The OMI Novitiate program is a year of intense prayer, study, work and contemplation. Every OMI has to go through the novitiate year before reaching the scholasticate in Manila where they will undergo the training for theology before priesthood or brotherhood. One of the exciting activities in the Novitiate year is the Bible Apostolate. It is a weekend apostolate to different indigenous people areas such as Badak, Kusiong, Tapian, Nabilan, Pindaag, and Tambanan in Maguindanao. These are Teduray communities who accepted the Catholic faith and have built their chapels in the area.
The 9 OMI novices, namely; Bro. Jan Philip Cadungog, Bro. Illuminado Flauta V, Bro. Mon-Gi Park (Peter), Bro. Kelly Mark Socias, Bro. Vince Dignadice, Bro. Won Hyo Heo (Paul), Bro. Giovanni Paolo Donguines, Bro. Ariel Villaflor and Bro. Sung Ho Kim (Sabino) are formed into three groups assigned to different areas. From November to February, every Saturday, around 7:00-8:00 in the morning, they would ready themselves to go to their respective assigned areas. Some of them would take a “Habal-Habal” or motorcycle, “payong-payong,” while others simply have their feet to travel going to the area.
Living in other homes and families is not easy especially when the welcoming family has only enough to offer. This is the situation in the area. The brothers have to live in the means of the family. As the novices are well aware of the situation of the families that welcome them, they also bring with them some goods to share during meals. They bring with them noodles, sardines and other goods for their viand knowing that they have to stay for a night and a day.
Sometimes, a special native chicken is being cooked for them as a special treat for their presence. But whatever is being prepared during meals, the brothers are very happy to join the family. In that way, they experience how Jesus lived with His people, showing them love and care, and in this case, through a simple meal. With the simple homes built by simple nipa huts, the brothers have to sleep where the family sleep.
Definitely, life in the areas is different. The comfort in the seminary is not the same. But what is more interesting in this experience is that, often, the family will bring out their best kept pillows, blankets and mosquito nets to be used by their important visitors, the brothers. The brothers are most likely mesmerized and amazed by their generosity, care and hospitality. On the following day, the brothers will then prepare for a bible service. Since there is no priest to celebrate the Eucharist, the brothers stand as the presider of the bible service together with the chapel lay minister or “kaabag.”
Before, only bible service is being celebrated. Recently, Fr. Peter Sotomil, OMI, the parish priest of San Borromeo Parish in Broce encouraged the brothers to give a regular session about the bible. In that activity, the brothers are giving inputs and facilitates the sharing of the participants. Basically, the main objective of the activity is to promote better understanding of the scripture among the Tedurays.
One particular experience of the OMI novices is with a family in Badak. One sunny Sunday morning, a family arrived in the chapel in Badak. The family walked for almost an hour going to the chapel. And so the brothers asked the parents, “You walked for an hour going here to attend the Sunday Bible Service and the road is slippery and full of mud. Were you not tired of doing this every Sunday?” And the mother answered, “Diba ganun man talaga Brother? Dapat unahin ang Diyos kaysa trabaho.” (Isn’t this the right thing, brother? God must be placed first before work.) The brothers were amazed by the response. For them, it was a faith-revealing response that gets to their bones.
After a couple of hours of community apostolate, around 2:00 in the afternoon, the brothers then return to the Novitiate for their dinner and night prayer. There, they will reminisce their wonderful experiences in the area among the simple yet wonderful people, the Tedurays. Every weekend is never the same, both for the brothers and the people in the areas.
The weekends are moments of generosity and kindness, of great joy and blessing as God becomes the center of their encounter.
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