By Richelle Verdeprado

After many years of not attending Mass, 26-year-old Peruvian Marisol Rojas Tomasto’s concept of priests and going to church changed when she first met the Columbans ten years ago. Since then, she has admired their sense of closeness with the people and how they break down the walls that separate them from the community. Wanting to do the same, she has now found her second home in the Philippines as a Columban Lay Missionary.

Marisol met the Columbans in 2000 in a very simple chapel made of mats in San Martin de Porres Parish, Lima, Peru.She was 16 years old then and preparing to be confirmed after passing through a series of Bible sharings and recollections.

Marisol was baptized by Australian Columban Fr Leo Donnelly. She is the youngest child in the family. All of them are girls. She studied English for three years and spent another year focusingin grammar. Marisol worked in a non-government organization for children known as ‘Santa Bernardita.’ The center is located in a poor area in Peru. She was a teacher and a librarian. She helped the children in their assignments. She really loves working with children.

L to R: Marisol Rojas and Richelle Verdeprado.

Irish Columban Fr Tony Coney invited her to join the first Peruvian group of Columban Lay Missionaries to be sent on mission. Making such a decision was not easy but because the work of the Columbans was very close to her heart and there was already that passion within her to proclaim God’s word and love to the world as a response to God’s blessings through the presence of the Columbans in her country, she responded to the calling eventually. She said ‘yes’ to the invitation and started her discernment in 2005. She had her formation in 2007.

Marisol’s first term is in the Philippines. Language is a major difficulty, but Marisol has proven that nothing is too hard for those who are really committed. She believes that she must really take time to know the language because communication is a very important tool needed in order to be understood and to help in proclaiming God’s word. Marisol recalled one of the experiences she had in the market during her first few weeks in the Philippines. The vendor had already talked a lot, perhaps about the vegetables and their prices, in Cebuano, one of the major languages in the country. Marisol felt sad because she couldn’t understand anything. How she wished she could learn the language fast! She was just amazed that after the woman discovered that Marisol was not a Filipino and did not understand her, the vendor just laughed about herself. The woman thought that Marisol was Filipino.

Asked why she considered the Philippines as her second home, she said ‘I really feel very comfortable here because of the people. I want to understand them because they also make me feel that they understand me. They always make me feel as if I’m a member of their families.’

This made Marisol very interested in studying and learning some of the languages and dialects of Filipinos. One of the unforgettable times of her life was when she studied Cebuano in Davao. ‘I felt as if I’m a little girl again, learning how to say “hello” and “thank you”. My teachers and classmates were very kind,’ added Marisol Now, Marisol can understand and speak Cebuano.

arisol and Richelle.

The desire to be understood and to understand people also extended to the Deaf. Her exposure in Cagayan de Oro to children with difficulties in hearing motivated her to learn another language - a language where every movement of the hands and finger matters, a language where the expression on the face can speak of love, concern and kindness. For her, Sign Language is a language of love and the Deaf are her best friends. Marisol discovers joy every time she uses Sign Language to communicate with children with hearing difficulties.

Something she has had a struggle with as a missionary is saying goodbye. But she knows that it’s a part of being a missionary. Asked about what she would remember most about Filipinos, she said, ‘Filipinos have taught me how to enjoy life even being far from my loved ones, because although I left my family in Peru, I found a new one here in the Filipinos and the warmth and love they are giving me are more than I expected.”

Marisol taught me what it means to live. To live means to be able to be felt and be understood by the person next to us. To live means to continue passing the message of God’s love and greatness in whatever way we know, wherever we go. The Columbans live by connecting with the people and the community and above all, with God. The Columbans will continue to live because they keep on changing so many lives as they did with the life of Marisol ten years ago. Marisol lives by sharing her life with others and by connecting with them through words, signs and prayers.

You may contact Richelle at rich_verde706@yahoo.com.ph

 

By Macelinda Diaz Verano

I still could not believe that we were the Grand Champions of the whole Philippines in the Third National Catholic Family Bible Quiz held recently at Manila Peninsula Hotel in Makati.

