A BLISSFUL LIFE

Home is where the heart is. It is the place where you feel secured, comforted, loved, and cared for. It is a place where you feel important. It is the place where there is peace, love, harmony. When there is love, there is God. The seminary is my home, my second home that is.

How is life inside the seminary? Is it hard to live in the seminary? How many times do you pray in a day? Do you only study about God? Are you not bored that you can not go out? These are just some common questions ask to a seminarian.

What is a seminary anyway? Seminary is a formation house where young men are nurtured to be a better priest in the future. It is like a seed plot where seeds grow to have a better foundation before transferring to the wild. The seeds are the seminarians. They are being trained to have better foundation so that in the future, they will be sent out to become the messengers of the God.

It is quite disappointing that some have negative connotation about the seminary. Some people look at the seminary as a rehabilitation house. It is a good place but they do not train young men only to change to better men but to form them and nurture their vocation. It is only a place for those who answer the call of God to be his fishermen.

Many people are very much curious about the life of a seminarian. Some think that it is hard to be in the seminary while others think that seminarians only pray and do nothing else. Actually, life in the seminary is not hard and boring. It is easier in a sense that seminarians follow a schedule that will help them manage well their time unlike those students outside the seminary. Every second is allotted to an activity – from rising to resting, from sunrise to sundown. Every activity is signalled by the ringing of the bell. Seminarians do study like students in the universities. They are taught basically all what a person has to know – from latest issues to faith.

People always attach the word religious to seminarians. They are not taught to become perfect but to be an example of faith to the lays. I actually can not count how many times seminarians pray. It is not actually the times but the sincerity of praying that counts. Seminarians are taught to love praying and above all the celebration of the Eucharist wherein it is the first activity that they do in a day.

Life in the seminary is not boring. I do not agree to those people who say it is boring. Is it only because we cannot go out anytime we want to? Or is it because we cannot watch and play all the time? Remember that as long as a person is happy of what he is doing, he is not bored. Those people, I think, who are saying that they are bored are those who are not really earnest of their answer to their calling. Seminarians answer the calling of God not because they are obliged but they are happy of answering their vocation.

God has given us the vocation of priesthood but He also gave us the freedom to answer it or not. If we answered it let it be the reason that we are happy of doing so and not because of being forced to do so.

For me, there is no place like my second home. The seminary - it is my home sweet home.

JESUS' FISHERMEN

Whenever a person discerns about his or her vocation, he or she always asks the questions, “Has God really called me? And where is God leading me to?”

It is hard for a person to answer either one of these questions. Why is it that we cannot readily answer those questions? What is vocation all about? Why does a person need to study in the seminary to become a priest?

The word "vocation" comes from another Latin word vocatio, which means a calling. It is a gift from God and a blessing to all of us. Priesthood is one of these kinds of vocation. God has called each of us to become His priest. So it is not proper to ask whether we are called or not. We are the only one making it complicated. We sometimes have doubts if we really wanted this kind of vocation. It only depends to us if we are going to accept this calling. Jesus wanted us to follow Him but He leaves us in the decision- making whether to accept it or not.

We must be sure if we wanted to become Jesus’ fishermen. If we are half interested, better not go for it. To become a priest, we must give up all – from wealth to earthly pleasures. God calls all but only few are chosen. Why? It is because He only wanted those who deserve to be his priests. Only those people whom He thinks are fit to this kind of vocation. Now we raise the question, “How can He measure our readiness and our fitness to our calling?”

Seminary is a place where every seminarian is formed to be a better if not the best priest. It is a great challenge for us to show our best in forming our vocation in the seminary. Yes, it is very hard that most people quit but we must not look at the hardships. We must think that God wants us to pass through the needle’s eye in order to pass the test. If God will not challenge us, do you think we will bring out the best in us?

A priest is called to be a messenger of hope, a strong leader and a spiritual guide both to the lost and the faithful. They must be dedicated in order to function well. Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz said that he does not want a bobo (dull), tamad (lazy) and bakla (gay) priests. So by studying in the seminary, seminarians are being formed into better priests. They do not only excel in one aspect alone but in all. They need to pass all the four pillars of the seminary formation namely human, intellectual, pastoral and spiritual. They learn to handle problems that they will encounter in the ministry. They are being nurtured to the vocation that they have answer.

To answer God’s call is a great challenge to all of us. We undergo different trials that God gives us. But we must always remember that He did not give all these trials if we cannot handle them. He knows what our limit is and so He only wants us to bring out the best that we can do.
We are all called for a specific vocation. It is up to us if we listen to that call. It is up to us to respond and utilize well our God-given talents so we could attain our respective calling in life.

As often said,”Man proposes but God disposes”. We just have to trust Him completely where He wants us to be.

THE WAVES OF THE BEACH

There will always be memories, sweet memories of our past. Kind deeds, no matter how small, shown by our loved ones to us, will always be treasured. These loving actions prove to us that life is good, that fulfilment by enjoying life’s little pleasures can be had without even spending money. The affection we feel in our family makes us feel we are important.

