Formands Encounter: First day (January 10, 2023)

BAGUIO CITY – Formands are reminded as “pilgrims of hope” as the first day of the 13^th Formands Encounter unfolds.

Fray Lauro Larlar, OAR, CARES Rector, presides the votive mass in honor of St. Ezekiel Moreno, the Patron of the Province.

In his homily, he directs the focus of formands to the Crucified Christ so they may understand what God wills for them.

He says that everyone is a pilgrim of hope, but the pilgrimage becomes heavy because of one’s attachments to unnecessary things.

Fray Joseph Kenneth Onda, OAR, the Provincial Vicar, likewise prompts everyone as pilgrims in his talk on the direction of the formation of the Order.

Citing the OAR Contitutions, he encourages each formand is to seek the progressive assimilation of the sentiments of Christ towards the Father according to the Augustinian Recollect Charism.

In the afternoon activities Fray James Esplanada, OAR, invites his fellow formands during the Convivencia (group-sharing) to look into one’s vocation discernment using the lens of the Augustinian Recollects. There, he says, one finds a different perspective of vocation, not only for oneself but for the Church as well.

Br. Pat Dexter Abucejo, a neophyte, shares that the OAR community life keeps him to be in the seminary in contrast with his experience outside.

The day proceeds with a friendly tournament of sports in basketball, football, and volleyball, then the coronilla and the holy hour for vocations followed.

The first day ends with a fraternal bonding hosted by Br. Jesse Meer Alipes and Fray Arnold John Lozada, OAR. They facilitate getting-to-know-each-other games in which the brothers participated happily.