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Metamorphosis is for butterflies; metanoia is for the soul. Or how I met Simon, Andrew, James and John at Metanoia 3. - It’s getting to be a rather inexplicable habit. I joined another XVD recollection recently at the SVD Retreat House in Tagaytay. It was labeled “METANOIA 3” by the organizers who would not settle for the old-fashioned if over-used terms “retreat” or “recollection.” They had a point. A retreat or recollection somehow does not do justice to everything that happens or that one experiences at such an event. The mechanics, the dynamics somehow contain certain elements which a retreat or a retreatmaster would be hard put to capture or to produce.
In Metanoia 3 it’s the participants, all men of goodwill, with open minds and hearts, with a unique commonality (SVD seminary experience) who engage one another in a genuine display of brotherly love and concern and sharing of a common desire, i.e., to resolve to try to be good and to do good, to oneself and with one another. It’s almost futile for me to try to describe much less to compare it with other religious exercises which surely have their own merit. Suffice it to say that something similar if spectacular also happened in Metanoia 2. I can hardly wait for it to happen again in Metanoia 4.
What is it that makes grown men suddenly want to kiss and make up? What is it that drives them to weep, sing, laugh and shout almost hysterically in wild abandon? I realize that liquor does that, too, but these men were doing it long before we hadbeer and pulutan that Saturday night. What is it that makes these people sense right away that they came to the right place, that they are among friends, that they could share their deepest thoughts, feelings, problems and pour out their griefs and expect a sympathetic response. What was it that made some of these grown men suddenly make public apologies and ask for forgiveness?
Was it simply a case of Mother Time healing all wounds? Was it the power of prayer? To be sure, we did quite a bit of prayingthat day. Many other people were also praying with and for us.
To begin with, there was the incomparable element of venue. The SVD Retreat House in Tagaytay is a veritable Mt. Tabor. Nestled in the midst of a thickly forested large tract of land acquired by the pioneering German SVD priests in the early 1950s, long before Tagaytay developed into a tourist town, the retreat house immediately gives one an eerie feeling that you are entering a holy environment, a center of spirituality. A long, winding private road leads up to a 3-storey building which has ideally complete facilities for such religious exercises. A sign might as well have been posted at the gate: “Abandon all worldly or fleshy desires all ye who enter here!” Instead, you are greeted by its amiable, singing Rector, Fr. Bebs Joaquin, SVD who immediately makes you feel like you never left home. Just to be sure, Fr. Bebs serenaded us that evening with his entertaining renditions of “Kulang,” “Mahirap Mag-Pare,” and “Que Sera Sera” which the men promptly adopted as their theme songs for Metanaoia 3.
More importantly, for the XVDs who did their postulancy or novitiate in Tagaytay, the venue must have brought back for them some nostalgic and sentimental memories. Suddenly, they were young again, idealistic and their holy innocence still intact. Fr. Heinemann, Bro. Ralph were alive again. They felt and acted like they never left the seminary.
Because of the expected bigger attendance, we were assigned two to a room, an excellent opportunity to develop “particular friendship.” It’s hard to share a room with someone and not become well acquainted. I now share a few secrets and priceless moments with my roommate. Like, how to bet in lotto.
We were about 39 in all. At least 3 were ex-priests. We had business executives, lawyers, doctors, businessmen, professionals as well as your plain, nondescript, quiet, humble but happy plain folks (the kind that impress me the most). All had one thing in common, we were in the seminary for a number of years. You immediately sensed that you are among old friends. A substantial breakfast awaited the new arrivals. What a way to start the day.
As usual, there was also a whole lot of joking, teasing, ribbing and horsing around, typical boys-will-be-boys stuff. Alam niyo na. Biruan. Kanchawan.
