by: Sr. Amelita Llego, tc
GODS’ WORD AND GOODNESS ………. CANNOT AND WILL NEVER BE OVERCOME BY THIS PANDEMIC SITUATION!
It’s been eight months now since I arrived to my new community San Damiano Postulancy House. I came on June 29, 2020 with the “new normal” caused by the pandemic and the do’s and don’ts was already part of the life of the community in order ensure our health and safety.
Going to the Church for the Mass was impossible so we celebrate it online. We don’t go out of the house, even going to the market. We have to order the things that we need for the community.
Thinking about our life and situation, we also think in the community on how we will start with our apostolate and what we will do? We were bothered on how to live our charism hearing and seeing the suffering of our neighbors especially the children. We feel deprived to do our usual way in serving our needy brothers and sisters, considering the safety of everyone.
The formandees are serving as Choir in the parish because the other choir members are still afraid to go the church. With regards to our neighbors, we can attend to their needs whenever they knock and ask for some rice and water. For the children in the neighborhood, we have feeding program for them. Last December of 2020, there was No Christmas Party for the children for it was being prohibited to have gatherings, we just only have gifts giving like toys, dress, slippers, shoes, fruits and some pasta to be cooked which was sponsored by some of our friends and benefactors. Thanks to their generosity that even though with some crisis and difficulty they did not have any second thoughts of sharing their blessings to others.
We also come up with the decision to have catechesis on-line since face-to-face learning is still impossible. Sr. Francine, the superior of the community asked the help of some friends to help us look for children who are interested to join the On-line Catechesis every Sunday. And the plan was realized in the middle of October 2020 for the children who will be preparing for the First Communion on June 2021. At First, they were twelve (12) interested participants but now only five (5) remains. They are very faithful to their Sunday Catechesis, always excited, enthusiastic, listen well, and actively participates in the discussion. With this kind of students, who will not be inspired of teaching them? That’s why I needed to prepare my lessons well and also myself, my heart and my mind in order to have the right answer to the children’s questions. As they are learning from their Sunday Catechesis, I am also learning from them. It is a challenging experience for me this time as using this technology is new to me yet this is a dream come true to us, to teach catechesis and spread the word of God even just inside the house. I learned from them also to come earlier before the time in order to set up the things to be used for the Catechesis to avoid technical problems when the class is going-on.
Aside from that we will also accept Tutorial Lessons for the children like English, Reading, Writing and Math. Hopefully to begin this Tutorial on the 3rd week of March 2021 and on May too.
We also consider in the community that handling BLBBC Scholars is also part of the apostolate. They are only two but needs to be guided well for they are very easy to be unbalanced when things are getting tough and harder due to the demands of their online studies and the paper works that need to be done. The constant reminders, understanding, patience, and the heart-to-heart talk help them to be responsible not only of their studies but to their other duties and formation as well.
With God’s grace, protection, and constant care to us and to our needs, this situation of the pandemic is not a hindrance anymore to us to extend our help to others and instead this has been Gods’ way for us to exercise our Charism.
