Bro. Armel R.

Collantes, SMM

A Theological Reflection of My Pastoral Experience

This formation year, 2018, through our formator, Fr. Norwyn V. Baydo, SMM and the
Formation Team of our Delegation, I was given an opportunity to be involved in three areas of
ministry: parish, spiritual formation and Vocation Animation ministry. Of the three areas of
ministry, I can recall one particular experience that I have had last November 4, 2018. As part of
my spiritual formation ministry in our parish in Santa Teresita,West Rembo, Makati, the parish
priest, Fr. Richard Magararu, SMM assigned me to give a short talk to the members and officers
of the Legion of Mary about the importance of praying for the faithful departed in lieu of All
Saints and All Souls Day. When Fr. Richard first approached me, I was actually preparing
myself for our visit to the BEC clusters in one of the areas of the parish. As he was telling me
already of the task, I was at first silent because I am nervous to speak to the people. Then as I
said yes to the invitation, I started to prepare myself. At that time I will be giving the talk to the
juniors of the Legion of Mary at 11:00 in the morning and 5:00 in the afternoon for the Seniors
of the Legion of Mary.
At 10:00 at that time, I was at the parish convent, getting ready for my sharing to them,
when one of the members of the Legion of Mary-Juniors have fetched me and accompanied me
to the conference hall at the third floor of the parish for the start of my sharing to them. When I
arrived at the venue, I was amazed to see young people from different areas of the parish who are
very active members of the Legion of Mary. I was amazed because before, I used to think that
the Legion of Mary is an organization of adults and mostly for the elder ones, coming from my
experience in our parish in Mandaue City, Cebu where I started to be molded as a devout
Catholic and devotee of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Their leader then introduced me to the whole assembly and they all smiling at me, and I
have felt how they were eager to know more and learn more about one part of their Legion of
Mary manual that I will be deepening. It is about the necessity of praying fro the dead especially
their loved ones and members of the Legion of Mary.
As I started to share to them what I have learned and my experiences, I looked at them
with sincere smile and I place myself speaking and relating to them heartily as one of them, not

Page 1 of 11
only as a Montfortian religious but one of them who is also a member of the Legion of Mary. It
is then that I have felt connected with them that I have freely shared to them. I shared to them
that our life here on earth is a pilgrim journey and all the things that we are doing especially our
being active in the life of the parish and our organization as members of the Legion of Mary does
not end here on earth. We are actually preparing ourselves to be ready to face the Lord and our
Blessed Mother one day in heaven. Just like in the Gospel, Jesus is challenging us and reminding
us to prepare ourselves by saving treasures in heaven by doing what is right and pleasing to God
here in our life on this earth. I am commending them of their good works and unwavering
support to the parish activities and their very fruitful collaborations in helping the parish bring
the parishioners more actively in the parish activities through their house and family visitations.
It is very fitting also, I told them, that as we start the month of November, we remember our dead
brothers and sisters, especially our family members who have fallen asleep and our members of
the Legion of Mary who in one way or another have inspired and touched our lives through their
good examples and how they live a virtuous life. We are remembering them by praying fro them
through the Holy Masses we offered to them and through our intentions as we pray our Rosary
daily. I also shared to them how important our prayers for the souls.
As I continue sharing, I noticed how they were listening attentively and others were
taking down notes of what I have shared to them. I feel how they have valued each opportunity
to be given sessions that deepens their faith through this Allucutio as they call it in their manual,
where they invite their spiritual director to share to them and let them understand what it means
their manual for them to be properly guided. And in the absence of their spiritual director, who
happens to be their parish priest and a Montfortian, they are also blessed because their spiritual
director assigned us brothers to alternately give those talks for them.
I also felt the same when in the afternoon; I shared also to the Seniors of the Legion of
Mary. They were also very attentive and enthusiastic to learn new things from the one who gave
them the sharing. I can even notice that there were some who are recording my short talk through
their cellular phones. What is very striking to me that time is that how these young people and
adults have really valued much the talks or inputs given to them by their priests and brothers of
Montfort Missionaries. They were even more attuned to study the writings of our founder, St,
Louis-Marie de Montfort, because aside from the fact that the founder of Legion of Mary,
Servant of God, Frank Duff, was inspired by St. Louis-Marie de Montfort’s True Devotion to

