Here and now reality

Here and now reality

When I visit Rome, I usually experience a deepening of my spirituality and understanding of Pierre Bienvenu Noailles and the Association of the Holy Family. My contacts with the members of the General Council are very enriching as well as my contacts with my brothers and sisters coming from different cultures and speaking different languages. Sometimes I find the experience quite challenging because of my character type – I tend to be rather reserved. Nevertheless these experiences of Family always leave a deep impression on me and nourish my spirituality and understanding of the Founder’s charism. So when I spent two weeks in Rome not long ago I benefitted greatly from the wide experience of my brothers and sisters living in different parts of the world. I experienced a great deal of love, acceptance, understanding and a concern to know one another. Our Family has become like a way of life for me.

Pierre Bienvenu Noailles and the Holy Family of Bordeaux are not separate realities – they are one and the same – the Family an extension of our Founder who lived a life of service for the sake of communion and oneness.

Looking back

Now I am back and very deeply involved in my parish ministry and the memory of my participation in the Council of the Family encourages me and gives me life.

Rome is an incredibly beautiful city and very cosmopolitan with people from all over the world including many from my homeland – the Philippines. As I see them, I admire their courage, their dedication and motivation to work in order to support their families in the Philippines.

I am constantly struck by the beauty of the city, the street lights, the weather Rome is very beautiful at night with the street lights the weather, (except in summer!), the facilities and the roads. The labour problems don’t diminish this beauty nor even the immorality and the crime. That is part of what it means to live in Rome.

Let me share a pastoral experience with you. On Sundays I usually made my way to the centre of Rome – Termini - , the only place where Filipinos gather for kumustahan (acquaintance) purposes. They sit around and roll the ball of “kumustahan”. Anyone who wishes may join in. I have always dreamt of joining them so I did. The group I joined was made up of domestic workers even though all of them had college degrees. When they asked me where I was working, all I could say was that I was freelance. But here in Rome, Filipinos can’t lie to each other because they know that even though you are a professional, you will very probably be working at household chores to earn money. So they presumed that I was just an ordinary gardener, or local helper.

But, as time went on, and sharing became deeper and deeper, each one disclosed her/his anxiety, turmoil and wishes to go home and be with their families especially with their children who have been left at home and are being looked after by grandmother. Usually they call home to find t about their children – what they might need, what grade they are in at school. So this compelled me to disclose who I really am.

The conversation opened up to all sorts of topics and I took the opportunity to talk to them about our identity as Christians and followers of Christ, the importance of the sacrament of matrimony, and many other subjects. But time quickly went by and people began excusing themselves and saying goodbye promising to meet up again the next Sunday. Others began to order food for our meal and at the end of that Sunday two penitents were reconciled with the Lord. .

For me, this is the unexpected beauty of the city of Rome. Behind the unprecedented and glamorous beauty of the city, there is a deep longing for the Word of God. Italians have their own ways; other settlers have theirs. Many are looking for pastors to guide them back to the fold.

Rome is important not only for its beauty that attracts many tourists but also for its historic identity and the authority it represents to the whole world. This opened doors for me and for a little time I was able to show my availability to the people and encounter them in their needs.

In the General House itself, I learned a lot that was of great benefit to me. The sisters were a real example as they went about their different tasks. Some were pressured for time and working in three languages brought its own pressure. In spite of all this they were so calm and friendly. Their tasks were not seen as burdens but a privileged means of serving and sharing.

Their attitude challenged me personally and made me think of how I need to serve in my parish as I respond to the many needs of my people. May my experiences in Rome enable me to be more and more available to others.

HOLY FAMILY OF BORDEAUX

Part of the commitment to choose life is a commitment to take care of our environment. The pastor has invited all available parishioners to become involved with “Alay Lakad” during the last day of Holy Week. There would be a meeting during Holy Saturday, that is, April 23, 2011.

The pastor of St John The Baptist Parish, used the example of the courage of St John himself in appealing to the people to join him in the campaign for walking and planting seedlings for the protection of the environment and for sake of the future generations.

Almost 500 people registered for this special event including military personnel, teachers, businessmen, youth, the old and the young. In fact, three persons who are in their 70s joined that event. The youngest participant was still in her mothers’ arms. Three children from school were given awards because they were able to plant more seedlings than the rest of the participants.

This is a little way of sowing the seed of awareness in the consciousness of the people so as to help them realise the importance of protecting the environment. The proceeds of that historic “Alay Lakad” are to be used for the repair of the dilapidated edifice and convert it into a function hall for the community. This single event raised awareness about safeguarding the integrity of creation and was a call to take up our responsibility as partners with God in caring for all creation.

P. Beni Furo

Priest Associate