Fr. Manding Fabiosa, SVD, who teaches Theology at the SVD Seminary in Tagaytay, gave us what would turn out to be the only formal and doctrinal talk for the entire recollection, again on “SVD Spirituality.” He got us off to some really substantial stuff. I was so impressed and enthused at his presentation I spontaneously rose at the end of his talk to thank him profusely for making me understand and appreciate a bit more about the so-called SVD Spirituality. Incidentally, I would suggest to those interested to look up a summary of Fr. Ding’s talk re-printed on “xvdph.multiply.com,” since I could not possibly do justice to it by simply adverting to some snippets of his learned treatise and interesting anecdotes.
Personally, I found Fr. Ding’s talk to be the central message of Metanoia 3; nay, it was at the core not only of SVD Spirituality but perhaps at the heart of Christ’s good news.
For me, personally, I consider Fr. Ding’s presentation as the high point of Metanoia 3. It set the tone for the occasion. It set the stage for an inexorable conversion, for immediate repentance … for forgiveness.
Suddenly, you wanted very much to be or to become a good Christian. The final message after all was as evangelical as it was immediate and with a sense of urgency. It was as direct as the evangelist himself. “Repent …and believe.” Mk.1:15.
I was particularly struck by some of Fr. Ding’s remarks and anecdotes, parables, really, on the various forms of spirituality as being likened to different flowers/plants being nurtured by the same soil; the story of the sculpture commissioned by St. Arnold Janssen at the Stiles Mother House showing God the Father cradling and presenting God the Son for all the world because he so loved the world that he gave his only son… the image of God as “ABBA” as revealed and taught in Gospel purity by Jesus himself; that the good news is almost too good to be true but is at the heart of Christ’s message; that God loves me …unconditionally; the constancy of God’s love; that God loves me not because of who I am or what I have done but because of who he is; that God forgives and forgets; and therefore the message of forgiveness; that to love involves not so much feeling as much as the will to love; the concept of “Emmanuel” as the God who is always with us and loves to be with us, as only a mother can love one from her womb; that God will always be there and we can count on it; the spontaneous desire to reciprocate, to share the message with others; and therefore the call to spread the word and become missionaries ourselves.
In brief, there was so much in that talk I have to listen to it again, hopefully in Metanoia 4. Fr. Ding’s talk was what I hope every sermon should be – enriching, enlightening, and most of all inspiring. Most of the time we already know or think we know too much already. But we are weak. We falter. We fall. Every now and then we need someone to encourage us to get up and to do better.
We were scheduled to have one or two more distinguished speakers but they had to beg off on account of some unavoidable reasons. Instead, we got a dose of “sharers” pouring their hearts out to a sympathetic audience. First a politician, then a former college professor, then an ex-priest, etc., et al. It was all very touching indeed, and brotherly, and lovable.
What impressed me most of all, however, was the inspiring, the edifying presence of some of my fellow participants themselves.
The theme of metanoia after all also happens to be the call of the Gospel. Repent and believe. It is a call for conversion, for a change of heart. It is not a call to change our nature. That’smetamorphosis. That’s for butterflies. Instead, it is a call to change from our sinful ways and turn to Jesus, to follow him who is the way, the truth and the life. It is also a call to become “fishers of men;” hence, to discipleship, to become missionaries, to spread the word.
But wonder of wonders. I met some brothers in that recollection who are already living testimonies of people who have heeded the call of the Gospel. They have long ago repented and believed. And they have lived their lives accordingly. They have embraced and nurtured their faith. They do not need another metanoia.
Indeed, I met with some very interesting people in Metanoia 3. There I saw the likes of Andrew and Simon, James and John, masquerading as simple, humble, plain XVDs but whose life and lifestyle befit those of the first disciples handpicked by Jesus Christ. I will reveal their names to you privately, if you’re interested. But you have to know where to look in order to find them. They had long ago left their nets, left everything and followed Him. I was sufficiently inspired. To be with them and to witness the message of the Gospel in them is a privilege. Now, if that’s not metanoia. James L.
Thanks Kuya. For us who were not able to attend, we can at least share in what transpired and hopefully pick up some lessons and real life examples to rub off on our own lives. And as usual you did not miss the teachings of the quiet the meek and the humble.