‘Am I dreaming?’

Of course, I wasn’t; it was more of a dream coming to reality. Months before it seemed to be a vision which I thought could only happen in dreams or through a miracle, notwithstanding the hurdles that we had passed before we finally made it here – the pressures of everyday living, the negative feelings of anxiety, fear, doubt and exhaustion, the responsibilities our family members had to attend to. The list could be endless. Yet through it all, God has given our family this precious gift – a miracle to remind us to trust in Him no matter what.

This reminded me of the many trials I encountered in the past which made me think there were no solutions.

In 1979, my husband lost his government job. His superiors were not happy with him because he would not sign papers for ‘Ghost Deliveries’. My children were still very young and to rear seven without a stable income was not an easy task.

Both of us were jobless because I resigned when I had my first-born. I preferred to take care of my kids to having my job in the office. We had only a small sari-sari store, a motorcab, a little income from our coconut land and a boarding house I inherited from my parents. The income was sufficient for us at the beginning. But when my children grew up and reached college, we were buried in debts. Our land titles were loaned to the bank and all our jewelry was pawned. It was terribly hard for us financially, to the point that I would even ask myself, ‘Where shall I find rice to cook for our next meal?’

The author is third from the left in the front row.

 

However, through those hard times, we were still devoted to the Lord. We were active in Couples for Christ (CFC) and in our parish and chapel. My husband was a Lay Minister. I was a Catechist while our children joined the Knights of the Altar and the church choir. We attended Mass together as a family.

Yet in spite of our faith in God, our troubles affected my health. I woke up one morning to find my two legs trembling and I had no control over them. My heart beat so fast and it was hard for me to breathe. I really did not understand what was going on. My doctor said, ‘What you have is due to the anxieties and worries. Try to loosen up a bit and have fun!’

She prescribed a nerve relaxant. I felt calm every time I took the medicine but when its effect relapsed, the symptoms kept coming back. So I relied on the medicine for a long time.

Meanwhile in the CFC, we had signed a covenant ‘to read the Scriptures everyday for at least fifteen minutes’. One day, Isaiah 41:10 struck me:
‘Do not be afraid – I am with you!’

I am your God – let nothing terrify you!

I will make you strong and help you;

I will protect you and save you.’

I memorized the verse. I prayed it with faith every time I had the ‘attack’. I felt calm and relaxed as I uttered it.

One time my eldest son Rolito, who is a special child, had his legs beaten up by a bad guy at school and was lame for several days. Due to the incident, he had tantrums every day. He threw everything that he could grab. He broke our table glass as well as our cassette player. He even tore the T-shirt that he was wearing. He bumped his head on the wall many times while uttering bad words. He used to lock himself in his room and destroyed anything he could get hold of. He wouldn’t take a bath or go with us to church, as he used to. I had a difficult time calming him down. It was more difficult whenever I was alone, handling his tantrums while my other children were at school. My husband Lito was in Carmona, Cavite, at the time working as a casual employee of Manila Southwoods.

The psychiatrist who examined my son prescribed various kinds of vitamins and plenty of medicine usually given to drug addicts. But he became worse and we decided to bring him to Manila for further management.

Macelinda Diaz Verano with her family and friends.

 

Despite my anguish, I did not give up my devotion to the Lord. I even discovered that the more I read the Bible, the more courageous and strong I became. Among the verses that comforted me much were: ‘I am with you always’ (Matthew 28:20); ‘If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask in prayer’ (Matthew 21:22); ‘I have strength to face all conditions by the power that Christ gives me”(Philippians 4:13); ‘Let it happen then as you believe’(Matthew 9:29); ‘I am telling you the truth: those who believe in me will do what I do – yes, they will do even greater things’ (John 14:12); ‘Everything is possible for the person who has faith’ (Mark 9:23); ‘I assure you that whoever tells this hill to get up and throw itself in the sea and does not doubt in his heart, but believes what he says will happen, it will be done for him’ (Mark 11:23) and ‘Whoever believes in him will not be disappointed’ (Romans 10:11).

