti yan kasi mas maganda yung may sistema kesa bara-bara.  Tapos hindi mo alam may mga deadlines pala bigla ka ngayong magka-cramming at matataranta.  haha.  Mas mabuti yung maayos.  

Yung bell nga pala.  Mahalaga yon. Kasi every ringing of the bell reminds every one of God's presence in the community.  Yun ang boses ng Diyos na tumatawag sa bawat isa na manalangin.  At kung hindi man, pag narinig mo yon, you will be alerted that you are in God's most holy presence.  At maaalala mo ang iyong identity, seminarian ka di ba? Ibig sabihin, though you might struggle most of the times, kailangan talaga na we do our best effort para ma-configure ang sarili natin kay Kristo.  Yan naman talaga ang purpose ng seminary formation - Configuration to Christ! and following seminary schedules is one way of bringing you to that end.  Amen kapatid! haha.

Medyo humahaba na ang kwento.  Ganito lang naman yon bro, o pwede rin nga pala ito kay sis na magmamadre (kasi may schedule din sila sa convent).  Kailangan lang talaga na sundin ang schedule. For the mean time, eto na lang muna ang 3 dahilan kung bakit ito mahalaga. 

1.  Sinasanay ka na i-manage ang oras mo at ilaan ito sa mga kapakipakinabang na bagay.  Time management talaga.  Hindi pwede na ipipilit mo ang schedule na gusto mo. Na kahit prayer time eh gagawin mo ang gusto mong gawin at di ka na mag-aattend kasi may naisip ka na gawin kesa magdasal.  Salamat din sa schedule, marami ring naiiwasan na mga walang kwentang gawain: idleness, maniana habbit, cramming, procrastination, Filipino time, etc  Andami ano? Sounds family ba? haha.  Remember: idleness is the playground of the devil.

2.  Dahil sanay ka ng may schedule, you come to learn to respect time.  Mahala ang oras mo, mahalaga ang oras ng iba.  So dumating ka sa oras.  Wag mong paghintayin yong mga taong kausap mo.

3.  Sinasanay ka rin na maglaan ng oras para sa sarili mo, para sa kapwa mo at higit sa lahat, para sa Diyos - sarili mong recreation, sarili mong panalangin at maging available para sa mga taong gustong makipag-usap sa iyo.  In the process, you come to know, and also set your priorities and balance your activities based on that hierarchy. Nagkakaroon ng sistema sa buhay mo, hindi ka nagiging sabog-sabog. At pahabol, sabi nga ng isang teacher ko sa theology noon: "Practice makes... permanent" So yung bagay na araw araw mong ginagawa, magiging permanente sa iyo yon kasi magiging bahagi na ng sistema mo.  Orayt!

Ngayon, kung solve ka sa buhay na ganito, malamang, isang indicator yan na baka nga may bokasyon ka, pero hindi lang yan ang consideration ha? Marami pang iba. haha. Kaya kung gusto mong magpari, at pumasok sa seminaryo, magsimula ka nang magpractice, hane? Ayan, lumabas tuloy punto ko. haha.  Hanggang sa susunod ha? Bye bye muna. May schedule ang Wise Friar. hehe.



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