Local Superior
Our Holy Mother Teresa teaches us that our prayers should always make us grow in virtues: Their must be a direct proportion between what happens in our relationship with the divine and what happens in or relationship with one another. There's a Latin saying which declares in medio stat vitus (Virtue lies in the middle). It is in the wisdom of realizing that the practice of virtues is most possible when excesses are avoided.
Our novitiate is truly an ideal place where we can learn to hit the balance of things, the regularity of life. Every Carmelite understands so well that the simplicity and ordinariness of life ironically offers complex and extraordinary demands about the call to be perfected as persons of life virtues. This a mark of Teresian Carmel. As we live the essentials and acquire the necessary, a meaningful life is configured in such a mode that the integration of who we are with God and who we are with others in desired. That is journey, a process, a passage which we've been trying to grab hold of in the 2005-2008 triennium. And looking back, we are indeed happy to observe how the ordinary brought extraordinary blessings to our community.
Faithful Everyday for Fifty years! We had the honor to celebrate two golden jubilees of priesthood. Fr. Igue and Fr. JoMa are living gurus of commitment. Their presence in the novitiate, their faithfulness to the horarium, and their expressed preference for the place are indeed encouraging not only for the novices but for every one of us who want to cultivate dedication by nurturing it moment by moment, day by day.
Universality in Simplicity. This is the first time that we have international collaboration in our work of formation. The novitiate is now home for six candidates from the Taiwan- Singapore circumscription. The whole set-up in this corner of Tugbok can be best described as simple. But this uncomplicated undoubtedly creates a particular venue where the universal thirst to be with the Holy One is quenched. Last January 19th was the Clothing of out two new novices: Bro. Ruy from Singapore and Bro. Jeffrey from Taiwan.
'Pag may itinanim, May aanihin' ( harvest comes only those who plant). This is a tagalog saying which has always been realized inTugbok. Our two-and-a-half hectare property is verdant with plants and trees. The Prolific fruit trees have always been a special delight for those who reside here. They are fruits as well of the labors of our brothers who planted those years ago. Mother Nature can't be outdone in generostiy if we respect her and take good care of her. In May 2006, because of a road construction, we had to cut 62 of our Mahogany trees planted at least 12 years before. The timber we got was transformed into a beautiful gazebo which we named Los Martires.
Patience attains Everything. This Teresian precept applies in point of fact to every phase of every walk of life. Certainly the novitiate has changed in many dimensions since its conception in 1974. It has changed persons too in varied proportions One experience which must never be overlooked is that all these changes did not occur in an instant but living the spirit of Carmel faithfully.
Finding the simple Carmel is finding the simple Life. . . a movement from the Death to Life really. In the spirit of this Resurrection we are greeting all of you:
A BLESSED EASTER!!! +++
