Echoes: Encountering BEC

I do not want to end like the old mariner grabbing people to listen to his story at the sunset of his life. I want it that at the end of the day I rest assured that I have rowed my river and handed on to my children the lessons I have learned in my journey upstream to the House of the Father. So I made, early on, a solemn vow, that I would immerse my four daughters into situations that allow them to know and love the God of Jesus of Nazareth. Sadly, like most promises, mine was half-heartedly kept.

I can justify why I kept on failing. I was trained and educated to find reasons to the things I do. I have a lot of excuses; all of them are sound and rational. Yet honestly, they are like wicker baskets—they hold stones and boulders but not water. The truth of the matter is although I was raised a Catholic, (I even had seven years of formation in the seminary) I am struggling with my faith given my entanglement with Sartrean Existentialism vis-à-vis the clash of orientations at the local church.  Every day I wake up confronted with the question of meaning and automatically finds myself forcing to pray to the God whose existence I keep on questioning. 

Perhaps, my former parish priest senses the civil war raging inside of me and the growing apathy deep within that he keeps on disturbing me in my complacency. Just the other day, when the family was preparing for the Angelus, the monsignor came knocking at my door. He came bearing what he considered good news. He excitedly related that it appears the Division Office of the Department of Education is now adopting a policy concerning the 90-minute religious instruction per the 1997 Constitution. The move is supportive of his catechetical program in Batan (Aklan). 

The monsignor has pioneered in the Diocese of Kalibo a community-owned school-based catechetical program. The program, like a mustard seed, is silently thriving and gaining strong support among small communities in the whole municipality of Batan. Without wishing to, it is fast becoming part of the mainstream society that policy makers are giving it a second look. It started small. The parish priest and his coadjutors simply and consistently celebrated the Eucharist in the barrio chapels monthly. Then slowly, they encouraged parents and ordinary teachers to hear masses in schools too. Soon enough the team of three priests finds themselves busy saying masses and attending community and PTA meetings.  At present, each of them has more or less 13 masses a week, not to mention funeral and wedding masses and community meetings.

The communities became articulate. They demanded that the local schools afford their children their right to religious instruction as provided for in the Philippine Constitution. Equally, the ordinary government teachers heeded the call and volunteered themselves as instant catechists, despite their lack of training and to most, experience in catechesis. Thus begin the community-initiated school-based catechetical program that the Diocese is now gearing up to replicate in other parishes. Presently, the teachers who responded to the call number to about 200 more or less. They have received specialized trainings from the Institute of Religion of the University of Sto. Tomas (UST-IR) and had been certified by it as professional catechists. They catechized their pupils and students voluntarily as their token of gratitude to the communities that have supported them all along and as a response to the call they heard on the "Road to Damascus." Modules on New Catechism in Akeanon dialect are being developed with the assistance of the Diocesan Catechetical Ministry.

The multiplication of the bread is one ordinary yet wonderful miracle in Batan. One can note such reality in their breaking of bread whenever a communal affair takes place, say a seminar on catecheses or a Sunday Mass in their tiny chapel. A peninsular agro-fishing community harboring Batan Bay and facing the Sibuyan Sea, it prided itself of the richness not only of its natural resources but also of its history, heritage and culture. The Augustinian missionaries who interacted with the locals in 1600’s as narrated in Apuntes Historicos of Fray Juan Fernadez, OSA were impressed of their highly cultured and communitarian manner. He writes of this impression on Batangnons being:

“…the most noble in the Archipelago, a highly-cultured group

                              with well  built  beautiful  houses  and  many  well-organized

                              villages…” (p. 275)

The friars further noted that they were neither wild nor refractory. The memory of the race perhaps remains intact in the consciousness of the present generation that they positively responded to the initiative of their parish priest and readily regarded the program as their own and give it their all-out support.  Personally, I believe God is working wonderfully on the openness and generosity of these people most of whom had long been “unchurched” and marginalized by the mainstream society that typically represented the institutional church.  I had witnessed the transformation from their being indifferent Catholics to what are now budding witnesses and active members of Basic Ecclesial Communities. I am neighbor to them. By parentage, I am Batangnon too. As a child, I used to roam around the fishpond on my grandfather in Sitio Pinamunitan, Barangay Lalab and had known the saga of Kagiyaw along the meandering waters of the Jal-o and the legend of how Lalab got its name.  Precisely that I always take it as an opportunity to be of service—though in my own little way—to the Batangnon communities everytime Msgr. Frac asked me to write something related to his pastoral works. I consider it my role being part of the One Body of Christ made manifest in Batan BECs. To me, I am merely a follower of Christ Jesus and a servant of God. What I have had accomplished are my duties and for that I expect neither a reward nor gratitude.  The outpouring of help coming from the members of the community every time an event takes place either in the Parish or in the schools or chapels are manifestations of this understanding that each faithful is merely doing her/his duty in this brotherhood of ours in Christ Jesus. They are one with the whole Body of Christ. They see themselves as the Church.

            The multiplication of bread in Batan is one miracle that calls on me to reach out my left hand and thrust it on the bleeding wounds of the risen Jesus. But the fact that in Batan there are small communities regarding themselves as the Church despite their poverty is one miracle that tells me that God has pitched his tent in their midst to dwell with them. Indeed, as St. Ireneus used to say, their very existence is joy, A MIRACLE OF GOD!  

            The presence of my former parish priest in my house is an encounter rich with meaning and graces not only for me but most importantly for my family. I pray therefore that he may keep on disturbing us in our complacency that we may always be restless until we rest on the bosom of our Father in a New Heaven and a New Earth.

            

Pag-tuo ag Talimad-on: Isaeang ka Pamaeandong sa Panahon it Kwaresma

May haeambaeon ro mga katigueangan—nga na-anaran man naton—nga kuno hay owa man kimo it maduea kon magpati ka. Masami ta ra nga hababati-an sa mga higayon kon siin ro pila katon hay guina-pangutana ro rason ku atong pagbinatasan kapin pa ro mga talimad-on.

