Reflection Paper 3
By: Leader Belina S. Katigbak
What is your passion (what is it that you love doing)? How is it reflected in your work, daily life, and life's journey?
When I was in grade school, I had a great passion for writing. I was the class secretary year after year. I loved to write on the blackboard and pretended that I was the teacher. When I was in high school, our then parish priest asked me to be his secretary during summer breaks. One summer, back from his vacation in the United States, my parish priest who was at the same time parochial school director, was impressed with the diary of events that I did while he was away. He read my documentation of what transpired and said something like I was a good steward. I realized that this was the beginning of my love for journaling.
I love to do a good number of things, small ones as well as big ones. Early on, I realized that I have the gift of transforming a plain look into a beauteous one. I love to clean, put order, and re-arrange our house, making sure that it looks good no matter how small it was then. I also love to decorate, do cut-outs to add beauty to something. I have a passion to make do of scraps. For example when I was in high school, when mini-skirt fashion was "in", I would transform unused portion of a clothing material into a mini-skirt. I love sewing, too. I enrolled in sewing classes in the 80's. During the first year of my marriage, my husband bought me the most expensive Singer sewing machine so that I could pursue my hobby. That was the "passionate domesticated" young Belle.
When I was in college, I used to ask my mother to sit on a chair, run a comb through her hair, "tiss" it, and apply spray net, and lo and behold, the plain looking housewife would look different after. When I was about to graduate, I promised my mother that I would have her hair done at the parlor every day of her life. To her great delight, I personally provided parlor services to her. Until now, I am mother's beautician. I cut her hair. I find time to render pedicure and manicure services for her and my father as well. When my elder brother suffered from severe depression, I sometimes wiped his body with wet towel and soap, changed his clothes, cut his hair, and thereafter did pedicure and manicure services to him, too. How I did these loving touches is amazing! I did not have a formal schooling about the trade, but I inherited my father's barber instinct. That was the "passionate beautician" Belle.
Basically I love rendering SERVICES. I feel very passionate about my chores, and I derive a great sense of fulfillment when I have contributed to a change or transformation. MY PASSION TO SERVE would manifest in a deeper way later in life. It was displayed in my work life, daily life, and life's journey.
Work Life
All my little passions took the backstage when I started my great career in San Miguel Corporation (SMC). My work as a budget and financial analyst became my new passion. I fondly recall how my husband patiently waited for me on the sofa of the receiving area of the office where he usually fell asleep while waiting for me. There were not a few times when I worked overnight to catch up on the deadline of SMC head office. Oblivious of time, my energy was well used with analytical work, computing ratios, analyzing variances, and doing management presentation materials. I just loved my work, and because I did enjoy what I was doing, I always accomplished my objectives with ease. In whatever field of endeavor I was assigned, I did my best.
Passion for writing, facilitating, teaching, and mentoring was developed in SMC. I documented the Procedures and Work Instructions Manual of Finance Dept. of San Fernando Brewery when our company applied for the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). On the other hand, whenever I attended seminars, I listened passionately to the speaker, thoughts running in my mind and imagining myself as if I were the speaker I would plan on how well I could personally handle the echo-seminar/training. Back to the office, I used to impart what I have learned. When opportune time came, oh, how I loved to take the chalk and eraser, write on the blackboard, use pentel pens and flip charts to convey my thoughts. This was long before the LCDs and whiteboard were invented.
Teaching or mentoring is one of life's inventions to transform a person. It doesn't transform only the student, but the teacher or mentor as well. One very fulfilling part of my work life is the opportunity to have taught Theology in a college during its beginnings in the past decade. I was so passionate with the craft that the students found great interest in the subject cum witnessing via small caring groups.
My work with my friend in the accounting firm is marked by passion for innovation and continuous learning. Doing systems review for clients, providing consulting services, developing training programs and conducting them myself, very well reveal what I am very passionate about. The training programs that I designed were accredited by the Professional Regulations Commission and were assigned points by this regulatory body that requires credit points for Continuous Professional Education (CPE) before practicing professionals can renew their license. I am fulfilled in having contributed this much for the development of my profession.
Designing working papers and imparting this knowledge was extended to a pro-bono consulting work for the Diocese of San Jose in Nueva Ecija and the national clergy institution in Tagaytay. I was very happy traveling hundreds of kilometers just to be able to train church workers in improving their accounting system.
