JESUIT NOVITIATE: MISSION TRIALS 1999
by Frank Savadera, SJ
February 1, 1999 (Monday) – MISSION TRIALS
The boat was still speeding toward its destination when I awoke early in the morning. Everyone was still asleep. I took my Companion and headed toward the deck for my morning prayer. It was a spectacle seeing both the sun and the moon in the sky. So this is ‘early morning’ on board the Super Ferry?! What a treat!
From Mark 5:1-20, I read about the young man among the tombs, crying out and bruising himself with stones. I kept quiet for a while with the verse and eventually asked myself: Will you bruise yourself again this time, Frank? What will the mission trials be for me? Will I come out of this fully enriched or will I end up eventually hurt and stoned in the process? With the sun and the moon as my witnesses, I submit myself to the inevitable that awaits me at our port of call. We’ll see by tomorrow when we arrive in Cagayan de Oro.
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February 2, 1999 (Tuesday) – Feast of the Presentation of the Lord - Mission Trials
“Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord” (Luke 2:22-32). At 5:00AM the ferry docks at Cagayan de Oro port. The passengers were all rushing toward the exits like Jews eagerly touching down upon their own native Israel. I saw Father Mat first from the deck. He was wearing a blue Jesuit shirt. I don’t know him by face ... only from the descriptions made by people. I asked Karel to confirm my guess and true enough, it was him. There, as well, were Xavier University President Fr. Ting Samson and Schol Archie Carampatan. Father Mat brought a truck but Father Ting took his Mercedes Benz along. I guess, we’ll take the president’s car after all. After a quick breakfast, we were herded to the university chapel for the 8:00AM renovation of vows by the scholastic-regents. Scholastics Noni, Archie and Eric renewed their vows during the mass. Noni preached about the many significant snapshots in his life. We likewise visited the President’s office and the (presidential) garden. At 1:30PM we left for Malaybalay with Louie Bacomo. Soon after, we were met at the JRH-Malaybalay by Frs. Kit, Mars, Bong, John Montenegro and Bro. Wency. What a full and tiring day. What an opportunity to meet up with new faces, new Jesuits who liked every male that opened their mother’s womb, now fully consecrating their lives to the Lord.
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February 3, 1999 (Wednesday) – MISSION TRIALS
At 8:00AM this morning, we left JRH for the Shrine of the Transfiguration where we met Dom Elias who graciously toured us around the shrine. So this is what monks do, I told myself. They take charge of the upkeep of the whole property, their coffee, coconut, pineapple and peanut plantations. The young monks work in the fields themselves. It was like laborandum everyday, the whole year round. Fascinating! We took some snapshots with Dom Elias and proceeded with our itinerary as scheduled. At the Malaybalay bus station, we dispersed … Dot and Oliver enroute to Zamboanguita while myself, Karel and Chris enroute to Cabanglasan. The jeeps were huge and sturdy unlike the regular ones we see in Manila
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February 4, 1999 (Thursday) – MISSION TRIALS
I learned a new Bisayan word today: Kinasinatian (experience/ feelings). At 8:00AM Chris and myself went off to work. We tagged along Sister Minda of the Ursuline Sisters of the Sacred Heart and Kuya Nestor of the Family Life Ministry. Our task: Recollection with the 3rd Year Students – Section St. Catherine. Whew! Lisud kaayo ang mag-Binisaya. Chris and myself are Tagalogs grappling with the local language. We asked the students: Kinsa ang Ginoo para sa inyo? I just let things be. I’m sure I was speaking in mixed Tagalog, Binisaya ang English. Yet the students, I realized can understand. The language of God can easily be understood. At this moment, I realized the Lord’s promise of sending the Spirit who leads us toward the right path and to show us the right words to say. I feel the Spirit moving very strongly in me as I speak of God among the students of St. Catherine.
Omar, Karel’s brother passed by to visit us.
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February 5, 1999 (Friday) – MISSION TRIALS
Rain! Rain! Rain! We’re getting a lot of rain today. Father Mat likewise briefed us on the programs that we needed to conduct for the rest of the month. There will be First Communion services in Anlugan. Chris and I will go to prepare the kids. In the meantime, because of the rain, we were all stuck in the house with Father Mat’s quaint stories about old missionary Fr. Leoni Ferucho (the ‘ferocious lion’) who was the missionary of all missionaries in Bukidnon during his time. It was also fun spending the day with the kids, Richard, Tuping, Pheoben, Evelyn, Tess, Arnel, Roy, Zoraida and Shirley (cook). Also around were Domeng (teacher), Boni (house manager), Vangie (Fr. Mat’s secretary), etc. In the evening, I took some time to write some notes to our secundi friends to be sent to Manila
