... from Fr. Alberic's office
February 2, 2005
Today is the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord. We have also the joy of receiving Br. Dennis Rodriguez to the novitiate. After extending his postulancy for six months, Br. Dennis who hails from Pamplona, Negros Oriental finally resolves to go on to the novitiate. Thus this evening he was clothed in the novice's habit. Br. Dennis changed his name to Justin, after St. Justin martyr (c.100-c165), an early Christian apologist, the first Christian thinker to seek to reconcile the claims of faith and reason. Br. Justin was a former seminarian but left the seminary to help his younger siblings. He became a high school teacher and was teaching for 10 years. His younger siblings eventually finished their studies and had their own jobs. This made Br. Justin freer to respond to his first love when it came back to him again. In him the saying that "true love never dies" holds true. He left his teaching career and entered the religious life. By making this creative choice he throws in his lot with the Lord and puts himself and his future at the disposal of providence.
In Today's Gospel we see Our Lord Jesus undergoing 3 ancient ceremonies which every Jewish boy has to undergo: 1st, Circumcision. Every Jewish boy was circumcised on the 8th day after his birth. This ceremony was so sacred that it could be carried even on a Sabbath when the law forbade almost every other act that was not absolutely essential; an on that day the boy received his name. So, today Br. Justin receives circumcision not of the flesh but of the heart. Today he also received the name Br. Justin. 2nd, The Redemption of the First-Born. According to the Law of Moses every first born male, both of human beings & cattle was sacred to God. That law may have been a recognition of the gracious power of God in giving human life. Br. Justin is also the First-Born since he is the eldest in the family. He is a male too. Thus he is sacred to the Lord. 3rd, The purification after childbirth. When a woman gave birth to a male child, she was unclean for 40 days; if it was a girl, for 80 days. She could still go about her daily household duties, but she could not enter the temple nor attend any religious ceremony. At the end of that period she has to bring to the temple a lamb for burnt offering & young pigeon for a sin offering. If she could not afford a lamb she could offer instead two turtledoves or two pigeons. The offering of the two pigeons was technically called the "Offering of the Poor." It was the offering of the poor that Our Lady brought. Br. Justin as he enters the novitiate today is bringing with him two pigeons, that is, his body and soul. This is his only offering like the poor widow who offers two copper coins that was her only property. At the back of these 3 ceremonies is the conviction that a child is a gift of God. Thus Br. Justin as he performs this ceremony acknowledges that he is a gift of God to the community.
It has been said that there was never a Jew who did not regard his own nation as the chosen people. But they saw quite clearly that by human means their nation could never attain to the supreme world greatness which they believed their destiny involved. To bring in that day some believed that there would be a great celestial champion who would descend upon the earth; others believed that there would arise another king of David's line & that all the old glory of Israel would be revived. But in contrast to all this there were some few people who were known as the "Quiet in the Land." They had no dreams of violence & of power & of armies with banners; they believed in a life of constant prayer & quiet watchfulness until God should come. All their lives they waited quietly & patiently upon God. Simeon was like that; in prayer, in worship, in humble & faithful expectation he was waiting for the day when God would comfort his people. Anna, too, was one of the Quiet in the Land. She never ceases to worship. She spent her life in God's house with God's people. Public worship is great, and private worship is great too. It has been said that "they pray best together who pray first alone." The years had left Anna in unshakable hope because day by day she kept her contact with God who is the source of strength and in whose strength our weakness is made perfect. Br. Justin has a growing reputation as the most silent in our community. Thus he is considered as one of the "Quiet in the Land." He is one of those who go early to Church for our Divine Office. St. Benedict calls it a "zeal for the work of God."
February 6, 2005
Today we celebrate the birthday of Fr. Fabian Mullaney, one of the six original founders of our community. Fr. Fabian is now at Our Trappistine sisters in General Santos as their chaplain. He went to Manila for his annual check up and came down here to celebrate his 80th birthday with us. He came here, though, last year to attend the solemn profession of our Br. Paul Christopher. Our record shows that Br. Fabian entered Holy Trinity Abbey in Utah on October 2, 1949. That's almost 55 years ago. Then on September 8, 1952 he made his first simple profession. And on September 8, 1955 he made his solemn profession. This was before I was born. He was a brother when he came here in 1972 and was ordained to the priesthood on June 1, 1975 the first to be ordained in our community. He looks healthier now that he reduces his weight, but he still have problem in walking because of his weak bones that bother his legs. However, no matter what his health condition and his age, he still determined to serve the sisters in Matutum. It's obvious that he wants to die with his boots on.February 18, 2005
Today is our last session with Sr. Fidelis. She has been working with us for a year and seven months. Now is the time that we can put into practice the dynamics that she graciously imparted to us. She uses a beautiful analogy of a cell phone and gave the reason why we are told by the flight attendant to switch it off when the plane started to take off. The obvious reason is that cell phone wave causes interference of the communication between the pilot and tower control operator. How we live in community is like having our cell phone turn on. So, it is inevitable that there is always interference. "What causes interference in our community life?" she asked. It is ourselves - part of ourselves which are not the true self. Our false self is like the waves that interfere between the tower and the pilot. That is why it has to be shut off. False self is our masked self. Our personality is strongly marked by expectation: parents, family, peers, & society. She gave us an exercise: to make statements made us react or made others react, then to identify whether it is a fact or interpretation. What causes more trouble is the interpretation. If we live by facts we will diminish trouble. As a farewell gesture she conceded to eat lunch with us. For her sake, we break our fast and served cake. The brothers were just delighted with it.February 25, 2005
Every Thursday afternoon, we have a community common work. It started last year. The idea of this is to foster a bond of unity among the brothers. We will work in whatever department that needs help. It could be in the farm or orchard or in Food Manufacturing or cleaning the church or just anything that needs to be done. Our common today was gathering logs for charcoal. Since the foundation of our monastery in 1972 until now, the coconut area had not been clean, so trees were growing side by side with some of the coconuts that were down the hill. We have not really harvested coconuts in this area by the fact they are not growing well and are surrounded with bushes or trees. We help our workers in cleaning it and carrying the logs to where the tractor can haul it. To go up and down the hill with a log on one's shoulder is quite meaning because it reminds us of Our Lord Jesus carrying his cross up to Calvary or Isaac carrying the woods up to Mt. Moria. This is where the wisdom of St. Benedict comes in when he says that the strong has something to long for and the weak has nothing to shrink from, that is to say, in this case, we carry only what we are able. The stronger brother carry a bigger log while the weaker brother carry only a smaller log, and yet all of us were working and going up and down the hill and were contented with our load. We rested, though, from time to time to muster some strength. If we will inject a spiritual meaning on it, we can say that we will be contented only if we carry the cross that God gives us, because he will not let us carry a burden beyond our strength. We have also to take time to rest in prayer to gain spiritual strength. If it's too heavy and hard to carry, maybe we are the one who chose it and not Our Lord. "Come to me all of you who are heavily laden. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and gentle of heart and you will find rest for your souls."
In Christ and Mary,
Fr. Alberic and the monks of OLP