Thanking God for giving me all the good things in life. A loving husband, caring family, very supportive co-workers and a well compensated career.
After ten years of working so hard in order to help my family, I deserve this so peaceful and so exciting vacation. Honestly, I prayed for this so long ago, I know everybody in some point of our lives we feel dryness in everything we do....so do I... I feel emptiness in my profession as an educator. I thought majority of my students are not that good....but to my realization I found out they're just tired of studying. They are just human beings , like me, who also have limitations and feelings. Being a teacher is so rewarding...besides it's not only a profession ( this will not make me rich) but it is also a vocation. This profession/vocation needs a lot of patience and perseverance to survive until you retire, huh!
When I entered the academe in 1999 it's out of the picture to spend my life in teaching until I reach 60 ( until now I'm still discerning my career move------maybe 50? lol). I'm always meditating every time I saw a retirable teacher who experience the same thing since he/she entered the academe ( no car, many debts, no acquired assets....full of loans). But I am not focusing on that matter....I've realized that a happy life cannot only be measured on what things (temporary) you have right now or on how rich you are after spending half of your life teaching those "unwilling" to learn students. Happiness can be measured on how contented you are with your life and career.
Leaving temporarily the academe for a month made me realized.... I miss teaching and it's already part of my system. I miss sleeping late at night checking papers, preparing lessons and waking up early in the morning to catch up with my first period class. I miss the "angry look" of my students every time I am giving them long quizzes. I want to see again their smile, hear their hellos, complaints about their failing grades, our discussions, their irritating and melodious voice------------I want to see them again in "flesh".
God is good all the time....small or big things happening in my life-------- there's always a sign and an answer why this is happening. Passing PECE exam is just a bonus.....besides I didn't feel I was being formally interviewed....I was only lucky that all my requirements met the PECE standard. So what's good being a PECE? I am sure this will help me become a better educator as I come back the academe....maybe still in Notre Dame or maybe in other University/school ...............only God knows where I am heading....... and He knows what is best for me.
EXCERPT FROM FR. RAMON MA. BERNABE’S HOMILY DURING OUR WEDDING
ARCHIE AND JONALY
There is a story told about a four-year-old child who awoke one night frightened, convinced that in the darkness around her there were all kinds of spooks and monsters. Alone and frightened, she ran to her parents’ bedroom. Her mother calmed her down and, taking her by the hand, led her back to her own room where she put on a light and reassured the child with these words: ‘Anak, you need not be afraid, you are not alone here. God is in the room with you.’ The child replied: ‘Mommy, I know that God is here, but I need someone in this room who has some skin!’
“I know that God is here, but I need someone in this room who has some skin.” This, I believe, is an important dimension of Easter, the season which spirit enriches the sacrament of Matrimony Archie and Jonaly now celebrate. Easter is about the Lord’s resurrection from the dead, and this same Lord abides with us in a very deep way that transcends the physical limits of the body, with its skin and bones. That is why he can be present to all of us anytime and anywhere. At the same time however, the Lord wants to be present to us and to the word through each other’s bodies. We are called to be the Lord’s hands and feet and skin and bones to the people around us. We are called to be the instruments of the love of God to each other and to the rest of creation. That is why the disciples of the Lord had such a hard time believing because they needed time to get used to the new way in which the Lord wanted to be present to them. They needed time to realize that now they were to be the new skin and bones of the Lord, in the world.
Thus, Archie and Jonaly have been chosen a most auspicious season in the calendar of the Church to celebrate the Sacrament of Matrimony. The season of Easter and the Sacrament of Matrimony celebrate one and the same deep truth of our faith- God’s love is true and real, especially when we give this love some skin, flesh, and bones for the world to believe.
When Jonaly brought to me the invitation to their wedding, I asked her which part of the invitation’s texts were personally written by them. And so there is this set of texts which they wrote for each other. Archie wrote: “Even when I first met you, I knew somehow that you would be the love of my life. And that is exactly what you are. We have made a history together, woven out of love. Through the years you have inspired me in many ways. You are so much a part of me and part of my happiness. Today, when I look at you, I feel even more love than I ever felt before. I love you very much.”
Jonaly, for her part, wrote this: “I prayed for someone perfect for me, to be my love and share my life, and God gave me someone exactly like you. For that, I thank God always for giving me a wonderful person in you. You are a wonderful partner, and I give you all my love forever. I love you so much.”
We know that Archie and Jonaly have sufficient love for each other. They have come at the end of their journey of getting to know each other and arriving at the decision to commit their lives to live in mutual love and fidelity.
But we also know that even the very best of human love cannot make a commitment endure “for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, all the days of our life.” The best of our human love remains poor and weak in the eyes of God. In a familiar Scripture text used for marriage, the one from St. Paul’s Letter to the Corinthians, it is written that “Love is patient and kind….Love is not jealous or boastful…Love is not arrogant or rude…Love overcomes anger….Love does not delight in the wrong…”
But our experience in loving tells us that although love is patient and kind, often time it is not; though love is not jealous or boastful, but from time to time it is. Love is not arrogant or rude, but there are times when it can’t help but be so. Love overcomes anger but occasionally it prefers to nurture such feeling. Love does not delight in wrong, but sometimes it maliciously enjoys doing so.
That is why the Lord sort of insists on the kind of love that is like his love for us, and assures us that if we live on in his love and to love as he has loved, then our joy will be complete!
But this promise also comes at some cost to them and to all of us who desire to be filled by God. Love can only be patient and kind, not jealous or boastful, not arrogant or rude, overcoming of anger, and not delightful in truth, if there is forgiveness. Behind very word in this Hymn to Love is the reality of forgiveness. We can never comprehend the nature of love apart from the grace of forgiveness.
Any lasting relationship, but especially the relationship between husband and wife, knows that the other face of love is forgiveness. Without forgiveness love cannot endure, it cannot last. It is forgiveness that can transform human love to divine love. In marriage and in any human relationship, there should be more words of forgiveness than endearing words of love.
And so today, we say three things to Archie and Jonaly. One, thank you to both of you for giving skin to the love of God, not only for each other, but for the world, to whom you are called to be witnesses of the Risen Lord. Second, welcome the power and mercy of God who alone can fill the best of your human love and make it great enough to last a lifetime. Third, pray and strive for the grace of forgiveness in your married life, so that your love can endure all things.
...........Out of the blue my student (Mr. Jay Lorenz Yu) encouraged me to make my own blog. Since I have nothing to do at the moment, I tried making my own. Who knows I can be a good writer also. It's not too late.... I still have enough time. Besides, I believe this is a stress-free activity----good venue to express all my thoughts, knowledge and to present all my experiences in life.
I have this strange feeling....excited to write and think what could I present to make my blog an interesting one.
................... until my next blog...God bless everyone!
....a God fearing person who loves my family so much. I'm beginning to love nature and different places. Love to teach young adults and have a special care for the children. I can extend my patience to the highest level but sometimes so moody. I am friendly and you can count on me especially in terms of crisis and difficulties. I am so religious and count God as my Lord and King....my Savior and Shepherd.
Thanking God for giving me all the good things in life. A loving husband, caring family, very supportive co-workers and a well compensated career.
