Chris Ivan Lagarde

Rogationist Pedagogy
Fr. Viktor Emmanuel Aurellana, RCJ
3/5/010

I learned that…

Our life as human person has full of experiences. Each one of us for sure has its own

experience of the happiest and sadness moment in life. However like any other people my life is

composed of different kind of experience from the happiest to the most sadness. If I’m going to

write all those experiences that I have perhaps one day is not enough to recall and write it one

by one. Often time’s common people are always saying that life is a journey. And for me

however it’s very true. As long as we live in this world our task is to journey and search for the

meaning of it. I can’t imagine from 1989 to 2010, 20 years have gone so fast. I didn’t notice the

time I’m 20 years old already. It’s just like you sleep one night then when you woke up your

already 20 years old in the world. But this is the reality in man’s life. Time is so fast.

Of my 20 years of living in this world I came to asked myself, “where am I already?”

However with this question I found myself recalling my past experiences. Recalling the past I

found myself very different already. I grown up already I said to myself. Yes I know I grown up

physically and I see it as face the mirror. But the question hanging for myself is that did I mature

mentally after 20 years.

I’m in the seminary for almost four years and I have lot experiences of happiness and

sadness. I find seminary as my second home. However like in the family we are all brothers.
There are also parents but not our biological parents. Seminary is a place for those who desire

for the religious life and it is a formation house.

It is very different from the house where I grown up. But when I was already inside the

formation house I asked myself again, “where did I first form?” Then I realized that I was

formed by the Lord before my family. However it was my family who formed well from the

moment I learn to speak, walk, and study. I can consider our home as the first formation house

in my life before the seminary. In our home my parents are my first formators. They were the

first one who thought me of good manner and right conduct.

I remember my childhood days with my beloved parents they keep always reminding

me that whenever I ask for favor or talk to a person older than me I should always use the word

“po and opo” as sign of respect. Even at this time I still carry this attitude. How nice to have a

parents like them. I’m so thankful to the Lord. Indeed it’s a great help for me. However I say to

myself that if would be become a parent someday I would also teach the things that they

thought to me when I was a kid. My parents were first educator.

Moreover of fifteen years of schooling from kinder to elementary, and from high school

to college I encountered different kinds of teacher with different style of teaching. I can’t even

remember or recall some of their names because it’s been a long time already. However each

of them became significant in my life because each of them have its own contribution in my

educational journey.

I can’t count the times I was scolded by my teacher because of being naughty in class.

Every time I remember those moments that I was scolded by my teacher because of
naughtiness it reminds me of my previous mistakes. But that moment became so significant to

me for it is a help for me to realize my own mistake.

My father constantly reminding me that should not be a “pasaway” and be a good boy

with others and don’t repeat the same mistake that I’ve committed. This constant reminder by

my father became so significant for me.

I love reading books, magazines and news paper. But before I found my fashion in

reading I have an experience of having an irritation in reading. I remember the time my father

told me that I should love reading books because it’s a nice hobby and it enhance your skill in

reading and pronouncing words than to play along the street together with other children.

When I was in elementary I use to watch cartoon every time I arrive from school.

However my father noticed that it became my hobby and I seldom open my books.

What my father did is that he keeps the television inside their room so I can’t watch my favorite

cartoon series. What I did too is that in order to watch my favorite cartoon series is I go to the

house of my classmate to watch before I go home. My father gets irritated to me and he

scolded me. From that time my father told me that before five in the afternoon I should be at

home and instead of watching television I should read book and I cannot go out of the house

until he has not given me permission. It was the rule of my father in our home. As his son my

obligation is to obey. I feel angry and I almost cry at that time because I will miss a lot of

episodes of my favorite cartoon series.

Every time I arrived from school my father is giving me something to be read like

magazine and news paper. I still remember the magazine that he gave to me and it is entitled
“Philippine Journal”, it’s a burden for me to read that magazine. In fact it was the first magazine

I’ve finish to read from cover to cover. My mother then was a loyal subscriber of that magazine

and almost every month we had a new edition. I have no other choice but to read magazine.

That magazine contains different stories about Filipino values. My father thought to abstain

from watching television specially from watching cartoon series. However as grow up it became

my hobby until I step on high school. I remember my friends in high school they get irritated to

me because every time we enter the library I used read news paper brows magazines.

Even her in the seminary I brought that hobby. Our Bro. assistant used to put the news

paper on the Salas at second floor. Every time I passed along the Salas I can’t control myself to

read news paper. Often times it consumes my siesta in reading. However I realized that my

father is correct because I have seen the result from me. This learning from my father is really a

treasure that I will keep wherever I go. I can really say to myself that it was a big development

in that helps me a lot.

In the seminary like the stories of other seminarians a also experienced being scolded by

priest and my Bro. assistant. On the first time that I was scolded is when I was just a freshman. I

almost want to go out of the seminary. Because at home I was not used to be scolded by my

parents. In our home I’m not really cleaning the C.R. it’s always our maid. However, I was

forced how to clean C.R. On my first time I feel itchy in touching the water inside the toilet bowl

because it’s dirty. That time I skip to clean the toilet bowls. I thought it will not be noticed by

my Bro. assistant. But it was still seen by Bro. I’m scolded and he demonstrates to me the

proper way of cleaning. Actually I really feel anxious that time but I can do nothing because it’s
my fault. That experience is a lesson. Now every time I saw the toilet Bow not clean I always

remember the time I was scolded by Bro.

