the botolan aetas’ way of the 4 s’s - magis deomagisdeo.org/mdnl/2011_jul_highres.pdf · the...

MagisMagisMagisMagisMagisOfficial Publication of the Magis Deo CommunityJuly 2011

Formation for Mission

The Botolan Aetas’ Way of the 4 S’sThe Aetas of Botolan, Zambales were

our guests during our communitycelebration last June 4, 2011 at San CarlosSeminary and they charmed everyone whoattended with their disarming ways. Boyand Yoling Sevilla (ME 28, John BCGG) andtheir son, Iñigo, who have shared a lot oftime over the past years with the Aetas,invited Chieftain Carlito Domulot and otherleaders of the Botolan tribe to share theirstory with the community.

The Aetas talked about their idyllic lifein the mountains of Zambales and howtheir lives were devastated by the eruptionof Mt. Pinatubo in 1991; how they movedfrom an independent lifestyle to one of totaldependence; how they lost everything theyhad; and how they had to learn to adapt toour world. They narrated how they hadeverything they needed in the mountainsand never thought of themselves as part ofthe Philippines.

Prior to the Pinatubo eruption, theAetas didn’t believe in a formal educationsystem as they did not see the need for it.However when they lost everything theyhad, some people took advantage of themespecially in business and governmenttransactions. They turned to SisterMenggay and the Franciscan Sisters andasked them to teach them three things – topray, to read and write, and to make basicmathematical computations. From a basic

literacy program given by the Franciscansisters, the tribe now has its own alternativelearning school accredited by the DECSwhich is open not only to indigenouspeople but to lowlanders as well. Several

Fr. Eugenius Canete, M.J., wasour June mass celebrant.

of their youth have gone on to college.Presently the tribe is proud to have 21college graduates; 7 college under-graduates; and 11 college studentspresently enrolled.

While these numbers are noteworthy,what is more amazing is that all memberswho go to college return to their communityafter graduation to serve their tribe. They

choose courses like accounting,agriculture, education, forestry, nursingand law, and apply their knowledge to helptheir community. The elders usually chosewhich courses their children would pursue.Their education is funded by scholarshipprograms from the Rotary Club of MakatiNorth (RCMN) and by their income from aplot of land.

Twenty years after the Pinatuboeruption, the Aetas have adapted well tolife in the lowlands. They know their basicrights. They have learned lowland farming.They have been able to buy the land theylive in now as they do not want to bebeholden to the government. They haveformed themselves into an organizationwhich has been recognized byorganizations in many countries. Theirleaders have traveled abroad and met theleaders of the countries they visited. Theyhave been exposed to other indigenouspeoples in Australia and Brazil. They havebeen able to lobby for and get the title fortheir 17,000 hectare ancestral domain.

Twenty years later, after learning howto live in the lowlands and being influencedby the modern world, the Aetas havepreserved their culture and their values.They continue to have strong faith in “Apona Mallari” who has given them everything

Chieftain Carlito Domulot

Continued on page 12

July 201122222 MagisMagisMagisMagisMagis

June 4 Community Celebration

MagisMagisMagisMagisMagis Official Publication of the Magis Deo Community

Please send articles, reactions, feedback to [email protected]

Council ChaircoupleAnchit & Sally Chua Chiaco

Editorial BoardTina MossesgeldTony del RosarioJoy S. Uy-tioco

Managing EditorsRufo & Louren Dacanay

Contributors Rey Mella

Clyde AbapoZarah Gagatiga

Kimi Abapo

PhotographersFerdie Cruz

Anchit Chua ChiacoOjay ReantasoCarlos Pizarro

PublicationRamie & Mimi Santos

Boy and Yoling Sevillaintroduce our guestspeakers from theBotolan tribe.

Our presidingpriest, Fr. Canete(center) andHenry Cornejo (atright with hisfamily) were highschool class-mates. Fr. Caneteworked as amissionary inAfrica for tenyears.

We all join hands andpray and sing together...“Ama namin...”

The captive audience ....

Commissioning of members

33333MagisMagisMagisMagisMagisJuly 2011

Pentecostalpresence

Sunday Homily

12 June 2011

Ruben M. Tanseco, S.J.

God the Father created the world.

God the Son redeemed it.

God the Holy Spirit lives in it.

The three, loving manifestations of theone and only God of the universe. And theclimax of it all is that God LIVES WITH US.The in-dwelling of God in all of creation.This is the meaning of what we arecelebrating today, Pentecost Sunday. Ahabitual, inner awareness of this in ourhearts is no less than a way of life, aspirituality that we all need so badly in ourcountry, as well as in the whole world. As Ihave said before, this lifestyle is a renewalof the mystics of the past – from MeisterEckhart to St. Francis of Assisi to St. Ignatiusof Loyola.

“Every creature is a book about Godand is full of God.” (M. Eckhart). “Praisedbe my Lord God with all his creatures... forour brother the sun... our sister the moon...our mother the earth, which sustains usand keeps us... “ (St. Francis of Assisi).“Ponder with great affection how Goddwells in creatures, giving them life. Andhow he dwells in me, and makes a templeof me, created in his image.” (SpiritualExercises of St. Ignatius, #235).

Going all the way back to SacredScripture: “God created man in his image,male and female he created them.” (Gen.1: 27). “Do you not know that you are thetemple of God, and that the Spirit of Goddwells in you? If anyone destroys God’stemple, God will destroy that person; forthe temple of God, which you are, is holy.”(1 Cor. 3: 16-17).

Nowadays, tourists spend money toexperience the beauty of God’s creation,from Boracay to Palawan. But they maymiss the divine presence in their verypersons. As St. Augustine of Hippo once

said: “People go abroad to wonder at theheight of mountains, at the huge waves ofthe sea, at the long courses of the rivers, atthe vast compasses of the ocean, at thecircular motion of the stars, and they passby themselves without wondering.”

The science of the human body andthe wonder of it all. The way our mind, heart,and body are orchestrated together inharmony to form our person is a mysteryall its own. How the nerves, arteries,muscles, and bones are so placed so thateach one has a function that contributes tothe wholeness of the person is simplyfantastic. Every ordinary person is no lessthan a walking miracle of God’s presenceas Creator. And how many such personsare there in the world at this moment oftime?

One morning four weeks ago, I wasabout to start a seminar-session when Isuddenly got very dizzy and collapsed. Theyrushed me to the hospital, and after somedays, I underwent a coronary angioplasty,my third since 2003. My family was therewith their ever-loving care and concern thattouched my heart to the core. Indeed, thereis no substitute for one’s family, when itcomes to God’s loving presence in humanform. And what about those nurses andcaregivers who took care of me in suchgentle and dedicated ways? Were theydoing all that just to earn their keep? Youtell me. Last but not least was theconcerned and very competent cardiologistwho performed the angioplasty on my leftartery. Did he do all that just for the moneyinvolved? In fact, he refused to charge meat all! But we insisted on giving him adiscounted professional fee, in the nameof God’s loving justice.

Yes. God’s loving presence, in so manyways, is here, within each one of us and allaround us. One just has to be aware andrespond to God the Holy Spirit with one’sown love in return. The language of theheart.