I could still remember the fresh air. The calm waves that collide in the seashore. And the fireball that started to hide in the mountains.

I used to see all these things when I was still a child. It was my leisure and fun. My grandfather used to bring me to the seashore to see all these beautiful things.

Whenever 3 o’clock struck, my cousins and I prepared ourselves to go to the beach. We bring some snacks and our towels if we wanted to swim. We did not use any vehicle going to the beach. Along the more than a kilometre road stretch, we walked with grace. We did not mind the distance for we enjoyed ourselves in the things we saw in the beach.

Upon arriving, I used to go to the small lighthouse and looked at the sun, the waves and the people who were walking. After which, we started to look for a place to stay. We did not rent any cottage for we only wanted to stay for a while. y cousins started to run toward the waves and dived.

It was always quiet. It was a beautiful place to think. I always walked through the warm sand and looked for beautiful shells. I used to bring a plastic bag to put my shells going home. After I satisfied myself collecting, then I joined my cousins in the water.

My cousins and I played games in the water. We either played “habol-habulan” or “longest to stay in the water.”

I used to think that the waves were the forces of the boats in the sea or ocean because I always saw boats creating small waves. Even the shells were like a music box to me where I could hear the jovial waves of the sea.

After the fun, we went home. Like what we did going to the beach, we walked going back home. We didn’t even think it was tiring as we raced in being the first one to arrive home.

I always wanted to do all these things again, of course with my strict but loving grandfather. How nice to see myself enjoying the beauty of the sun, the warm sand, and the attractive seashells.

Yes, these are now memories to me, sweet memories that will always remind me about a caring grandfather. The special moments I spent with him during my childhood years make me appreciate that despite the face of a disciplinarian grandpa is a soft heart that truly cares. But as the years passed by, grandpa’s movements became limited. He is now content staying in his home, taking care of his chickens in his small backyard poultry.

On my part, I have always looked forward to moving back the hands of time so we could do again the memories we shared.

DO GHOSTS EXIST?

We live in a place where most people would not want to stay. It is a place many consider as scary. It is a place where every child or any person for that matter is afraid once darkness sets in. And why should it be a frightening place? Well, our house is located in front of a cemetery. It is located just a stone’s throw away from thousands of graves of people as their eternal resting place. But, have I seen one of them going back to life in the form of a ghost? If I were imaginative, maybe, yes. But I am realistic and so I say I have not seen any since the time I was still a child until now.

Mommy used to frighten us about ghost stories so we would behave and sleep early. For a while, I thought, it could be true, that ghosts are really right over there in the graves ready to either fly, like in the form of aswangs, or walk with bodies separated, or maybe a half body is hung at the coconut tree or acacia tree ready to appear before me.

But, none of these things happened so far. Not yet, and not that I am expecting any to happen because I do not believe it would ever happen.

Philippines is full of strange things both scary and awesome. A lot of supernatural phenomena happen in the Philippines. Stories of magic, entities and psychic powers are part of the Filipino culture. Healers and sorcerers are almost in every area, be it rural or urban. Sightings of nature spirits and local vampires called "aswang" even reach the local news.

According to Webster Dictionary, ghost is a disembodied spirit, especially one believed to appear in bodily likeness to living persons or to haunt former habitats.[1] We always look at ghost as a dead person in haunted places especially houses.

In the West, those who believe in ghosts sometimes hold them to be souls that could not find rest after death, and so linger on earth. The interpretation of the ghost in the west is a semi-transparent, and it does not directly interact with people. The ghost of the Western belief is said to be able to walk through walls and float above the ground. They are often said to be mindlessly following a particular routine.

In Ilocos Region, The soul, or kararua of the individual is believed to leave the body when the person dies and hover around the house.[2] Many Filipinos claim that they have been visited by ghosts of the dead.

The ghost may appear in physical form or with the features of the dead man when he or she was alive. The ghost also leaves imprints or touches the loved ones, especially little children or the surviving spouse. The Ilocanos believe that the dead possesses a spell, termed annong, which causes illness.

There are some beliefs of the Ilocanos like the Pompon, a term used to mean burial rites.

“The kin view the body for the last moments, kiss the hand, and then the lid of the coffin is closed… The coffin is then carried out the main door (or in some places, out the window) feet first. The head must not face the door or window.”[3]

The reason is that if the head was to go out first, it is believed that the ghost of the deceased will not leave the house.

In the central Luzon, particularly Manila, Filipinos call ghost as multo.

“Multo, the Tagalog word for ghost, comes from the Spanish word muerto, which means ‘dead.’ Superstitious Filipinos believe that some kind of multo, often a spirit of their former kin, regularly visits them.”[4]

It is also believed that in death, a dead person is first visited by and then fetched by another dead spirit. This is called, in Tagalog, "pagsundo" (to fetch). The Tagalog word for being visited by a ghost is “minumulto” (being haunted), or “dinadalaw” (being visited).

