visible rhetoric

I have a dilemma and I do not know what to do.  There are windows right beside the door of my room.  The question is, are these the windows of my room or are they windows of the priest pasillo?  I said I do not know what to do because if they are windows of my room then I am responsible for their cleanliness but if they are windows of the priest pasillo then they are not my responsibility. Those windows, it would seem, are not in my room and neither are they out of my room.  And because it could not be decided as to where they stand, no one can be pointed as having responsibility for their cleanliness. 

Reading the succession story of Elijah and Elisha in our first reading today I am reminded that I never became a priest nor will I ever remain a priest alone.  Like Elisha I need an Elijah.  I will have a need for a mentor, a tutor, a guide, a supporter, a counselor, a cheering squad, a booing squad as well, or even just an idol to look up to.  The fact is, I was never alone in my dream and struggle to become a priest and I can never be alone in the ministry. In this my 23 rd year I would like to thank and recognize some of them. I never discovered the priesthood on my own.  I was introduced to the priesthood by my lola who alluded to me that priests have a better chance of going to heaven and going to heaven then was all I wanted. 

Today as we officially welcome to our home our Grade 7 brothers, our grade 11 brothers, a brother undergoing the bridge program, and our new faculty we pray that the warm welcome we have accorded them may make them feel at ease, at rest, appreciated and at home. Home is where you feel you are safe.  Makasala ka man, maakigan ka man , and yet you know and you are in fact assured that you are accepted, loved, appreciated and forgiven.  As I often say, reprimand if there is a need to reprimand; be angry if there is a need to be angry – that is still formative.  But do not hate, because when you hate, kon may kaugot na sa imo tagipusuon , then you could no longer see goodness in the person, and when you could no longer hope for goodness in that person, whatever you do is no longer formative. Home is where you feel you are safe.

Your Grace, allow me first to present to you our seminarians this formation year 2016-2017. We have 21 Seminarians in Grade 7; 18 seminarians in Grade 8; 16 seminarians in Grade 9 and eleven Seminarians in Grade 10.   This year like all secondary schools in the Philippines we are starting our Senior High School Formation program with 26 seminarians in Grade 11.   Of the 26, 15 came from our junior High School the class Genesis, and 11 came from schools other than this seminary.   All in all we have a total of 92 seminarians for both our junior high and senior high school. In the college we have 9 for our First Year.   This will be our last first year college in the old curriculum.   We have 12 in the 2 nd year, 15 in the third year and 6 in the 4 th year.   All in all we have 42 college Seminarians this year