As of today, we are the only country inthe world that has no divorce law.Annulments and legal separations areallowed, but not divorce, which is theinvalidation of a valid marriage. A validmarriage is a covenant for life between twospouses who experience authentic love foreach other. This means to love my spouseas I love myself, and vice-versa. When livedin God’s sustaining presence, the couplecan go through marital conflicts and crises

and still come out with an even strongerlove than ever before. Who knows? In hisdivine providence, God may be missioningus as a nation to witness to the secularistic,ego-centered cultures that it is indeedpossible and doable – a country withoutdivorce. The only marital love-triangle thatdoes not end in disaster: husband, wife,and God.

And for all of us, it is indeed our life-long mission to be contemplatives-in-action. It is worth every effort that we make,for it is the only meaning of human life. Tolive in God’s loving presence in one’s life,and to keep responding according to ourtime, talents, and treasures – this is themission of Pentecost for each one of us.

Community AdvisorySama-sama tayo!

All members are requested to reserveall their FIRST SATURDAYS of themonths in 2011 for the community cel-ebration.

All community celebrations will startwith registration at 4:00 p.m. and an-ticipated Mass at 4:30 p.m. A talk orfellowship activity will follow thereafter.

Any changes in schedule will be ad-vised accordingly.


EDITORIAL

St. Ignatius and our Four ESSesJoy Uy-Tioco, Sirach BCGG

The biggest attraction to Fr.Ruben Tanseco’s invitation toform a community in 1985was probably that our

formation would be Ignatian – we wouldlive our lives in the spirit of Ignatius’teachings and the way he lived out his faith.At that time none of us had had any formal,conscious experience of the SpiritualExercises except for Jesuit Fr. Ruben, andone husband, who as a member of theChristian Life Community in college, didreceive Ignatian formation. So those firstcouples were actually embarking on alifelong journey into the unknown, guidedby our faith in Fr. Ruben’s vision and aformation program he designed for us. Ourformation program is rooted in Ignatius’gift to the world, the Spiritual Exercises.

Since July 31 is the feast of St. Ignatiusof Loyola, this is a good time to reflect onhow Ignatius’ spirituality, conceived andfirst practiced in the mid-15th century, is notonly applicable, but probably the mostbagay for ‘Pinas, 2011.

Who was Ignatius, and what does hemean to us in Magis Deo?

CONVERSION. Ignatius is known asthe founder of the Jesuits but he spentmost of his life as a layman. It was as alayperson that he first developed theSpiritual Exercises and began guidingothers through them. In 1522, a cannonballsmashed his leg and ended a promisingmilitary career. Forced into a long, painfuland boring two-year convalescence, theshattering of all he had ever hoped to be,Ignatius experienced a conversion. To usehis own words he was “personallyschooled by God like a schoolboy.” By1524, he had written the bulk of the book ofSpiritual Exercises which contain his many,many prayer experiences so that he couldshare these with others. After hisconversion, the same passion he had forromancing and glory in war was focusedon Jesus and the coming of God’skingdom. He was the same person, buthe had fallen in love with God. His wholepersonality now was focused on doinggreat things for God.

VISION AND MISSION. In a mysticalexperience by the Cardoner River outsideof Manresa, Ignatius was given a vision ofbeing immersed in God. He was given adeep sense that all creatures and allcreation come from God, and in Christ,return to God; how Jesus Christ completeshuman nature by becoming our flesh; andhow Jesus is present in the BlessedSacrament. He grasped that God’s plan isa project that each one of us contributesto, and what God hopes for us is for us tobecome fully aware that this is our humanvocation, and that we freely choose to live itout.

This implies a way of thinking and away of living which is expressed in MagisDeo as the four “ESSes.” Our avowedlifestyle of Stewardship, Simplicity, Sharing,Service, is rooted in his vision that God ispresent in all things.

The first “S” stands for Stewardship.This describes our basic relationship withGod. God is creator, we are created for thesole purpose to know him and what hedesires for us, to open ourselves to feelhis love so intimately that we naturally lovehim back. And because we love, we canchoose to serve. God’s plan for us is God’sproject and belongs to him and him alone.But we are invited to be co-creators, to takepart in his project, and to make all thingsbeautiful as he desires it.

That leads us to the second “S” whichstands for Simplicity. Simplicity means thatif we truly believe that our sole purpose forbeing is to know, love and serve God, andthat all creation was given to us to help usachieve that goal. It makes sense toremove any obstacle to that goal. And thisis where that famous set of words comesin – to take the inordinate (out of order, walasa lugar) attachments of our lives and toorder them according to God’s plan. Thepractice of serving one solid and one liquidat our gatherings is a reminder to simplify,to remove all distractions so that we haveone focus, and one focus only, our God.

And in any relationship, there isSharing. How does one share, when Onesharer is so big, and the other is so small?

When all things belong to One, and theother only receives? How do we give back?The answer is to share what the other doesnot have. On the deepest, most mysticallevel we share our humanity with Jesus,and in the person of Jesus, God shareshis divinity with us. Jesus is the model forhow God loves. This is also the way weshare with one another – “hating kapatid”the Ignatian way is not equality based onmathematics, but an equality of love, andthat is why we share what the other needs,not what we want.

Service, the fourth “S” in our Magis Deolanguage is what makes Ignatianspirituality unique. Our spirituality isapostolic, we serve in the world as mothers,fathers, brothers, sisters, companions,friends, taxpayers and tax collectors alike.We do not live out our spirituality insidemonasteries or flee to the desert. The worldis where we carry out our mission, wherewe help God make all things as heintended them to be.

The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatiusmay come as a short retreat or prayerworkshop or the full exercises, and makeit possible for us to learn directly from God.The process is not a simple one, and isactually a life-long formation. This mayseem daunting, especially when we arestill struggling with the first conversion – topray the Ignatian way, faithfully, daily. Butthere is wealth untold waiting if we makethe effort to open to God, and in so doing,fall deeply, passionately, completely in love.Then everything else will follow.

Sources:

• Ignatius of Loyola – Model for Lay Spirituality by Pat Carter

• A Pilgrim’s Journey: The Autobiography of St. Ignatius translated by John Tylenda, S.J.

• Schooled by the Spirit by Ramon Bautista, S.J.


COUNCIL CORNER

The Banquet of Spiritual Delicacy –The Eucharist!

Mary Anne A. Alfonso, Council / John BCGG

On the solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ,we have the opportunity to reflect on the richness and theessence of the sacrament of the Eucharist. Every day, inmany parishes in the metropolis, there are masses inthe morning, at noon and in the late afternoon. It is verygratifying to see many people going to daily mass. I seepeople going to mass despite the bad weather, officepeople delaying their lunch and probably having a quicklunch in order to attend mass, and people catching thelate afternoon masses still dressed in their street clothes.How happy the Lord must be every time someonereceives Him in the Eucharist.

