The Joy of Walking in the Truth

Stewards of God’s Gifts

of a master who, before going on a journey and entrusted his possessions to his three servants. Two of those three servants invested the talents given to them which resulted in the doubling of their value; while the last servant only dug a hole where he kept the talent unutilized and unfruitful. When the master returned, he was very joyful when he learned from the two servants that his possessions doubled under their care while he became angry with the lazy servant who did nothing for the improvement of the talents left under his possession.

JOHN PAUL R. PAMINTUAN, OP

DEAR, BROTHERS. whenever we speak of Pastoral Formation what immediately comes into our mind is equipping you with skills that will make you competent enough in your future ministry. This why we, as much as possible, prepare programs that would make you good pastors in the different priorities of the Province. We can see how serious you are in your effort to acquire all these ‘hard skills’. We appreciate your sacrifices in achieving such skills. In the business world, one usually gets employed, based on hard skills. Today, people are trying to balance their way of looking at competence by talking about ‘soft skills’. These are usually qualitative in nature, like, emotional intelligence, leadership capabilities, empathy, psychological maturity, interpersonal relationship, etc. People now begin to realize that such skills are as important those that one gets from professional training or preparation.

We can also compare such understanding of skills with what we are doing. But allow me to propose slight change that I think would help us love more what we are doing. We are ministers and the foundation of any ministry is prayer. Our motto would say, “To contemplate and to share the fruits of one’s contemplation”. We can say that any pastoral activity that we do ceases to be truly pastoral unless it comes from the fullness of contemplation. For us in the Order it should be the other way around. Contemplation is the hard skill that each one must possess before anything else. Your skill or talent in doing any work as a result of your training is the soft skill. It is only in this way of ordering our life that will ensure that our ministry will be fruitful. Let this edition of Punlâ and your reflections be a testament to that right ordering of life that we dearly hold on to.

From the Director of Pastoral Formation

We know that we cannot fully make you a dynamic leader in the future in the course of your stay in the Studentate, but what we provide now are only meaningful experiences for you to keep and remember. I have personally chosen UST Angelicum College (UST-AC) to be the venue of your enrichment program, not only for this semester but in the succeeding semesters to come, because it is very practical; it is just one step away.

The brothers joined the activities of the Basic Ecclesial Communities (BECs) in their prayer and gave catechism to the designated communities. Brgy. Tatalon is mostly occupied by the poor. Many of them are illegal settlers living in empty spaces behind the factories, a gas station and under the overhead power line. I was honestly surprised that there are people living in this kind of environment. When I walked through the narrow alleys, sometimes could smell the stench of gutter, and the humid air coming through the dumping area. Indeed, I wonder how men could be forced by their circumstances to live amidst this humble situation. It seems that for these people, to acquire the basic needs of life is already a luxury in itself. But then again, when situation requires people to adapt in order to live, they do adapt, also spiritually.

From what seemed to be bleak surroundings, faith shines forth in its brightness. I expected only a few people joining our catechesis since many of them are trying to earn for a living. Yet surprisingly, many joined us: children, mothers and grandparents. From this encounter, I realized that material limitation does not mean spiritual lethargy. They are poor and often are sidelined in the society. They do not have nice houses or even proper clothes but their trust and faith in God could not be undermined. They might not be that knowledgeable about Church’s teachings but their reliance on God is truly impressive.

They are aware that life can be very hard, and sometimes, to survive the day is a matter of great deal. But they do survive because faith in God teaches them that life has a meaning and hope never fails. Indeed, people whom we encountered struggle hard to keep their life, but they are content that they struggle for people whom they love. Seeing their perseverance, remember the words of St. Boniface, “What we ourselves cannot bear, let us bear with the help of Christ.”

Synodality: Being Present, Listening, Journeying

“I have no greater joy than this, to hear that my children are walking in the truth” (3 John 1:4). This verse from the Third Letter of John wholly captures my experience in the pastoral enrichment program on guidance and counseling at UST Angelicum College. Such experience brought me joy – a joy coming from encounters with various learners in a personal way. It was a joy that started from the simple question, “How are you?” at the beginning of each interview session.

Before the actual interviews with the learners of UST Angelicum College, I first tried to remember what are the things that I must do as a counselor, which learned from our pastoral exposure program held last June 2022. The Guidance Counseling and Testing Department also gave me a list of guide questions for my encounter with the learners.

I was blessed to talk to 17 learners. I always began the interview with, “How are you?” I thought this question is just for “formality”, but I was wrong. Rather, this question opened a door into the souls of these children entrusted to us by their parents. Some learners were shy, but some were comfortable in answering questions. Gladly, I was able to build a connection with them.