Page 2 of 11
Mary, these Legionaries strive more to deepen their love for our Lord Jesus through devotion to
Mary. They are always delightful to learn new things for them, it is God’s blessing that they are
learning and applying it in their daily lives. I am also thankful to Wisdom, our Lord Jesus for
using me as His instrument to bring to these yearning souls of His love to them through Our
Blessed Mother Mary. Through this, I have seen myself growing in the aspect of giving and
sharing my reflections, knowledge and faith-life experiences to all people especially those people
who are assigned to me.
I have allowed myself to see how that experience continues to shape me as an individual
person in a special way, that I have come to be expressive and generous by giving what I have
through sharing my knowledge and experience for the people of God, allowing myself to be used
by the Lord in bringing His message to the people. through that experience also, I learned to get
involved in the parish activities and to have that interest in the lives of the people coming and
going the church. I am more motivated to come out from my comfort zones and to be always
ready whenever I am called to share to people what I have learned from my experiences and my
studies and my living as a religious Montfortian. I slowly get the feel of loving to be with people
and greeting them. I developed the confidence I need to face the crowd as the youth of the
Legion of Mary would always say that we are all humans and equal in the eyes of the Lord.
There is no rich or poor in the parish, they all are welcome in the Church to pray and feel the
presence of the Lord. From this I have seen the changes together with my brother seminarians.
The enthusiasm and the youthful spirit of these vibrant and devoted parishioners of the Legion of
Mary were so infectious that we became comfortable with each other whenever we serve in the
Mass or any other tasks that the parish priest would give us. My community became closer as
we eat, laugh, and talk together. It made sometimes also our difficult situations in the zone areas
lighter as we go back to the parish every lunch time and at the last part of the afternoon from our
area ministries and conducting BEC cluster meetings. She would often be the bridge whenever
we have misunderstandings or arguments as she would readily know in us whenever we are not
working as one.
It is through that experience that I have come to realize that all the tings which we in our
Scholasticate Community have shared together as we learn and journey together, that in giving
sessions or sharing to the people even in our own ways, we always come together, supporting
one another. I am touched also how my brother scholastics joined me in support of my sharing to

Page 3 of 11
the Legion of Mary. Their presence made me more motivated. This is what also our founder St.
Louis-Marie de Montfort has inspired us, his followers and sons, to be always working together
as one community. Whenever I am given or assigned a task it has already a part of me to involve
my community members that it is not only my task but something that we as one scholasticate
community can do and it is extended to the bigger community, the people of God, and in this
particular experience, the Legion of Mary. Just like our Lord Jesus, in His time, he lead the
apostles on doing the preaching of the Kingdom of God, and Jesus have trained the apostles and
disciples to do what He is doing so that time will come that the apostles and disciples will be
ready to share to people too all that they have learned from Jesus. Our Lord Jesus leads the
community and they worked together.
As I continue reflecting on this experience, I have seen the similarities of my previous
experiences long time ago, when I was still a youth member in our parish in San Roque,
Subangdaku, Mandaue City. I used to be a youth leader of the parish before. As a youth leader of
the parish, I am used to organize the youth when it comes to giving them sessions on youth
involvement in the Church. As what our Church and especially the Church in the Philippines, as
stated in the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines, that the Youth must be given the highest
priority as they are the hope of the nation and of the Church. As I was giving the talk to the youth
of the Legion of Mary at Santa Teresita Parish, I was also in a way, remembering or reminiscing
my experiences many years ago at my hometown Cebu as a parish youth leader.
In giving talks or sharing about what I have learned and experienced in my Catholic
Faith, I feel comfortable about it. it is because I am happy to share what the Lord has taught me
so far, in all of my experiences ever since I became actively involved in pastoral work more
importantly on youth ministry. I always see how the youth are actually longing for the Word of
God. I am inspired of how our Lord Jesus had guided the people and how he had regarded the
children and the youth. In the Gospel of Matthew 9:36, it says, “When he saw the crowds, he had
compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”
This passage moved me also while I am giving or sharing to the youth what I have got from my
experiences and studies of the Word of God. I feel how they youth of today needs to be attended
to closely because if they are properly formed, they can be good and faithful people of God and
bring about the hope of the Church and to our nation.