In Pangasinan, particularly in Agno, the westernmost town of Pangasinan also believes in ghost just like in Ilocos. They call it as al-alia. The rest of the towns of Pangasinan call it as aniyani.

Most of the people who said that they had seen a ghost, commonly describe a ghost being transparent, having no flesh and carrying the deceased person's likeness. One common denominator is that they are scary to look at.

There are lots of theories about ghosts like they are the earthbound souls of the deceased. This is the most usual interpretation of a ghost. An example is that a person becomes aware of the death of a loved one through one or more senses.

What is the practical purpose of ghost? What is the superstitious purpose of a ghost? What is the religious purpose of a ghost?

Reality in everyday usage means "the state of things as they actually exist."[5] The term reality, in widest sense, includes everything that is, whether observable or self-contradictory by science or philosophy.

Truth is, the beliefs, or realizations, of an understanding, and is used to create the reality of an understanding.[6]

The concrete meaning of the Latin word error means "wandering" or “straying,” although the metaphorical meaning “mistake, misapprehension” is actually more common.[7]

Falsity is a perversion of truth originating in the deceitfulness of one party, and culminating in the damage of another party.[8]

According to some ethical tradition, doubt is a form of fear. A doubtful internal disposition, according to many ethical frameworks, leads to the 'poisoning' of one's reality, the world where the mind resides.[9] In other words, one is forced and is affected by this notion.

Ghosts are usually thought of scaring people. Some people think the purpose of ghost is to render a sign for us to do something. Still, others think of them as in many historical accounts, ghosts were thought to be deceased persons looking for vengeance, or imprisoned on earth for bad things they did during life.

Ghost as superstitious has the purpose of a warning like “If one passes through the window instead of the door, a ghost will come.”[10] It is a warning in a way people as general are afraid of ghost. We use ghost to stop people from doing something wrong like to scare a baby not to stay late at night.

In the early era of Christianity, we call the third person in the trinity as Holy Ghost. The common purpose of it is to enlighten or give blessings to people like during the Pentecost or during the baptism of Christ.

In metaphysics, Ghost are mental beings wherein a mental being is “present not by its own act of existence but only within an idea.”[11] It is particularly a mental construct which can never exist outside the mind but help us to think about the real. Ghosts as from their description of people are just forms with no matter. A real being must have both matter and form in order to call it real.

Democritus, an ancient philosopher, would say to distrust your senses. He said that our senses can be easily deceiving. So it is like in ghost, our eyes see something like a ghost but it is not. Our ears hear unusual and people immediately conclude that it is a ghost. Sometimes we must not depend on our senses just like Democritus in order to find out the truth for our senses may lead us into error.

People who do not believe suggest that limitation of human perception and ordinary physical explanation can account for such sightings; like air pressure change in a home causing doors to slam. Some explained that the “seen out of the corner of the eye” are caused by the sensitivity of human peripheral vision, which can easily mislead, especially late at night, when our brains are tired and simply misinterpret things. Some are caused by pareidolia, an innate tendency to recognize human forms in random pattern, which most think as a ghost.

Here is an explanation of some of the experiences said to be by those people who have seen ghost. Vic Tandy, a computer expert, found an explanation of some said to be ghost.

“The following morning… Tests revealed a standing wave trapped in the laboratory, reaching a peak next to his desk. It was caused by a new extractor fan, which was making the air vibrate at 18.9Hz (cycles per second). Infrasound around this frequency has been linked to hyper- ventilation, triggering nausea, fear and anxiety; the human eyeball has a resonant frequency of 18Hz, at which it starts to vibrate in sympathy to infrasound, causing a blurring of vision.”[12]

The same test was also done to various people to prove and most of them felt like ghost. Some thought someone is watching them; others felt their hairs to stand.

Stories about ghosts and spirits have been heard and recorded through the centuries. It is a fact that every culture has its own collection of stories and histories about the existence and interaction with ghost. There is still no conclusive proof for the existence of ghosts.

No matter how thrilling ghost stories may be, or no matter how frightening testimonies or experiences of some maybe about their alleged encounters with ghosts, the fact still remains in me that it is still all in one’s person’s mind.

Imagination is so powerful that it oftentimes makes us believe about the existence of something we don not really see, or feel something that it not really present or predict something which is impossible to happen.

[1]Webster Comprehensive Dictionary (Chicago: J.G. Ferguson Publishing Company, 1992)
[2] http://bosp.kcc.hawaii.edu/Horizons/horizons_1999/celebration2.html
[3] Ibid
[4]Ibid
[5]Compact Oxford English Dictionary of Current English, Oxford University Press, 2005
[6] http://www.ourcivilisation.com/phlsphy.htm
[7]http://www.answers.com/error
[8] Ibid
[9] Ibid
[10] http://www.livinginthephilippines.com/philculture/beliefs_on_ghost_spirits_and_witches.html
[11] W. Norris Clarke, Sj, “Central Problems of Metaphysics” (Manila: Ateneo de Manila University, 2001) p.10.
[12]http://www.psychicworld.net/EVP5.htm