  Guinahambae naton ra masami kon ro isaea katon hay indi magpati sa mga karan-on pareho abi ku pagpatay it manok kon siin ro anang dugo hay atong ipalhit sa bag-ong obra nga baeay. Guinapatihan ta nga ro dugo ngara hay magaserbe nga haead sa mga engkanto o kon sa ano pa rona nga espiritu agod sa rato hay indi nanda pagmalitan ro atong baeay o agod indi mahalitan ro kabuhi it atong mga pinalangga. Guinapatihan ta man nga dugang pa sa dugo nga guinahaead, dapat man nga may atong pangontra sa rayang mga elemento. Ngani nga nagadumog kita kaibahan sa iba agod makabu-oe it bisan sangka dahon it harden nga guin-dekorar sa Santo Intierro. Suma ay de-buenas kuno ron sa panguma, panagat ag negosyo. Magamayad ka man sa amulit kon may imo karon sa inyong baeay.

    Pero, igmanghod, mangutana anay ako. Owa guid baea it may maduea katon kon magpati kita kara nga mga butang? Pamaeandungi it mayad kon ano ro guw-an ku haeambaeon ngara.  Ag dumduma ro imong saad nga magatuo ka sa Dios, Amay nga makagagahum sa tanan, sa Dios, Anak nga namatay sa krus ag sa ikatlo nga adlaw, nabanhaw halin sa minatay, ag sa Dios, Espiritu Santo, ro manugbulig ag nagapabakod ku imong pagtuo. Dumduma nga ro Dios ngara kon siin ikaw hay nagsaad hay sangka ma-imon nga Dios. Owa imaw na-ila nga may dios pa nga iba sa imong kabuhi.

  Guinarason ta kon amat nga kabuhi eo’t abi ro nakataya ngani nga mas mayad nga sundon ta ro talimand-on bisan indi ta mat-a galing pagpatihan…Pero, eon man, dumduma nga ro Dios hay imaw ro nagapanag-iya it imong kabuhi ag bukon it ro karan-on o kon nano pa rona nga tamawo. Kon magtuo kita kana, owa guid it may maeain nga mahanabo katon—bisan pa nga nagatikang kita sa bèbè it kamatayon. Ag kon rayang pagtuo sa Dios hay magadaea guid man katon sa kamatayon, eaumi nga pareho nga si Kristo hay nabanhaw, kita man hay pagbanhawon sa katapusan it panahon. 

Towards New Evangelization

The Call for a Culture of Encounter

   The clergy in the Diocese is responding to the call of Pope Francis to proclaim the Gospel and promote a culture of encounter in their pastoral works. Such call requires a new approach to make all things new.

A New Pastoral Orientation

A new way of doing pastoral works in the parishes is being proposed by no less than than the chairman on Pastoral Ministry, Msgr. Pedro C. Frac. In a schema above, basic ecclesial communities (BEC) take central prominence suggesting a movement originating from the bottom struggling to live up to the promises of a new heaven and a new earth. The movement is focused on new catechism as a new way of doing evangelization.

A New Catechism

  The monsignor has pioneered in the Diocese of Kalibo a community-owned school-based catechetical program. The program, like a mustard seed, is silently thriving and gaining strong support among small communities in the whole municipality of Batan. Without wishing to, it is fast becoming part of the mainstream society that policy makers are giving it a second look. It started small. The parish priest and his coadjutors simply and consistently celebrated the Eucharist in the barrio chapels monthly. Then slowly, they encouraged parents and ordinary teachers to hear masses in schools too. Soon enough the team of three priests finds themselves busy saying masses and attending community and PTA meetings.  At present, each of them has more or less 13 masses a week.

    The communities became articulate. They demanded that the local schools afford their children their right to religious instruction as provided for in the Philippine Constitution. Equally, the ordinary government teachers heeded the call and volunteered themselves as instant catechists. Thus begin the community-initiated school-based catechetical program that the Diocese is now gearing up to replicate in other parishes. At present, the teachers who responded to the call number to about 200 more or less. They have received specialized training from the Institute of Religion of the University of Sto. Tomas (UST-IR) and had been certified by it as professional catechists. They catechized their pupils and students voluntarily as their token of gratitude to the community that have supported them all along and as a response to the call they heard on the "Road to Damascus." 

Its Core Values

• Christ-centric - Jesus of Nazareth inspires us to lead a life of encounter with our fellow human being, giving preference to the least among us. He is our Way, our Truth and our Life. We give witness to his life-message in our day-to-day encounters by constantly reflecting on the Word and meeting him in the market place of life by bearing with one another. BEC is a way of life, our theology of life (cf. Fr. Tito's) where in our brotherhood with Christ Jesus, we encounter each other in our sinfulness and godliness.
• Process oriented - While we hope and pray for a successful implementation of the program, we always maintained that the dynamics of Christian encounter cannot be shortcut. The various ministries are relevant in sustaining the struggles and strengthening the resolve of the members of Ecclesial communities either personally or collectively towards witnessing their vocations. Their pastoral care thus become life-giving, indeed, a sacrament of life initiated both to heal or sustain and to set the human person in service of communion to give witness to the Gospel in the society at large. 
• Community-owned - When communities start owning the things that rightly theirs by the grace of God, the little that we have can be transformed into ordinary yet wonderful miracles of bread multiplying a hundredfold. Generosity flows, that pastors will be comfortable receiving "offerings" or "pledges" from the faithful instead of the typical commercial-like Arancel system of old. The communities pray that God the Father will give them their daily bread and are thankful for receiving such. In return, they open up to be God's instrument in the continuance of his works. 

Counting Numbers: Interpreting the SWS Survey on the State of the Roman Catholic Church in the Baleten-on Context

A storm in a tea cup. That's the impression of most of my priest-friends concerning the release of the 2003 SWS Survey about the present state of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines as the latter tries to come up with its so called Catholic Vote in time for the May 13, 2013 elections. The good Archbishop emeritus of Lingayen-Dagupan however sees it differently. But then that is his opinion.

The Roman Catholic chapel in Sitio Duduemon, Calizo, Balete

In my interactions with the clergy, I have maintained that the 37% attendance during Sunday masses is almost realistic and questioned the basis in claiming the 64% turnout recorded in 1991. As we all know, the survey registered among others the following data:

• 81% of the Philippine Population are Roman Catholics
• 80% are of majority age (18 years old and above)
• 29% consider themselves very religious
• 37% go to church to hear mass at least once a week compared to the 64% in 1991
• 9.2% think seriously of leaving the Church 

Why is that then that I averred on claiming that it is almost realistic and the other highly questionable? Let me put it in the local context. Balete today has an estimated population of 28,560 (26,360 per 2007 PopCen @ 1.35 AGR). Basing on the trends culled by SWS, Roman Catholics would total to 23,113 while adult Catholics are around 18,506. If we assume that 37% of those adult Catholics go to church on Sunday masses, they numbered to about 6,847, give or take.