At one time I was drug dependent but by constantly reading these verses, my faith deepened. I decided to stop all my medications. I was determined to train my mind to believe – erase all the doubts in my thoughts. God is not a liar, is He? My faith in Him worked! Praise the Lord!

Proven as effective, I applied the same to my son. I stopped all his medications and instead I had him ‘prayed over’ everyday. Now, you can talk to my 31-year-old special son who can speak English, thanks to his special education teacher, Sister Clement Sheehy, a Columban Sister who has now returned to Ireland. We miss her very much . . . I owe to her the progress of my son!

But even then my problems didn’t wane. For almost three years I suffered hemorrhaging. My stay in the hospital was unbearable since it involved a lot of money. I went twice to Cebu for check-ups by different doctors, yet their diagnosis turned out to be the same – I had a growing cyst in my womb. I submitted myself for Dilatation and Curettage (D&C), but still the bleeding continued.

As I was taking the medicines the doctors prescribed, it so happened that I read the literature about the injections and tablets they constantly gave me. I learned that prolonged usage of them could have an adverse reaction that could result in blindness. I even had a cousin who took the same vials and tablets. She is now experiencing blurred vision.

‘Lord’, I prayed. ‘I do not want to be blind!’

From then on, I discontinued everything, even the check–ups. I recuperated at home. My two elder sisters who had hemorrhaged months earlier had already been operated on. They had their wombs removed.

‘But I don’t want any operation!’

So, I prayed. During my fervent prayers, a vision flashed in my mind many times. I was always reminded of that woman in the Bible who suffered twelve years of severe bleeding. She said to herself, ‘If only I can touch His cloak, I will get well!’ With my eyes closed, I could imagine myself clearly as that woman touching the edge of Jesus’ cloak.

‘Courage my daughter, your faith has made you well’ Jesus said to the woman. (Matthew 9:20-22). By God’s mercy, my womb is still intact right now and the bleeding ceased.

Yes, I am a witness to God’s miracles. Once again, He revealed himself to us through this Bible Quiz. The experience in Manila itself is a very great blessing for us.

‘Help us, O Lord! What is the answer?’

 

I remembered when we were on our way to a restaurant for supper, one of our guides from the Secretariat told us: ‘Sa dalawang beses na ginanap ang National Catholic Family Bible Quiz dito, laging kulelat ang mga taga Mindanao!’ (‘For the past two National Catholic Family Bible Quizzes held here, participants from Mindanao were always at the bottom!’)

During the rehearsal, we had time to meet the other families from different regions. Looking at them, I felt a little nervous especially because there was a rumor about the backgrounds of two of our competitors. One was said to be an ex-pastor, the other an ex-seminarian.

‘Oh my God!’ I exclaimed ‘We are also outnumbered by them!’ I whispered to my daughter who was seated at my right. Mary Grace comforted me by citing 1 Maccabees 3:19, ‘Victory in battle does not depend on who has the largest army; it is the Lord’s Power that determines the outcome.’
Deep inside, I prayed hard and remained in my most favorite passage – Matthew 21:22.

‘But let thy will be done Lord,’ I ended.

Before the proclamation of the winners, the NCFBQ chairwoman, Madam Elvira Yap Go, gave on-the-spot different verses for the family to read and to share what in the verses struck us most. Ours was St Luke 4:16 – 18. When I read the phrase, ‘The spirit of the Lord is upon me’, I was assured that very moment that our prayers had been granted and that was it!

‘Praise the Lord! All glory be to Him forever and ever! Amen!’

You may write the author at 49-6 Rizal Avenue, Lam-an, 7200 Ozamiz City, Philippines, or email her at vmacelinda@yahoo.com

An Interview with Ana Belma Flores, CLM

By Mary Joy Rile

Ana had the chance recently of visiting Misyon in Bacolod City and Joy, our Editorial Assitant interviewed her. Here she shares the story she got through the interview.

