TO: Rev. Fr. Edilberto H.

Jarapa
FR: Sem. Kenneth P. Martinez
RE: Reflection paper in Philosophy of Man
DT: January 12, 2011

Last year, it was December during our Christmas Break, I felt being in-love again to a

girl who is a friend of mine. Before we’re just friends, and I really treated her as my very own

friend, most of the times, she always tells me that I am her only ‘boy-friend’ as in a boy-friend

not the one your thinking, hehe.

It was December 18, when I noticed that she always call me on the phone, as in everyday

especially every morning just to say “Good Morning” and many more. But not only that also

every night before I sleep, to be honest, she was always the first one who will tell me

‘Goodnight’, ‘sweet dreams’, and with hug and kisses. I just said into myself. Wow! Thank you

Lord for expressing your love to me, and because of this girl, you made me realize that You are

the root of our LOVE.

It was really inspiring; the love, the care, and the support that she gave me. Actually, I

fall in-love with her and I said it through text. She replied, I love you more, I love you too, and I

love who you are. I was really inspired then upon reading her message to me. But, as time pass

by there was a text message came from her and said; Kenneth, you know that I love you. But, it

is not right anymore because you are a seminarian. “Mahal kita, kaya ko ngang tiisin at gawin

ang lahat para sayo, pero ang agawan ang Diyos ng kanyang pagmamahal para sayo? Hindi ko

kaya.”
 I was really out-of-myself after reading her text message for me. I don’t know what to do

and the only thing that I feel then was PAIN.

I felt empty that time, “Dahil nasaktan talaga ako, feeling ko nga naubos na yata ang

pagmamahal sa puso ko dahil naibigay ko na sa kanya lahat ng pagmamahal ko.”

However, I know that my life will not end there, that is why I tried my very best just to

bring back all the love that I’ve given her, especially from God, my family, friends, and brother

seminarians.

After realizing the cherishable moments that I had there was a topic from Philosophy of

Man that helps me to move on and walk again from where I was stopped. It was about the

FREEDOM and LOVE, “the supreme act of freedom is love, and love cannot be said to be

authentic if it is not free.” I believe that, this quotation answers all the questions I had in my

mind; why there is such thing as LOVE? Why I cannot do something about that LOVE? And Do

I have a FREEDOM to choose whether to respond to the Love that God given me, or to follow

what my heart tells me?

It is really hard to decide what to choose. But, the very fact that we know how to LOVE,

I think, is enough not to question anymore God about such thing as LOVE.

At last, FREEDOM and LOVE are truly INSEPERABLE. That is why, I should not

anymore ask or doubt myself why there is such as pain after loving a person. Because

FREEDOM and LOVE are just my instruments how to love; UNCONDITIONALLY,

FAITHFULLY, and DISINTERISTINGLY, truly freedom begins when love begins, love begins

where freedom does.