Prayer
Saying Grace
By Roxy Navarro
""When I am inside writing. All I can think about is how I should be outside living.
When I am outside living, all I can do is notice all there is to write about.
I spend most of my time wondering if I should be somewhere else.
So, instead, I have learned to shape the words 'thank you' with my first breath each morning, my last breath each night.
When the very last breath comes at least I know I am grateful for all the places I am sure I am not supposed to be.
All the places I made it to. And even if it was just one moment, I know, I am exactly where I am supposed to be."
- Poem by Sarah Kay
I've always been restless especially with life decisions. Should I be a doctor? A teacher? Do I keep my corporate job? Do I keep our startup? Do I choose one? Can I run both? Am I living the life I've always wanted in service of others?
Roxy Navarro (BS in Computer Science 2012) is the founder of Works of Heart Graphic Design Company.
The discernment never stops. It has been 3 years now since I graduated and I still don't have this certainty with life. What keeps me sane, grounded and happy is that I have learned to balance it by saying grace. The future is always scary, where I'll be tomorrow is scarier, but saying thanks grounds me to the present. Saying grace opens one’s eyes to the beauty life has already offered and continues to offer. I have learned that today gives enough hope for tomorrow and is only genuinely realized by giving thanks.
Prayer for Generosity (St. Ignatius of Loyola)
Lord, teach me to be generous.
Teach me to serve you as you deserve;
to give and not to count the cost,
to fight and not to heed the wounds,
to toil and not to seek for rest,
to labor and not to ask for reward,
save that of knowing that I do your will.
By Ma. Adeinev Reyes-Espiritu
From my college years up to today, the Prayer for Generosity is the prayer that reminds me most of the Ateneo. I think of it as the quintessential Ateneo prayer that perfectly reflects the Atenean tagline “men and women for others.” Doing a quick survey among my colleagues on the prayer that they associate the most with the Ateneo, I got the resounding response, “Prayer for Generosity!”
It’s a prayer I easily memorized back then and happily taught to my first students in another school. Now, as a teacher at the Grade School, we commonly recite it in meetings and classes and sing both the Filipino and English versions in liturgical celebrations. So, yes, I identify the Prayer for Generosity as my favorite prayer.
Ironically, while I consider this as a favorite, I also find it as one of the hardest to meaningfully pray. Generosity—to open oneself, to give of oneself, to give oneself—is not so easy to live out. It is very challenging to choose to give, let alone go the extra mile, when you are tired or hurt, or you feel unappreciated or taken advantage of. And yet, I am certain that I am meant to overcome these feelings and be able to still give. There is always this tension between wanting to give more and needing to keep something for myself. I am reminded of Jesus’ words to Peter, “…the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.” (Mt. 26:41) But nonetheless, I agree that we are intrinsically and substantially meant to be in communion with others. Our genes carry a generosity strand (though it doesn’t seem to activate on its own). We are meant to be generous. However, this belief does not necessarily make things easier for me. I still have to struggle, to persist, and to endure.
Thanks to St. Ignatius, the prayer rightfully begins with a call to the Source. And from this, I draw my consolation: I have the best teacher, no less than My Lord, by my side. Whenever I pray, I find myself truly begging God for the grace to be open to learn to be generous. No matter how many times I say this prayer, there is always an area in my life where generosity is called for— relationships, family life, community, work, and the list goes on. I am always in the learning process, and I don’t see yet if mastery is ever achievable.
Each time I step on the platform of the classroom for the opening or closing prayer, and I close my eyes and join my hands, I am on an equal footing with my students. We are all learners putting our trust in our Teacher and hoping to understand how we can open ourselves, give of ourselves, and give ourselves the way we are called to.
Ma. Adeinev Reyes-Espiritu is a teacher at the Ateneo Grade School.
Angel of God
By Micah Bautista
Micah Bautista graduated in 2011 from the Ateneo de Manila University with a degree of AB PSY. She is now a Grade 2 Class Teacher at the Ateneo de Manila Grade School.
