Living the mystical and prophetic dimension of our lives in a changing World.

 We are in the beginning of new decade of the 21^st century. Every day we witness new discoveries about life- world and creatures. Technology, information, communication, media, industry are fast growing that life has become easy, instant and comfortable. Religious life faces the challenge to live it with the glamorous culture of consumerism. Seemingly “worldy” and secular culture but  also spiritual as it strive to be faithful in living out the prophetic and mystical dimension of religious life, in a  life style of simplicity, meditation, prayer, hospitality, and  committed devotion  to serve the poor and the marginalized.

We are now living in world  of interconnectedness. Our aim is to  bring up the vision on one with others, one with the earth, in one world. All – is – one.  This is now the time for Religious life to respond to the changing culture patterns. This is the responsibility of religious life to empower and enable people, to grow, to change, and to find meaning in the midst of success and failure of earthly life. We, as religious are called to be agents of change and social promoter. We are challenged to be creative and dynamic in bringing about change.

Religious life  as a consecrated life of service to God and his people  is  filled with spiritual exercises like prayer, evangelical counsels, gospel asceticism, renunciation lived in common. Mission in this life has two aspects; the personal interior life and community life

Mystical dimension has to do with our relationship with God, the God as only source of our life by trusting fully on his care for us. It is an experience of being at tune with God in prayer, meditation and devotion.  However, we need to face the reality. Sometimes we feel that our life seems meaningless.  We experience difficulties of our inner selves, like the weight of the baggages of our woundedness, emptiness and crisis.  And we question ourselves, what am I/we here for?   It is a time for us to entrust our lives to God. We need God’s grace in our daily living to raise ourselves from those moments of difficulties.  We need to renounce and humble ourselves to remove our pride and humbly walk with God. Living out the vows of poverty, obedience and chastity that we professed is difficult if we are not connected with God. Thus we need create constantly and experience more of silence, solitude and prayer.  Hopefully, we can enter the deeper caves of the self and the unwanted elements inside be transformed by the Spirit. This is not an easy process, but since we are rely on God’s grace, we believe this is not something impossible for us.

Prophetic dimension as lived in the community. Means living with another out of self is not an easy task.  We offered our life to others by living in community. To be prophetic, demands a constant listening and attentiveness to what the creative spirit of God is doing in the community.  Listening to others and responding to the needs of others especially the marginalized and the poor among us is the way to grow in our spirituality.  Prophetic dimension is also reading the sign of times and the challenging to respond to the needs of our time.  We are called to help enhance the lives of people making them more human and  conscious to its spiritual or contemplative dimension.

bykristprast

The Samaritan and the sheep

Jesus said; do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town. Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.  We know very well, in other verses before Jesus’ ascension into heaven he says; Go and make all disciples of all Nations. I found it contradictory.  Samaritans are not exception; they are part of the nations.

The Samaritans are not the Jews. Who will be a prophet among the Samaritans? Samaritan woman met Jesus in the well.  She was the first among Samaritans who recognized Jesus as Messiah after Jesus revealed himself to her. She became a prophet for her own people.

Jesus has many followers.  Among them he chooses only the twelve disciples. As humans, the chosen felt “better” than the others but Jesus reminds them not to be involved in all. In other words Jesus reminded them not to judge others. It is better to go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.  

This has deep meaning for me.  As a young sister newly professed, I feel “better” than others. I know and I can do many things. I am work faster.  I am an observer. I am assertive. I am generous. I am creative. I am a daring person. I am confident. I am a strong person and finally……………. I am proud of myself!

In today’s Gospel Jesus remind me how not to be proud with all that he gives to me, rather more humbly look my “sheep”. One of the authors says; we live the way we pray, and we pray the way we live. I felt ashamed. When I realized, my prayer is far away with what I live. Probably, Jesus saw at the character in the twelve. They can do either proud or humble. Every one of us has the tendency to be proud or to be humble. Humility is not guaranteed if we are praying everyday; the important is how we really lift up our hearts to God.

How we relate our prayer with our way of life? True prayer penetrates and transforms the totality of our life but in God’s time. Everything is possible, when God’s time come. So who are the Samaritans? And who is the sheep? The Samaritans are my neighbors.  The sheep is my own being. I do believe, Jesus will reveal in me as he revealed to others.

bykristprast

Everything is growing

I was sitting in the community room and facing to the house of our dogs. My eyes struck with the leaves of the Indian trees in front of me. I show all the branches have a leaves.  The leaves as a whole have side to side even in the last part of every branch.  This is something in every human being.  We are all pilgrim people on our way toward wholeness of life. For three months living in the community as a young sister many things happen, with the good and not so good experiences, made me realized that we are all in the same boat,  no matter how many years the person in the religious life is not a guarantee she is free from conflict. The conflict is between ourselves that produce emotional or spiritual discomfort. As the youngest in the community I cannot demand a witness, each one of us capable to become witness, in fact I will be frustrated in this reality in my present moment. I am a witness. I have to open my eyes and encounter with their uniqueness as they encounter with my uniqueness. Every person has back ground, as well as all grew up with the different atmosphere family. 

