Season of Lent: Ateneo Catholic Retreat

Lent is at hand. 

Ateneo will offer a Catholic retreat this season of repentance and sorrow for the Passion of Christ. I and my friend, Ianne have already agreed to attend it. We just had to contact the Campus Ministry for informations about it. 

Ianne will have been heading back home to Mati by that time. But she said, “I will try to talk it out with dad. I know he’ll agree. He wants me to attend such. He as if wants me to live in a seminary or something.”

And I take that as a yes.

Maybe the Campus Ministry will require us to bring notepads, ball pens, bond papers or something. For the activities and jotting down of thoughts during the course of the retreat. Perhaps, also some bite-size snacks and a full-blast lunch to suffice and fill the needs of our physical soul.

To be able to carry the loads of our souls.

I can’t wait for this. There will be a lot of looking back to the year that has been. My first year in college and first year as a semi-adult teen. And I guess, there would be a lot of planning for the years ahead.

It will be my time for reminiscing my relationship with the Lord. Looking back on the tracks I made. And looking forward to making more footprints with him ahead.

P.S., The retreat will be headed by Fr. Mc, S.J. Hopefully too, I can gain new spiritual friends during the retreat. Probably people with the same life course as I have.

Hopefully, Ateneo will become an essential part of my years ahead.

Ateneo will be. Saint Ignatius will be. The Jesuits will always be.

Have solemn days with the Lord this Lenten Season. Know what it really means to be Catholic. Find Catholic retreats near you.

Sometimes, Silence is Silver. But Speech is Gold.

I failed to keep my silence just now. I have discovered that being too silent can also be synonymous to destruction. And I just did not let silence devour me. I talked out.

And it was better that I broke my silence. For this instance, at least.

My brother had been sticking on to the PC when I arrived. He had been there even before I went out to fix something. Apparently hours and hours of cybergames. He was playing like there’s no tomorrow. He started from early morn, till late noon and night.

I changed my clothes. I put on shorts and a comfy shirt. How relaxing to feel your legs away from those imprisoning jeans.

I asked my younger brother to give way. I would be checking on my accounts on the web.

He answered me in a disrespectful manner. “Mamaya ka na!” “Later!”

Before, this kind of reply would not matter to me. But I decided to be stern that time. This kind of treatment, I don’t deserve.

I langorously told him, “Tama na. Ako na naman. Kanina ka pa diyan.” “Enough. It’s my turn. You were there for quite a while now.”

“Mamaya na nga! Last na ‘to!” “Later, I said! This is my last!”

“NO! I said, it’s ENOUGH!”

He still went on. I know his last would never be my last. It’s only the start for a computer maniac like him

But I gave him his last. So he played. After that, he was about to join another game again. Just like what he usually does when dealing with me. I’m was a foo. Was.

But not now.

I plugged out the internet modem. And I gave him a stern statement.

Noon, hindi ako nagsasalita. Pero ngayon, magsasalita na ako. Kala mo hindi ako iimik sa kalabisan mong ito? May-ari din ako ng computer na ‘to.

Then, I never talked. I was silent. But now, I am speaking out. You think I will turn a blind eye on your excessive gaming? I too am a rightful owner of this computer

Looking for God? Look Around You.

I have not heard from God lately. This inspired me to create a blog about falling silent anywhere and any time in my life. 

I will be recording the silent moments of my soul. 

Not that I allot a moment of my day for silence. I can be silent while walking on the road. While sitting on a lawn. While consuming a cup of coffee.

While God is in me.

I admit. I am slowly losing my contacts with Him now. I am so consumed by the worldliness of my life. Yet, I found out that in worldliness, God still is there.

When I call my friend and ask her to eat dinner with me. God is there.

When I click on the log in button in Meebo. And chat with my cyberworld friends. God is there.

When I stroll the mall and bump onto a beggar who asks for alms. God is there.

When I open my room’s door and push the television’s on button. God is there.

God is silently with me. And I silently don’t notice him. I am overwhelmed with all the worldliness in me, I forget that in all the worldliness, He is there.

If God is the center of everything. Worldliness can not come from anybody else. All we need to do is use that worldliness for his Glory.

The World is in God. God is in the World.  Worldliness without meaning is worldlessness. A world without a world. If you want to find God. He’s in your world.

Our God is a Silent God.

In silence, we find God.

This I can remember from someone Jesuit. Maybe from Saint Ignatius himself. And I adhere to it.

For the past five years, I have found my sweet solitude in my most loneliest times. Whenever people ridicule me in public. Whenever swarms of people invade our home. Whenever I feel like I own the heaviest loads on earth.

And also in noise. Yes. I find silence in noise.

I could remember one time when the whole section was in complete disarray and discord. People shouting and screaming like hell. People who just text and don’t care. And people who just stare blankly.

Do this as I write.

I tried to close my eyes. Slowly. I inhaled deeply. And I heard something.

It was silence.

It was quite awkward at first how silence is found in noise. But as I found my way through it’s mystery, I got to know that it is quite easy to find silence in noise. When you think of God. The Center of this universe. Think of Him watching over you in silence. Waiting for your attention.

And the noise slowly becomes a melody. Of love and joy. That in this big boisterous world, God is, actually with you in every single minute of your existence. 

Try imagining you are stucked in traffic. All the cars, bumper to bumper. All your phones ringing randomly, screaming out to you. All your mind, exploding like a volcano.

Then suddenly. You decided.

You close your eyes. And open you heart and soul. Breathe in. Then seconds later, breathe out. Find God in the noise.Find God in everything.

And you will discover that,

Our God is a God of Silence. And he calls on you to listen to him. Silently. He wasn’t away. He was just silent when you failed to listen to your heart.