Page 4 of 11
 Another passage of the gospel in Matthew 19:14, Jesus said, "Let the little children come
to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." For me,
guiding the youth and the little children is following the example of Jesus on loving them and
taking care of them. I felt how our Lord Jesus had compassion on the children and the youth and
more importantly how our Lord Jesus loved them too.
As I was giving the sharing to these youth of the Legion of Mary, I noticed how attentive
they were and how they listened very closely to me. I am moved with compassion and the more I
was very motivated to share to them more of what I have learned. I relate to them not only as a
religious brother but also as a fellow youth to them. I was also happy when after I had given my
talk to them, they had asked me more questions about how they can live more about being an
active youth as a Legion of Mary. It is one way a good point that they are really listening and
they are very interested and I hope also they will really become more and more committed to
their faith in the Lord through their active involvement in the parish.
Being with the Youth of the Legion of Mary, allowed me or enables me to think that the
youth of today are actually very yearning towards commitment to the Church in their own little
ways. It is to be expected that in giving or sharing to the youth, as a minister I must also prepare
well not only physical, intellectual but most of all, spiritually and pastorally. Another to consider
also is that the youth are vibrant and they are eager to listen and cooperate especially if as a
minister you have the attitude of gentleness, kindness and humility in relating to them. Imbibing
the spirit of our Lord Jesus who is gentle, meek and humble of heart, it is also very good to be
like this, in relating to the children and youth.
The youth in this parish of Santa Teresita is very much actively involved in the life of the
parish and of the Church. Every time we go for apostolate there, they were the first ones whom
we meet and they were greeting us politely and respectively and lovely. They are very joyful
persons and I can also get from them inspirations and motivations to live my being religious
joyfully even thought there are so many trials that I have been facing. They always caught me in
surprise. A surprise which for me comes from the Lord, speaking to me, using them to inspire
me, cheer me up and go on loving. Another thing is that they are very organized. It seemed that
they are already serving the parish for more many years because they knew what to do and how
to act. They are even very helpful to the rest of other mandated organizations if they are needed
or they simply volunteer themselves to help. During big events in the parish, they are the front-

Page 5 of 11
liners. They seemed to be busier than us, parish ministers and brothers. But despite the fact of
how busy they are, you can still have them for dialogue and sharing of their experience.
Going back to the experience, in a little way I feel uncomfortable because there is a
presence of the leader in the vicariate who happen also to visit the Legion of Mary unit in the
Santa Teresita Parish. I feel uncomfortable because I was thinking of she observes on the way
the talk was given and how the youth responded while the talk has been given. As I come to
reflect on my feeling of uncomfortable, I have seen myself that the reason maybe that of I am
self-conscious. I am only thinking of myself and how I appear well in giving a sharing. The
experience had awakened in me the spirit of trust to the Spirit of God dwelling in me. In all of
the things I do in the ministry, I should not be too conscious in a way that hinders me to do well
and to be fruitful. I remember one of the things that my formator told me to consider working on
my growth is that of my tendency to be proud of myself all the more of my talents. I become
selfish sometimes because I tend to do things only on my own. I believe that an experience of
uncomfortable in the particular situation that I have shared in this paper is also rooted to my
trying to do very well. I forgot that the one who enables me to be successful in my ministry that
has been assigned to me is no other than our Lord, who continues to call me even though how
ungrateful I am and how sinner that I am.
Aside from learning about myself and my personal issues that have been shown in one
way or the other, is another surprises me, about the sharing of the youth, for example in talking
to them, is that I learned that there is declining sense of morality of some people in the city and
there are youth who are involved. I am deeply saddened by this truth all the more for the children
who will grow up thinking that what they have is a normal life and somehow disrupts the
meaning of good relationships to the community. I feel most uncomfortable dealing with the
struggles of the people in the depressed areas. It continues to teach me lessons in life and how I
should be grateful for the blessings that I have. I am really amazed at how these people are able
to face life’s challenges with little resources but full of hope and smiles. It is a surprise for me
but at the same time a wakeup call that I should not complain of some inconvenience that I
experience because these people are suffering every day. It shocks me to know that people also
in the local government turn a blind eye to their basic needs. They let them suffer such misery
and condition. From this, although some have great stories to tell of their optimistic attitude
towards life, some turn to vices to cope up with the hunger, pain or depression from their

