Christmas is once again in the air.
I have heard many times from different people of different background that celebrating Christmas will never be as happy as when you are with your family. In fact, many are coming together to have a sort of “reunion” every time Christmas season is coming. This is true even to the many Filipinos who have been out of the country for some time and are finding time to go back home to celebrate Christmas with those whom they love.
As a seminarian, I have encountered many people who are celebrating big events, such as Christmas afar from their respective families. I am referring to the prisoners, OFW, the religious people, and all who celebrate holidays in their particular duties.
Likewise, this idea of “family reunion” on Christmas is not realized in my own family at least in the past 10 years. Aside from the absence of my father who passed away couple of years back, my brother who is now in Papua New Guinea for a religious missionary duty will not be around as well on holidays. His name is Bro. Christian (whom we fondly called as “kuya boy” at home), a religious brother in the congregation of the Rogationists of the Heart of Jesus.
Turning back the history, kuya boy entered the seminary in 1997. I was 11 then and was in dire need of a brother with whom I can share my frustrations in my maturing years, especially those matters which I cannot just speak of with my mother. Yes, I have other siblings but my relationship with kuya boy is deeper than with the rest of my siblings who happened to be girls. From that moment on, we were celebrating holidays, birthdays, and other occasions without kuya boy’s presence. We just remember him through greeting cards and letters because religious life rules out their candidates’ idea of going home on especial occasions. For them, the religious community is enough to celebrate with.
I remember the moment when I decided to enter the religious seminary just to be with kuya boy in 2003. Unfortunately, he was transferred to another assignment upon my admission. At first, I was downhearted but as time passed by I realized that such is the reality of religious life –nothing is permanent- everything and everybody just come and go in no time.
Just last year, I finished my formation as postulant and was expected to transfer to a community nearer to the community of kuya boy. Again, kuya boy was transferred to farther community. He was commissioned to continue the mission in Alutao Island, Papua New Guinea. There, he is expected to spend at least three years with the tribe of people without anything to wear, leaving in a community without electricity, in an island in the middle of the sea. On the other hand, I decided to live a life in diocesan way and transferred to the local diocese where I am now in.
Now, we are not just a town away but earth’s equator separates us from each other. I do not know yet how will my dear kuya celebrate Christmas in Papua. I do not even know how he gets along with the life out there because of the lack of communication. However, one thing is for sure, even if we are worlds apart, for as long us we remember each other in our prayers alongside the efforts to accomplish our mission, Christmas will always be a reunion... a reunion of hearts... the hearts that are dedicated to the service of God’s people.
________________________________
This article is written for the newsletter of the Holy trinity Parish published in December2007 during his parish immersion in the Diocese of Imus.
No comments:
Post a Comment