In the mass, the priest says a silent prayer beforeHoly Communion. “I eat your body and drink your blood.Let it not bring me condemnation but health of mind andbody.” It is a silent prayer of humility that reminds us ofour sinfulness. It reminds me that all of us are sinners;there is no perfect human being. If someone you know isguilty of sinning publicly, that person can always repent,go to Confession, seek forgiveness and sin no more. Noone can judge another. No one can cast a stone atanother. That was the gospel of Matthew last Monday:“For as you judge, so will you be judged and the measurewith which you measure will be measured out to you.” Itis a daunting thought!

In the first reading from the Book of Deuteronomy,Moses reminds the Israelites “He therefore let you beafflicted with hunger and then fed you with manna… inorder to show you that not by bread alone does one live,but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”When I talked to my younger daughter Rina who has thegood fortune of always getting inspiring homilies atGeorgetown University in D.C. because the priests thereare eloquent Jesuits, she shared with me the insightshe got. She was worried and restless because shewas deciding on her thesis dissertation topic. Then shewent to mass and heard the homily of the priest. “God,”Rina said, “allows us to get hungry and thirsty so that weare emptied of all fears, disappointments, worries,troubles, anxiety, depression; in order that He can fill thatemptiness, with His love. Only when we empty ourselves,can God fill us with what He wants for us.” Rina taughtme a valuable lesson and I am thankful for her insight.She also said it gave her a lot of comfort!

In the second reading introduction, it says that St. Paulwas faced with pastoral problems of numerous factionswithin the community of Corinth. In his fatherly concern, hereminds them that they are one body because they feed onONE BREAD of the body of Christ and drink from the ONECUP of his blood. In his homily at the AIM chapel where Filand I went to mass, Fr. Kreutz, another good Jesuit, told usto ponder how very blessed we are to be sharing that samebody and blood of Christ with all the Catholics all over theworld every time we receive Jesus in Holy Communion. Itmade me so happy that in that manner, I am united with mychildren, friends and relatives all over the world every timeI receive Jesus. So I am connected with them not just viathe internet, by mobile phone, by Skype, by Vonage, byGmail, by Yahoo and by Facebook, but with JESUS and thatis truly miraculous and deserves our deepest gratitude toGod.

Finally, in the gospel of St. John, Jesus said, “Amen,amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son ofMan and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.”What greater challenge and invitation is there for all of us toaccept? Christ is there waiting for us to come to Him. Arewe one with those who have been affected by the floods ofthe past days? Are we willing to forgive those who sinagainst us? Are we being transformed every time we go tothe Eucharist? Jesus is in the Eucharist as our companionand as our friend. He will help us in our journey towardsheaven.


Continued on page 7

Taste and see the goodness of the Lord - Part 2... time, freedom, my Filipino heritage, art, degustacion, nature, friendships...

Anchit & Sally Chua Chiaco, Chaircouple / John BCGG

In the June newsletter we wrote aboutour “taste and see” experience during theLife in the Spirit Seminar conducted by theGod Loves Prayer Community last May 21.We were given then a sneak preview of howbeautiful (albeit difficult) life surrenderedand lived in the Spirit can be. The Spirit isall-powerful and can touch the hearts ofthe skeptical, the reluctant, the indifferent,even those who do not know or care muchabout It.

Last week, we made a quick trip toBaguio with six Magis friends. The 3-day/2-night trip was hatched and planned in amatter of three days. Our tour guides, Tonyand Bambi Narciso, enticed us withcultural, artistic, and gastronomicdestinations. Would it matter if it rainedduring our vacation? Nah! We were to tasteand see the goodness of the Lord in manyexciting ways.

First, it was a funny realization we hadthat we could just take off for a vacation likethat. We are all senior citizens, and time isthe Lord’s gift to us.

Thursday. Our first destination was thewar memorial in Mt. Samat in Pilar, Bataan.On the summit of the mountain stands theDambana ng Kagitingan (Shrine of Valor)to honor the gallantry of the Filipino andAmerican soldiers during World War II. Itwas here that our soldiers chose to dierather than surrender to the enemy –remember the “Fall of Bataan” in Philippinehistory? The shrine is highlighted by a

memorial cross 300 feet high with arms50 feet long on each side. There is aviewing gallery on the arm of the cross (onecan see Bataan, Corregidor, and, on a clearday, Manila from this vantage point) whichis accessible by elevator but we couldn’tgo up because the elevator broke downthree days before. (Thank God we were noton the lift!) The base of the cross has reliefsby National Artist Napoleon Abueva, whichreminded us of our classes in Philippinehistory – historical figures and events suchas the execution of Jose P. Rizal, Lapu-Lapu, Gomburza, Bonifacio and the KKK,and a lot more that admittedly (andembarrassingly) we could not identify.Several feet below the cross is a museumwith black-and-white pictures of the warand some war mementos. I felt proud tobe Filipino; I felt some kinship to those whofought for our, my freedom because myfather, then fresh out of his PMA ’41 class,was in that war.

Onward to Bagac, Bataan where LasCasas Filipinas de Acuzar unfolded 18houses that were reconstructed from oldFilipino houses in places like Binondo,Tondo, Baliuag, Candaba, Lubao,Meycauayan, Escolta, Cagayan, and manymore, with the South China Sea asbackdrop. Each house has a story to tellabout its ownersand their l ifes-tyles. One palatialhouse, for exam-ple, was home tomany artists andwas used asclassrooms of UPManila and lateron as a bowlingalley. Our tour ofthe housesbrought me backto that part ofPhilippine historyin the 1900s whenhouses of thewealthy Filipinoswere built to beshowcases ofFilipino archi-

tecture. And oh, in one of the houses aretwo original paintings of the late JoeyVelasco, famous for his Hapag ng Pag-asadepicting Jesus at the Last Supper with 12street children. One of his works on displayshows his dream of Jesus painting hispicture.

Some four hours more on the road andwe were breathing in the fresh air in theCity of Pines. We had taken all of 15 hoursbut had learned so much of our heritage; itwas worth the time and the discomfort fromthe intense heat. The only thing we missedwas Bambi who did not make it to Baguiodue to an urgent business meeting.

Friday. The next morning was artappreciation time at the BenCab Museumin Asin Road, Tuba. BenCab (BenedictoCabrera) is a National Artist for Visual Arts.I am no art connoisseur but I enjoy lookingat art works. I am a fledgling painter myselfso I am intrigued by the strokes, textures,movements, colors, and stories in apainting. That was how I soaked in thestories in BenCab’s works, particularlythose with his model, Sabel, once a vagrantwoman whose many moods inspired hiscreativity.

Then to 888 Ambuklao Road for thehome of a personal chef who would bring


ExamenG. Murphy 05 January 2001

Take a moment to be aware of God’s presenceLook over your dayhow are you feeling

what touched your heartwhat was important to you

what engaged youwhat did you enjoy

where did you find lifewhat excited you

what nourished youwhat discouraged you

what frustrated youwhat angered you

were there any moments when God seemed closeask God to look at your day with you

what was important to Godcan you talk with God about that.