Daily Life
My typical day starts with morning prayers. Being passionately in love with conversations with God, the inspiration that I got from His Word would bring me to greater work accomplishment throughout the day. When interviewed about prayer, Mother Teresa of Calcutta said, "We try to pray through our work by doing it with Jesus, for Jesus, to Jesus. ... We have picked up from the streets of Calcutta 54,000 people, and 23,000 ... I have an opportunity to be with Jesus 24 hours a day."[1] As if Mother Teresa were telling me to make daily chores no matter how menial they are, to be forms and acts of PRAYING. Usually, except for few exceptions, my morning prayers bring me to daily attendance of the celebration of the Holy Eucharist. This nourishes my spiritual life and keeps my energy going throughout the day. I think my passions are all grounded on my prayer life. A day without prayer is just like what Socrates said, "The unexamined life is not worth living"[2]. For to pray is to examine oneself, to connect to the Source of Life, Who guides us, and gives meaning to everything that we, no matter how small or insignificant these acts are. I have learned that praying is more of listening to what God is communicating. And when God, Who is Love speaks to my heart, He inspires me to do my craft in the most passionate way.
When my children were growing up as toddlers, I role-modeled SERVICE TO THE POOR by leading them to works of charity. I exposed them to the plight of the less fortunate. After Mt. Pinatubo's eruption, in one of my birthdays, I brought my children to the highways to provide food for those displaced by lahar. I taught my children how to be compassionate to beggars, and to those who have less in life. I remember in 1996, on Joseph's (my youngest son) 7th birthday, I asked his feelings over spending his birthday with orphans, but warned him that he won't receive any gifts from them. At first he asked, "Ay baket (Oh, why)?" I explained to him that anyway during the past 6 years of annual celebration, he got all the gifts that he wanted, and that it is now his turn to share. He agreed. During the birthday party, the orphans performed a heart-rending thanksgiving song to my Joseph. On our way home, I cannot imagine my 7 year old boy tell me with glow in his eyes, "Mommy, this is the happiest birthday I've ever had!"
My family members and I are affecting one another in our passion TO SERVE. This is not to emphasize that I have a brother and sister in religious congregations, and siblings who are serving the church. My husband as well is my partner in this journey. Today, I see my children passionate in serving others, too. It is with tears and joy that I recall years back when I came to know that my sons were often feeding an insane woman who used to pass by our street in Mexico.
Life's Journey
1995 marked a deeper involvement in parish work. Obeying the counsel of my new parish priest, that is, to write in my journal or diary every single day, brought to a spark my passion for writing reflections. I love to scribble my grateful thoughts to God at the end of the day. Journaling has been part of my daily routine for the past 20 years. This passion for chronicling was enhanced even more when I volunteered in the Archdiocesan Pastoral Secretariat. I took minutes of clergy meetings. I collated historical records and arranged the files for reference. I documented pastoral planning and evaluation and came up with the Second Archdiocesan Integrated Pastoral Plan Evaluation.
To continue with my passion on facilitating and writing, in 2012, I enrolled in the Power Preaching course conducted by Creative House, Inc. and facilitated by Arun Gogna, Bo Sanchez' s preaching partner. It was a three-month session held at Forbes, Makati from 7:00 pm to 10:00 p.m. I didn't mind travelling from Pampanga just to get at Makati and then went home by midnight. Nothing really would hinder my passion for preaching! My first project with Arun is to have developed a talk. It was then Holy Week and I was asked to deliver in our parish one of the Seven Last Words of Jesus on Good Friday. The Word assigned to me was, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"[3] Because of the series of sessions on Power Preaching, I delivered a very "powerful" piece as reflected on my very own life story. Church goers that I met thereafter said that I made them cry.
My passion for preaching brought me to a greater aspiration. Right after the Power Preach course, I enrolled in a Catholic Religious Studies course offered by the Archdiocesan Lay Formation Institute (ALFI) to enhance my preaching endeavor. I went to my classes from 8:00 in the morning till 6:00 in the evening every Saturday for one year. Theology subjects taught by Bible Scholars enhanced my knowledge about our Catholic Faith. Morality subjects deepened my passion on living a good life of witnessing. Social Teachings of the Church aroused even more my interest on Social Responsibility. At the end of the course, I was asked to deliver the Valedictory address. While preparing for my speech, on the day before my graduation on May 24, 2013, I was summoned by the Archdiocese of San Fernando and appointed Vice-President for Finance at the University of the Assumption.
As the newly appointed VPF, my passion for excellence and continuous learning brought me to AGSB MBA.
CONCLUSION:
- What is the new learning?
