WHERE IS THE FOLLOWING OF CHRIST?

MA. JENNIFER S. DE VERA

Last May,2017, our Administrative Assistant asked me to log a memo (I was incharge of logging and disseminating memos) with a subject Value-based Leadership Seminar. I wished I would be able to participate in the said training because topics seemed helpful to everyone. I was sure it would be a big help to me to grow. However, the seminar was only for school heads. It was just a wish in my heart and never expected that it will become a reality. Fortunately, our Officer-In-Charge of the Office of the Assistant Schools Division Superintendent, Madam Rowena T. Quiambao (Ma’am Weng), asked me to assist the School Governance and Operations Division (SGOD) in monitoring the attendance of the participants in the first wave of the said training. With a joy in my heart I served as training monitor for three days. Truly, I learned greatly, that I reminded myself to preserve the good values within me. Ma’am Weng stressed that if one knows his values you will not find it hard to make decisions in always choosing what is right as time and situations call for it.

This September 12, 2017, another Value-Based Leadership Seminar was organized, this time by the Pampanga Association of Secondary School Head Teachers as part of the leadership program for the members. They invited the most reliable speaker in terms of Values, according to Ma’am Weng, Sir George Jose Ma. C. Guilas. Sir George entitled his topic, “Understanding the Objective World of Values as the Foundation of Genuine Leadership”. He shared lots of reflecting stories experienced by him that enlightened as to our mission as teachers, head teachers, future school heads and children of God. Happiness, according to him, will not be realized by money, material things and position, instead it is in good relationships established with family, friends and community founded with love, humility, compassion and solidarity. I agreed with him deeply. I am who I am and where I am now it is because of relationships and not of anything else and I am very much happy.

Sir George narrated also what Cardinal Tagle shared to them one their sessions with him. Cardinal was just a priest that time and had a speakership engagement in Baguio. Untimely, his relative died. He had to go to the funeral and say holy mass in Manila. In going to Manila, there were two buses, ordinary and air conditioned bus. He opted to ride the air conditioned one. He was able to do what he had to do for his relatives and went back to Baguio. When his spiritual director evaluated what he did in going to Manila, Cardinal was asked why he chose the air conditioned bus, he replied, because the difference in the fare is only twenty pesos. The director asked, will it affect seriously if he took the ordinary bus, Cardinal answered again, the difference is only twenty pesos. The director then asked, where is the following of Christ? Where is the following of Christ?

When I started teaching, I prayed that my students may feel the love of Jesus through me. This was because when I was still a student I realized that many of our classmates who had problems with attitude and academics had stories (some traumatic, some experiences that were hard to accept), which were the reasons of their problems. So I kept all these in my heart. When I became I teacher I tried my best to know their stories and helped them process their experiences and with God’s help I was able to help them healed. I believed that this happened because I shared the love of Jesus with them. This is the principle I live until now, as a Head Teacher and as a school leader. I am trying to understand the uniqueness of my fellow workers to serve better with them and to maintain harmonious relationship. All of these, I know, will be done through the help of our God. My constant prayer is “Lord, may I walk in this life following Your steps. May others, especially my students, and coworkers, feel Your love through me.”

When Ma’am Weng asked us to write our reflections on what Sir George shared in the seminar, I was not able to resist my spirit to share this reflection and after my sharing Ma’am Weng sang; “Isabuhay si Kristo, magmahal, maglingkod, magpalaya. Bigyang buhay ang adhikain. Makatao, Makabayan, MakaDiyos.” Repeatedly, we were reminded live our vocation in Christ’s persona.

Happiness in our profession, which is considered a mission, will be realized if we follow our Great Teacher, Jesus Christ. I believe also in what Sir George stressed in his talk, something good will happen. Something good will always happen in God’s perfect time. Glory to God!

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The author is the School Head of Malauli High School in Masantol, Pampanga