Taste and see... continued from page 6

us through a degustacion experience that would last fourhours. La degustacion means sampling, tasting. We hada wooden platter of breads and spreads to start withfollowed by eight creative culinary treats that included anappetizer, soup, seafood, meat, “intermezzos” (or “pangalis-suya”), salad, and dessert. The salad was served atthe end just before the dessert, just as the French do, to

help digest the food. The chef cooked as we ate and tooktime to chat with us, in the process unearthing linkages tomany common friends. In between dishes, if we felt a bitheavy, we would walk around her house or the garden orjust sit outdoors to enjoy the Cordillera Mountains scenery.Anchit had the time of his life clicking his camera at people,flowers, the mountains, and the food. Wonder why our lunchtook four hours?

That evening, everyone was satisfied with a salad orsoup. But the dinner was special because Ted and SusanConcepcion arrived in the afternoon and that day was theirwedding anniversary! (They had made the trip to attend thesacerdotal anniversary of a priest-friend on Saturday.) Itwas a lovely gathering of friends, a group date for 3-1/2couples highlighted by a celebration of God’s blessingson Ted and Susan!

Being with Magis Deo and gradually growing in Ignatianspirituality, I am drawn to seek and see God in all things.Our escapade to Baguio would have been another one ofthose routine trips but for the goodness of the Lord whichHe allowed us to taste and see in all the places we visitedand in the company of our friends. The responsorial psalmon Saturday, our last day in Baguio, was meant for us. Itread “taste and see the goodness of the Lord.” Anchit hasmore than 500 pictures to prove it.


I have always heard people say: “TheHoly Spirit works in mysteriousways.” or, “The Holy Spirit is always

present around me.” I do believe in the HolySpirit’s power, and I have experienced thepresence of the Holy Spirit in my life manytimes since childhood. But I admit thatbefore, I took all these blessings forgranted. I never fully appreciated God’ssending me the Holy Spirit especially in timesof need. It wasn’t until late 2009 that I fullyappreciated, acknowledged and professedthe presence of the Holy Spirit in my life.

Today, I want to share moreexperiences of the Holy Spirit’s presencein our lives. Last June 16-18, 2011, MEClass 105 had their Marriage EncounterWeekend at the BLD Retreat House inDasmariñas, Cavite. Our class, ME 102,together with Fr. Adam Albert and othercouples were blessed to facilitate and bethe auxiliaries (auxies) for this class.

Weeks prior to this ME Weekend, muchprayers, practice and preparation went intomaking sure that the weekend would be asuccess. We, ME Class 102, had gonethrough the motions over and over,anticipating every possible scenario. Wewere ready. The hurdle that we experiencedwasn’t that we didn’t have enough auxies(we had 11 auxie couples), nor was itsupplies or physical arrangements. It wasthat we only had 6 confirmed attendeecouples a week before the weekend. Withthe threat of postponing the ME Weekendlooming, our class rallied to ensure a

successful weekend. By 6 pm of June 16,we had 16 couples. As much as we ralliedand searched high and low for recruits, I,we believe that God and the Holy Spirit hadTheir hand on this hurdle.

Registration time at the retreat houseis the first time we got to meet the couplesface to face. Usually, you are only in touchwith one of the spouses, by text, phoneand email. During this time we observedthe couples, and some of them we thoughtto be in a bad place in their marriage. Weare not professional marriage counselorsor psychologists, but by their bodymovements, distance from each other, andthe occasional “irap” at each other, yousense something was wrong. The onlything we could do for was pray and makesure that their retreat was as worry-freeand comfortable as possible. By Saturdaynight, we observed a dramatic differencein the couples, their heads were togetherduring the talks, their arms were aroundeach other, they would hold hands whilewalking, and they would laugh and look ateach other with loving eyes. I am sure thiswas the Hand of God through the HolySpirit.

I can go on and on and cite manyspecific examples of the Hand of God andthe Holy Spirit in the Marriage EncounterWeekend. I am sure that I am not the onlywitness and I am positive that our otherco-auxie-couples would say the same:“The Holy Spirit WAS present at thisweekend and God was enveloping us and

the candidates with His love.” My wife and I areperfect examples of God’s and the Holy Spirit’spresence during the ME Weekend. My wife andI are the living proof that a Christ–centeredmarriage is necessary. We are blessed to bea part of the Magis Deo Community and areprivileged to have served as auxies at this MEWeekend. It is by the Grace of God, Jesus HisSon and the Holy Spirit that we, and othercouples like us continue to serve and payforward all the blessings we received duringour own ME Weekend.

God has played a vital role in our lives, ourmarriage and our outlook towards life. We arehumbled and blessed to be children andservants of God. May this experience touch yourlives as it did ours. God bless you all.

Come, HoReflections from th

Mike&

VanessaSantosME 102

ME Class 105 with Fr. Adam Albert, Spiritual Director (center),and Team Couple Mon & Jacqui Buenaflor (leftmost).


When we, ME 102, first heard thatwe were sponsoring andfacilitating an ME Weekend, I

would say that the first emotion in the air wasthat of excitement! The idea of having theopportunity to lift up time, energy, sweat, bloodand tears to the Lord gave us all a buzz andkept us wide-eyed. This was probably aroundsix months ago... Allow me to update ourflashback to June 11, 2011, a week before theME weekend for ME Class 105. The excitementand enthusiasm had been overwhelmed byfear, disbelief and frustration. We all feared forthe worst... that the weekend would be acomplete flop and that we would be there infull force but no participants to share our hardwork with. But I guess the reason none of us

really panicked or broke down into utterdisappointment is the fact that all of us inthe group had faith in the Lord. Prayerswere said, novenas accomplished, maybesome even spent the entire afternoon infront of the Blessed Sacrament. Realitywas, all we needed was belief in the HolySpirit. For as we called on the Holy Spirit,little by little the participants started totrickle in. From a confirmation of just 4 paidcouples, we got the number up to 16 onthe day the ME weekend was going to start.A big sigh of relief from all of us. Now allwe had to do was pray that all the couplesshowed up.

For an individual as myself, Iconstantly need to be conscious andgrateful for the tiny blessings I receiveevery day. Because if I do not have anattitude of gratitude, I will regress into acynical and ungrateful creature and willforever be complaining. And my firm beliefis that when things just fall into place andthe day is uneventful, the HS, as I like tocall the Holy Spirit, is working His magic.Harmony in action... modern day miracleswithout the mystique. And on the day itself,aside from a brief squabble between my

wife and me – which always turns into ablessing, things just seemed to take a verynatural, orderly flow. Although traffic wasbad in the Santolan area, the vehicles all ofa sudden just started to move faster, andwe got to the meeting place the exact time Ipromised my wife I would get us there (pogipoints for me... woohoo!). Then, our convoyarrived at precisely the time we did. I alreadytook a moment to acknowledge the HS’shand in these simple events. I thought –“This is for the Lord kasi, that is why.” Aswe were putting tarps up for the weekend, Ifound it really cool that we bumped intosome other batch mates on the road whiledoing so... that in my belief was also God’sdoing.

I wish I could write a story whereineverything was dramatic and exhilaratingbefore we got things right but this was nothow our weekend went. For me, it was howthe HS just made things flow. We noticedthat everyone was working. When onecommittee had some difficulty, the othermembers of the group would automaticallycome to the rescue without even asking.

Holy Spirit the ME Weekend

Papoo&

AlexReyes

ME 102

r),All in red andready: ME 102,the sponsoringclass and auxiesfor the weekend.