The church of Balete has only two masses on Sunday and an anticipated mass on Saturday afternoon. A couple of mass is being said also in the chapels in Aranas and Feliciano during Sunday afternoon. Now, let us just divide 6,847 into 5 to have a better picture of the situation. That would give us 1,369 attendees for every mass being said at St. Rafael Parish Church and in the chapels of Aranas and Feliciano. Bear in mind that the figures include only the probable adult hearers. The church would really swell if we are to consider the minors. So we pause and consider these trends. Is this the real scenario? Are these figures reflective of the realities happening in the local church of Balete?

The last time I witnessed the church in Balete enjoyed sustained attendees was from the period 1993 to 2007. The apex of collections for monthly pledges alone reached to 60 Thousand Pesos plus sometime in 2007 and then suffered a dramatic decline afterwards prompting the current pastor to revert to the Arancel System. And yet in those days, a full packed church could only muster about a thousand souls. A lot of observers wondered why and the shepherds argued which patch of grass is greener for them to pasture their sheep. While they argued, 9.2% of the flock are straying off outside of the corral.

Yet we hope that with a dynamic Diocesan Pastoral Council (peopled by those with long experienced in community organizing), the arguing could be channeled to proactive formulation of a contextualized even if not common programs that are reflective of our Christian brotherhood in Christ Jesus.

Lowly And Yet Chosen

My sleep was restless. Something at the back of my tired mind is the thought, no, a proclamation: "Habemus Papam!" At daybreak (Philippine time) my lovely wife woke me up gladly announcing: "Gang, may Santo Papa eon kita! Taga-Argentina!" That was the news I was expecting to hear. It sent me scurrying for a seat in our family room and watched the progressing news on TV even as I was removing those specks in my eyelids.

Somebody from Argentina. Was he a Liberation Theologian? He is to be called Pope Francis. After St. Francis of Assisi? Are we to journey together as Church of the Poor then?

There are lots of questions playing in my mind. The coffee came in late but even then, I was already wide awake.

As I surfed the net later in the day, most of my questions where answered. As I heard him addressed the crowd in genial Italian seeking for the faithful's prayer before giving off his blessings, I knew in my heart that the Church is graced again with a good shepherd to guide the faithful in their journey of love and brotherhood.

Lowly and yet chosen -- the motto of Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina, now elected as the 266th successor of St. Peter and is to be known as Pope Francis I 

In my journey of encountering Pope Francis today I am grateful for the information I gathered in the followings sites:

• First Things
• Deacon's Bench 
• Yahoo News Philippines
• God and Machine

For a Reflective Lenten Journey

I am posting hereunder some relevant quotes which I have personally edited in Photoshop that might be useful for the Christian's 40-day Lenten journey. I am assuming that you are already familiar with the basics of this life-event of our quest in returning home to the House of the Father. I take advantage of the contemporary tools to approximate my so called personal legend.

The season of Lent will start on Ash Wednesday (February 13), but I am posting this note early this year as I am aware of those in search for devices they will be needing for the forthcoming 40-day intramural in the desert of life.

Our perspective for reflection is geared towards our celebration of the Year of Faith. The Pope has already released his Annual Lenten Message last February 1, 2013 and I took the initiative of highlighting the gist of that message. "Faith is knowing the truth and adhering to it (cf. 1 Tim 2:4); charity is 'walking' in the truth (cf. Eph. 4:15)...(F)aith is genuine only if crowned by charity."

The sign of the ashen cross on our forehead which we don on Ash Wednesday is a reminder not so much of our humanity as popularized in the quote, "You are dust and to dust you shall return" (Gen. 3:19). Rather, it is an acknowledgement of our unfaithfulness and at the same time our desire to make amend of our sins, much akin to the act of devotees of Sto. Niño who rubbed their faces and body with soot as a sign of repentance. The practice of rubbing ashes as an outward gesture of repentance predates Christian tradition as the Israelites of old were already into it. The internet now affords us an easy and faster means of searching the Bible for relevant quotations about this matter.   Take this link for instance: http://www.biblegateway.com and enter into the search box the phrase "sackcloth and ashes".

Finally, let me end this brief reflection with a closing hymn by my favorite Gospel troubadour, John Michael Talbot.

The Parable of Two Shepherds

       The landlord planned of leaving for a far off place. But before doing so, he saw to it that everything in his ranch are well taken cared of.

For his flock, he hired a couple of shepherd. He called them by their name and entrusted to them his beloved sheep. "Please take care of my sheep until my return", he implored each one of them. Then he set forth on a journey into that far off place.

On their first day alone with the flock, the elder of the two called for a meeting. He informed the other shepherd of his plan. The younger one however found the plan too conservative and presented what he thought was a better, radical and contemporary way of pasturing the flock. The discussion progressed for hours without the two reaching a consensus. A recess was agreed upon and the two shepherds have their lunch--separately, I should tell you, for even in such thing as lunch they could not agree what meals to have. After their siesta, the meeting resumed and their arguments became heated and loud that the hungry sheep below became restless and agitated. By vespers, the two were already resolved of dividing the flock into two groups so to show off to each other that he is the better man to do the job. The evening was cold and they were too tired for the night prayer so they called it a day. Their first day.

On the next day, each of the shepherds was up and about to lead the starving sheep into the greener pasture. The elder of the two declared that he will will guide his flock into the lush field by the river and suggested to the younger that the other flock shall be led up into the hill. The younger protested and suggested the other way around. The squabble progressed for hours without the two reaching a consensus. A recess was agreed upon and the two shepherds have their lunch--again separately, I should tell you, for even in such thing as lunch they could not agree what meals to have. After their siesta, the meeting resumed and soon, another heated and loud argument broke out and the starving sheep scattered everywhere, restless and agitated. By vespers, the two were ready to resolve the disagreement through a toss coin, but a coin they do not have. So they left their famished sheep in the corral and went down to the town to borrow from the sole merchant a coin. The evening was cold and they were exhausted for the night prayer so they called it a day. Their second day.

