So, we're back from Mt. Tabor, ie, the SVD Retreat House in Tagaytay, to terra firma and all the little mundane challenges it represents.
For those who can find the time and inclination to go on a retreat of any sort, they should consider themselves lucky and privileged. Little does one realize it's really an invitation to Mt. Tabor. "Lord, it's good for us to be here." Mt.17:4. I myself tried to find every excuse not to go. I just had a sore throat and a bad cold a few days before. It did not help my already acute asthmatic condition. My old body was aching all over. I've done retreats and cursillos enough, I thought.
I'm glad 2 angels, in the form of Sonny and Czar, made sure I'd go. They phoned me several times and wouldn't take no for an answer. At 6AM they were at my gate, with a new recruit, Atty. Adrian S, and we were off. It turned out to be one of the best-attended recollections. Everybody who needed to be there showed up, including Fr. Jerry who had just returned from a month-long trip to the USA. In all, we were about 33. Fr. Fred Saniel, SVD, now the Tagaytay Seminary Rector, gave us a serious and impressive talk on SVD spirituality. The famous Fr. Beltran also gave us a short talk on his latest project, Veritas e-trading, to unite as many parishes and dioceses to market the agri-products within their parishes thru the internet. Fr. Jerry was in his usual very effective showbiz-mode. CzarLiza was the biggest hit with his talk on God's unconditional love, a most entertaining presentation, vintage-Czar.
Whatever little excuses I had initially entertained soon evaporated when I realized that Tony M had also joined. He was painfully thin and frail, his head wrapped in a bandana after his first chemo treatment. I was sufficiently moved, impressed and inspired. If this cancer-survivor could do it, I'd better shape up, I thought. That disposition was evidently infectious throughout the conference. In all humility, I would have to say that I may have managed to inspire the others. All in all, it became a most enjoyable, refreshing if heavenly experience. You felt you were in the company of angels. Everybody was in a good-natured, jovial, funny, loving and lovable mood. The burning topic of the moment was about feeling the presence of God, SVD spirituality. If this is not heaven, it's angeland, as close to heaven as it could get. "Lord, it's good for us to be here."
There was simply no place, no room for anything negative, evil, or any ill-will of any sort. The brothers all felt good, happy, and at peace with God and with one another. Small wonder the angelic song is Glory to God in the Highest and on earth peace to men of goodwill. Oh, but wait a minute, we almost forgot, there was still a little something that seemed to be hanging around bugging us like some pesky little fly that wouldn't go away. We couldn't quite place it. During the Mass, Fr. Jerry had also asked, "Brothers, what is it that's holding us back from giving in to God's unconditional love."
It was late in the evening of Saturday night. We were all tired from a whole day of serious conferencing. Fr. Jerry who had come in very late, as usual, had just finished a most memorable and moving Mass. Everything that needed to be said and done was said and done. It was past 11PM. We were still in the chapel. Still nobody thought of standing up and leaving. We were in a good place and nobody was in any particular hurry to go. Then, it happened.
It was a minor miracle. Two brothers were embracing each other and there were tears of joy. What's wrong with this picture? They had suddenly found the wellspring of forgiveness. Halleluia! They were brothers once more, as they had always been. They did not wait for the heaven in the hereafter. Heaven simply could not wait. These angels just had to be where only angels dare to tread.
But I cannot end this blog without going back to Tony M. After the Mass at the chapel we had asked him to tell us a little bit about his medical condition, which he did. The guy is faith in action, living proof of God's mysterious ways, and his complete dependence on Divine Providence. Before we went home on Sunday afternoon, these men of little faith felt we simply had to pass the hat around to help finance his next chemo sessions. This is a good man we're talking about. In Pampango, we'd say "maganaca ya."
BTW, If you would like to send a donation, I'd be happy to put you in touch. After all, what are we all angels for, or just a little bit better?
I'll see you at METANOIA 3, sometym Aug.2008
For those who can find the time and inclination to go on a retreat of any sort, they should consider themselves lucky and privileged. Little does one realize it's really an invitation to Mt. Tabor. "Lord, it's good for us to be here." Mt.17:4. I myself tried to find every excuse not to go. I just had a sore throat and a bad cold a few days before. It did not help my already acute asthmatic condition. My old body was aching all over. I've done retreats and cursillos enough, I thought.
I'm glad 2 angels, in the form of Sonny and Czar, made sure I'd go. They phoned me several times and wouldn't take no for an answer. At 6AM they were at my gate, with a new recruit, Atty. Adrian S, and we were off. It turned out to be one of the best-attended recollections. Everybody who needed to be there showed up, including Fr. Jerry who had just returned from a month-long trip to the USA. In all, we were about 33. Fr. Fred Saniel, SVD, now the Tagaytay Seminary Rector, gave us a serious and impressive talk on SVD spirituality. The famous Fr. Beltran also gave us a short talk on his latest project, Veritas e-trading, to unite as many parishes and dioceses to market the agri-products within their parishes thru the internet. Fr. Jerry was in his usual very effective showbiz-mode. CzarLiza was the biggest hit with his talk on God's unconditional love, a most entertaining presentation, vintage-Czar.