“Angel of God” has been one of my favorite prayers. At first, I looked forward to this prayer because it signalled the end of class. However, as I grew older the reason for liking this prayer evolved. I always felt protected and assured that I am led in the right direction after praying to my guardian angel. Hence, I catch myself praying when travelling to new places with my loved ones and whenever I feel alone and afraid.
"Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God's love commits me here, ever this day, be at my side to light and guard, to rule and guide."
Now that I am a teacher, I feel abundantly blessed when I hear my young pupils singing “Angel of God” with their sweet angelic voices. This is a prayer that can easily be taught to children. Judging from my experience, it is valuable because it can accompany them through-out life.
Photo credit: http://cdn.playbuzz.com
Holy Week for the Sarado Katoliko
by Butch Sunga
Coming from a ‘Sarado Katoliko’ family, I believe that Holy Week is a time for both prayer and family. I remember how our grandmother always lectured us about how things were different during her time, telling us about some ‘pamahiin’ or beliefs, while everyone sat around her to hear her stories. During Holy Week, she would scare us with a very popular topic back then: the end of the world which, she believed, was coming near. My cousins and I were prohibited to smile, laugh, shout and play during Good Friday.
We’ve also spent Holy Week in different places, mostly in Luzon. Because of this, I’ve discovered that each place has its own take on Holy Week rituals. Some things are done a bit differently depending on the place. For example, there are practices done in Pampanga that are not done in Pasig and vice versa. Allow me to write this unofficial guide to the different Holy Week traditions and activities I grew up with. These activities, for me, make Holy Week unique, meaningful and very Filipino.
Palm Sunday
When we were young, my aunt would cut palm leaves from a coconut tree in our backyard. We made our own palaspas. On the Saturday night before Palm Sunday, we all gathered quietly around the dining table as our aunt taught us how to make them. Boring…what a way to start the Holy Week for my impatient cousins and me!
Our family would attend Palm Sunday mass early in the morning. It’s abhorrent, according to my grandmother, to attend it in the afternoon. Looking back today, I think my grandmother had a point. She would countlessly remind us to be early and to not go inside the church immediately since the activity usually started at the plaza in front of the church. Some priests would opt for a more dramatic manner of entering like riding a donkey while some would prefer a simpler way to go in. The elaborateness of the ritual really depends on the priest. But some things are prescribed like the color of the vestments. The priest wears red to symbolize Christ’s readiness to die for us.
After the Palm Sunday mass, we brought the palms home and placed them on our house’s front door. According to my family’s beliefs, palm is placed there to replicate the Old Testament when God “passed over” the houses of Israelites and saved the Israelite firstborn from death. We believe that the palm would act as God’s protection for the people who live inside the house. We never got rid of those palms; we waited until next year when our parish priest would ask for old palms that will be used to make the ashes for Ash Wednesday.
Chrism Mass
I often wondered how many priests were there in our diocese. When I went to the Chrism Mass, I finally saw all of them in one place: there were so many of them. I counted around two hundred priests in the Diocese of Pasig. Ever since, I have tried to attend it yearly to root for our parish priest and other priest friends.
The Chrism Mass usually happens in the Cathedral early morning of Holy Thursday. On this day, priests celebrate their feast day and renew their priestly vows. It’s a way to remember that it was during Holy Thursday that Christ instituted the Sacrament of Holy Orders.
Also in this mass, Holy Chrism is blessed. That’s the oil they use to anoint children during baptism, the sick during the sacrament of anointing, holy orders, and the blessing of sacred vessels. This chrism is made out of olive oil and scented with fragrant perfume. I always watch out for the very symbolic ritual of the bishop dipping the paschal candle into the chrism, symbolizing Christ as the source and the one who instituted the sacraments. Each priest takes home a small amount of chrism oil, which he will use in his ministry throughout the year.
