Augustinian Novitiate and Prayer House it is.

To look for an entity or representative that bears Augustinian Spirituality is quite interesting. It is also a personal challenge since we have to apply Augustinian Spirituality in a Filipino context. However, it wouldnt bear much difference since requisites of Augustinian Spirituality are somehow embedded discretely on the values and cultures of Filipino communities. One Filipino value that I consider similar to Augustinian spirituality is to in communion with the family. Filipinos have strong family bonds. This only proves that communication and living together under one house is alike to the Rule of St. Augustine. Filipinos are fond of having extended families. Grandchildren and great grandchildren are staying in just one compound. Upon thinking and researching on this project I realized that I have to go the other way around because it would be much easier to interpret and explain since the people Im looking for are just at our own backyards. Im referring to the Filipino Augustinians especially in our province. Maybe the best persons to represent the bearers of Augustinian spirituality are the formators in the Augustinian Novitiate and Prayer House. I may be generalizing hastily but of all communities that Ive visited and stayed they carry in them the requisites of a true Augustinian family. If Im going to follow the concepts we have tackled in our Spirituality class I think they deserve such recognition that they indeed carry the true Augustinian spirit. Allow me cite some of my reflections and experiences with this community. Based on Rules

for Community Dialogue exercise, they seem to have practiced what has been written in this article. On identity and difference, the formators in the novitiate do really have a sense of understanding and accepting each others identity and differences. To mention Fr. Boy, he is an aging friar and the oldest in community but he doesnt abuse it since he knows his position in the community. When he was about celebrate his 50th anniversary as priest he asked Fr. Donutz to decide on how many guests to come since he is the prior. If ever, Fr. Chong, who is a former prior-provincial, wants to go out from the novitiate he firsts inform the prior. If ever Fr. Doming notices something inappropriate inside the house he doesnt make any personal announcement especially if it is concerning us as a sign of respecting the authority he first shares his comment to Fr. Donutz and then Fr. Donutz makes the announcement. This community may not be perfect as we think but as they lived their lives as brothers in Christ, their spirit and strong desire is really toward God and towards perfection. In general so to speak, they are at most happy of their chosen vocation. Conflicts are there yet through time and communication agreement and healing are met. Their manner of relating to one another is obvious since we see them most of the time during common acts. Like for example during meals, each of them really shares each others thoughts. We can even count the times that the table is really quite. They really share their stories. Even their laughter is louder than ours. In terms of dialogue, I can feel in them that their sense of faith and life are bounded and supported by each others comfort and sensitivity. Being a part of that community for just a year is very precious. Personally, in that community I felt the true meaning of community life. I also saw in them the true figures of a father. I couldnt forget the words he imparted to us I behalf of other friars at the start of our novitiate journey, he said, We are not only here as your formators but we are also your cojourneyers in your search for meaning in the religious life. However, my reflections on this paper are just base from my personal experience and is only limited to it. Thus, I dont have any idea on whats going in their community meetings but one thing is for sure they are a team. They are working on things out for the very best of the community.