Diary Of A Hermit: Intimacy With GOD

Day 6 Fishing as a sign of unity

26 Jun 2016 5:50 am
I slept very little. In the middle of the night, the dogs were howling everywhere, in fact for the whole night. More than that, I heard near our door of something like being sharpened with stone. I just laid still and was observing the surrounding.

I got up early, awoken Kenneth and we went to the chapel for the Holy Rosary. It was still 5:00am. The rest of the Hermitines were already there praying. We had the lauds after.

I helped in the kitchen preparing breakfast. I made the fire and cooked the rice. The firewood were a bit misty so that it was so difficult to make fire. But I enjoyed the kitchen work, just like when we were young.

I washed my dirty clothes after, cleaned my bathroom and toilet and stock some water for the rest of the day. We then had our breakfast.

We went for fishing after breakfast, hoping to get something for lunch. Of course there was something prepared, but we agreed that for lunch, it should be from our catch of the day. I got few tilapias and other small fish, the same with the others. The children of the watchers of the pond also gave us some bangus (milk fish), and we rejoiced. I love the experience, it was some kind of my personal expression of unity with the fishermen and the poor, who are relying every meal from their hard work.

26 Jun 2016 3:48:51 PM
We had nice lunch, the fruits of our fishing. I was a bit tired, I guess of too much exposure to the sun. I feel my head was heavy and body tired, though I was doing very little. I had a good siesta after.

When I got up, I went straight to the chapel for my personal reflection, journal and personal reading. I tried to read books from my iPad, but I find it unnecessary as of this time. I closed everything and just reflected on the gospel for the mass.

Our mass this afternoon was in a form of sharing again. I love listening their reflections, and today, reflected about pride. They are silent most often, always praying, and they still struggle about pride. How much more of me. I shared about my life in Manila, my work and responsibilities and how I look at them by now. Truly, being a superior and administrator does not bring me any glory but sacrifices and patience and tears and pains sometimes. But I always put everything in silence. Silence is my medicine as I offer everything to God.

When we came out, after the mass, Sr. Angie told me: "Father, ayaw jud ug gawas sa congregation." She was like begging me not to go out from the congregation. But I told her I won't, my life is still very much needed in the mission. There, life is busy, but I also have more time to pray and be with myself.

We had packed a lot of soap last night. Tomorrow, June 28, the buyer will come and collect 2000 ready for distribution.

It was almost 10:00pm, I told them that I will go ahead. I read first few pages of the book from my iPad, when I heard footsteps closer to the door. It was so dark. I thought it was Kenneth, but he arrived late. It was another sign of the presence of a strange being. All of them have heard many things, footsteps, banging, images and many more. Since we are in the forest, under big trees, it is possible. It is very dark too in the night.