In every session, I have always received a precious gift, that is, a story of and from the learner. Each story tells about the journey of every learner, not only in academics but a glimpse of their whole life. Through that same story, I was able to appreciate them and hopefully assisted them in their needs. I also saw different pictures of the realities of family life. I even came to know how each learner tries his best to be a good child in their home and a good student and friend in school. Therefore, the stories of the learners also opened my eyes to the importance of the Christian family and Catholic education. More importantly, I have also grasped from their stories how they try their best to walk in the Truth; to struggle with the Truth; and to encounter the Truth in different ways. These are shown in their attempts to balance their study life and family life; in helping each other; in being open to their respective families and learning facilitators; and many more.

I have realized that Catholic education does not only give the best education for the young generation; it also prepares the students entrusted to them to encounter the Truth. My exposure in the Guidance Counseling and Testing Department of UST Angelicum College indeed allowed me to appreciate the importance of accompanying the young generation in walking in Truth, in finding the Truth, and in encountering the Truth.

Gratiarum Omnium Largitori the second bull of Pope Honorius III to St. Dominic, gives praise to God who is the giver of all gifts. It is an acknowledgment that the source of all things is the Creator and we are only stewards of all of those gifts (cf. Gn. 1:28). This reminds me of the story of the Parable of Talents (cf. Mt. 25:14-30) which speaks

The realization that I had during our pastoral enrichment program on leadership and administration in the Finance and Human Resource Departments of UST Angelicum College is that all of the institutions and ministries of the province are gifts from God to the Order. As stewards of those gratuitous gifts enriched by the sweat and blood of our forebears, we must embrace our roles as stewards of those gifts and do what is right to the best of our abilities. Different institutions and ministries would mean different responses from us stewards but one thing is certain, we must be trustworthy. A trustworthy person is proactive, responsible, a visionary, and has initiative. Becoming trustworthy encompasses all the positive traits that one needs to develop in order to become a good leader and administrator; but most importantly, it is also a reciprocation to the trust that the community has given. Ultimately, to be trustworthy is an authentic response to the call of God to be stewards of his gratuitous gifts to us. It is our hope during the end time that we hear from the Divine Master what he said to his faithful servants, “Well done, my good and faithful servant... Come, share your master’s joy” (Mt. 25:21).

MY BROTHERS, as I have told you before, the Pastoral Enrichment Program is designed to reinforce what was introduced to you last summer.

Last semester, you had your own seminars, boot camps or capability building workshops that somehow complemented the thrust of the pastoral program of the Studentate. Being sensitive to the demands of your academic requirements, we are only squeezing in this a month-long enrichment program prior to your finals. Thus, we have to make the most of what we got than nothing at all.

Whether you like it or not, as future priests and brothers of the Province, the Church and the stakeholders of the institutions we are running for the propagation of the Catholic faith, expect from you the kind of leadership rooted in the tradition and thrust of the Province and of the Order. As you are being prepared to be academicians, professors, and experts in theology, philosophy and canon law, never limit yourself to these alone, because for most of you, you will be priests, and with that you have to take the challenge to live out the munus triplex of Christ as a faithful intercessor, a zealous witness of faith and a servant leader!

Yes, UST-AC is only one of our educational institutions, which is only one aspect of your pastoral thrust. However, as you come close and see how they are faithful to education per se you would see all the aspects of the pastoral thrusts of the Province in this humble school. Aside from the leadership and resources management, UST-AC is also engaging in local mission and justice and peace by making education as a means to alleviate poverty in our country; they are also into guidance and counselling for any academic journey requires a good companion to guide and coach our young people; more so, UST-AC is a fertile place for pastoral ministry where young minds begin to develop their sense of personal identity, but their spiritual identity as well. You have to bear in mind that any learning institution is dedicated not only in honing the mind, but it is dedicated to the integral formation of the whole person.

Equally important, UST-AC is the pioneer of the non-graded system of education in the Philippines. This is our own and as young Dominicans you have to be proud of the legacy of our forebears who painstakingly gave birth to this innovative system of learning. When I was asked to go to Iloilo, was only three years in the priesthood. At first, I have my hesitation, but my exposure to Angelicum College, Quezon City somehow gave me the courage that I can do it not just because I know the system, but the friendships that I have established with the lay administrators made me feel that I have people to lean on. When we were young coristas we too had our fair share in crossing the door near the gym area of the Coristado to teach in Angelicum or to be assistant facilitators in the Home Study Program. During those days, it deepened my appreciation of the system. More than that, I came to know and became grateful to the presence of so many dedicated lay people who are working for us and making this system really work!