Whatever little excuses I had initially entertained soon evaporated when I realized that Tony M had also joined. He was painfully thin and frail, his head wrapped in a bandana after his first chemo treatment. I was sufficiently moved, impressed and inspired. If this cancer-survivor could do it, I'd better shape up, I thought. That disposition was evidently infectious throughout the conference. In all humility, I would have to say that I may have managed to inspire the others. All in all, it became a most enjoyable, refreshing if heavenly experience. You felt you were in the company of angels. Everybody was in a good-natured, jovial, funny, loving and lovable mood. The burning topic of the moment was about feeling the presence of God, SVD spirituality. If this is not heaven, it's angeland, as close to heaven as it could get. "Lord, it's good for us to be here."
There was simply no place, no room for anything negative, evil, or any ill-will of any sort. The brothers all felt good, happy, and at peace with God and with one another. Small wonder the angelic song is Glory to God in the Highest and on earth peace to men of goodwill. Oh, but wait a minute, we almost forgot, there was still a little something that seemed to be hanging around bugging us like some pesky little fly that wouldn't go away. We couldn't quite place it. During the Mass, Fr. Jerry had also asked, "Brothers, what is it that's holding us back from giving in to God's unconditional love."
It was late in the evening of Saturday night. We were all tired from a whole day of serious conferencing. Fr. Jerry who had come in very late, as usual, had just finished a most memorable and moving Mass. Everything that needed to be said and done was said and done. It was past 11PM. We were still in the chapel. Still nobody thought of standing up and leaving. We were in a good place and nobody was in any particular hurry to go. Then, it happened.
It was a minor miracle. Two brothers were embracing each other and there were tears of joy. What's wrong with this picture? They had suddenly found the wellspring of forgiveness. Halleluia! They were brothers once more, as they had always been. They did not wait for the heaven in the hereafter. Heaven simply could not wait. These angels just had to be where only angels dare to tread.
But I cannot end this blog without going back to Tony M. After the Mass at the chapel we had asked him to tell us a little bit about his medical condition, which he did. The guy is faith in action, living proof of God's mysterious ways, and his complete dependence on Divine Providence. Before we went home on Sunday afternoon, these men of little faith felt we simply had to pass the hat around to help finance his next chemo sessions. This is a good man we're talking about. In Pampango, we'd say "maganaca ya."
BTW, If you would like to send a donation, I'd be happy to put you in touch. After all, what are we all angels for, or just a little bit better?
I'll see you at METANOIA 3, sometym Aug.2008
Jesus came for the sick, maim, the lame, the blind, crippled, prostitutes and even those possessed by evil spirits. He was in the company of people who really did not matter in a society of healthy men and women who felt they were in God's good graces. They were the marginalized people of first century Palestine. Ironically, it was through these oppressed souls that Jesus wanted to save us. Two thousand years and a day ago, Jesus repeated His act of salvation. Through a "thin, frail and suffering" Tony, Jesus showed us, especially James "Dean" Lansang, the joy of a compassionate heart. The cash involved is nothing compared to the profound feeling of being able "to see oneself" in a sick brother, in our classmate Tony. Why did Jesus opt for the sick and the poor? The answer is obvious, He wants to save us through them. When we feel with them and really empathize in their condition, layers of our lifetime made mask peel off. And it reveals the compassionate face of God in whose image you and I had been made. Yes, dear James, two thousand years have come and gone, Jesus saves through the poor, sick and oppressed. He just did. And your essay above says it all. God bless you Tony, by your wounds, we had been healed!
Julian Almodal Quinabo slysil1sam3_9@yahoo.com |
percilopez wrote on Jun 18, '08
Koyang,
If anything else, it is always an added bonus "Retreating" with you. Until next time! |
stephendlr wrote on Jul 19, '08
Dear James,
As promised, I read your Mt. Tabor experience. Not once but twice. It made me teary-eyed. With you and everybody there, we really felt the loving presence of God. Things happened without us trying hard to make them happen, like: the two brothers embracing each other in forgiveness, you, despite your initial reluctance to attend, bringing a lot of life and initiatives into the recollection, Roby seriously doing spiritual exercises during the retreat and then accepting the mantle of being the next retreatmaster, etc. You described it well..It was Mt. Tabor. Even if we did not see the face of God Himself, it was enough that His loving presence was felt through you and the other brothers. The XVD's must have a gift for meeting the divine (mysterium tremendum), because it only takes a few things during retreats and most of us get into "heavenly mode" on this earth. It must be the formation of Fr. Arnold Jansen who gave us all the spiritual exercises which we now see as Trinitarian Spirituality. Thank you, James, for writing this article and expressing what we ourselves felt but could not write. Sonny |
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