Continued on page 13


Sa darating na ika-labindalawa sa buwan ng Hunyo,Magdiriwang na naman ng KALAYAAN ang mga Pilipino,

Ngunit naririyan na muli ang mabigat na katanungan,Totoo nga bang nakamit natin ang tunay na kalayaan?

Nasaan naroroon ang KALAYAAN ng libo-libong naghihirap,Na halos walang makain, ni walang trabahong mahahanap,

Marami nagkakasakit, nararatay, ngunit walang perang pambayad,

Mga anak ay gutom, walang disenteng tahanan,halos mga hubad.

Kapus at nagdarahop, nalulunod sa problema at utang,Binabaha ng kagipitan, halos hindi na makakalutang,

Mga kawawang iskwater, pinapalayassa barong-barong na tirahan,

Mga batang gusgusin, hubad, naglilipana sa lansangan.

Masabi ninyo bang malayang mangarap ang mga dukha?Malaya bang umiyak, humikbi at magpapalunod sa luha?

Luluhod ba sa lusak ang mga natanggal sa trabaho?Malaya bang umatungal ang mga inaaping Pilipino?

May kalayaan bang malasap ang kahabag-habag na mga OFW,Dinaya na ng recruiters, pinagsamantalahan pa

ng banyagang amo,Inaalipusta, sinasaktan, niyuyurakan ang dignidad,

Halos di bayaran ang kanilang abilidad?

Malaya bang yumuko na lamang ang anak ng mga pobre,Na di kayang magbayad sa kolehiyo

nitong darating na semestre,Dahil abot langit ang presyo ng ating edukasyon,

Tinaasan ng mga gahaman ang tuisyon at matrikulasyon.

Kalayaan bang maglungkot ang timawang mga magulang,Na walang maiabot na pambaon sa mga anak, o kulang?Di kaya ang presyo ng notebook, ballpen at mga aklat,

Pataas lagi ang pamasahe, habang sahod ay di umaangat?

May kalayaan ba ang nga maliliit na Pilipino,Mga magsasaka, mangingisda, titser, janitor,

mababang kawani ng gobyerno,Nais sanang magpamana ng sapat na edukasyon,

Upang mga anak, sa kahirapan ay mai-aahon.

Sasagutin ko po, Kapatid, ang mga tanong na yan,Kung saan naroroon ang tunay na kalayaan,Nasa mga kamay mo, sa isip, at damdamin,

Sa pagpupunyagi, pagpupursige pag-abot ng adhikain.

Kaya’t magsipag ka, waksiin ang katamaran,Ang mga paniniil, pangungutya ay h’wag pakinggan,

Lumakad kang taas noo, tumakbo, tumalon kung kinakailanganH’wag palamya-lamya, o pakaang-kaang

dahil matindi ang labanan.

Magsimula ka, magtanim, magpunla, magsikap lagi,Talikuran mo ang sumpa ng paghihikahos at pagkalugi

Magbanat ka ng buto, magpatulo ng pawis,kahit luha man at dugo

Kahit kailan, kahit minsan, ang laban ng buhayhuwag na huwag isuko.

Huwag kang kalmanteng naghihintayna kusang mahulog ang swerte,

Bawas-bawasan mo ang yabang, porma, hambog,huwag kang maarte,

Magtipid kang maigi, magsinop, mag-ipon kahit konti,Dahan-dahan mong itayo ang pangarap na paraisong munti.

Sa disiplina, nariyan ang kalayaan, huwag magsugal,bawasan ang bisyo,

Iwasan ang inuman, droga, at sobrang paninigarilyo,Huwag maging palikero, alisin ang pantsi-tsiks,

Walang mabuting hahantungan ang laging pagte-text.

Mag-aral kayong mabuti, magsunog ng kilay,pahusayin ang isip at puso,

Magpakabait, maging tapat, at huwag maging tuso,Maging makatotohanan, matiisin at lubhang maunawain,Iwasan ang barkadang nauuwi sa masasamang gawain.

May kalayaan ka, kapatid, na gumawa ng mahusay at matino,Dahil ang mundo’y siksik sa opurtunidad,

ang buhay ay liglig at puno,Ngunit ang Tagumpay ay nakalaan lamang

sa tunay na karapat dapat,Sa mga busilak ang kalooban at handang umangat.

Malaya ka, Pilipino, may kakayahang magpasya,Malayang pumili alin ang masaklap, alin ang masaya,Malayang mangarap, magtiis upang magtagumpay,

Malayang makikipagtulungan, makiisa at umagapay.

Kaya’t humayo ka’t iwagayway ang bandila ng Kalayaan,Sundan mo ang bahaghari ng maliwanag na kinabukasan,

Pilipino kang lipi na pinili na pino ang ugali,Tiyakin mo at pakaseguruhin at huwag pasaka-sakali.

Tunay kang malaya. Magdiwang ka kaibigan,Magpasalamat ka sa Panginoon at sa Inang bayan,Malaya ka’t taga pagmana sa Kaharian ng Diyos,

Marangal ka, kapuri-puri, dalisay at hindi busabos.

Mabuhay kayo, Malaya at Mahusay na Pilipino,Taas noo mga salinlahi ni Rizal, Bonifacio,

Mabini at Aguinaldo,Magiting na mga kadugo ni Dagohoy, Kudarat,

Sikatuna at Lapulapu,Hindi lang matapang, magaling magaganda pa’t mga gwapo!

Nasan ang kalayaan, naririyan lamang sa iyomg PUSOPusong tapat at di matitinag sa mga tuksoPusong Malaya, may katuwiran at dangal

Pusong malayang umibig at magmahal

MABUHAY KA, MALAYANG PILIPINO!

Nasaan ang Kalayaan?Josephus B. Jimenez, Cana BCGG


SCENES AND SIGNS OF FAITH

Clyde D. Abapo, Jeremiah-Philippians BCGG

I must’ve been six years old when Ibecame conscious of God. My knowledgewas more of the person of Christ.Especially during Holy Week, my Lola Celawould occasionally mention about the lifeand suffering of Jesus. Not only once didshe say “Simba kamo sa Domingo. Haladsa atong Ginoo.” (Go to mass on Sunday.It’s your adoration to God.)

We have two large churches, both lessthan a hundred meters from our house inCebu. I was not a frequent churchgoer then,but once in church, I usually observe thedoings of the priest and the response ofthe people. With the exception of thesermon, I did not understand anythingbecause the mass was celebrated in Latin.What always caught my attention was theraising of the host and cup accompaniedby the ringing of the bell. Everybody was insolemn bow each time. Another peculiarobservation was the ritual of the priest –facing the altar and facing the people withopen arms. Finally the mass ends with thesign of the cross. To my young mind, allmasses were exactly the same hence if Imissed a part, I could replay it in thesucceeding mass schedule. Many yearslater, so I would know what the Holy Masswas all about, I bought a mass bookletthat included a guide to a good confession.

Here are some episodes of my lifethat help me keep my faith going.

