The Jesuits as Our Neighbour

Just as the Wah Yan boys have very fond memories of their time in school (read here), I am lucky and thankful to have spent my childhood growing up near a Jesuit novitiate and seminary, the Sacred Heart Novitiate in Novaliches, Philippines.

I grew up in a neighboring village, Amparo Village. Every Sunday, my Dad would pick up a Jesuit priest to celebrate morning mass in our little chapel, Capilla de San Antonio. The priest then would have breakfast with us after mass and my Dad would take him back to the Novitiate after. This was how our family became close to many Jesuits over the years. We were their friendly neighbors, engaging with each other.

In the 60’s and 70′, the novitiate compound was also a Jesuit seminary. I’m not sure if it still is. In the summertime, the seminarians would come to our village to teach Catechism to us young ones (now young once). Capilla de San Antonio was also where these Catechism classes took place.

From time to time, it would be our turn to visit Sacred Heart. I would lead a group of us teenagers from Amparo Village to Sacred Heart to challenge the seminarians to a basketball game. These guys always beat us. They were rough players too. Near the basketball courts was also a swimming pool made available for us to enjoy.

I have many fond memories of Sacred Heart. As a high school and college student at the Ateneo de Manila University, a Jesuit school founded in Manila in 1859, we would have retreats and recollections in that peaceful place. I remember the driveway with the huge Acacia trees lined up. There is a resting shed on the right side along the driveway that has a roof with a wooden crocodile head at the edges. I wonder if it is still there or perhaps washed away now by the many typhoons over the years. From that shed, you could actually see our house then. Perhaps the view may be obstructed by now with the many developments over the years.

In the back is also the Jesuit cemetery where well known Jesuits lay at rest. Some were Presidents, Deans and notable Philosophy, Economics, Mathematics, Science, English and Theology professors at the Ateneo. They have finally come home to this sacred space. May they rest in peace.

Today, Sacred Heart is still used for retreats and recollections by my Jesuit friends, many of whom I have not yet met.   It is a place of refuge where spiritual transformation happens, a place where happy memories remain forever in my heart.

In my final year (1979) at the Ateneo de Manila University, our retreat was conducted by our University President, Fr. Joe Cruz, SJ (+). I said to him that I felt lucky that the Ateneo provided me with opportunities to attend recollections and retreats by the Jesuits over the many years in school. I asked him what happens now after I graduate with my Bachelor’s degree in Management Engineering? Out in the real world, where would I go for retreat? Where am I going to find God? Fr. Joe simply told me…God will find you.

Sure enough, through my wayward ways after school, finding a job, settling down, getting married, having 3 kids and now 2 grandkids, God indeed has found me many times and picked me up in many ways.

One special way of God touching me was when the Jesuit Alumni Group (JAG) in Vancouver was formed sometime in 2009 with Fr. Robert Wong, SJ. The purpose of the group was to foster Ignatian spirituality among the alumni of Jesuit schools.

In 2012, Fr. Elton Fernandes, SJ took charge of the JAG and provided our group with snippets of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius throughout the year. Fr. Elton eventually was assigned to Australia, and then to Hong Kong in Cheung Chau, which is also a retreat refuge for the students of Wah Yan, a Jesuit school in Hong Kong. These days he can be found in Taiwan. Some of the Wah Yan alumni are also part of the JAG.

It is Fr. Elton who has inspired me to write this blog as he is currently in Manila for a retreat at the Sacred Heart Novitiate. The thought of Fr. Elton being a neighbor in my ancestral home makes my heart say a prayer of gratitude for my many blessings with the Jesuits.

Today, JAG Vancouver is lead by another Jesuit, Fr. Richard Soo SJ, of the Byzantine tradition. It is quite an eye opener to discover that the Jesuits are not limited to the Latin tradition.   Fr. Richard moved to our neighborhood in the last couple of years.   He is now the Parish priest at the Eastern Catholic Church in Richmond, BC, Canada which is just a few minutes from where I live. Once again, I have a Jesuit neighbor!

Participating in the JAG meetings has not only helped me reflect more deeply on scripture readings, but also to find God in the trivia of my everyday life.

In Mt 22:39, we are told: Love your neighbor as yourself.

