… from Fr.
Alberic’s office
January 4, 2005 Today we have
another session with Sr. Fidelis. She had indicated that this would be her
second to the last meeting with us, then her work with us will come to an end.
Concern whether we can do constructive dialogue by ourselves was being raised
up, at least by one of the brothers. I think this is a healthy concern.
Dialogue among ourselves would reveal whether we can do it appropriately. We
trust, though, that we can.
Here are some PRINCIPLES OF ADULT LEARNING which Sr. Fidelis shared with us:
1. Learning is a process that lasts THROUGHOUT LIFE.
2. The learner must be ACTIVELY INVOLVED in the learning.
3. The learner is responsible for his/her OWN learning.
4. The learning process is an AFFECTIVE (emotional) as well as an intellectual
process.
5. Adults learn by DOING.
6. Problems & examples should be RELEVANT to the learners.
7. Adults RELATE their meaning to what they ALREADY KNOW.
8. Adults work best in an INFORMAL environment.
9. VARIETY stimulates.
10. LEARNING flourishes in a WIN-WIN, non-judgmental environment.
11. The TRAINER'S responsibility is to FACILITATE (to make easy to learn). The
PARTICIPANT'S responsibility is to learn.
What Sr. Fidelis has been doing with us was giving us tools on how to dialogue.
She has a knack in telling us stories & experiences to convey what she
wanted to communicate to us. This morning, 16 of us were divided into four
groups. The rests has to observe how those in groups work in their respective
assignment. Then the mechanics was reverse. Those who observe were divided in
different groups and those who formerly were in groups were now observing. I
have the impression that the gist of these activities is to gauge our level of
participation in a common project whether we can really work together in a
harmonious cooperation. The apparent beauty of these exercises was made
manifest by sporadic burst of gentle laughter among us, which I thought was
good.
January 6, 2005
This afternoon we
joined the workers in harvesting our corn. Next week we will also harvest our
rice. We are really grateful to God and to Br. Delfin that we were able to
harvest it even though we were late in planting. I thought that we won't be
planting rice & corn last year, because Br. Meme who was in charge of our
farm went to our mother house in the states but thanks to God that Br. Delfin
took the initiative to do it even though he just took over the place of Br.
Meme and that was his first experience of planting rice & corn. He was
groping in a certain sense, but it was a delightful grope because he learned
many things.
We trust that the yield of the corn & the rice will compensate the
expenses. We hope, too, not to buy rice this year, especially when we are going
to plant again in the rainy season.
It's meaningful to work under the heat of the sun and be with the brothers
harvesting corn. Our harvesting method is so primitive. We just plucked the
ears by our bare hands and put it in containers, and our workers gathered it
up.
January 20th-25th I was in
This abbey was actually from our monastery in mainland
It's been a long time that they don't have vocation, but now there's and
obvious life in the community with four novices and one simple professed. Dom
Anastasius itself, who is in his early 40's, and those in formation are the
young ones in the community. They have one monk there who is now 108, Fr.
Nicholaus Kao. He was born on January 15, 1897. Thus his life span crosses
three centuries: 1897-2005 (19th, 20th, & 21st), and through nine
Pontificates, from: Pope Leo XIII to Pope John Paul II, total of nine Popes.
Fr. Nicholaus was a former diocesan priest. When he was 70 yrs. old he joined
the monastery in Lantao as an oblate. He lives in the monastery during these
years. And after 30 years as an oblate he eventually made solemn profession at
the age of 100. This was in 1997. If there would be a religious Guinness world
record, undoubtedly he is qualified to be registered as the oldest monk to make
solemn profession!
He had a recent surgery and was recuperating at a religious house for the aged
in Hongkong. He was still 107 when he had this major surgery. But before the
operation he prayed: "Lord, please forgive all my sins. I do not want to
live in this world any longer but rather go back to my eternal home. But thy
will be done. So if you do not grant me this wish, then let me remain in this
world to do more penance." His departed comrades have occupied seven of
the tombs reserved for him. Now he reserved the eight for himself.
We visited him there the day before the abbatial blessing and sang a belated
happy 108 birthday. He was brought back to the monastery the following day for
the ceremony.
There are two fundamental principles that guided his life: Patience &
Death. Six times he had been rescued by the Blessed Mother from fatal
accidents: sea, land, air, knife, rock, and mountain. He erected six grottos in
honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Fatima.
For those of us who are interested to know the seven secrets of his longevity
and are willing to listen to his spiritual advices, here they are:
a) Longevity: Do not smoke
Do not get drunk
Do not get angry
Do not over eat
Do not be impolite
Have regular physical exercises
Pray constantly
b) Spiritual Advice: Have Faith
Have Humility
Have Charity
Have Goodness
Have Patience
Have Piety
Have Constancy
So, those who want to reach 108 this is your chance! But I believe that all
these are absolutely important even if we don't reached 90.
With the author of the letter of 2 Peter we can conclude by saying: "If
all these things are yours and abound, they keep you from being ineffective or
unfruitful in the knowledge of Our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these
things is blind and shortsighted and has forgotten that he was cleansed from
his old sins." So be it.
God bless you all.
In Christ and Mary,
Fr. Alberic and the monks of OLP