Had an early start again. Woke up at 5:00 am and prepared to meet my friends at my HS. Took the LRT to Recto. Manila is sooo polluted. My throat itched when I was in Recto.
I caught the start of the Lauds and felt overwhelmed just by the serenity of the place. The mass was very simple and at the same time profound. How could these monks do that?
My HS classmate, Fr. Basil invited me for breakfast in the monastery. I met our former principal, who's now the abbot. He still remembered me. I also met another classmate, Fr. Rafaelito who was kind enough to lend me his camera.
Breakfast was simple. Sardines, spiced ham, sunny-side up eggs, rice, home made bread, cheese. I had two servings!!! It was good to catch up with friends while breaking bread.
Some other friends came and we chatted, mostly about basketball stuff. San Beda is the defending champion. We had 3 successive championships. After breakfast, Fr. Rafaelito was kind enough to give us some leftover bread.
He toured us around the monastery. It was like going to a museum. First stop was the prayer room. Next stop was the sacristy. He said it is probably the most beautiful sacristy in the country. Each of the priests has their own box with their own chalice. He showed us the liturgical vestments.
Then he gave a tour of the Roman garden, the cemetery and then we went to watch the practice of the basketball team. We even met an old rector of the school. He is 90+ years old. He told us three secrets to a long life:
- Do not smoke
- If you drink alcohol, drink in moderation and always within a meal
- Stay away from bad women
It was a wonderful visit. Refreshing spiritually. The serenity and calm and silence of the monastery provided some relief from the hectic life I have. Thank God for this opportunity.
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