Indeed mistake is good teacher. In our life our mistakes will teach us how to correct it. It

helps to develop our failure in life. However as I continue my journey here in the seminary I

realized that I always learned from my mistakes. It is in my mistakes were I realized my failures

in life. That’s why whenever I am scolded I never get anxious again because I now that it will

lead me to the proper way. Fear not to commit mistakes because it would take us to the right

path. We should always remember that failures and mistakes in life are great teachers.

However, after all those experiences of mine that happened in my life struggle

continues still in my journey. It doesn’t mean that after all those experiences I’m free already

from the challenges of life. As long as we live in this world challenges are always part of man’s

life. Thus we live in the world where almost everywhere and everyday there is a new challenge

waiting for us. In my four years of my stay here in the seminary there were lots of problems

that I have encountered that really change my personality. If I am going to look at myself today

I am already very different compared before, I have gone so far already. Many people are

saying particularly my batch mates in high school that I am not the Ivan they know before.

Indeed I can really say that my four years stay here in the seminary helps me to change. It is in

the seminary where encountered different kinds of problems and I really struggle. I cannot

deny the fact to myself that because of that problem that I had encounter in the seminary really

helps me a lot. In every challenge I learned how to be courageous and stand up on my own

feet.
 Moreover, each one of us experienced already problems in life. It is the reality that

cannot deny by each one of us. It is the facticity of life. No person is living in this world without

a problem. Every time a person had a problem he feels not comfortable because there is this

thing bothering his or her mind. However, going back to my experiences, most of the problem

that I had encounter are more on discipline. Because of so many problems that come to my life

I learned how to discipline my very own self.

Discipline is one of the most important factors that should learn by every person.

Without disciple to yourself it is difficult to change your personality. I learned discipline by

accepting and facing those challenges that comes into my life. One thing I want to impart is that

whenever we experienced big waves try not to lose hope. We must learn how to swim and

save our self. Because if we let heavy waves fall on us we are easily carried out by it. Try not to

lose hope; we must learn how to accept our own weaknesses as a person. If we want to be

formed well we must learn how to listen and follow.

As human person we need someone that could help us as we continue our journey in

this world. We cannot do everything by ourselves. We always need someone to help us that will

make us true person. Moreover, I’ve been studying since I was seven six years old up to this

time. Now, I realized I cannot rich this level if I didn’t struggle. My times already I fell down but I

need to stand up and continue my journey because if I will not strive many people will be

disappointed particularly my family. If I am going to look at the result today it really bare fruits.

I also realized that while you are getting old in this world problems are becoming more much
challenging. Truly one of our purposes in this world is to learn many things. We are born to

learn.

In the world there were lots of challenges that we need to face. But even though there

lots of challenges life must go on still. Don’t stop because it’s part of our journey. We should

always remember that challenges are meant for us in order for us to learn about the true

meaning of life. I had read the book of Og Mandino entitled “ The Twelfth Angel” in this novel

one of the lesson I learned is that no matter how difficult problems come into our life we need

to be courageous and just remember the eight powerful words which says, “never, never,

never, never, never, never, never give up”. I always remember these eight powerful words. I

was really inspired by this novel because it thought me how to be courageous in facing the

challenges of life.

In my life I always believed that a good person is the one who knows how to listen and

learn. Each of us has a goal in life that we want to attain someday. In this way I always put in my

mind that if I need to risk just to attain that goal then I will risk if that is the way. Because what

you are doing is also for the good of yourself. We should always learn how to helps ourselves

because we are the one to benefit on that someday. As long as we live in this world we should

not stop in learning. Leaning is one of the most essential parts in the development of the

personality of the person. Learning from our mistakes is great factor. If we want to learn we

need patience. If you don’t have patience with you it is really difficult to learn. If were really

willing to learn something we should always put in our mind that no matter how difficult it is
we should always take the risk in learning. If there is need to sacrifice then do it for the good of

yourself.

Moreover, if we are really willing to learn no matter how difficult it is we should always

take the risk. There are no such things easy in this world, all are difficult. All of the things in this

world before we learn a thing are difficult. Indeed life if full of difficulty. One of the most

concrete examples of a good learner is a child who starts learning to walk. Because whenever a

child starts learning to walk many times he or she experienced to fall down. There are

tendencies even that a child gets hurt and got wounds in different parts of the body. But later

on as he or she continue to practiced walking little by little he or she learning already. I

remember when I was kid when I was just studying how to ride and drive a bicycle it really took

time before I learned how to balance my body. At the start it is really very difficult for me

because first and foremost my legs is short and I can’t even rich the pedal. How difficult it is

really. I already said to myself that I am quitting already because I got already many wounds on

my toe. That moment every time I saw my cousin riding on a bike I really feel envy with them.

Because of that I force myself to learn. Then after a week I am so happy because at last I

learned. If didn’t try to learn perhaps until now I don’t know really how to ride on a bicycle. In

this experience I realized that learning or mastering one thing really needs patience and time.

In every risk that I experienced it makes me realized my very own self.

Moreover, there were many ways in which we could learn and I think one of the best

is accepting our own mistake and facing the challenge of life. In accepting our own mistake

there were lots of chances we could recover again just doing lose hope because there is always
a second chance to redeem. Life is trial and error. Often times there were things that we tried

to do but there were also times that we failed to do it. At the start it is really difficult to master

a thing. But before you master a thing you should always keep on repeating it many times.

Because really if you keep on repeating it there is a tendency that your effort will bare good

fruit. However we should not be discouraged by your own mistake. Because it is on your own

mistake were you fully develop your whole personality. Lastly realized that because of my

failures in the past I was able to correct my mistakes in life. As I continue my journey in this

world I realized that I should not stop in learning and I will not close my door to the challenges

of life that possible to come. If that challenge will help me then I will face it.