The bleating of the famished animals woke the two shepherd up. It was their third day. Both realized that their flocks have not eaten for two days and so hurriedly went down. One after the other, they opened the gates of the corrals widely for a quick passage of the flocks. The sheep were already ravenous and all rushed out into the opening where they bottleneck. A stampede ensued which resulted into the death of a large number of lambs, some ewes and a few rams, the injury of many and the destruction of the corrals.  The two shepherds blamed each other for the mishap. Their bickering  progressed for hours without the two reaching a consensus. A recess was agreed upon and the two shepherds have their lunch--separately, I should tell you, for even in such thing as lunch they could not agree what meals to have. After their siesta, the meeting resumed and a more intense, heated and loud argument broke out and the ravenous sheep scampered everywhere, restless agitated and yet too exhausted to tend for themselves. By vespers, the two were ready to resolve the bickering by slaughtering the injured and to donate the mutton of the animals to bystanders and in return thereof, solicit their help in repairing the corrals. So they collected the dead sheep, slaughtered the injured and distributed the mutton among the bystanders in the neighborhood while at the same time solicited their help in repairing the rundown corrals. But the evening was cold and the bystanders managed only to salvage the broken wood while the two were worn out for the night prayer so they called it a day. Their third day.

Early on the fourth day, the landlord returned home and found the now small yet ravenous flock wandering warts and all beyond the broken corrals with no shepherd to be seen nearby. Now, what do you think will he say and do to those egotistical irresponsible pastors he hired?

KATO ANAY SA BALETE: Estorya it Katilingban nga nagakinahang-ean it Pagbueong ku Dios

(A similar entry has been also published as a note in SaintRaphael the Archangel Parish Facebook Account) 

Nagapangutana ka, “Ham-an gid a nga si San Rafael Arkangel do patron it Balete?” “Ham-an gid a nga sa bug-os nga Dioceses it Kalibo o Provincia it Akean, ro Balete eat’a ro may patron nga Arkangel?”

Iya sa Amon (Sinipi halin sa Apdo ni San Rafael)

Mayad nga pangutana. Mabudlay ugaling sabton. Pero bisan pa, dapat gid man nga atong tinguhaan nga hangpon eamang nga maintiendihan ta rong aton nga gin-umpisahan. Sa rato, mabanta ta kun siin rong aton nga paadtunan.

Amat-amat eang. Aton rong higayon makaron. Ibhi kami sa rayang pagpanikangon sa Daean. Estoryahan naton rayang mga bagay-bagay. Basi pa man, sa aton nga pagbaeayluhan it ihibaeo ag experiensya, mahangpan ta ag malingling rong kamatuoran.

Umpisahan ta anay sa nahanabo kato. Mamasyar ay kita ku tiempo it mga Español iya sa aton. Partikular sa dag-on 1882 sa Balete. Kato nga tiempo, ro Balete hay isaea sa 33 ka “pueblos” ku provincia it Capiz. Ro parokya hay parte man ku Dioceses it Jaro. Do census it 1870 hay nagasugid nga may una nga 3,023 ka pumueoyo rong Balete, ngani nga ku 1804 nahimo eon ra nga “pueblo” o banwa (bisan pa nga ro policy kato hay dapat nga may una nga 5,000 nga populasyon rong sangka comunidad bag-o mangin banwa).

 Masubo rong sitwasyon ku 1882. Haeos sa kada pamaeay hay may nagapanangison. Ro awtoridad hay nagapaninguha nga mataw-an it solusyon rong problema. Sa listahan, may una eon nga sobra sa ciento quarenta (140) ka patay sa sueod eang it sangbuean nga nagtaliwan. Sa pagkamatuod, 144 gid tanan rong nagkaeamatay, suno sa report kung gobernadorcillo nga mabasa mo una sa manuscript nga Memoria dela Provincia de Capiz (Mayo de 18, 1882) sa National Archives of the Philippines.  Suno sa report, cholera outbreak rong kadahilanan ku andang pagkamatay.

Rong mga tumueo-o, sa pamuno ku andang cura parocco (tiempo eon da ni Don Padre Vicente Guanco) hay naghimo it novena para sa andang patron, Sr. San Rafael Arcangel. Dayon may ginhimo sanda nga procesyon. Pangamuyo nanda nga rong Ginuo hay magbueong kanda. Rāfāʾēl, buot hambaeon, ro Dios hay gabueong.  Pangamuyo nanda nga sanda ag rong andang pinalangga hay pagabuengon it Dios paagi kay San Rafael. Pangamuyo nanda nga rong andang pagpanaghoy sa kasubo hay mangin hugyaw sa kasadya.

Ag ro Dios hay nag-ulikid kanda. Si San Rafael hay nag-unong kanda. Pareho nga gin-ibhan na si Tobias sa anang pagpamanawon, gin-ibhan na man do kada Baleten-on sa anang pagpamanawon sa Daean it Kabuhi. Kato. Makaron. Kaibahan naton si San Rafael nga Arkangel, patron it manugbueong ag ku mga nagapang-eakaton, ku nga bulag ag ku mga nagapangasawa, patron it Baleten-on. 

A restless heart's supplication through St. Raphael

Somewhere Down the Road

A friend wondered out loud: "Why the frequent absences and the belated updates of this blog?" I smiled back and quietly informed her, "Oh, I been wandering somewhere down the road." She insisted that I elucidate what I mean, thus this entry.

Yes, my dear, I been wandering down the road and should you care, you can follow me on my steps:

First, let us draw the line. For here is the first stop: At Petrufied's corner. :-). She's kind enough to show me where else to go in my early morning wanderings.

The next stop is at Singapore's National Day Celebration where Lee Kuan Yew publicly aired his regrets for seeing too soon the sun setting on his beloved country's tomorrow. Mr. Michael Cook was kind to share "table" with me. :-)

From the Lion City, I went back to hear the turno en contra at the Philippine Senate. Sen. Sotto was emphatic defending his ground. Back at home in time for the Feast of the Assumption, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan enacted a pro-life Universal Health program contrary to what USAID has originally proposed per its pro-forma ordinance (the so-called KP Ordinance).

Then later in the day, I came across this Catholic Thing musing about the limits of liberal mind when encountering Catholicism. I lingered for a while and met articulate Dave whom I suspect to be a theologian of good heart.

