The Ascent to Carmel

And so my trip to the Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel pushed through!

It was a Monday when my friend Ronald texted me, "Bro, tuloy pa ba tayo sa Carmel?" We've been planning that for weeks but it always get postponed for some reasons. So I immediately texted Fr.Rich,OCD for a schedule and gave an 8:30AM appointment. It's my first time to commute by bus there, an uncharted place for me. Good thing when I got home from church I heard my brother informing my mom he's going to Ortigas on Wednesday with his girlfriend to Cubao. GREAT!!! I'm joining them.

By the way, my mom didn't know I went there. She's against me being a contemplative. Until now I haven't told her I've been there.

When I arrived in Cubao I met with Ronald who knows the way in QC since he's working there, but it came upon me that it was also his first time to go to the Carmel Shrine. He confessed that he agreed to accompany me because he also wanted to go there as well, just to visit the place. We rode an LRT then he led the way. When we turned to a street I saw a large gate from afar with a signboard "Carmel of St. Therese of the Child Jesus" and a large picture of her. Oh! I got too excited! Sabi ko sa kanya, "See Ronald, St. Therese is really guiding my vocation! And she's here to greet me at the entrance." So we went inside with me shaking excitedly.

Praying in front of the statue of my personal patron
to whom I entrusted my vocation.

When we entered the gate there was this statue of St. Therese on a pedestal greeting. "See! See! She's here for me!" I told him how she greeted me in the entrance of the SPCS lobby when I took my entrance exam. So we went inside and found a porter-like man and I asked where is the office of the vocation director. He said there's no vocation director there but nun! Oh goodness we went in the wrong Carmelite convent! He told us to ride a tricycle just outside the compound and say 4th Street Carmel Parish. Then we just had a short visit in the chapel and.... wow! It's beautiful!

Praying nervously by the sanctuary of the chapel.
The image at the back of the tabernacle
is St. Therese of the Child Jesus
offering roses to the BVM and Jesus.
Roses came from heaven as depicted in the cloth
that drapes from the Cross.

So we walked outside and since the Carmel Parish was near, just on the other street, we just walked our way there. Seeing the vast compound and the huge church, it was breath-taking. Ronald asked me if i'm sure of what i'm doing but whether or not i'm sure, by the looks of the church, he said I'm in good hands (haha). We paid a visit to the Blessed Sacrament and proceeded to the Parish Office where Fr.Rich greeted me in front. He was already waiting for me.

We had an hour talk then afterwards he toured us in the columbary where we searched for a niche of an old friend. We prayed then had lunch. Fr. Rich joined us for lunch then he suggested me go to San Sebastian Parish where the first image of Our Lady of Carmel in the Philippines is housed. So we went there and prayed our mid-day office. Before returning home we passed by the monastery of the Carmel of St. Therese then proceeded on our way.

The San Sebastian Church of the Agustinian Recollects
is made of iron-works from Belgium.
The walls, posts, etc. everything is iron! Amazing.
This is the facade of the Church;
not wood, not cement, its iron right.

The first image of the Nuestra Senora del Carmen brought in the Philippines.

I got to know more about the Carmelite friars. Well I thought they are cloistered men but no! The brothers (who are monks) are but the priests (friars) are active in missions, parishes, BEC's, chaplaincies, etc. I saw that their charism is not only in prayer but also in a strong community. Fr.Rich said he will help me journey through Carmel even though I am journeying also in the diocese. For now he will help me discern for a Carmelite Spiritual Director to guide me.

Fr. Rich Escoto, OCD and myself strike a pose beside the image of Our Lady.

What strikes me most is how he told me that I am not in a win-lose situation. My choices for diocesan or Carmel is not a good-bad decision but both choices are better. They are of equal value. He said I should pray more and let God confuse me more. He stressed cheerfulness as a way to holiness and said that God is just playing with me with these choices because He loves me so much that He is giving me good choices, and better ones. He saw me as an outgoing person and very active so he suggested that I go with the diocesan priesthood but with a Carmelite spirituality (and later on join the Notre Dame de Vie).

It was a very good conversation, an enlightening one. It opened my eyes more that the Carmelite priesthood is not only contemplation but also an active one. It made me love Carmel more but for now it would be good to be in the diocese. After our talk he gave me a stampita each of St. Therese, St. Teresa, and St. John of the Cross. He also asked me to have a personal campaign for Carmel in the diocese.

When a good samaritan came

Doing my usual course and an "apostolate" for seminarians I drove for the evening recolletion to and fro the cathedral. After two  short drives, I decided to have my dinner and take a break before commencing on my reviews (oh, I'm still a student by the way and it really is hard when you have a lot of things to manage and do plus two major philosophy exams coming on the next day... and I still took the time to blog this out).

After I parked the vehicle, I alighted and guess what, the gate of the entrance is locked. I waited there for almost 5 minutes until a seminarian saw me. I waved at him hoping that he notices me and call the gatekeeper to have it opened. No. He just laughed at me. Another came and I also called his attention. Unlike the first one, he waved, then left. After almost 10 minutes, someone passed by and seeing me just seemed to ignored my presence. I took a chair and sat down. Looking around, I thought, WHO WOULD BE A GOOD SAMARITAN THIS EVENING?

Much like the story of the man beaten by robbers on his way to Jerusalem, many passed by and saw him but none responded generously. Is this selfishness that we think of our own benefits, of what is good only for ourselves? It is as if saying that being generous now entails something coming back to me after I do it. Well, one could say, "I am busy and I am doing a lot of things so I wasn't able to call the gatekeeper." Couldn't we give a short time for someone in need? This demands a heart of compassion, one that is sensitive to the needs of others.

There are just people who remember you when they need something from you but forgets you or not even remembers how you are doing when they are already happy and contented. Waiting was not a problem for me but it saddens me to see how insensitive others are especially when they call you their own brother, or do they? After 15 minutes, someone came and seeing me called the gatekeeper. Thank God there is still one who cares and I pray he makes a difference. This is more than a locked gate, when our hearts are locked and we do not open them for others. When our hearts have grown cold and selfish, we fail to see that there are others who like us, are in need of love.  What is in the heart of an apostolic work is not work per se. It is the heart open to one another as if seeing Christ in every person we encounter.

Let's not calculate

And this is the wisdom of one did not obtain a doctorate degree in theology but only did what she said- to love.