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bobilapurugganan wrote on Oct 18, '08
i would think it takes great courage to immerse into such a good deed, full of humility!!! it take one to be a MAN in himself....:)
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jeemsdee said
 It is a call for conversion, for a change of heart. It is not a call to change our nature. That’s metamorphosis. That’s for butterflies. 
Kuya J, thanks for sharing your metanoia experience with your brothers. Along with Kuya Tom, Kuya Ely and the other XVD bloggers, you never fail to make the rest of us feel like we'd been where you'd been.
On terminology, particularly on "metamorphosis", now I know that I can never be pregnant with ideas because pregnancy is only for the female species. . . and I'm now starting to wonder why they allow women to enter ballrooms. Do they have any? |
bobilapurugganan said
i would think it takes great courage to immerse into such a good deed, full of humility!!! it take one to be a MAN in himself....:)
Tnx, vki. You may be right at that. We all need courage, a whole lot of humility...and faith to stay the course, the straight and narrow. Hence, we need the occasional inspiration from our preachers and the edifying example of some of our brothers.
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resumus said
Kuya J, thanks for sharing your metanoia experience with your brothers. Along with Kuya Tom, Kuya Ely and the other XVD bloggers, you never fail to make the rest of us feel like we'd been where you'd been.On terminology, particularly on "metamorphosis", now I know that I can never be pregnant with ideas because pregnancy is only for the female species. . . and I'm now starting to wonder why they allow women to enter ballrooms. Do they have any?
REY, tnx. Your asides also remind me of the sidewinder, i.e., a venomous rattlesnake and a sideways blow. You have an uncanny ability to strike from the sidelines. Sidelights after all make any trip that much more interesting. Stay in touch. rgards.
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elmersarmiento wrote on Oct 19, '08
If you're not closer to the Lord today than you were yesterday....guess who moved.
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Again, ever ancient, yet so new: The individual and the collective
experience all the participants in "metanoia 3" had. Really, it's always a humbling experience when i realize and when i accept this fact: Tinambang ka kaka, ngunit kulang. Tinimbang ka kaka, ngunit labis. Yes, i am never good enough; i have never been good enough; i always fall short of good deeds; i have not done enough good; i don't do the good that i will to do and i do foolish things that i say i don't want to do and should not do. Kulang ako sa kabutihan. Labis ako sa kalokohan. Mapupuno ang aking kakulangan Mapapalis ang aking mga kalokohan Dahil Ikaw, dahil Kayo ay andiyan. Dahil ako'y inyong tutulungan Dahil Kayo'y tumutulong Sa pagpuno ng aking mga pagkukulang Dahil Kayo'y magpapalis ng aking mga kalokohan. Truly, we need one another. The missing link/s in my life i find and i will find in Itay, in Inay, in Kuya, in Ate, in my fellow traveller/s. Salamat Kuya. Salamat. Salamat. Salamat. |
elmersarmiento said
If you're not closer to the Lord today than you were yesterday....guess who moved.
A gud thot for the day, Kuya ELMER. tnx. rgards.
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To be pregnant and loaded with good positive ideas is good.
To cause the delivery and the birth of a good idea is very good. To apply and use the good idea for the good of one and all is what we all need to do to make our world a better place to live in and be than when we found ourselves in it. |
Awesome. YWH indeed works wonderfully... in the innermost recesses of our being. That's metanoia. We respond, we reciprocate. We co-create the circumstances and coordinates through which YWH accomplishes and executes His plan of salvation . Salamat Kuya James for sharing this beautiful experience.
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avilacharles wrote on Oct 24, '08
Yes, happy bday Dos! (my name for Cecil way back in college years)
And Kuya Jeems, thanks for the sharing. Reading your living words makes me feel like one of the two on the road to Emmaus. "Weren't our hearts burning as we listened to him explain metanoia 3 and 2 and 1? God grant us the grace to make it to 4." |
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