Let me start with a quote from Mother Teresa, ‘Everytime you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.’ You can only guess how we started… Yes, we started with a smile, as I eyed her for an article, believing that there is one beautiful story from this simple, beautiful woman.

L to R: Mary Joy Rile, Ana Flores, Richelle Verdeprado, Marisol Rojas and Bessie Palma at the Misyon editorial office in Bacolod City.

The best lessons in life are not learned within the four walls of the classroom. But rather from the many actual experiences in day to day living. Experience is the best teacher. And Ana Flores, a Columban lay missionary from Peru, finds the same. Working with people, with the needy, with the poor – they seem to be her teachers in life. Recognizing that their experiences are very different from hers, she’s affirming the many things she has learned from others.

At the start, she could hardly adjust. But when asked now what is good in the life of a Columban lay missionary, she finds everything good. There are a lot of challenges but she’s happy to have many friends. Her life was very different before where she just kept herself busy with family and work as a grade school teacher. She only had to wait for her mom to cook for her but now she has to do it herself.

Working with the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul (SSVP) in Cagayan de Oro is helping her in the makings of her missionary life. The daily unfolding is giving her a grasp of what life is all about, beyond what she perceived. What she really appreciates most is seeing the poor mothers being the ones helping other poor families with their time and skills through the Massage Clinic, an SSVP program for the mothers wherein they are being trained for massage service. The earnings of the clinic are used to feed and help other poor families. She is happy to have witnessed that if others are contented with simply asking, there are those who work harder, aiming to better their lives for their children.

‘There were times I worried and even cried because I felt helpless that I couldn’t help them with their problems. ‘ It is truly heart-breaking to see people suffering and heavily burdened yet we can do nothing. It is out of our hands. ‘Until now I just pray for them. And listening to their stories in my every home visitation is my way of helping them.’

Ana, second from the right, with friends in Cagayan de Oro City.

But the hardest thing for Ana is visiting cancer patients. She feels something of their pain and suffering. Her father died of cancer of the stomach in March 2000. Her aunt died also of cancer just last October, which was the most difficult time for her on mission.

Her aunt was like a mother to her, an elder sister and a friend. ‘I asked God why does she have to be sick? Why does she have to die?’ Ana loved her mission work in the Philippines but she also wanted to go home to Peru to see her aunt. She was torn between the two.

Talking it out to Columbans and some friends, she was able to discern. ‘Your aunt wants you to stay in your mission. She doesn’t want you to leave it.’ She could surely affirm it when this was said to her for it was her aunt who encouraged her to pursue her dream to become a missionary. ‘Ana, your Tita is maybe not here because she’s with you there,’ was a comfort when this was uttered over phone conversation by a good friend in Peru. Her aunt had been very supportive of her mission. ‘So I stayed here to continue with my ministry. Even if it was painful, I stayed and continued. Maybe she’s closer to me now, together with me on my mission.’

For the time that she’s been in the Philippines, Ana finds Filipinos patient, friendly, hospitable. Moreover, she finds them to be gifts from God. Anywhere she goes, there will always be Filipinos to help her, as she sincerely shared.

‘Life is good. It is full of blessings. Even if I don’t have my family with me, I still have people to help me. Many also listen to my story. There are bad times but there will always be good times – with the kids, the youth, the mothers. Maybe God is giving me another mission. He is preparing me to be stronger.’

L to R: Richelle, Joy, Marisol, editor Fr Seán Coyle, Ana, and Bessie.

God must be speaking in the small details of our lives. He manifests himself in many things, in many ways. We have our own images of God. We deal with Him depending on how He comes to us, in a very personal way. We see Him with our own eyes, with the eyes of faith. For Ana, God is her support, her help, her very companion in all circumstance. In times of problems and whenever she feels alone, she is comforted with the belief that God is just around, accompanying her. ‘He is in my house, near me, with me.’