Religious Lesson and Activity – Inelementary and high school, we had aweekly one-hour religion class. I learnedabout creation, commandments, andrecitation of prayers in Grades 5 and 6.Sacraments, church doctrines, andChrist’s role in salvation were taught bythe Jesuit brothers in my high school years.College was quite different since religiousactivity was more of a personal initiative. Ijoined the Student Catholic Action but wasnot a very active member. However, I was amember of the Legion of Mary in our

Keepingthe

faith

parish. Regular meetings were everySunday and all members were encouragedto attend catechism class during summervacation. The catechism class was fun andfulfilling because the lecturers were priestswho had lots of jokes and great sense ofhumor. Nakakatuwa at magugulo din angmga pari!

Board Exam – After graduation,passing the board exam is the final test ofour studies and sacrifices in college. Tobecome a professional engineer is to passthe government board exam. I wasdetermined to take the exam thereforethorough preparation was a must. Reviewof the academic subjects is a major factorbut not everything. I needed physical health,mental fitness and spiritual guidance. Thiscan be achieved, as my mother would say,through prayers and trust in the Holy Spirit.My prayer was so specific – good health,no mental black-outs, and no nervousbreakdown during the exam proper. ThankGod everything went smoothly.

Employment – I had about two yearsworking in two manufacturing industriesbefore finally settling down at MobilPhilippines. Competitive salary, security,stability, and attractive benefits were soundbases for my decision. In return, I did mypersonal best in terms of loyalty, honestyand work habits. In 1983, Mobil ceasedoperations. I will never forget my last payrolladvice, which had a lasting andinspirational message. It said, “Your next

salary will come from God. Always pray.” Imoved on and through the years, God wasso good.

Visit to Germany – Looking for achurch is a trademark unique to usFilipinos, especially when we are abroad.My wife and I had a chance to visit a friendin Kassel, Germany. After a tour of theattractive destinations, the next item in theitinerary was a visit to the church on Sunday.To my surprise, the mass celebrant was aFilipino. Although not many were inattendance, what was remarkable was thateverybody received Holy Communion.Assessing the whole mass ceremonymade me see the depth of faith of theparishioners. Very enlightening. After themass we were invited for coffee toexchange pleasantries.

Magis Deo – Magis Deo continues myjourney of faith. When invited, I did nothesitate to join the community in the late80’s. My belief tells me that if the bodyneeds physical health, so does the soul.Faith strengthens our whole being. I findMagis Deo having the dedication andvision to guide the spiritual journey of eachmember through formation retreats, prayerworkshops and apostolic service.

We are most alive when we're in love.John Updike

One of the most beautiful legaciesyou can leave behind in this worldare people who follow God becauseof you.

Bo SanchezTrue love stories never have endings.

Richard Bach


I have been a member of the MagisDeo Choir since 1986 after we took ourM.E. Weekend. At that time, Rae Bernadwas such an inspiration, single-handedlyproviding the music for any activity of thecommunity. So, when the choir wasorganized, it was not difficult for Manoletand myself to respond to the invitation ofTita Aida del Rosario to join. Since then,here I am, still with the choir through all itsgrowing pains (and my spiritual growingpains).

When Manolet left for the US, I feltbeing a member of the choir was such ablessing. I felt so alone and the choir wasa safe (I thought) company. The weeklychoir practices were my Sacred Space, aresting place where I didn’t have to talk. Ireceived so much comfort just by beingamong familiar faces who asked noquestions, respected my privacy. At thesame time, the regularity of just singinghelped me “stay” with my God. Just BE withHim. I felt so blessed because it was inour practices that God spoke and guidedme through relationships with othermembers of the choir. I would hear Hisvoice in the music and the words of oursongs.

Through time, through difficulties andevents, God invited me to practice myIgnatian process. For example, when I wascaretaker of the choir and had the task oflooking for a new choir master. I prayedand asked God for help and guidance. Atthe same time I sought the advice of somemembers of the choir concerning thematter. As I prayed for guidance, I wasaware of the movement of the Spirit withinme and through the events that followed.All the time, I kept on reflecting on my ownfeelings to make sure my ego was not ahindrance to God’s will. At one time, Irecalled a conversation with Fr. Tanseco,when he told me about increasing God’sinfluence when discerning and decreasingmy ego or attachments in the process. Thisreally helped me because difficulties andpassive resistances from members of thechoir prevailed throughout the search. Iconsidered resigning from the choir but mysense of commitment and responsibilityto serve God prevailed.

Our God is a God of surprises! It’sbeen months since, now I am consoled bythe many expressions of appreciation andadmiration for the beautiful singing of the

Song in my heart Suni Rodriguez, Sing to the Lord BCGG

A Musical Note

choir. I also gained new friends, the otherchoir directors I met. Over and above all ofthese, my best consolation is I feel closerto my God. He taught me how to LISTEN toHim in my heart, to recognize Hismovements through events in my daily lifewith the choir. He gave me the opportunityto respond to Him and for Him, with love inmy heart. Now I feel the confidence andcourage to follow His guidance. I cananswer the question Tina posted for allMagis Deo members in last month’seditorial “Have I been schooling myself inthe Ignatian Spirituality?” I know I have. Ijust experienced the fruit of discernment(by the fruit you shall know). I called uponGod during my time of difficulty, I did mypart, and together we journeyed. Now I singwith grateful thanksgiving in my heart, I amstronger and richer in my relationship withGod! God’s love is the silent song in myheart (all our hearts if we just give Him timeand listen with the earsof the heart), the windbeneath my wings.Thank you, Magis DeoChoir! To God be theGlory!

they need. They still value simplicity as away of life. In everything, they get only whatthey need so others will also have a share.They enjoy whatever they have and aregrateful for it without yearning for more.They have common ownership of land andresources where everyone has an equalshare. They are guardians of theirenvironment and do not use pesticides andchemical fertilizers in their farming. Theyhave, among themselves, a law graduatewho is now preparing for the bar exams,another an elected councilor of Botolanwhere he serves as spokesperson for theAeta community. They have social workerswho care for victims of violence and holdworkshops on the rights of women in order

to empower them. They still dream of theday they will return to their ancestral landon the slopes of Pinatubo and spend timein the reforestation of their land and thecreation of a watershed.

The story of the Aetas is a story oftriumph over adversity and we admire theirpersistence and perseverance against allodds. But of special importance to usMagis Deo members is how they practicein their daily lives the 4 S’s – Stewardship,Simplicity, Sharing and Service. We sharethe same virtues and the same vision ofhow we should live our lives. We can alsolearn from them how these virtues are soingrained in their culture and way of life.

One question that was asked of theirchieftain, Carlito Domulot, was what MagisDeo can do to help them. They asked onlyfor our respect. For years, they have beendiscriminated against. Some parents evenfrighten their children by saying that Aetaswill eat them if they do not obey. The Aetassimply want to be seen as persons whohave their own dignity and rights. They didn’thave to ask for that as they already haveour respect and admiration for they are ableto live the ideal life of practicing the 4 S’sthat we strive for everyday.

The Botolan... continued from page 1

Ted & Susan ConcepcionVice Chaircouple

Archangel Gabriel BCGG


Like acannonball

Zarah Gagatiga, Mt. Olivet BCGGAFTERTHOUGHTS

It is the feast day of St. Ignatius of Loyolaon July 31.