Yes, my dear, I been wandering through a lot of corners down the road these days that I failed to update this blog. I am sorry for having you waited and for failing to inform you beforehand of my whereabouts.

I am sorry that I can't be at your feast day celebration too. Happy feast day, anyway. :-D

That They May Be One

    So that we may believe that God the Father has sent you to shepherd us, we pray for your oneness in mind and heart. We pray that you lead us away from the encircling gloom with your staff and protect us by your strong arms from the malaise that prowls like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

    We pray to Jesus, our Lord, that you parry the confusion out of our tired hearts and that you may win the trust and confidence of those that you pasture.

    We pray that the Holy Spirit inspires you to break bread with your brethren and show us the example of how good and pleasant it is for brothers to live together in unity.

    With Mary, our mother, we pray for all to be sympathetic, to be compassionate and humble in dealing with one another whom we see Jesus in each of them, more so in the poor and the least among us.

    Amen.

A Prayer for the Christian Community who Journeys into a Better Balete than Yesterdays

        O, Ginuo, amon nga Diyos nga Amay, ano kanami tan-awon ro imong mga tawo nga nagakabuhi sa gugma ag pag-ambitanay. Ano ka sadya pamatian ro andang kanta it pag-iegmanghuran ag pagbueuligan sa oras it pagtilaw!

      Ikaw ro amon nga ginadayaw sa tiempo ngara it pagbag-o. Kabay, nga sa rayang panahon padayon kami nga ibhan ni San Rafael nga Arcangel sa among nga pagpamanawon sa daean it pag-eigmanghuran kay Kristo-Hesus. Ro imong presensya hay magtao kamon it inspirasyon nga panestigusan rong kamatuuran sa pihak kung pagtilaw it kapurilan. Ikaw ro among kaisog sa pagbag-o ku dapat bag-uhon, rong kaaeam nga nagagiya kamon sa paghimo it tama ag matarong nga desisyon.

        Ro Imong Espiritu ro among manuglipay ag kabulig sa pag-abaga ku mga paeas-anon daea ku among responsibilidad bilang mga lideres ag miembro kung Kristianong Katilingban. Kabay, nga padayon imaw nga mag-tao it kaaeam kamon, eabi eon guid sa rayang adlaw it pagbag-o, sa among pagpang-eakaton nga nagapas-an ku krus it pag-eigmanghuran pauli sa baeay nga imong gintigana kamon.

        Guinapasaeamatan namon ikaw sa imong mga manuggiya nga ginpadaea kamon riya sa Katilingban. Kabay kunta nga sanda hay magpanistigos man sa kamatuoran it Gugma nga nagatubod una sa imong pagka-Dios kaibahan si Kristo ag rong Espiritu Santo. Mangin hueuwaran namon sanda sa pagtao it katumanan sa imong Pulong para maibantala ron sa tanan, eabi eon gid sa mga kubos kamon.  

Sa gahum it Imong Espiritu, magpadayon, kami nga magmatutum sa among sinumpaang responsibilidad, magpadayon nga madaea namon sa kauswagan rong amon nga comunidad sa pihak ku mga sab-eag nga among gina-atubang.

     Amon rang ginapangayu, paagi kay Kristo, kaisa ku Espiritu Santo, Dios sa walay katubtuban nga tanan.

       Amen.

       O Maria nga ina it Dios, ig-ampo mo kami. 

FAQ on Pledge System in Balete

With the expressed interest of giving the Pledge System a second look following its lull of more than seven years, questions from the younger generations are cropping up with little answers being justly provided for. Thus, in this article, let me devote some time approximating the answers to frequently asked questions regarding the system.

 Question 1 (Q1) - What is Pledge System?
 Answer 1 (A1) - Pledge System is a means of providing or extending expressed temporal support by the faithful to the local church where they are ecclesiastically part of for her proper objectives. It is a method of fulfilling one's obligation as provided for in Canon 222 §1 according to each person's possibilities by taking into account his or her familial obligations. Pledge is not tithing per se as biblically understood. Rather, it approximates tithing as while it is not compulsory, one binds herself/himself to the pledge she/he made before God and her/his neighbors (i.e., the local church).

Q2 - How is Pledge System administered?
A2 - There are diverse paths towards implementing the Pledge System. One has to primarily consider the context upon which the system is to be introduced. The Balete experience (during the time of Rev. Fr. Tito S. Gelito [1987-1997] and Msgr. Pedro C. Frac[1997-2004]) is a radical paradigm shift from the seeming commercialized orientation of the Arancel System grounded on a pastoral program that is anchored on a theology of life and love command (Rong pagpas-an ku krus it atong pag-ieigmanhuran kay Kristo Hesus) (cf. Mat. 22:34-40 and for a commentary on this particular topic, you may follow this link: The Two Greatest Commandments). The introduction of the Pledge was on voluntary basis and each parishioner gave his/her assent according to one's resources. Without discrimination to their capacity to pledge their financial support to the local church, the priests in return afforded them all the sacraments they want to avail without additional obligations in their part. And yet love responds to love in the manner that the sacrifices of the shepherd are requited by the outpourings of generous hearts.

Q3-Can you further differentiate Pledge from the Arancel System?
A3- As mentioned above, there is a semblance of commercialism in the manner Arancel System is now understood. The reception of sacraments and sacramentals and other rites performed in the parish church as part of pastoral administration are often seen as commodities or services demanded by consumers. Precisely, that demands for "special" services by those who can afford the price are manifest in the way we request for such sacraments. In the process, the divide between the rich and the poor is also made manifest in the Church contrary to the teachings of Jesus.  Pledge is thus introduced in Balete to correct this misconception or to complement renewed catechism. Pledge made it possible the approximation of unity in the local church. The Church of Balete under the stewardship of its then parish priest, Fr. Tito S. Gelito was fulfilling its prophetic mission for the Diocese of Kalibo to gradually abolish the Arancel System as encouraged by Second Plenary Council of the Philippines (PCP II) [Art. 118] and affirmed by the 1st Synod of Kalibo (cf. Synodal Document, Temporal Goods of the Church No. 16, 17). Msgr. Pedro C. Frac sustained this program and even replicated it in Batan Parish afterwards when he was assigned parish priest thereof. (Today, Batan Parish is the only one with successful Pledge System in the entire Diocese of Kalibo)

Q4- Is there any ideal parish structure for Pledge System to succeed?
A4- Again, it depends on the local situation. The Parish of St. Rafael has developed a structure fully supportive of its pastoral program of which the Pledge System operates. The parish is subdivided into several chapels where each chapel has its own chapel president and finance committee. The parish priest was consistent in his regular masses in the chapels even if such does not yield much financial rewards on his part. The parish has its distinct core group and education committee (all volunteers) tasked of communicating the program among the chapels. The president and the finance committee did the leg work to clarify issues and concerns on the household level. They are also the custodians of and exercise proper management of the chapel fund generated out of the pledges collected in their respective areas.

