Follow the path less traveled

 Sneak peek into the elite community life 

In today's culture, youth are exposed to modernization and secularism. Few are attracted to be active in church organizations like the Youth, choir or other charismatic groups, let alone to deepen their spiritual life or enter a religious community for that matter. It is such a pity.The trainings that one could get from these exposures would not only prepare one to be a pious religious, but it could also provide one with a better understanding of oneself, acceptance, and reconciliation, and even prepares one for the rigours and responsibilities of parenthood.

I myself would never forget the experience I had with my early involvement in church activities, and later in a religious community.

I grew up in a small town, and as such, was quite protected from too much exposure to the mundane reality. Around thirteen, I began to experience an identity crisis and unguided, I resorted to the solace of religion. It became my passion and my main ambition was to join a religious community. I was academically able, yet thoughts of a promising career was further from my mind. Not heeding the advice of the wise, I followed the dictate of my own heart. It was not so much what God wanted of me, but what I was searching for myself. I did it my way.

It began with my active involvement in church activities, like the choir and the Junior Legion of Mary. Without it, I would not have been able to travel to new places for we often times attended seminars or recollections together.I also gained many friends, being a bit of a loner myself.I spent my school leaving days going to the outstations with the parish priest, bringing along religious items to be sold. It was a privilege to visit the many kampungs within the valley of Tambunan. I learned how to read the Bible in Dusun for Sunday readings and how to prepare the chalice and hosts before the Mass (also thanks to my experience while staying with Sr. Alphonse Liew, FSIC at the Stella Maris Hostel). I have much to thank Msgr Primus Jouil for his patience with me during the days when I was the last one to arrive to the top of a particularly hilly outstation. All those experience has prompted me more to dedicate myself to a religious community service, or so I thought.

Years ago, I read a book entitled "I leaped over the wall", (or was it , jumped?)a memoir of a nun who left the monastery after many years of living there and the culture shock she experienced outside the walls. Unfortunately I lost the book, since it was passed from one hand to another, and the last person was not considerate enough to return it to me. It was not even mine, actually I borrowed it from the Order of Discalced Carmelites (omg!) while I stayed at Sri Murni Hostel in Kota Kinabalu. Those were the years when I was yet an idealistic, religious teen, uncorrupted and somewhat naive. Little did I know then that someday I too would, leap over some walls.

My sojourn with the nuns were quite memorable and life changing, as well as very humbling experience. I knew the local nuns then, the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception having stayed in their boarding houses, as well as the Religious of the Good Shepherd and I also spent some months as an aspirant with the Figlio de Sao Paolo before I finally flew to Bacolod City to join the Hermanas Guadalupanas de La Salle, having in mind to live up to my Lasallian charism and ideals. Understandably, I was adviced against such a drastic decision, but I was stubborn and idealistic. Perhaps the folly of youth? Nonetheless, I never regret those decisions, although it was short lived.

Indeed, I could say that I was privileged enough to get a sneak peek and a taste of the elite community life. Each congregation has its own spirituality, traditions and rules to live by. Occasionally they would gather together to attend a talk or a seminar or a recreation. Their postulants and novices also attend some sessions together for on going formation, and it continues in the juniorate years. It was so much fun and educational to meet with the different religious communities, sharing our daily experiences and learning and laughing over one another's antics. We even made fun of somebody's habit, some quite ridiculous to be worn in a warm country. Most of the senior formators were foreigners obviously and communication was sometimes a challenge.

My own community consisted of three cultures merged together to live as one. It was no easy ride. Clashes of ideas, misunderstandings of gestures and expressions, rivalries and jealousies co-existed with the attempt to be more pious and obedient and humble. I did not last long, as it was, for I was basically rebellious and unrealistic,yet my seven years with the community has enriched me with two foreign languages and a dialect, friends for keeps, plus memories to last a lifetime, to say the least. (Note: religious are human after all, so allowance for mistakes and mischief is a prerequisite!!)

Undeniably, today we are facing a global economy crises, where the demand for stability and a high paying job is imposed upon us. However, to those who are inclined, we should not hesitate to look into the aspects of our spirituality. I highly recommend the youth to reconsider their choices and be not afraid to try and ask and seek and knock. Of course, with proper guidance and discernment, a better result will come out of it. Lots of wonderful surprises await the ones who dare take a risk.