REFLECTIONS

                       THE MIGHTY GOD IS WITH US!
                                              LYNN FALSIS, FI
                                 COLEGIO DE LAS HIJAS DE JESUS
                                                 ILOILO CITY  

God once again showed His mighty power, a power that cannot be compared to any of the strong and tough typhoon like Frank.” The recent typhoon that hit the country was for us, especially the Ilonggos, an experience of helplessness, fear, deep anxiety and uncertainty. But this experience was turned into an experience of faith, of abandonment into the loving hands of God. On the night of June 21, Saturday, our teachers were sending text messages begging us to rescue them and their small children from their places covered with mud flow which reached up to the ceiling of their houses. My heart bled listening to their cries but cannot do anything for them at that difficult moment. Roads were impassable. The cars were pulled and swept away by strong winds and flood. I and the Sisters in the community wanted to respond to their pleading but we felt so helpless and all we could do at that time was just to pray and beg God to give them the help and strength they needed. I did not have a good sleep that evening thinking of the sufferings of my brothers and sisters who were affected by the typhoon. I, too, was called by God to trust Him fully and abandon into His loving hands the teachers, the families of our students and other people who were badly affected by the calamity. The following day, Sunday - June 22, upon knowing that the road to Pavia (one of the towns that were hardly hit) was already passable we went to rescue the family of our teacher.

While on our way to Pavia my heart was so pained seeing the many people who lost their houses, livestock and other properties. They were covered with mud and shivered of coldness while crying for help. Beyond this pain I saw God’s love and providence. He listened to the prayers of His people. The heavy downpour of rain stopped and the water subsided and help and rescue were made easier and possible. Upon seeing our teacher and her small children alive and safe, God was telling me: “See, I was with them the whole night”. I believe that God was with them the whole night! The teacher recounted how God saved them. In the midst of a devastating situation God gave her the strength and courage to save her children. She placed her 4 year old boy inside the big pail and transferred him to a house much safer than her own. God’s rescue came through a banana trunk floating in the mud water. They got it and placed the two small children on top and with the help of some men transferred them to the convent of the Paulinian Fathers. There were many stories similar to this. I was struck by the faith of our lay collaborators who were directly affected sending messages to us like “Sister, please pray for us. We are afraid but we believe God will never abandon us…he is a kind Father”. God showed His fatherly love and care to all of us here in Iloilo. God gave us occasions for us to grow in our faith and trust in Him. To the victims of the typhoon and to me, as well, God is indeed a FATHER who never abandons His children! God’s mercy and love are most evident when we are in utter helplessness. For me, Frank brought out the worst and claimed many lives but for sure it has also brought something that could help us grow more and more in our life of faith with God, thus, making us see the events in the light of His purpose and love.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some Afterthoughts
        ON THE VISION-MISSION SEMINAR  

         By Ms. Minnie Roiles (SHS-Hijas de Jesus, Cebu City)

More than our work output during the encounter, I think there was something more important and relevant that took place. I saw that as we went through the process of studying and assimilating the F.I. Philippine Province Vision-Mission and of re-visiting, re-reading, re-tracing, re-focusing and re-living the vision-mission and core values of our particular apostolic center, certain inner stirrings were evoked.

Taking my experience as a participant this time and not as a facilitator, I have seen that generally, we were responding with enthusiasm and a deeper understanding of the spirit and core values of the F.I. Philippine Province Vision-Mission – filiation-fraternity, Christ-centeredness, obedience-availability, abnegation and love for Mary. To a different level, I felt that we were awakened again to the serious meaning of our role as active agents in the mission of the Church -- evangelizing the gospel truths through education and in seeing more and more the relevance of the mission of giving integral Christian education as a way to reform the world.

What is next after this? Because of the insights and values gained and the positive feelings within each one—a new gust of inspiration, a sense of “renewed feeling of owning and desiring to live the vision-mission” of our particular schools, a strengthened sense of commitment to live the core values and continue to participate in the mission of education, the growing closeness among the F.I. sisters and lay collaborators coupled with a more solid partnership in working for the mission and a deepened faith in God, I hear a longing for the participants to have a follow-up encounter. Although we can keep the learning and inspiration especially as we are now tasked with sharing and giving the same dynamics to our respective school community, a similar encounter may satisfy our increasing desire to grow in the spirituality of the Foundress and to be always updated in contextualizing the spirit and core values of Blessed Candida Ma. De Jesus.

Certainly, because of God’s grace and abiding presence and the inspiration of Blessed Candida Maria de Jesus, the encounter was a success! I saw a solid evidence of the spirit working during the encounter. As I witnessed it myself, the different islands and regions where the delegates of the 11 schools were coming from naturally presented a diversity of realities. However, two unifying elements were at work: the charism of the Foundress where filiation-fraternity was strongly felt and the sense of mission in education through the Hijas de Jesus way that made all the representatives of the different centers dream of big dreams for the persons they are educating and for the world

 

 

A  RETREATANT’S   REFLECTION:

MANRESA RETREAT HOUSE SACRED SPACE, NATURE’S TOUCH, AND HUMANE CARE

Retreatants flock, visitors come and go…regular occurrence.
Remarkably cited by local and international guests… clergy, religious and the laity,
Returning joyfully for sacred space… for nature’s touch… for humane care.
Hijas de Jesus (Filiae Iesu) Blessed Candida’s beloved,
Sharing special warmth and fraternal concern amidst the greenery with fruit trees abounding.

Landscaping community dwellings, and a gazebo-chapel;
Hugged by the wind, greenery remains still in soulful quiet and natural gaiety enhancing the Creator’s scheme.
Inner lawn grandiosely engaging

As our Lady of Lourdes grotto infuses serenity and security of motherly presence.
With fruit tress and flowers it leads one to the Chapel
Where divine praises are chanted and God’s blessings recited.
Greenery, cool to the senses;
Sprawling ground landing out-of-town milieu
Fruit trees, flowers filling heart and vision;
Retreat gain impact, conferences gifted with facilities a la mode.
Manresa… Manresa… keep up beauty and grace;
God’s love embracing… imparted mainly and instilled graciously
By your sacred space, nature’s touch, and human care.

Prof. Dr. Belen L. Tangco, O.P.  
Manresa Retreat House, Quezon City, Philippines
May 29, 2008