Q5- How is the income collected out of the pledge being appropriated?
A5- 50% of the monthly collections (usually offered inside a specially made Pledge Card during Sundays and monthly masses in the chapels) is set aside as Parish Fund. 10% is remitted to the local ordinary. 25% serves as Chapel Fund. Another 10% goes to the catechists (catechetical fund) and the remaining 5% serves as the stipend/transportation allowances of the Capilya Presidents and the Finance Committee. The parish priest reserved for his personal expenses the Sunday collections (colectas).

Q6- What is the basis of the Pledge System?
A6- Pledge as already explained is an approximation of tithing. It has its biblical bases therefore on both the old and the new testaments as illustrated in the following passages:
   In the Old Testament: Dt. 12:17-18; 14:22-29; 15:7-11; 26:1-15; Num. 18:21-32; Neh. 10:36-40; 13:4-5, 10-14; Sir. 35:1-10; Mal. 3:6-10.
   In the New Testament and Early Christians: Mat. 25:44-46; Lk. 6: 24-25; 9:25; 16:19-31; 18:25; Acts 2:44-45; 20:35; 1 Tim 6:17-19; 2 Cor 8:2; 9:7; Jas 2:15-17
  
         

When I Say "I Love You", I Pledge

My promise of love:

Ginakueang ako it bisaea

Agud ika paabot kimo

Pero bisan pa, akong hinyo

Nga sa akong pag-ako

Nga ikaw hay hinigugma

Kunta hay mahangpan mo

Ako hay tawo man lang

May kinahang-ean, may kahinaan

Indi ko kimo ika-promisa

Pareho ko iba

Rong mga bituon ag ro buean

Una sa kaeangitan

Haead ko kimo

Akong taguipusoon

Puno it nina

Padayon nga nagabaga

Bisan pa nga kon amat

Hay maeuya.

I wrote it because I am loved. I am loved and called to love in the process. I respond to it in my own pace. In my day-to-day approximations, I am becoming certain that Euclid's postulate that straight line is the shortest way from one point to another is wrong when it comes to human intersubjectivity.  In loving, I have to mean every word of it and approximate its meaning every day of my life. Aware of my strengths and flaws, I hasten to live its truth in my day-to-day struggles. Even if at times, love seems to stab the wounded and scarred heart. Even if love remains unrequited, and the embers of love are fainting in the core of this restless heart, I shall be for I cannot compromise what I am.

A  Theology of Love

I cannot compromise my humanity. I cannot imitate or agree with the examples of paid shepherd who always barrage my people's sensitivity with whining: “Alcanse man ako nga ighando ko it libre ro ang manggad, tiempo, ihibaeo para kinyo.” 

I am called to love, no matter what and however it may be. I am dignified by being capacitated to love. “Love consists in this, not that we have loved God, but that He has first loved us” (1 Jh 4:10). My God. My neighbor. Myself. My community. All made me to understand that it is my nature to love. I am called to care; to share however big or small the gifts that I have. I do justice to Love by living it out everyday in the here and now; by embracing the Cross of Christian Brotherhood not only on restful and holy Sundays but more so every moment of the busy MWF and the demanding TThS. I stand witness to its truth by my affirming my existence in awareness of the significant-other and valuing meaning even if it may seem meaningless.

(My nature, I owe it to my God. He is the font of everything that is—of both the existential tree-haters and the ethereal elfin ladies. Without him nothing ever is. He is Love. Such Love makes it possible for three persons to be One God. Such Love calls and unites the community to be of one mind and one heart. Love emanates unto and ennobles lesser loves and transforms human family into an experiential situation of divinity. Love is everything and without it nothing ever is.)

A Small Christian Community is My Church.

   It is so for by Love that we all become brothers and sisters in Christ. By Love, God becomes our maternal Father for which Christ is the firstborn. By Love, we made up the Body of Christ. By Love, the Holy Spirit awakens in us our unique and distinct gifts that we may wield our God-ness to become stewards of God's creation. By Love, it becomes possible for each of us to lovingly carry the Cross of our Brotherhood in Christ. Bearing each other as St. Paul says as we journey back home to the house of the Father. In our responsible service of one another we approximate our love for the Father whom we have not seen. We experience the incredible love of God in a loving community, concretely in a small community that affirms our uniqueness and forgives our imperfections. We express our love for God as we care for and share with one another in that community, more preferentially the least among us (cf. Mat. 25:40ff).

My Church is a Church of the Poor

           The demand of Love in a Christian community is that “there should be no poor among you” (Deut. 15:4). The reality as brought about by sin however is that the poor will always be with us (cf. Mat. 26:11). In Balete, NSCB reports that poverty incidence is at 60.9% making it the 4th municipality in Aklan with high incidence (cf. 2003 Small Area Estimates of Poverty). Corollary to that is the fact that the health problem of utmost importance that besets the community is malnutrition among less than six-year old children, Balete having a prevalence of 12-14% malnutrition in this age group for three (3) consecutive years and being the municipality with the 2nd highest rate of malnutrition in this age group in the province of Aklan in 2009 to 2011 (cf. PHO, 2011 Annual Program Implementation Review). 

            The local church is not blind to this reality. She knows her sons and daughters in Balete. Precisely that since the pastorship of then Rev. Fr. Jo Parohinog, she had opted to give due preference to the poor. She became the Church of the Poor. Not because she encouraged poverty but because she realized that Jesus sees also the poor as the least and the marginalized in a sinful structure and that they are in urgent needs of her love. One concrete manifestations of this preferential option is that from Arancel system, she led them to espouse and get involve in the maintenance of her temporal goods and even encourage their availment of the sacraments through the Offering approach. Later on, in Fr. Tito's time, she invited them to step up higher to Pledge System which enabled the establishment of parish-based credit union. This pastoral program based on the Theology of Christian Life and Love was sustained by Msgr. Frac. The local church was vibrant and optimistic. The Pledge System was positively accepted and the outpourings of love and generosity spilled even to other needy parishes. Then came the storm. 

