Inculturation with spirit

I have come to realize that the process of inculturation is a very tedious, painstaking and a lifelong process. But then, I’m reminded by the song of Fr. Jerry, SJ which says: “Live One Day at A Time”, and I take one step at a time and, with my strong faith that nothing is impossible with God, then everything will be in order in God’s own time.

It’s almost fifty years since Vatican II had talked about inculturation but until now the Church is still struggling for it to really take root. Again, it’s a lifelong process. Our five-day session is not a guarantee that we will indeed be into this kind of initiative. What I enjoin with my co-journeyers is to commit ourselves to embrace the challenges of “letting go” and speaking out as the spirituality of inculturation involves.

Letting go of the peripheral experiences that need to be changed and speaking out about the truth and authenticity that nourishes and nurtures the richness of our own cultures, to support the cause of those in the margins and those demeaned. Letting go of the stumbling blocks such as syncretism, anthropological poverty and the feeling of inferiority imposed on us by our colonizers.

Being colonized for almost 500 years is not easy to undo, but only through patient, painstaking, step by step process of inculturation- where members of indigenous or traditional societies are led and are willing to rediscover and reclaim their cultural heritage and identity including indigenous spirituality.

We are also challenged to engage with passion, on the tasks of inculturation of theology such as: relativizing the inherited cultural expressions of the faith, putting our culture in its right perspective, de-stigmatizing and re-valuing them in the context of present day challenges and re-interpreting the faith with indigenous categories.

As pastoral agents and sharers in God’s mission, we are challenged to engage in the hermeneutics of appreciation focusing on the affirmation of the good qualities, giving priority on grace over sin, and the goodness of God as the original blessing. Returning to our roots will energize us, reclaiming our “Treasures”, that is, that which is good, that which is right and which is life-giving.

We are called to “ripple out” as far as it can reach all the “gems” that we have acquired here in our Euntes journey. Let us engage in a truly human conversation to let the “Divine Light” permeate in and through us, as a nation, as a people of God, and truly experience and relish God’s “Kagandahang Loob.”   GOD BLESS US ALL!

Sr. MIla, OND

Brother Giovanni Arici 1939 – 2012

At a certain moment, during suffering, ….. I did answer Yes to Someone – or Something -and from that hour I was certain that existence is meaningful and that, therefore, my life, in self-surrender, had a goal.

Brother Giovanni came here in 1968 and was one of the founders of PIME-Philippines. Till 1981 he worked, most of the time,  in the squatter’s area of Tondo, Manila. Then in 1981 was assigned to PIME-Italy.  He came back to the Philippines in 1987 and, after three years, finally,  returned to Italy.  Joyful spirit often and suddenly he would have burst out singing popular songs and his filipino friends  were filled with such delight as they must have found in freedom that time, under the rule of Martial Law.

Table tennis with suffering

Yesterday afternoon, after Fr. Yao’s cup table tennis tournament, I bought a few bottles of energy drink in the nearby store. A man who happened to watch me going out from the Euntes gate asked me: ‘Why did you buy energy drink?’ I replied: ‘This will serve to energize us for the whole week since we have just begun our learning and sharing on suffering; we watched the movie “Silence” and it is about suffering’. He smiled and said: ‘Suffering of men and women varies according to their age’. ‘Ahh!!!’ – I replied with astonishment – ‘How about seminarians, brothers, sisters … priests?’ He hurriedly replied: ‘All the more’.

For young people, suffering is usually taking place at the emotional level. We are so sensitive. Young people experience suffering when they try to balance life as the heart and mind compete and contest with each other. Usually the heart wins, but it beats faster than the generator.

For the middle aged people, their suffering usually takes place when they become worried and anxious about so many things, that even sometimes they don’t know why they are worried and anxious. They work overtime because they want to be credited, recognized, approved or seeking for approval for what they have done; they want to be somebody wherever they are.

In today’s gospel I keep on searching the age of Martha but unfortunately I didn’t find. However, I am very much sure that she was not young but she was at the middle age. She complained to Jesus: ‘Look at me I am so burdened with work while my sister is just listening and sitting pretty’. Jesus admonishes her by saying:’ Martha, you are so worried about so many things’.

Every time I experience suffering I realize that it is because I am loaded and even overloaded with so many worries and anxieties. That happens when I experience lot of fears, insecurities, self- centeredness, narrow-mindedness, pride, arrogance; basically it is a matter of lack of faith.

This reminds me of a wise saying that goes like this: ‘Worries are like a rocking chair . .  it gives me something to do, but it won’t get anywhere!’.