Just like any of us who sometimes feel too distant from God, she also has had a share of sulking moments. At the time when she didn’t feel like talking to Him, God sent Ana people to talk to. ‘If God is not with me, what could have happened to me? I might have given up, I might have left for Peru already. Sometimes I leave God behind but He won’t let me go. He has never left me . . . never.’ She believes that the Lord is in each person whom He sends to her. He is one with that person. Whenever anything big happened to her during in trying times, it made her come closer to God. Greater is her bonding with Him.

‘In the smiles and laughter of the children, I see God in them. A baby is indeed a grace to every family, with its innocence.’ I can see the fondness in her beautiful eyes which also makes me imagine the cuddliness of a child, the innocence of a baby, those sweet looks that are so heart-warming, so powerful, melting the heart of every child-loving human. I guess this is how it feels for every parent finding relief after a long and tiring day through the simple and innocent smile of a child.

We tend to see the life of missionaries as more beautiful with the many challenges they encounter. We appreciate their works and their commitment to crossing borders in the name of mission. But I think that one doesn’t have to travel to make a difference. In many little ways, a sweet and beautiful bud of life can spring. Just as we opt to see the beauty of a life in the smile of a child, we can also share a smile for others to live by. ‘Just give me a smile in your heart’ as the song goes.

In Ana’s smiles, I have seen the tenderness of her heart, the generosity of sharing a life and the openness to God’s many surprises. For Ana, wherever God leads you, may you grow in His bountiful graces and never hesitate to drink from the overflowing generosity of His heart. May you live the life God wants for you as He comes to fulfill the very desires of your heart. And may you continue to see God in the simple smiles of every child.

You may contact Ana at anaflohua@hotmail.com .

 

Photo by Fr Hector Suano SSC

Our cover features some Columban priests on their way back to the main square after viewing St Kevin’s Bed, a cave he used as a hermitage in Glendalough, County Wicklow, Ireland. 36 Columban priests recently made a pilgrimage from St Columban's in Dalgan Park, Ireland, to Bobbio in Northen Italy where the body of their patron, Saint Columbanus, is buried. We can only think of how they felt as they relived the steps of their patron.

The text, ‘He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake’ taken from Psalm 23:3 has been an inspirational text for God’s journeying people.

In this life we are but pilgrims. Try to think of an experience wherein you can say that you are also a pilgrim.

BEING HONEST HURTS

By Suzzanne Saniel

Suzzanne is from Consolacion, Dalaguete, Cebu. She graduated as a Bachelor in Secondary Education major in Physics and Chemistry last 2007 and has been teaching in B.R.I.G.H.T. Academy, Banilad, Cebu City for two years. Presently she is a Chemistry teacher.

As a child, I was told to tell the truth always. I remember confessing just before my First Communion that I had lied many times. The value of honesty has always struck me and I have observed how people easily get around it. As I was growing up, I got confused with telling a twisted truth and a lie. I also realized how being frank enough to tell the truth could even lead to persecution. So if being honest at all times is not good, we try to be prudent.

I feel restless if I can't tell a person what I really think about something but I also have to think of the consequences of the weight of my words. You can't just tell somebody that her hair is messy or her make-up doesn't fit the occasion, or that her sense of fashion is strange. You consider her feelings and how she might to your statement. If you’re a leader and one of your members is too lazy to do his part, you can’t tell him how lazy or slow he is. As a student, you can't tell your teacher how you dislike his strategy of teaching but you are expected to be respectful and obedient because you are at the mercy of his pen. We can't tell our nosey neighbors how intrusive they are, but we’re expected to be nice to them at all times. It is instances such as these that make me firmly believe that truth hurts and that telling others what we honestly think without carefully choosing our words may offend them.

However, there are also instances in our lives where we don't have a choice but to say the ugly truth.

Suzzanne with the Institucion Teresiana (IT) Youth -Cebu.