A host of Ignatian stories come to mind.One of the more popular happens to be thatof the cannonball.

Ignatius, the pompous and worldlysoldier, got hit on both legs by a cannonballduring a battle between the Spaniards andthe French. One leg was wrecked, the otherwounded. Iñigo (Ignatius’ baptismal name),the defeated Spaniard, was spared and takento recuperate at his home in Loyola becausehe impressed the French with his valor andvaliant fighting. His commander had wantedto surrender but Iñigo would rather die thanface defeat. Such was his pride and stubbornnature. To add insult to injury, Iñigo ended uplimping for the rest of his life despite attemptsat setting his legs straight. What a blow it musthave been to his ego.

Perhaps Iñigo had a great desire to lookdashing once more. In his intense yearningto return to normal life, he endured the pain oftwo operations without anesthesia,succumbing to a fever that nearly took his life.On the other hand, had he not been hit by acannonball, the road to conversion would nothave opened for him. During hisconvalescence, he read two books on the livesof saints and Jesus Christ. These affectedhim so much that reflecting on theirexemplars, Iñigo found great peace and

satisfaction. The rest, as they say, is Jesuithistory.

There are many other anecdotes andstories on St. Ignatius that prompt us tosee how God works on humanity andcreation. To me, the cannonball is arelevant metaphor to understand God’shumor and His ways of surprising Hisbeloved. What a romantic love story thisbespeaks of man and God!

God knows Ignatius well. In return,Ignatius strived to know God more so hecould love God back, succeeding, despitehis limp, in finding God in all things. God’slove is like a cannonball. He will hit youwhere you deserve or need the most. Thisexplosive love of God, once recognized andclaimed, strengthens and blesses ahundred fold.

This July, as the feast of St. Ignatiusdraws nigh, I reflect on the manycannonballs I received from God. Somecrushed me to the ground; a few took awayattachments I held dear; and a handful ofthem are still embedded in my soul.Though it is not my desire to be a saint, Iwish to know God who loves me so I canlove Him back. I’m taking a chance atconversion. I’m taking a shot at heedingthe call to universal holiness. Who knows,maybe I could get my wish in this lifetime.

St. Ignatius, hear my prayers.

St. Ignatius of Loyola

Even the demeanor of all the guys and galswas in itself evidence that the Holy Spiritwas in each and every one of us. Everyonewas cheerful even when we all lackedsleep, were fatigued and hectic. I waitedfor some defects of character to arise butto my delight, everyone was giddy till theend. Even when a few assignments wereforgotten, the HS came quickly and providedsolutions without our batting an eyelash.The HS even fed us with an abundance ofpizza and a ton of our favorite foods. But forme, the biggest evidence that the HS waspresent is how the participants weretouched by the weekend and how it helpedtheir marriages. That was the biggestcompliment we all could have received. Thefact that these couples left the weekendwith gratitude in their hearts and belief intheir marriages, no one can deny God’spresence.

So for ME 102, I would like to thankthe Holy Spirit for coming... even before weall sang “Come Holy Spirit,” You werealready in our midst.

Left: Fr. Adamat the June2011 MEWeekend.

Right: Fr.Adam con-ducting an MEWeekendmany yearsago!

Below: The special candle-lit dinner for theME 105 couples. They were serenaded by athree-guitar band and two singers, all fromthe Magis Deo community.

A lot of careful planning and monitoring isinvolved in the many activities of an MEWeekend.

Come, Holy Spirit... continued .from page 9


Rey Mella, Cana BCGG

SPIRITUAL TIDBITS AND HUMOR

My grandfather is 111 years old thisyear. He is probably the oldest living per-son in the world…

But, no, he died in 1970, at age 70. Hewould have been 111 now and the oldestperson in the world. This is a standard jokeI tell my friends. It’s true and accurate,though – my father’s dad died in 1970, and,41 years later, today, he would have been111.

____________

May 1 was my father’s birthday. Whilehe’s been dead for over 7 years (he diedNovember 2003, 7 months after theirgolden wedding anniversary), memoriesof our conversations about being a hus-band and a father never left me. One wasour debate on responsible parenthoodwhen I was in my first year in college and Iwas taking up one unit of family planning. Iremember taking the position that weshould limit the number of children andmy father preached procreation and hav-ing as many children as one wished tohave. It must have the church’s position atthat time. That was tough – my father wasa devout Catholic who served in the Arch-diocese of Jaro in Iloilo as manager of theprinting press owned by the CatholicChurch, and, at one time, reported to thethen Archbishop Jaime L. Sin.

On the other hand, I was child no. 4 ina family of 10. And, I was unhappy not hav-ing enough of life simply because therewere just too many of us in the family. Idon’t think I won that discussion.

____________

Second, my father reminded me onseveral occasions to never lay my hand onmy wife. Not that he suspected that I wouldor that I was a violent person. It was hisway of teaching me to be a good husbandand to be Christ-like. And, to this day I havelived up to my father’s teaching on this.

____________

Lastly, he reminded me to always hugmy children. And I do. At every opportunity,from the time they were babies up to todaywhey are already adults and adolescents,I hug and kiss them. My children have got-ten used to hugs and kisses at home oreven in public.

____________

All three memories and lessons areas relevant as they were then as they aretoday, at least to me personally. My father’sspirituality and fear of God influenced meon being a responsible parent and to al-ways take care of my family.

____________

Some food companies advertise andsay your “food delivered in 1 hour or it isfree.” Others say if you are not issued areceipt, your purchase is free. God, in con-trast, doesn’t advertise. Maybe He does, inaction. He just delivers.

____________

I am a simple person and proud ofbeing one. I save money at each opportu-nity. So, when my son hands over to me hisbarely used pair of rubber shoes, I gladlyaccept. I use it for more than 3 years. Fromjust using the shoes for my regular briskwalking, I move on to using it for my tread-mill exercise in the gym, and eventuallyusing the same pair when I run the 3k andthe 5k. I was so proud about that aspect ofmy simplicity – using a really used, old pairof sneakers – that I brag about it with familyand friends. I even wrote about it andshared it in the community.

____________

A few months ago, I started to experi-ence sharp pain in some parts of my feet.As I had a bout with gout in the past, goutwas the first suspect. With gout, I was prac-tically disabled and in extreme pain. Thistime the difference was that I could still walkbut with pain. It was tolerable pain but itrendered me hopeless for long walks. Icould not run nor even exercise.

____________

I tolerated it for a few weeks until Idecided to see a doctor. X-rays were or-dered and when the results came backnegative for fractures and other disorder,the doctor narrowed it to plantar fasciitis, aminor and treatable foot disorder. It is de-fined as a painful inflammatory process ofthe plantar fascia. Guess what’s one of thecauses? Running with bad shoes! And, so,I undergo treatment and therapy. While Iwas doing this, I was in pain, and it madewalking very difficult, most especially whenI carried my heavy laptop bag and gym bag.

____________

At the height of the pain in both feet, Iwas given a company driver. What greattiming and blessing. With the driver driv-ing, carrying my heavy stuff from the car tomy office and dropping me off and pickingme up right in front of the lobby, things weremade a lot easier and my pain was allevi-ated. God delivers.