Finding God in my neighbor has been easy for me, sometimes.

GG Francisco was born and raised in Metro Manila. He went to a Jesuit school, the Ateneo de Manila and currently lives in Richmond, BC with his family.

JAG blogs can sometimes be read  in Chinese, and French at: jagvancouver.wordpress.com

A father’s love 父親的疼爱

There is an old saying: anyone can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a dad.

For most of us, the rituals of reassuring our children that the dinosaurs are not going to eat them while they sleep may have long gone. We do not tuck them in anymore.

Yet as they face the uncertainties of life, we think about the need to let them decide for themselves, even when we know what they are doing are not necessarily right. We cringe when they fall, and we teach them to stand up again. To try again.

Raffy Francisco was born with a mild case of cerebral palsy and learning disability. The members of Jesuit Alumni Group Vancouver have gotten to know of him in our meetings. Now 28 years old, Raffy is doing well through the care that his loving parents GG and Maria give him. He does not speak much but he sure gives big hugs. He also likes pretty girls.

Most Monday evenings at the West Richmond Community Centre, you can expect to find Raffy and other young men with disability play basketball. His parents, Maria and GG, and other adults coach them. In the few times I have attended, seeing Raffy fall has become a common sight. Egged on by his parents, it is amazing to see him get up again, all on his own.

February 16 2015, GG had just arrived earlier that day from an overseas trip, and despite his jet lag, he decided to play as any father would. That was GG’s way of showing his son how much he loved him without having to say a word. It what the Chinese describe as love that goes deep into one’s bone.

Perhaps GG was tired from his trip, he loses his balance and falls. He retrieves his eye glasses and wisely proceeds to the bench to rest.

And just as the game was about to continue, Raffy goes over to his father. Without saying anything, gives GG the gentlest of a kiss on his father’s forehead. His bent over to look at GG to make sure he was ok. Raffy does not say much because of his cerebral palsy, but that night, he did not have to. It was his turn to show his love for his father, which goes as deep as his bones.

For love is the greatest thing there is. (1 Cor 13:13)

Happy Fathers Day!

JAG blogs can sometimes be read in Chinese and French at: jagvancouver.wordpress.com.

My 20000 words.

古語有云：「生孩易、為父難。」

如今很多父母已不用恐龍不吃孩子的故事來哄兒女睡覺。

惟是每當孩子遇到迷茫和疑惑的時候、我們便會想到有需要讓他們自己用判斷力去解決；雖然、他們所作的決定未必對。當他們失敗時、我們會感到不安；我們會教他們再站起來、再去嘗試。

Raffy Francisco 生來有輕微腦智障、對學習有困難。在集會裡、我們 JAG 會員認識了 Raffy。在他父母 GG 和 Maria 的悉心照顧下、現今廿八嵗的 Raffy 表現不錯。Raffy 不大説話、但他喜歡親抱別人。Raffy 亦喜歡漂亮的女生。

在多個的星期一黃昏、總會見到 Raffy 和一班殘障的青年在 West Richmond Community Centre 打籃球。教練就是 Raffy 的父母 GG 和 Maria 及另外一些成人。在我參觀的幾次、時常見到 Raffy 跌倒。在他父母的鼓勵下 、Raffy 每每出奇地自己再站起來。

2015 年二月十六号那天、GG 早些時候才從外國工幹回來；雖然還未克服時差、但如其他父親一樣、GG 決定出席兒子的籃球運動。這就是 GG 用行動來表達自己對兒子之愛。這亦是中國人所說的：「疼爱在骨子裡、儘在不言中」。

GG 可能因為旅程的疲勞、他失去平衡而跌倒。他拾起跌落的眼鏡、就明智地走到一張長凳上休息。

正當球賽要再繼續、Raffy 反而走到父親前。Raffy 沒有説什麼、只在 GG 額上輕吻一下。他彎著腰望著父親猶如問他是否無恙。因為患有腦智障、Raffy 不多説話。但那晚他不用説了。這是他對父親回敬愛在骨裡的表示。

世上最偉大的就是愛 （Cor 13:13)。

祝各位父親有個快樂的父親節！

中文、法文 JAG blogs 可在 jagvancouver.wordpress.com 閱讀。

我的二萬字。