Mass of the Lord’s Supper
When I was young, this, for me, was one of the longest masses. I would always wonder who would act as the twelve disciples that year and what they would be wearing. I would always watch if the priest would go the extra mile and not only wash but also kiss the feet of the disciples. For me, that was so meaningful and Christlike. The divine praises and traditional Latin songs like Tantum Ergo and O Salutaris will be sung during the procession. I was proud that I knew those traditional Latin songs, at least, back then I thought it was cool.
After the mass of our Lord’s Supper, the Blessed Sacrament is brought to a special place called the Altar of Repose through a procession. Here, we can sit beside our Lord as He prays. I always pay attention to the elaborate arrangements of the Altar of Repose because they really are a sight to behold and gaze upon. I suggest praying beside our Lord as we imagine accompanying Him while He prays at the Garden of Gethsemane.
Photo courtesy of Alexander Josef
Visita Iglesia
My sister, brother and I would always aim to visit seven churches every Visita Iglesia. It was only recently that we learned that that number, seven, had its roots in the Spanish Era. There were seven churches inside Intramuros. So Filipinos traditionally visited all seven churches there. My mom would always remind us to start the Visita Iglesia early because the churches were usually open only until midnight and traffic could be heavy.
Alay Lakad
A more physical activity we would engage in during Holy Thursday would be the “Alay Lakad”.
Photo courtesy of Chanda Policarpio
From our house or from a more manageable distance, we would start walking either to the Tungko Grotto or Antipolo Church. When we lived in Quezon City, we went to the Grotto; when we lived in Pasig, it was to Antipolo. The Alay Lakad is usually done at night so the walk doesn’t get too exhausting. Millions of people do this yearly. I was always amazed to see how slowly the number of walking people increase into a river of people moving to the same direction. We would also visit every church we passed by and gaze upon the Altar of Repose. We prayed the rosary while walking and sometimes took turns carrying the image of Santo Nino. I would make sure I have some pocket money to buy street food and refreshments when I get hungry.
Photo courtesy of Alexander Josef
Senakulo is more popular in provinces like Bulacan and Batangas than in Manila. The performers are usually the parish’s youth ministry, kids and teenagers of the local church. The play depicts scenes from the passion of Christ. Be ready to go for a short walk to the different “stations.” Senakulo usually ends in the parking lot of the church where Christ is crucified. This is usually held on Good Friday after the Good Friday services.
Senakulo
Prusisyon
Also held on Good Friday, the prusisyon has become an elaborate pageantry nowadays. It is a procession of different images of our Lord, Mary and the Saints to help us contemplate on the scenes of the passion of our Lord. Sponsoring a karo or the moving pedestals with the images is usually a yearly tradition or ‘panata’ for some families within an area.
When I was young, my grandmother would ask workers to ready our family’s karo beginning on Ash Wednesday. That’s how elaborate the preparation was. The karo would be cleaned, repainted and decorated with flowers and all the lights should be working on Good Friday.
I always appreciated the antique statues in the prusisyon. I never forgot to bring my rosary and candle. I remember singing those monotonus hymns we’ve sung since childhood like “Immaculate Mother” and “Ave Maria”. Some of the prusisyon I grew up with were the ones in Baliuag in Bulacan, Guadalupe Nuevo in Makati and Sto. Domingo in Quezon City.
Siete Palabras
When we spend Good Friday with the maternal side of our family, this is what we do. We turn on the television after lunch on Good Friday and watch the Seven Last Words on TV. It is a more relaxed and stay-at-home activity. During the time when there was still no cable, these were the only shows on the television. The Seven Last Words are reflections on the seven last words or statements of Christ, usually related to their social relevance at present. A priest, sometimes a lay Catholic, usually delivers it.
If you want to choose the live version, you may go to the Santo Domingo Church or Divine Word Seminary in E. Rodriquez, Quezon City – these are the ones taped and shown for TV. However, it can be more comfortable, and equally meaningful, to listen to the reflections at home through the television.
Good Friday Services
Good Friday is a day of fasting and abstinence. If one is above 18 years old and below the age of 60, you are to eat only one full meal and no meat. It’s that simple. Abstinence is required by the church every Friday of the Lenten season to curb our bodily desires. Almsgiving is also a good practice or tradition for Good Friday and during the whole Lenten season. It also reflects being one with the poor as Pope Francis prescribes.