When I see how a friend is so in love with a cheater, I can't leave her living in her daydreams. It gnaws at my conscience to see her blinded by emotions and I think it is better to slap her awake to reality than have my friendship questioned when she has hit the bottom hard. But there are also those types of people who would rather break the bonds of friendship than leave their euphoria.

As young professionals and ‘newbies’ in the workplace, we try to fit in the new environment. It is a fact that there will be differences in opinions and values since we are all unique and different from one another. When we realize that our dignity is being trampled on, we can't let other people continue to bring us down. We have to stand by our principles so as not lose our self-respect and confidence.

Suzzanne introduces herself.

If truth hurts, being honest also hurts. The truth brings with it an indescribable burden depending on the situation. Both the person being told and the one telling the truth are hurt. Example, you have told your friend with good intentions that she doesn't look good in an outfit. It turns out that your friend is hurt because of the statement when she expected you to praise her, and she starts cringing inside herself in her own world and you get hurt because your friend isn't able to accept your friendly advice. Even rejecting a guy's advances and telling him honestly how you feel can create guilty feelings because you've hurt him.

Being honest was so simple back then when you were younger. People excused you for our innocence. For young people, especially those who are trying to find their own identity, I guess we do experience this situation. To fit in a particular group, you look for people who have similar likes and dislikes to yours. We learn how to control our temper and how to curb our tongue to spare ourselves from embarrassment and rejection. We learn to hide truths because we want to be accepted. But keeping things to ourselves might get us to the point of an identity crisis.

I’ve had my share of painful experiences for being blatantly honest but because of that, I have also discovered real friends who were with me through everything. I also found a therapy of letting out accumulated ideas and observations from my mind without hurting anyone including myself. That is through writing a journal. With a pen and paper, you can write everything to your heart's desire because it is just between you and yourself. It's like telling yourself all the accounts of observations and realizations without any restriction of looking for prudent words. It’s being honest to yourself.

It doesn't also mean that what we think as true is always right. We are not meant to live by ourselves. We are bound to help one another in this harsh reality. Thus, I say, being honest hurts since it is not only about us, it also about others.

You may contact the author at teacher_zane@yahoo.com .

If we were humble, nothing would change us-neither praise nor discouragement. If someone were to criticize us, we would not feel discouraged. If someone were to praise us, we also would not feel proud.

-Mother Teresa

When freedom does not have a purpose, when it does not wish to know anything about the rule of law engraved in the hearts of men and women, when it does not listen to the voice of conscience, it turns against humanity and society.

-Pope John Paul II

Steps to Successful Negotiation

1. Do your homework.

Before the negotiations begin, analyze the situation carefully and plan your strategy.

2. Enter the negotiations with a "win-win" orientation.

Winning at the expense of the other party will inevitably return to haunt you. Consistently and persistently communicate the attitude that you can both win from your agreement. Indeed, a truly successful negotiation is one in which both parties have their needs met.

3. Don’t be afraid to take a break.

Calling for a recess is not a sigh of weakness. On the contrary, you will almost always return with a stronger hand.

4. Monitor the agreement following acceptance.

If your expectations aren’t being met, find out why. Perhaps the agreement needs to be revised, or the other party doesn’t really understand it. Give the benefit of the doubt before you jump to what might be an unwarranted conclusion of noncompliance.

Source: Smart Moves by Sam Deep and Lyle Sussman, 1990.

Compromise is the art of dividing a cake in such a way that everyone believes he got the biggest piece.

-Anonymous

Few things help an individual more than to place responsibility upon him and to let him know that you trust him.

-Booker T. Washington

Be at peace with your own soul, then heaven and earth will be at peace with you.

-Saint Jerome

The tree that is beside the running water is fresher and gives more fruit.

-Saint Teresa of Avila

The peacemaker has a single vocation: to keep the vision of oneness, of wholeness, of unity, of God’s unconditional love for all, alive in the marketplace.

-Mary Lou Kownachi, OSB