Page 6 of 11
inhumane situation. It would be very common to see people in the streets of my zone area with a
lot of drinking liquors, gambling, taking prohibited drugs, and some just doing nothing in their
lives. Another shocking insight I have heard was in the feeling of desperateness, some residents
committed suicide. I believe this is a very timely to be talking about one of the largest reasons of
death in the Philippines. We need to know that it can happen and it is the reality of life. As I did
my research about the topic on suicide, I learned a whole lot about it. Not all people who die by
suicide have been diagnosed with a mental illness and not all people with a mental illness
attempt to end their lives by suicide. Here we see that mental disorder is not always the reason
why people committed suicide or that all of these people with mental disorder will eventually die
of suicide. This is one of the major biases we have in looking about the topic of suicide in our
society. It was said that individuals who are having suicidal thoughts and feelings are suffering
with tremendous emotional pain.
I understand the feeling of the youth of today because as I have shared to them, I have
been there at their age way back years ago, and I know how hard it is to cope with these
emerging situations in our society. The youth is also vulnerable to depression, to self-
glorification, to violence and to low self-esteem.
In the light of the situation of the youth in their sharing to me, is that I see them in the
picture of how our Lord Jesus in the gospels had high regard for the children and the youth. He
even urged his disciples to that unless they became least like the little children, they would not
enter the kingdom of heaven. For Jesus, the children and the youth are valuable and have to be
treated with utmost love and care. How blest I am that I was given this opportunity to be with the
youth of our parish. From the time that I was able to give them a short “allucutio” or a sharing to
them, as per designated in their Manual, I become closer to them and that is why I find them
comfortable to work on with. I also believe that the reason why they are now comfortable to
share to me what they have felt or their sentiments in life, is that they have found in me an image
of the compassionate Lord Jesus who is ready to listen and journey with them. Jesus continues to
show us that we also have to take care of the children of our times because all the more they are
in danger of being snatched away from the flock of the church because of the many worldly
allurements. If they will not be properly guided, what will happen to them and where will they be
in this world if not in the proper care of their families and more importantly by the Church’s care
and guidance. These youth and children are indeed blessed enough because not only they have

Page 7 of 11
weekly gathering or meeting in the parish, as brothers and sisters, they have with them always to
guide them, their spiritual director or parish priest and some times, we, the seminarians who can
give them the necessary inputs on formation for them to grow in their Christian faith.
In the light of all these actions and experience that I have been mentioning in this paper, I
would like to integrate it with the message of the gospel. In all of these Gospel messages, I
would like to focus on the Prodigal Son. The Good News is how I should see myself and my
relationship with God and my neighbor. I believe that it is telling me to first look and reflect on
my own life. This is to help me see my blessings and struggles in order to surrender my life to
God. The youth that I have ministered to through giving them a sharing of the importance of
prayer and devotion to our Blessed Mother Mary through the Rosary, is a good response of how I
am called to be as a loving father, just like Our Father in heaven, as also reflected in the Gospel
story of the Prodigal Son and of the Good Shepherd as well. The youth in my story in this paper
are the prodigal sons and the eldest sons of the story of the Prodigal Son. They are longing for a
living father to them who truly understands them and journeys with them in the quest of living a
true Christian Life. Having them in the parish, they have awakened in me a compassionate and
merciful heart. The Lord has used me to be His instrument of love and care for them. With my
brothers in our scholasticate community, we, together tirelessly give ourselves to them,
ministering to them and assisting them in their formation as lay people, even at their age as youth
of the parish today. Together with my brothers, they have helped us also in our formation that as
a religious, we attend to their needs also in the best as we can, having shared to them the Christ
in us and the love of the Father in us, manifested in our actions and works.
As one community, although I was disturbed to know the difficulties of life as what the
youth have shared to me and not only me that have shared to them, have I still found hope in the
Gospel messages. There will still be hope in all these complicated circumstances as God has a
plan for everyone. I learned to trust the Divine Providence in all of my undertakings in life. In
my own little way of joining the people in their activities, talking to them, and sharing laughter
and sorrows maybe helped them see God. In return, I know that I have gained from these
experiences too with my maturity and love. I just wish I could have done more to bring big
changes in their lives. I think what I should have done differently is that I just thought that I have
done these things sooner. I could have done more for the people. I see my actions as part of the
whole big opportunity to make a difference in the lives of youth in my apostolate area. I firmly