One specific new thing learned in this topic on Passion is contained in Steve Jobs' commencement speech. He said, "You've got to find what you love…the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work and the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking and don't settle. As in matters of the heart, you know when you've found it. And just in any relationship, it gets better and better."
I also learned about the passion of Jesuits in the likes of Goes, Ricci, and Clavius. Because they loved what they were doing, they were able to surmount hardships. They faced the challenges with fervor in their heart, with their eyes focused on the end goal, which is their mission. Whether they seemingly "failed" like Goes, or succeeded like Ricci and Clavius, it is love that matters.
As I reflect on the little and big things that I've enjoyed doing, I came to a happy conclusion that I have found my LOVE IN SERVICE. That is why, I have engaged in the different facets of service in the church by facilitating, writing, teaching, mentoring, and the likes. I realized that SERVING WITH LOVE HAVE TRANSFORMED MY LITTLE WORLD!
2. What is the relation to what I already know?
What I already know about passion was complemented by the reading and multi-media materials provided in the Leadership course. I have found the integration of all that I've done in my work, daily life, and life's journey. With what I am passionate about, I am getting a bit closer to realizing what St. Irenaeus taught, that "the glory of God is man fully alive" (D'Ambrosio, unknown). For out of God's great love for man, He fashioned him in His image and likeness. This is our dignity. For me, to be passionate over one's purpose in life will make man fully alive. No amount of wealth, fame, and honor will ever fulfill man if these are not used for the glory of God. And this is to glorify God – to use all means to fulfill our purpose – to be passionate, and to be in love with everything that we do. Nothing is too difficult if done with passion. Even the failures and trials that I went through in life brought out the best in me because I found their meaning.
3. What have I done, am doing, will be doing for this topic?
I have done a good number of things that manifest my passion, and yet this is only a meager contribution to what the world needs now. What can I do to our world that is hungry…morally, and spiritually? Our world needs love, LOVE in its truest sense. In participating in the mission of evangelization in the church, I will strive to be a true witness to the Gospel values so that I can affect others with love, and in the end influence them to serve their fellowmen, too.
As a wife, I will continue my faithful loving service to my husband, a stroke survivor. As a mother, I will continue loving my children no matter what. I will be a role-model to my daughter-in-law. As a daughter to my parents who are nearing their centenary birthdays, I will continue serving them with love.
As Vice-President for Finance, I am sowing love even in small ways. I start first within myself (inspired by the song, The Greatest Love of All), then to my family, then to my extended family – the Finance Family of UA. I usually greet every one of my Finance Family with a kiss, and I have done this small act of love almost every single day as a morning starter in the office. I will infect and affect them with my passion. I used to be the first to arrive in the office, and the last to go, but after a while, I lost that rank. Somehow I have inspired my staff with my passion. The one dreaded thing that they are asked to do is to do letters, or minutes of meetings, but slowly I have influenced a few to cross the border. I will continue doing what I have started and empower my people by sending them to trainings as well.
I will continue doing financial studies for making Catholic education accessible by the poor. This way, I can contribute to making relevant the vision of the University of the Assumption to be the leading formator of globally competent, morally upright, and socially responsible Catholic leaders.
I have talked with the University of the Assumption Central Student Council (UACSC) officers and offered them a leadership seminar with me as the facilitator. I will journey with them in their aspirations and inspire them in their mission for poor students.
Finally, I will keep my eyes fixed on the end goal, and nothing will hinder me from intensifying this passion to serve with love, by which I know will bring forth transformation. I have learned that transformation could happen every single moment of my life. When I have shared with love the 3 T's (Time, Talent, and Treasure) that God gave me according to His purpose for me, I was transformed into a better person. I will be guided by St. Ignatius' "Man is created to praise, reverence, and serve God, our Lord, and by this means to save his soul. And the other things on the face of the earth are created for man and that they may help him in prosecuting the end for which he is created." (Fr. Elder Mulan, 1914).
With my grateful appreciation to you, Prof. for helping me draw out my passion.
Leader Belle S. Katigbak 4
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
D'Ambrosio, D. M. (unknown, unknown unknown). google. Retrieved July 29, 2015, from http://www.crossroadsinitiative.com/library_article/149/Man_Fully_Alive_is_the_Glory_of_God___St._Irenaeus.html
Fr. Elder Mulan, S. (1914). The Principle and Foundation. In S. Fr. Elder Mulan, The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola (p. 19). New York: P.J.Kennedy and Sons.
[1] http://www.servelec.net/mothertheresa.html
[2] http://www.consciousearth.us/socrates-unexamined-life.html
[3] Matthew 27:46
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