Sometimes I try to understand why people doing this and that and for me something is not properly, and all of my answers was every person has two influences; from outside their self and from inside. Outside them are atmosphere in their family, cultures, how their parents and environments treat them. And from inside are our genetic from our ancestors, our way of responds, life style choices and even God within.  Even the ways we express our love are different, some with gentle and some with challenge. Actually my expectations with the person or moment produce conflict within myself. 

The conflict within journey together with the awareness and understanding.  That is open to grow.  Like the leaves of the Indian tree, is always side to side with the branch in the middle, human being as I am growing together in my positive and negative, love, egoism, goodness,  influence from  inside and outside as God creation.  Living in wholeness is never achieved completely in my time, is always in the way, the whole of my life. Everything is growing. I can only make effort but everything will rely in God alone, he is the true healer.

bykristprast

The capacity to understand

Many times I have been thinking, and come to believe, that my personal vocation depends with what I see, through my dynamics. On this very moment I realize something is wrong in me.  I look up to others and when they don’t come up to my expectation I‘m in troubled.  I was thinking in my personal prayer, this morning. What the significant being affected by others attitude? And I tried to connect between capacity and quality. I remember when I had my home visit last January. I fetched my niece 3 years old from her school (play group).  She asked me, bude (auntie) I like to buy “ao”. She doesn't pronounce well. I didn't understand, I said. But she insisted and asked me, that she like to buy “kel ao”. I became confused. When we pass by suddenly a woman vendor said; this one? And she shows the cartoon picture sticker. Suddenly my niece jumped and said; ya…ya….I like this one, “kel ao”. I asked the woman, what is that? “Sticker Naruto, a famous movie cartoon from Japan this time”, she said. Oh my God! How did you know she needs that stuff? She replied; yes I know mom, I watch what is happening in TV program.  Finally we bought stickers and she was happy.

On our way of going home I was thinking and trying to reflect what was struck me.  How can she know even with only the two alphabets “ao”? Her understanding seems an ordinary understanding. She has capacity to know and observe this generation. She knows the quality of people in this day’s world. I think we have the capacity to know and understand others. But for many times the capacity vanish because we don’t really observe what is happening around us.  I don’t see the quality of others. I don’t see what is happening with others. However sometimes I am disappointed. When my realization of the reality different with others.  I cannot see the quality of the person if I don’t use my capacity to see and to observe what is going on in this particular situation or person.  In other words the more I increase my capacity of understanding, the more I can see the quality of others. Where ever you focus your attention is where you will receive your impressions.  

Exactly like in my dream, when somebody gave me the coin and the key. To have the keys to a place designated a special kind of power. If you buy a house or lease a car or rent an apartment, the moment you’re handed the keys you have authority. How about me? When  can I give allowance to others that is my power. Like the vendor woman, to observe and understand others is her power.

bykristprast

The adventure of life by “learning by doing”

 I arrived in Kabajangan a mountain Barangay of municipality of Oslob in the province of Cebu, Philippines for my annual retreat. I was full of joy because the place is cold and has beautiful views. My expectation is to have conducive place for a period of quite and rest a while. Our Lord says: You must come away to some lonely place for a period of quiet   and rest a while. Mark 6; 31.  In union with God through prayer, meditation and Holy Communion are rest to you….come and rest for a while…..in silence and solitude.

When I knew there was no supply of water, I felt sad and confused. I said to myself: what will I do here without water?  I was complaining and questioning, what kind of rest a while is this?

When my retreat master asked, of my expectation of this retreat? I expressed to him my complains and confusion, and to my surprise he respected it, and let me stayed with it and told me that is God probably chooses to speak to me.

I realized, for many times in the past, I had been so focused on temporal things. I have been filling a need which is not essential in life. At this time I am open and my perspective in life are so different with my previous. I can not imagine, but it happened.  I was in the midst of our poor people. I helped them to gather our food in the garden and washing the dishes.  I helped to fetch water for cooking and drinking it is an hour by foot to reach the place called “tigip”.

That is an opportune time of experiencing the loving presence God in silence, solitude and enclosure. Silence and solitude is not the absence of noise, but stillness of the heart and mind.  Enclosure is not putting me into four walls but a sacred space that God dwells in my heart.   Silence, solitude and enclosure of the heart is experienced even a midst of the crowd. Maybe this is the meaning of “learning by doing” as a novice of a contemplative of the Good Shepherd, I am starting to learn now essential elements of our contemplative life.

One day the feast of Immaculate Heart of Mary, I was surprised of my lunch a piece of “daing” dry fish only. But after that, I realized that they only have one daing as an expression sharing and love to me. Life is meaningful in spirit of sharing even of having nothing. We have poor people always, why? They provide the best opportunity for us to leave our comfort zones, our abundance of blessings and our inner goodness.  The last day of my retreat, I believe that everything is meaningful, everything will be fruitful, and everything is to be adventure in life.  God pursued me and let me feel that He is at my side. “Live our lives to the full, for after all if we don’t use the precious life we have, then we may as well be dead”

 Kabajangan, Feb,9, 2007

bykristprast, novice