Page 8 of 11
believe this is what God wants for me to do in life. I just felt that if I say that I love the Lord God
and not see it in my actions toward my neighbors, then I would be like a clashing cymbal as what
St. Paul says to us, if there is no love in everything that we do. Another is that the happy faces
and with sweet smiles of the youth was really captivating and moving hearts. I have experienced
their joy from within that continues to penetrate in me. They have given me a stronger
motivation envelops my soul that fuels my spirit for the mission. All of my negative energies that
at first tired to distract me were vanished by their presence. They have thought me to go on
giving love and passion in all that I do in lieu of the future ministry.
I see myself growing pastorally, in the spirit of the Montfortian Mission, as also not
forgetting the root of all my actions that is rooted in the love of God. I have shared to these
young people I have ministered to, the love of Christ, who is my only treasure and my only love,
Jesus. The experiences I have in my apostolate area makes more and more united to Christ. In
relating to them, I relate them freely without any pretensions, just the love and kindness of my
heart that is truly in me. I believe that what am I, is a manifestation of how deeply I am a man of
God, a man of prayer, a man of the mission.
My insights would be doing more not only for myself but to give life to other people in
the inspiration of Jesus, Mary, our mother and queen and also, in the spirit our dear founder St.
Louis-Marie de Montfort.
As a religious Montfortian, I entrust my life to God’s Providence. I see God’s Providence
at work in me. The opportunity given to me to give a short talk to the Legion of Mary is truly a
blessing for me. I never thought that I could successfully give it because I was only given few
days to prepare myself. I said yes because for me, it is God’s way of helping me to see for myself
what particular ministry I am called for in the future. God has always been at work to His faithful
children. I have entrusted to the Lord through our Blessed Mother that talks to the Legionaries,
and as a result, it was a success.
This reflection helps me to see God in the midst of what has been happening to our world
now by always sharing to every people I meet, the love of God that is in me and greeting the
Lord through every people I meet especially in my apostolate areas.
The examples of our parish priests and my brothers in the community and the parishioners of
Santa Teresita, especially the youth I have shared in this reflection, have awakened in me the
love in me that is already present because of the Lord’s graciousness. I am just moved with the

Page 9 of 11
spirit of burning love through authentic sharing and giving of one’s self for the poor especially to
the young of today. We have balanced the time for prayer and service. We have truly imbibed in
the mission of Christ in the way we minister to the needs of the people. I can testify on how the
love transpires in what we are doing by care with ultimate generosity and love, the people whom
the Lord has entrusted to our care as pastoral ministers. These good examples have inspired me
to look upon my own journey as a Montfortian religious. How have I been generous so far in my
journey? Have I been giving my total self for the mission or have I just given my spare time or
extra gifts that I have? With that, I have realized that I still have to grow more in my generosity
of heart and the readiness to give my whole self to my brothers and sisters. I should also go on
giving of my self in the service to the people especially to those who are in great need, without
any reservation, all for the glory of the Lord.
These have strengthened all the more my motivation in serving the Lord is my love for
the Lord and for the people of God, my brothers and sisters. I am offering my life to the Lord, in
the service of the Church. I pray always that in whatever I do or wherever I may be, I will always
radiate and share Christ-Wisdom to all people as a Montfortian religious. With these desires to
follow the footsteps of Fr. de Montfort, I see myself submissive to the will of God, because I
have lived out trust and abandonment to the Divine Providence which I always found great joy in
my life. It is also every fitting this year that we celebrate the year of Clergy and Consecrated
Persons. The theme song makes me sing with all my heart, that I may always be God’s bearer of
His love.
Thinking of the concrete ways that I can do starting at this very day, is that I would
continue to build a growth-promoting relationship, with the youth, and all the parishioners and in
the apostolate area. I know that there are lots of lost shepp in the community who have struggles
in life and it would be of great help if they know that there is someone to listen to them and
accompany them in their journey. I can see this in myself that I was able to come out of my shell
to reach out to people in the community and not be “exclusive.” The youth of today are just
waiting for a shepherd who can guide and help them grow in their faith. I believe that I am called
to serve more and love more. I will just continue to be faithful going to my apostolate area
despite the many schedules in school and community for it is also one part of my religious
formation and I am growing every time that I remain truthful in my responsibilities. There will
be a long list still of concrete things that I will do in the future that I cannot include here now, but

Page 10 of 11
one thing I know that the love of God in my life is for me to share it with full joy and
gratitude until the last breath of my life.
As this year, as we come to the close of the Year of the Clergy and Consecrated Persons,
and how timely it is because we are to enter the Year of the Youth, the pastoral experiences I am
sharing with you is a very meaningful one. I deeply pray that may I always be open for God to
use me as bearer of His love for all people, wherever I am, wherever I may be.
In the spirit of our dear founder, St. Louis- Marie de Montfort, I cry out with joy in my
heart: Glory to Jesus in Mary! Glory to God Alone!

- BRO. ARMEL R. COLLANTES, SMM

Page 11 of 11