Sino ang Atenista???

Was about to leave Xavier University when a grimy old man approached him. The complete stranger asked him to buy him some ice water. To his surprise, that old man was bleeding, blood flowing from his forehead and there was a noticeable burse in his face. The student caught by surprised abandoned his intention to go home and decided to help this old man. His instinct led him to go to the Rizal Hospital knowing that the service there is free since the money he had was just enough for him to travel home. From the front gate they travelled all the way to the back but only faced a locked gate. His second option was the Loyola house, residence of the Jesuits. Unfortunately, the porter told him that nobody was home. So the distressed student has lost all thinkable options but thankfully enough, in that moment the porter spoke and suggested to call the KKP Director’s office instead.

After Sir Ermin and I finished a fruitful conversation inside his office, the phone rang. I wondered who the caller was since I noticed a slight change of tone of Sir Ermin’s voice. I got patches of information from his replies and made the assumption that it is something of an emergency. Once the call was over, he shared what it was all about. I felt shivers climb up my spine.

I immediately recalled our earlier conversation. We talked about ways to creatively foster a deeper appreciation of Atenean values and behold, as we where talking about it, this student was living it out in that very moment.

He then arrived at the KKP office. Since he has no extra cash, the office provided assistance. He accompanied the old man to the Hospital. His deed did not just stop there; he went all the way to accompany the old man back to his home in Carmen. This is magis.

Atenean heroes are true and living. The amazing story of this student highlighted the truth that a Good Samaritan still does exist. I hope his story serves as an inspiration for all of us ateneans. May his story emphasize that our identity as ateneans is not so much defined by our status, the way we speak, academic loyalty, or even wearing all ateneo shirts and accessories but it is defined by our DEEDS coming from a true concern for others especially the poor.

A message to Freshmen FFP leaders

I got an accidental chance to share a very brief testimonial to a large group of freshmen students for ACLD. When I saw them, I got reminded of my own freshmen year – a year of emotional ironies; from excitement to anxieties, passivity and seriousness. But in that gathering, there is one thing that holds them together. That somehow, they demonstrated a sense of leadership in their class which led them to take the position of FFP team leader.

Reviewing the road I took, I can really now say that this first opportunity to lead has tremendous value. You see, I never had that opportunity to “shepherd” eager classmates in my first year. I could recall our team leader always checking our attendance and requirements, plotting the dates of our group prayer and sharing, and delegating tasks for the numerous projects of FFP. These are the very basic of leadership and this can all well be nurtured in your given position.

In our sharing, I think it is an understatement to say that we have overemphasized the process of self-mastery. We are trained to marry the process and it is an absolute necessity in leadership. So I begin by encouraging all freshmen to explore their surroundings, get to know new people aside from your high school friends or block mates (ACLD network is one good venue), and get to engage with different opportunities offered by the school and your community (FFP immersion, outreach, NSTP). These are great venues to discover the miracle of you. I say this with the assumption that you posses a degree of confidence and people skill that made you a “leader” in the first place.

I also suggest that you keenly observe your surroundings and start spotting areas where you feel you can do something about and if you want to involve in a student organization, I believe there are already existing organizations that are geared towards amending these areas for improvements. In this process, you can link your personal interests and the area of change you want to work for in your college years.

That is my advice. I believe college can be lived to the fullest if you take an extra mile to consciously know yourself and with that knowledge and appreciation that goes with it, translate it to concrete acts of service for others. Aside from this basic notion, a deeper reason exists that I found very important once you start your leadership journey in Xavier. It is knowing that we are all educated or pulled out from society in a sense so we can learn and every time we return to society (the real world outside the walls of XU) it is a moral duty for us to translate that education into works of justice – making a difference in the lives of others. Four years in Xavier is too short for a freshman with a flaming heart to lead and serve. Start now.

Doable Heroism

(late post) This day, we speak about the idea of heroism and the traits that goes along with it. This word bears tremendous value for me since it is one of the pillars of Ignatian Leadership as described by Chris Lowney in his book “Heroic Leadership”. In his words, he spoke of heroism as “energizing yourself and others with heroic ambitions and a passion for excellence.” Having this in mind, I would like to have this opportunity to share my own appropriation of heroism as a student in Xavier University.

When I hear the word heroism, the instant idea that comes into mind is “sacrifice”. I believe that mere mortals become heroes because some point in their lives, they made great sacrifices for the common good. In a blink, names such as Rizal, Bonifacio, and Ninoy surfaces when I think about heroes and any man can rationalize that they became heroes because they gave their lives for a cause greater than their selves. Now, I came to understand that the magnanimity of heroism does not necessarily come from acts of giving one’s life (literally dying) but it speaks of all forms of actions contemplated for the greater good and animated beyond the bounds of comfort and safety. Speaking in the context of being a student, I think that a call to be heroic can be very well exercised in our learning, in our relationships and in our great journey of self discovery.

Heroism and Self Awareness

I am a loyalist, a 6 in the Enneagram. My type’s need is to have a sense of security from the perilous world. This is the reason why when I find an organization or a cause that I can trust and believe in, I stick with it undyingly and even reach to a point of blind obedience. In my reflection, I saw that I was trying to fulfil a heroic deed when I consciously and intently try to loose away from that sense of security and direct guidance from a group that has become synonymous with my identity. I know that I am breaking away from neither the cause nor the relationships but I am breaking away from that sense of security, familiarity, and comfortableness that would have solidified my compulsions more if I would not confront it. I intently moved into an uncharted territory plagued by uncertainty and instability – the very thing that we sixes fear. In a personal level, that is a simple attempt to be heroic which is facing my underlying fear and breaking my own security for a greater good. That greater good is redemption which hopes to capacitate me to be freer.

Heroism and relationships

I never had a girlfriend before so I speak in the context of NGFSB paradigm which pretty much gravitates around the idea of non-romantic relationships and the “kuya pa help” relationships. I believe working in the context is all about offering your help for others in the form of tutoring, help in their projects, help them in a certain degree facilitate their own struggles and countless others. I speak as if I am public property but in a sense it is close to that. With my relative freedom, I can offer myself readily to others. I believe my challenge is to always be ready to give and to give more and this is simple heroism.

Heroism and Learning

One subject I can instantly recall is a minor subject. TAX 1 is a dreaded subject for me because I simply find it hard to comprehend it. It takes ample amount of brain energy to remember all the necessary elements needed to identify certain taxable categories. Now I believe this is where heroism can be exercised. It is exercised when I achieve to completely eradicate that minor-major mentality which is common among us. I should treat all subjects in equal weight and this should be reflected in the amount of time allotted for its study and mastery. By going against that psychological inertia, I can begin to build a momentum that hopefully will lead me to get better grades – a personal heroic deed of challenging deeply seated mentalities.

So again, I hope that I somehow simplified the magnanimity of heroism into doable acts that can very well exercise in a personal sphere. But in the end, the highest call of heroism is really giving ourselves, sacrificing and sharing our selves to something greater than our own – an in our Catholic context, for the God and his people (The Kingdom of God).