With this, I hope and pray, that this short exposure of yours may provide countless opportunities not only in appreciating your vocation, but most especially also the vocation of the lay people around you, who believe so much in our ministry in educating the young people of today. God bless you my dear brothers!

IN the pastoral enrichment program for urban/rural poor and care of creation, we were assigned to the Re-Entry Education Agenda for the Poor (REAP) Program of UST Angelicum College, Quezon City. In this program, we have realized three important things.

The first learning that we’ve got is on the apostolate of presence. Our very presence gives joy to the people whom we have encountered because they see and feel that the Church is moving with them. I remember Fr. Simon, OP simply telling us, “We will go there to visit and get to know them.”

To be with them is to give them our time and a part of our lives. Perhaps, this is also another way to understand the call of Christ for us to give up our life. We will not die literally, but giving them a part of our time is already giving them a sig- call, that, as what St. John Paul II would remind all religious in the document Vita Consecrata each individual must be totally conformed to the image of the Master they serve. When we do our apostolate, we must be absorbed in the person of Christ, so that we may know that we are there, first and foremost, because of Him who called us to serve. nificant part of our life. Presence is important.

The third important lesson we gained is a deeper realization that since we are greatly blessed, we too must become a blessing to others. As Dominicans, this blessing which we have is no less than Jesus himself. This same blessing is what we must share with others through education and apostolate. One of our mottos is ‘Benedicere’ or to bless. We can effectively do this by being a blessing to others by our gift of self and our gift of giving them our time and our life to lead them to Jesus. Knowing this, we will be grounded that we must not only save either the body or save the soul alone. In a holistic manner we must save, nourish, and educate the whole human person.

All of these learnings can be summarized by one word and that is, ‘Church’. We have felt and experienced what it truly means to be a Church. Simply, it is to walk and journey together towards giving birth to the Kingdom of God in our society.

This is even the very reason why Jesus had to incarnate and to take on the human form – to be one like us and be with us so that we may know and realize that what is before us is true love.

In our visit to the various REAP sites, we felt that people somehow see Jesus in us (hopefully).

Punlâ is the Pastoral Newsletter of the Dominican Studentate which features events and activities related to the ministry of the brothers and their apostolic groups. It aims to promote awareness about the missionary endeavors of the brothers and their lay collaborators who tirelessly contribute to the propagation of the Gospel in their ministries. It also serves as a means to express the brothers’ gratitude to their benefactors and partners for their invaluable help in responding to the needs of the Church and society. The Filipino term punlâ not only signifies the seed, but more importantly connotes the act of sowing. This expresses the dynamism of the brothers’ apostolic ministry, rooted as it is in their life of contemplation as students committed to the sowing of the seed that is the ever-fruitful Word: “So shall my word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to me empty but shall do what pleases me, achieving the end for which sent it,” (Isaiah 55:11).

Layout Artists: Br. Gian Linardo Mari T. Estrella, OP (DSPB & MUKHA AD) Br. Peter Lynnus C. Silerio (DSMC) Br. Denver Marx B. Colegado, OP (KADAUPAN)

Br. John Rheed M. Caturza, OP (PST) Br. Joevandro Alguter Triandi Putra OP (KAPATID) Br. Cornellius Liewangsa Putra Herman, OP (PHOTO GALLERY)

(This is an excerpt from the Opening Remarks delivered during the Pastoral Enrichment Program

2022-2023 held on April

Angelicum College, Quezon City.)

Fr. Simon, OP, also urged us to wear the Dominican habit in almost all of our exposures in order to remind us and the people that we come, not in our own name, but in the name of the Dominican Studentate, in the name of the Church, and in the most profound way, in the name of Jesus. This allows us to reflect on the deep reality of our religious

In educating the youth, we fulfill this mission by making real what the Baltimore Catechism would lay down in its beginning chapters: “The purpose of man’s existence is to know, love, and serve the Lord.” Education can lead the youth to know Jesus, and as what St. Thomas Aquinas believes, knowing would lead to loving what we know. And only through knowing and loving Jesus can we be led to serve Him and His Church.

Indeed, as the old Filipino proverb goes, “Ang sakit ng kalingkingan ay dama ng buong katawan’. Lahat tayo ay dapat may pakielam at makilahok tungo sa pag-akay sa lahat sa landas patungo kay Kristo.” All ways and means must lead and end in Christ.

Br. John Rheed M. Caturza, OP (PST) Br. Jonas P. Mediavilla, OP (KAPATID) Br. Dominico Xaverio Budoyo Setiawan, OP (R&R)

Editorial Consultant: Br. Eugene Dominic V. Aboy, OP Dominican Studentate Editorial Board: Br. Glendale P. Ancheta, OP Br. Ian Joeffrey G. Melendres, OP