____________

One of the beauties about aging andmaturing is one learns to roll with thepunches and adapt. When I was younger, Iwas a lot more impatient and controlling.Even with the weather. So, when typhoonChedeng struck and we had to scrap ourplan of celebrating my son’s birthday inSagada, I made quick adjustments. I textedthree friends and asked for help. (This isanother sign of my growing old – I amhumble enough to know when to ask forhelp.) From one of the replies, I got a leadthat my friend Leony was going toCamarines Sur and was just confirmingthat his plans would not be rained out bythe same typhoon. After I made a quick callto Leony, we were all packing for CamSur,instead of Sagada. The rest is history. Wehad a grand time celebrating my son’s, andincidentally, Leony’s daughter’s birthday inCamSur. From Naga City, we decided tosee Mayon Volcano in Legazpi, with a sonlimping from a sprain, but that’s anotherstory. Nowadays, I rarely wonder aboutwhere God is present in my life.

____________

When I thought a disaster (for my va-cation plans) was in the offing when thetyphoon struck, God had a better plan thanI had – a more exciting vacation some-where else with Leony, Mia and their fam-ily. God again delivers.

____________

One beautiful Sunday morning, apriest announced to his congregation: “Mygood people, I have here in my hands threesermons... a $100 sermon that lasts fiveminutes, a $50 sermon that lasts fifteenminutes, and a $10 sermon that lasts afull hour.”

“Now, we’ll take the collection and seewhich one I’ll deliver.”

God always delivers

____________


Birthdays - First 10 days of August

01 Kaye Alagao Good Shepherd07 Trixie Sun Archangel Gabriel

Elay Jabonero ME Class 10408 Beth Amio ME Class 10209 Nilo Sta. Maria Magnificat10 Terry Abella Mustard Seed

Larnz Briones Good Shepherd

July Wedding Anniversary Celebrants

02 Pete & Elo Nabong Thessalonians03 Michael & Peony Corre ME Class 10204 Jojo & Jane Aldeguer Mustard Seed

Jimmy & Fatima+ Umali Exodus10 John & Glo Boren Agnus Dei

Dennis & Joy Rago Agnus DeiRicky & Trixie Sun Archangel GabrielRamon & Jeanette Fargas ME Class 102

11 Claro & Linda Santos Agnus DeiVicente & Victoria Babaran Magnificat

12 Mads & Julie Bugayong EasterNoel & Gigi Resurreccion Archangel Gabriel

18 Ed & Tatic Castillo CanaAriel & Jane Fernandez ME Class 104Lito & Cynthia Lazaro ME Class 104

19 Jason & Leonarda Sanchez ME Class 10320 Frank & Lilian Manila ME Class 9821 Bing & Vikki Brillantes Cana22 Tony & Benny Vistan Psalm 46-Samaritans23 Rael & Maie Opao ME Class 9924 Nan & Ai Palete ME Class 10226 Tony+ & Flor Pison Sing to the Lord

Dennis & Jovelyn Joaquin ME Class 10127 Manolet & Suni Rodriguez Sing to the Lord30 Edick & Marlyn Pinga ME Class 10431 Doy & Becky Dizon Archangel Gabriel

Dodo & Jon Sta. Maria Transfiguration

Wedding Anniversaries - First 10 days of August

03 Val & Joan Lugti ME Class 8905 Shane & Tina Pangilinan Mustard Seed08 Ramie & Mimi Santos Psalm 46-Samaritans

Val & Riza De Leon ME Class 10410 Rudy & Lyn Ebardo Jeremiah-Philippians

Calendar of Activities: July - September 2011

July Venue Contacts / Sponsors

02 Sat Community Celebration San Carlos Lay Formation Center CSM / North SectorGuadalupe, Makati City Magnificat, John, Transfiguration

09 Blessing of new Magis Office Magis Office, 2/F Annex, CeFam Bldg. Magis Deo 426-7191and Mid-year Planning

15 Facilitating Skills Workshop Rockwell Center Ortigas (between Meralco Fil & Anne Alfonso 0920-919-7782and Medical City Hospital) Ricky & Gie Valencia 0919-221-9078

21 Council Meeting Magis Office, 2/F Annex, CeFam Bldg. Magis Deo 426-719131 MEFP General Assembly Global City Taguig MEFP 426-4206

August

06 Sat Community Celebration San Carlos Lay Formation Center Outreach Ministry / South SectorGuadalupe, Makati City Mt. Olivet, Beatitudes

18 Council Meeting Magis Office, 2/F Annex, CeFam Bldg. Magis Deo 426-719119-21 MEW (ME Class 106) – P3,200/couple BLD Covenant House, Dasmariñas, Cavite Ike & Josie Llamas 821-0639

By: Fr. James Gascon, S.J.20 Life in the Spirit Seminar (LSS) God Loves Catholic Prayer Community Clyde & Pachot Abapo 0922-809-8768

10th St., New Manila

September

03 Sat Community Celebration San Carlos Lay Formation Center CSM / Central SectorGuadalupe, Makati City Jeremiah-Philippians, Good Shepherd

09-11 Marriage Encounter-2 St. Scholastica’s, Tagaytay MEFP 426-420610 Sat Couple’s Night TBA Leony Parada 0917-795-338315 Council Meeting Magis Office, 2/F Annex, CeFam Bldg. Magis Deo 426-7191

July Birthday Celebrants

01 Julie Bugayong EasterMichael Corre ME Class 102

02 Julie Torres Jeremiah-PhilippiansEdna Pestaño Psalm 46-SamaritansMay Leal Mt. OlivetRoi Palencia ME Class 103

04 Felix Brawner Sirach07 Tony Narciso Easter

Grace Santos ThessaloniansJoy Rago Agnus Dei

08 Celia Echivaria ExodusRaymund Martin EasterFrancis Fernandez ME Class 103

10 Mars Cuevas ME Class 91Rhea Gaddi ME Class 102

11 Pio Echivaria Exodus15 Jet Quimel Exodus

Yayette Ventigan John16 Rey Asperin Archangel Gabriel17 Resty Tongol Transfiguration

Liza Mosqueda ME Class 10318 Arnel Isip Corinthians19 Dolly Llamas Jeremiah-Philippians

Percy Garcia Mt. Olivet20 Tintin Regulacion ME Class 100

Julz Valerio ME Class 10322 Benny Vistan Psalm 46-Samaritans23 Ed Macalalad Mt. Olivet

Grace Catangay Ephesians24 Yang Valerio ME Class 10325 Doy Dizon Archangel Gabriel

Anna Tongol Transfiguration26 Carlos Pizarro Corinthians

Mase Folloso ME Class 10229 Bernie Isip Corinthians

Anne Naldo Psalm 46-Samaritans31 Feast of St. Ignatius

Josephine Guzman BeatitudesIan Alon EphesiansMariella Castillo Archangel GabrielAurora Provido ME Class 104

the botolan aetas’ way of the 4 s’s - magis deomagisdeo.org/mdnl/2011_jul_highres.pdf · the...

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