The Monastery

In my previous post, i told you about our visit in a monastery. Now I'm going to share to you the pictures we took from the place.

Everything is scheduled in the Monastery

Books of Faith

Isn't the flower cute?

Nuns Dress(taken inside the room)

They really prepared the room for us...and we really liked it!

Christ's Image

We were not able to get up stare.

The Conference room

The Chapel

The Main building in the monastery.

The Retreat House

So that's the monastery looks like. If you notice I never mentioned the name of the monastery that's because it's a cloistered community. You cannot get inside without a permission from the Mother Superior. We took pictures but we were not sure if it's allowed there so to be fair enough I didn't mention the place na lang.

Three Days of Living a Contemplative Life

Wow! What a weekend!

My friend, Cha and I had been planning to visit a monastery ever since and stay there for days...we don’t have plan of entering in a congregation though…we just want to experience a monastic life. Hmmm…maybe u guessed already what’s this article all about, noh? Yes, we visited a monastery(nuns)…a cloistered community with people(monks) who live a contemplative life.

It was Kuya Eigene(a former seminarian now a postulant) who introduced the monastery to Cha. And Cha who knew that I am also interested on the thing told me about it. Then we decided to visit the said monastery and asked permission to the Mother Superior if we could search in. We were so grateful when the Mother Superior(a Japanese) gladly said “yes”. She said that the workshop (search in) should be at least three days. So after our exams last week I went there with Cha.

There are only five nuns there, 2 are Japanese and the 3 are Filipinas. The Mother Superior is a bit older than the others (70years old), the other Japanese Nun is 51years old. The three Filipina Nuns are at their 40s. They look young though. In fact if they didn’t tell us how old they are, we might think that they are young 10 years younger than their real age. The main language they use is English because the Japanese Nuns cannot understand Filipino language. Kaya pansamantalang naging englisera kami ni Charisse hangang sa dumugo2 and aming mga ilong.

Kidding aside, living a contemplative life is hard if you are not used to. We had hard time of adjustment on our first day there. When we arrived, Mother whispered us to keep our silence. There is a time to chat (just 30 minutes during recreation) but most of the time they devote themselves into solitude. Even in works like, washing the dishes and cleaning the rooms, you are not allowed to talk unless you have permission from your mistress. Silence in work is offered to God. It should be coupled with prayer…prayer for the poor, for those who are suffering, sick and the like. Their everyday life is tide up with prayers--morning prayer, midmorning prayer, noon prayer, mid afternoon prayer, afternoon prayer and evening prayer, mid evening prayer. In the middle of morning and midmorning prayer, and afternoon and evening prayer there’s a 1hour contemplative prayer. In my first contemplative prayer I really ran out of words. Nakapikit na lang ako at nakikiramdam sa mga susunod na mga gagawin.

God’s presence is everywhere in everything you do. The solemnity of the place makes you feel that He is always beside you…even when darkness fills the night.

It was, indeed, an extraordinary weekend for Cha and I. It was a cloistered community, thus, people are not allowed to enter the monastery unless they are permitted to. Lucky are we to have had searched-in there. I may not be destined to be a monk but for sure, the memories I had in the monastery will always remain in my heart…and I will cherish it forever. It was really a great weekend!

Examination Days

Next week(monday-wednesday) will be our examination day... plss pray for me guys na makakuha ako ng matataas na scores...wanna go back to the dean's lists.. hayzz... lost it last 2nd sem kasi... it's not that important to me though... kasi i know naman my capacity as a student... hindi man ako 'yong super galing pagdating sa klase alam ko nman sa sarili ko na mayroon akong ibubuga..minsan nga lang nakakapanghinayang. ako kasi yong rush kung mag-aral ng leksyon(minsan nga hindi pa)..tas when i get to get my grade na.. doon na naman ako nghihinayang. phew.. ganyan talaga, nasa huli palagi ang pasisisi.

sometimes i blame the internet nga eh.. medyo adik kasi ako eh.. kaya mnsan huli ng pumasok sa klase sa kakainternet..minsan nga umaabsent na lang..kaya rin minsan hindi nakakatake ng mga quizes. hay..

no grades below 85 with an average of 90 ang nakapasok sa dean's list sa school namin.. last sem my lowest grade was 88 however my average didn't reach 90 kaya ayon...nagsisi na naman ang lola nyo.

well, honestly gusto kung makabawi this year.. 4th year na kaya ako noh. Huwag lang sana akong tamarin kasi na! hayzz.. kaya sana tulungan nyo akong magpray for my exam... salamat in advance! :)

The Fifth Commandment of Yaweh

“Honor thy father and mother”

That’s the FIFTH COMMANDMENT of God according to the Bible.

One after noon when I arrived home I saw my mom with other neighbors talking to an old woman, who looked either a beggar or crazy because she’s so dirty (and smelly according to mom), in front of the chapel beside our house. I didn’t mind them though, instead I went home and watched T.V.. When my mom went in the house, I asked her ‘who’s that woman and why were they talking to her.’ She said, the woman was a vegetable vendor. She came from Tupi and soled her vegetable there but unfortunately, her money was stolen from her so she walked from there(Tupi) to our place. “Anways, Kagawad Barrientos will take her home.” said my mother. “Poor old woman.” I added.

The next morning when I woke up, mom told me that the old woman was still there. She also asked me to give the her food to eat for she(the old woman) might be very, very hungry. I hurriedly went to the kitchen and got her food. I gave her the food and she softly said thank you. I asked her where she live and why was she there. She said, she’s from Marbel(the term we call the Koronadal City proper)…and that she’ll go home after the mass. There I learned that she was not crazy. I also gave her coffee.

Three days had passed and the old woman was still there in front of the chapel. Whenever a person offered her to go home she'll just nod…but when someone carries her and her things to a vehicle, she’ll go angry. There were people also who gave her money for her fare but she didn’t dare to live the place. Whatever things or problems she may had we didn't not know. But one thing I am sure with, the woman is lonely--not literally lonely though...but lonely in the sense that she has no family to take care of her...guess she was abandoned...

After talking to her, I felt pity for her. "Does she have family? Where are they? Are they looking for her?" i asked my self. I cannot imagine my parents looking like that of the old woman when they grow old. Parents should be loved and valued. When they grow old it’s our responsibility as their children to take good care of them just how they took care of us when we were still small. It’s not really necessary that we give them material things. Just some attention and they’ll be okay...and if you don’t want our parents be like that old woman, thus, we should honor them and gave them importance.

Three days after the old woman left the our place. We don't know where did she go...if she went home or just find another place again to be her temporary home.