A Dark Cloud of Unknowing

         The reshuffling of shepherds in the Diocese of Kalibo in the middle of 2004 was the beginning of the diaspora in the journey of the Christian community in Balete. The resurgence of contrary orientation alienated the little ones from the Church they have identified with and learned to love for more than three decades. It ceased to be the Church of the Poor which they are part of. It ceased to champion the building up of "New Heaven and New Earth" in the here and now. 

       The trying times affected the fruits of the struggles of the Christian community. The monthly collections had sagged from 60 grand seven years ago to only 5 grand at the present moment. Why is that, someone asked?

         People ceased to care. They fall out of love. They bothered to put strings on things that they give. To give is to expect for something in return. It is an investment, so it seems. Alcanse man kon medyo mahina do balik. Such is the expression we often heard these days. Such is the dark cloud looming that obscured the virtue of Love once aflame in the hearts of men. 

         A friend referred to such as Realist—a lover who does not believe in unrequited loves. That’s how they put it these days. Gone were the days of Jesus of Nazareth. Gone were those examples of his of protecting his sheep from greedy wolves to the point of laying down his life for them that they might pasture in verdant meadow. Today, it is in sync to state, “No greater love there is than to lay other’s life for oneself. Mas mayad t’a nga ikaw do galimos, kay sa ikaw do ginalimsan. Pero hay ayos eon do limos nga singquenta (50 pesos) kon pobre ag sanggatos (100 pesos) kon may una-una.” 

The Marginalized Church is a People Wandering in the Wilderness

    There are those who surrendered not to pragmatism and accommodation and keep up the faith. They are however marginalized from the mainstream and wandered in the wilderness like their forebears of old. The Church of the Poor undergoes purgation in the region of dissimilarity. 

The Sun Shines out of the Dark Cloud

Hope is not lost. Love conquers all evil. A new shepherd is sent. The tree of love regrows. And the scattered and the lost are sought after and gathered again. Soon, the celebration will begin. For once we were shepherdless but now is being led home. The poor is invited to the banquet again. 
Will you heed the invitation then? 

      

The Credit Union of the Christian Community in Balete

(The following article was originally written for the local ordinary way back in 2004. I am posting it here to remind us of the path we have had trodden and now seem to forget. For as Soren Kierkegaard avers, life is best understood in retrospect.)

The Bueoligan sa Katilingban ni San Rafael evolved out of a Parish-based credit union to become a people’s organization that extends financial (loan) assistance to its members vis-à-vis their understanding that they form a brotherhood in Christ. It takes up cooperativism as its approach to rally its members in working together to realize a common vision of a “New Heave and a New Earth” just as it values transparency and accountability to build up peace based on justice in the community.

The credit union was initiated by the Rev. Fr. Tito S. Gelito, Parish Priest of St. Rafael the Archangel Parish, Balete, Aklan from December 6, 1986 to August 8, 1997 to form part of his pastoral program in response to the signs of the time and the challenge of the Second Vatican Council and the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines (PCP II) to make the church truly the Church of the Poor.  It was adopted and sustained by the Rev. Msgr. Pedro C. Frac when he replaced Fr. Gelito as Parish Priest of Balete in 1997. The monsignor was pastor of Balete for a period of almost seven years (August 9, 1997-July 31, 2004). Through it all, the Bueoligan grew under the stewardship of the Parish Priest and through the patronage of its members regularly gathered during the annual general assembly and whose chapel presidents and finance officers conduct regular monthly meeting.

The Bueoligan was separated from the parish in September of 2004, however, when the current Parish Priest presented a contrary pastoral orientation. The separation almost led to the collapse of the credit union if not for the intervention of a number of clergy and laity who showed concern for the welfare of its members. A special assembly was called for in November of 2004 for the members to decide whether they wanted or not to continue with the credit union in view of the fact that it is no longer a parish-based organization. Majority of those who attended the assembly gave their affirmative vote while those who voted negatively decided to withdraw their membership and fixed deposits from the union with the promise that they would settle their obligations. Several issues and concerns such as the financial status of the Bueoligan, the acquisition of a juridical personality, its constitution and by laws, were addressed during the said assembly. Fr. Gelito was named by the assembly as its manager and Mrs. Alma Fulgencio as its Treasurer/Clerk while an election for its Board of Directors was scheduled later.  In as much as Bueoligan’s organizational structure is based on a Basic Ecclesial Community (BEC) model, the members of the Board of Directors to be elected are representatives of cluster communities/chapels of every Barangay within the jurisdiction of the Parish of St. Rafael. 


Today, the Bueoligan is dormant, much like a seed buried deep in the cold, dark ground waiting for the warm sun to awaken it and beckon it to sprout out and show itself in the light. It hopes for the day when the prophet echoes the call of Isaiah: "Come out...be free! Come out in the light! And along the roads and even on barren heights, be nourished!" (Isaiah 49:9) 

The Journey of the African Night Crawler and Japanese Red Worm to Balete

The Organic Agriculture Act of the Philippines was signed into law by then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo late in her term in April 6, 2010. This Republic Act seeks to develop and promote organic farming and discourage the use of synthetic and chemical-based agriculture among the Filipino farmers.

Two years after its passage, the DILG took the initiative of popularizing the law among local chief executives. It has scheduled this summer one-day regional awareness seminars for LCEs all throughout the country in anticipation of creating a spark for key officials to implement the provisions of the law in their respective turf. It hopes that by communicating it with the local leaders, the law's intent of upholding and expanding ecologically sound, socially acceptable, economically viable and technically feasible methods and approaches of food and fiber productions can be realized.

African Night Crawlers (Photo credit: Local Harvest Org.)

But long before the Department of Agriculture decided of ditching its multi-national partners, the African Night Crawler and Japanese Red Worm quietly found their way into the sleepy, rural and poor Baleten-on communities. Of course, those worms were not government-introduced. They are not like the Golden Kohol and those "Imeldas" whose introductions were hailed with lots of hosannas and media blitz and whom the farmers realized too late as pests in their farms. They shied the limelight. They rode discretely on the soiled pockets of Ng. Donie Cuarton (God bless his soul) and Nono Romulo, both volunteer community workers who came home from a BEC seminar on Vermiculture in Bacolod sometime in early 1993 or late 1992.