At 3pm, Good Friday services begin. It is not a mass but there are three activities that will be done: the Liturgy of the Word, Veneration of the Cross and Holy Communion. Pay attention that there are no flowers inside the church, the altar is stripped of linens and images of saints and crosses are removed or covered with a purple veil to symbolize the desolation of Christ’s death.
Easter Vigil
This is my favorite ritual. I can miss everything except the Easter vigil. It is the longest mass of the year but it’s worth it. I love how the mass begins in total darkness. Being a sort of pyromaniac myself, I get excited about how a ball of fire would come from the bell tower of the church to light up a cauldron around which the faithful is gathered. The priest blesses this fire and slowly the whole church goes from darkness to light. This is very meaningful since Christ is the source of light and warmth in the world. The fire is so heartwarming. During the vigil, there are 10 readings. No, that’s not a typographical error from the usual two in a regular Sunday mass. It’s the whole story of our salvation, from Genesis to the Rising of our Lord.
Aside from the significance and meaning of the Easter Vigil, the best thing is: it’s still Saturday! You have gone that extra mile but also finished with your Lenten obligations. And in our family, I would have the whole Sunday to hit the beach with my cousins after we pray during all the Holy Week traditions we go through.
Salubong
Inspired by Ignatian Spirituality, Salubong is a procession during the early morning of Easter Sunday. Salubong works on the premise proposed by St Ignatius of Loyola that it is only logical that Christ would have shown himself first to His beloved mother after His resurrection. The procession is divided into two groups; the women follow the image of Mary and the men follow the image of the risen Christ. The two images meet in front of the church and an angel portrayed by a young girl removes the humeral veil of Mary while hanging a few feet in the air.
Photo courtesy of Alexander Josef
These are the ways my ‘Sarado Katoliko’ family would spend Holy Week throughout the years. These are my family’s Lenten traditions that we treasure and celebrate with other Catholic families year after year. Looking back, these traditions made the Holy Week meaningful and instilled the faith in us kids as we grew up. These were the practices that allowed our Catholic faith to thrive. These activities and the meanings they present are still very much relevant and available for all Catholics during Lenten season today.
It is sad, however, how some Catholics haven’t heard about them. More and more, these traditions are quickly losing their popularity in a more secular and liberal world. I admit that I myself have been tempted to forgo some of these traditions sometimes for other activities. Hopefully we keep or regain what’s important and what has been lost about Holy Week and hold on tight to them. For my family, Holy Week is first and foremost a period for prayer and family. That is what makes it meaningful.
For you and your family, which of the activities mentioned here are the same traditions that you follow during Holy Week? Or among these prayer experiences, which do you plan to do or attend with your family this year?
Butch Sunga is a Batch 2007 ECE graduate of the Ateneo de Manila. He works part-time in the Office for Mission and Identity.
Body Prayer
Body prayer is a method of prayer using different body postures and positions accompanied by appropriate biblical or religious texts as a way of encountering God. Our body gestures represent our deepest feelings, hopes and desires that we aim to lift up to God through prayer and help us realize more that we are embodied spirits. This form of prayer is not a new form of prayer. In fact it has been used for centuries not only by Buddhists and Hindus but also Jews and Christians. Christian body prayer is inspired by Scriptures. (From the book "Glorify God in Your Body" by Jose V. Quilongquilong, SJ published by Jescom)
Our introduction for body prayer will be inspired by John 20:19-21 when Christ comforted His disciples in fear of the Romans.
John 20:19-21
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.
Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you!
Please click to view the video
Prayer Position
Peace before us
Peace behind us
Peace under our feet
Peace within us
Peace over us
Let all around us be peace.
Acknowledgements:
Prayer for Peace Composed by: David Haas Performed by: Himig Heswita
Clarissa Mijares-Ramos is a faculty member of the Sociology and Anthropology Department of the Loyola Schools.