Soon enough a cooperative experimental endeavor was forged by the Apostoles of St. Rafael the Archangel Parish. With the help of Pido, a humble and gentle BEC worker from Negros, the group started off the first vermiculture project in Aklan under the guidance of Fr. Tito Gelito, the shepherd who also encouraged them to experiment on "dapog" approached to farming (This one deserves a separate discussion due to its merits and virtues).  The project forms part of the pastoral program that traced back to Fr. Jo Parohinog when he was parish priest of Balete in the 70's. It aims of liberating the farmers from their addictive dependency on synthetic fertilizers while seeking to reinvent the "dagyaw" culture of the Baleten-on community vis-a-vis the provisions of additional source of income for each household. Enveloping these issues and concerns is the Theology of Life Fr. Tito has been positing about--an integrated life that appreciates the goods of the Earth as instruments and channels in a communal/familial journey with Jesus back home to the house of the Father.

Japanese Red Worms (Photo credit: Earth 911)

At present, those worms find their ways in Barangay Feliciano, in Numancia and some other places in the Diocese while the Katilingban wanders still in the wilderness on Massah and Meribah, hopeful as ever of finding its way back to the path it once has trodden by.

_______
   Vermiculture as practiced in other sites/places:
     a. In India
     b. Earth911.com
     c. Canada

Synopsis of a Theology of Life: A Baleten-on Play

(The following is a synopsis of a play shown inside the Balete Church during one vesper eve of the Fiesta of San Rafael Arcangel sometime in 1997) 

Part I.   Ro Paraiso sa Balete

      A. Narrative:

            Ro mga katigueanggan hay nagahambae nga ro damgo it Dios hay nagakatuman ag nagakahanabo.

          Kato anay, ro Dios nagdamgo. Anang guindamgo ro Banwang Balete.  Sa umpisa, ro Banwang Balete hay owa guid it kaayosan ag owa it kabuhi. Madueum rong palibot samtang imaw hay nagalibot-libot sa ibabaw kung tubi(being read in total darkness).

            Ag sa anang damgo, ro Dios naghambae: “MAGHAYAG”. (full light is switched on baring the children in tableau for their interpretation of the Canticle of Sun)

B.    Canticle of Sun: rong saot it tinuga.

C.    Narrative:

            Sa damgo it Dios, nagligad ro an-um ka adlaw umpisa ku anang pagtuga it tanan nga butang sa Banwa it Balete. Nahamuot-an guid ra tanan it Dios sa baylo nga nalipay guid imaw.  Ag una sa hardin nga nahamtang sa tunga it banwa, anang guinpaistar rong Baleten-on nga ana guid nahamuot-an sa tanan nga butang nga makit-an ag indi makit-an (being read while a couple of children scatters petals of flowers on the aisles as well as a soft instrumental music is being played).

D.   Kahanga-hanga: rong saot it pagdayaw.

            (nearing the end of the choreographic dance, a couple of heckler rise from among the spectators to meddle with the dancers)

Part II.  Rong Handum nga mangin Dios

E.    Tableau:  Social Situation

*                        Focus on the Spirit of Competition

“guapa ako, maeaw-ay ka”, “mayad ako, bulok ka”, maaeam ako, bungkoe    ka”, “sexy ako, matsa bariles ka”

·         Focus on Sexual Exploitation

            “Wow, hanip sa puti.  Ano baea a sabon karon ay?”

F.    Tableau:  Political Situation

·         Focus on Vote Buying

“Ham-an it abi indi ig batunon?”, “Grasya eon ron”, “Alkansi man kita kon  indi it himuslan”

G.   Tableau:    Economic Situation

·         Focus on Land Grabbing

                “Amon a ra halin pa sa among kalolohan”, “Si Papa a’t abi hay maabtik. Ngani sori eun lang sanda.”

H.   Tableau:  Ecological Situation

·         Focus on Excessive Logging

            “Makwartahan a’t ro kahoy ngara. Pangtung-its ag pang Tanduay.”

Part III.  Paghimakas kung Kristianong Katilingban

I.       Song: Patalastas ay Salamangka

J.      Tableau, Narrative and Song:

·         Focus on the Struggle for Integrity (SPECSE approach)

            “prayer rally—ro mga tawo hay nagatikang-tikang nga may mga placard nga daea: ‘eugta para sa tanan!’, ‘pangabuhian para sa kubos!’, ‘pag-ieingmanghuran’, ‘tamang edukasyon’, etc.

·         Sa damgo it Dios, ro paghimakas it Banwang Balete nga mangin isaeang ka katilingban nga diosnon hay naangot guid sa andang pagkilaea nga si Jesu-Kristo hay ro bugtong nga Anak ku Amay, ro guintugyanan ku Amay sa pagpahauli kung tanan nga butang sa Banwa it Balete (plucking of guitar “Hangkat sa Kristianong Katilingban” serves as background music).

·         Song: Espiritu ng Panginoon

            scene: Jesus walks amidst the crowd (those who were having  a prayer rally).  The people notice him and begin to pay attention to what his trying to say.  They sit down on the floor as he begins to sing: “Sumasa-akin ang Espiritu ng Panginoon…”

Part IV.   Rong Hangkat sa Kristianong Katilingban

K.    Narrative and Sabayang Kanta:

·         Sa damgo it Dios, anang guintawag ro Baleten-on pareho nga guintawag man nana si Cain ag guinpangutana: “Siin baea si Abel?  Ag si Cain nagsabat: “Ham-an kakon mo imaw guina-usoy? Ako baea ro tagbantay ku akong igmanghod?” 

·         Si Cain hay nakasabat eon sa pangutana ku Dios.  Pero ro Baleten-on hay owa pa.  Ano baea ro anang mangin sabat kara?

·         Song of Solidarity: Hangkat sa Kristianong Katilingban

       Ro tanan nga miembro ro rayang pagpahayag hay magatipon sa stage nga nakakapit-bisig ag nagakanta.  Nearing the end of the song, ro grupo hay maga-change formation to highlight and adore the cross of the risen Christ.  Another song shall be sung as Swan Song.

Ag ro istoryia it paghimakas ku Kristianong Katilingban hay nagpadayon.