ORDER OF THE PIOUS SCHOOLS

PROVINCE OF ASIA PACIFIC

CALASANZ de Davao Community

PERSONAL EVALUATION (August-October)

HUMAN FORMATION

1. Do I have a sense of joy and deep peace in my life? Am I at home?

During the past two months I tried to established and adapt myself here in my new
community. There were couple of times that I missed the Juniorate House but I was able to
overcome them. Later, I found the sense of joy through the beauty of the place, the
diversity of my new companions and through the daily meal-conversations. However, I cannot
yet establish a deep peace but nonetheless I am at home.

2. Am I approachable, hospitable, welcoming?

I think I did my best to become approachable, hospitable and welcoming. It is not my
character to become snobbish with other people.

3. Do I relate well to my brothers and encourage but also challenge them in their
vocations?
In my own way, I tried to relate well with my brothers in the community though I have
some difficulties dealing with some. In terms of challenging them in their vocations, I think,
I did not do anything.

4. Do I have and cultivate warm, healthy friendships with priests, seminarians, women
religious, lay men and women? Are these relationships open rather than secretive or
exclusive?
In the past two months I developed warm and healthy friendships with our fathers in the
community. I do not have any secretive and exclusive relationships.
With lay men and women, I am only acquainted with very few people: Maam Venus and
family, Maam Vikki, academic coordinators, laundry woman Melvin and nanay Teresita.

5. Do I cultivate healthy pastimes, hobbies that make me well-rounded, growing and

interesting person?
In the past months I was not able to develop many healthy pastime hobbies that will make
me a well rounded, growing and interesting person. But I started reorganizing myself by
making my personal schedule and disciplining myself in dealing with my tasks in the school
and community.

6. Do I have sufficient self-knowledge of my talents, and of my strengths and

weaknesses?
Yes, even before I arrived here in Davao I already have sufficient self-knowledge of my
talents, strengths and weaknesses. This time I am developing a new skill in digital promotion.

7. Am I aware of and sensitive to the different ways in which most men and women
react to situations, or the differences in which men and women experience
relationships?
Yes, as a student of Human behavior I am fully aware of these.

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 ORDER OF THE PIOUS SCHOOLS
PROVINCE OF ASIA PACIFIC
CALASANZ de Davao Community

PERSONAL EVALUATION (August-October)

8. Do I have self-discipline, an ordered life that I am in control of, rather than pushed or
pulled in every direction, wasting time?
In the past months even before I arrive here in Davao I was battling with procrastination.
This time I reorganized myself to put back the system in my life.

9. Do I have true and wholesome self-esteem rather than a very low self-esteem which
can lead to aggression, jealousy, defensiveness, arrogance and bullying?
Yes, I have a very high regards of my self-esteem. I am contended with what I have now.

10. Do I like myself, or at times dislike or even hate myself? Do I have healthy- and
accurate self image?
It happens that I like and dislike myself but nonetheless I have an accurate image of
myself. I always wanted to create the best version of myself.

11. Have I developed a sense of responsibility to take on seriously the work, study,
play, and social life in my everyday life?
Yes, I tried to be responsible in my work as a brother, secretary, coordinator and teacher. I also
did not neglect my own needs to study and socialize.

12. Do I have a healthy, constructive attitude to authority, ready to be critical,

participative, and yet deeply responsive, responsible and obedient?
Yes, I have.

13. Am I aware and appreciative of my own sexual orientation? How do I relate to

one who may have a different or a bisexual orientation? Am I able to discuss this
with my spiritual director?
I am at home with my sexual orientation and I relate with others equally regardless of their
sexual preference.
As of now I am still in the process of looking for my new spiritual director.

14. Am I balanced – somewhere between extreme extrovert and extreme introvert,

thus with a balance between social skills, outreach, and appropriate self- reflection?
I tried in my own way to balance myself though there were times that my being introvert were
so strong.

15. Am I basically stable in my emotions, or excessively prone to moodiness,

impulsive or erratic?
Yes I am basically stable in my emotions. In the past months I did not exhibit any extreme
changes in my mood nor impulsive and erratic behavior.

16. Do I carry unresolved anger? How do I deal with anger? Have I been able to heal
broken relationships?
I have learned managing my anger since I was in postulancy through the help of my previous
formators.

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 ORDER OF THE PIOUS SCHOOLS
PROVINCE OF ASIA PACIFIC
CALASANZ de Davao Community

PERSONAL EVALUATION (August-October)

17. Am I overly assertive so that I do not listen? Or am I under assertive so that I do
not use or contribute my talents and gifts sufficiently?
In the past months, maybe I was under assertive because I was still new and was adapting with
the characters of my new community.

SPIRITUAL FORMATION

1. Am I in touch with God, and able to speak about and share my experience of God? Do
I have a devotion to Jesus in the blessed sacrament?
Yes, I am still in touch with God and able to communicate with Him despite the many challenges
especially nowadays when everything seems to be similar. In addition to this, our community
adoration aided a lot in my devotion to Jesus in the Blessed sacrament.

2. Do I regularly benefit from the sacrament of reconciliation/ is my daily examination

of conscience a key part of my spiritual armor?
In the past three months I was not able to attend my spiritual need especially in receiving the
sacrament of reconciliation. But I always have an examination of conscience.

3. Am I faithful and regular in my prayer life?

Yes if it is communal prayer but I failed often times in my personal prayer.

4. Do I have a regular, positive relationship with a spiritual director, confessor or soul

friend?
I am only communication with some of my soul friends through chat or virtual conversation.

5. Do I see and relate to Mary as a model of faith and mother?

Yes, I always see our Blessed mother as a model of faith. I always ask her intercession to help
me in doing my work as a religious faithfully.

6. Do I cherish silence and reconciliation? Do I schedule regular periods of solitude-able

to be by myself and with my God?
Yes, I like silence and solitude. I think Davao as of now is a good place to meditate because of
the silence we experience. However, I was not able to make a regular schedule of solitude by
myself with God.

7. Do I see celibacy not simply as part of the package for priesthood, but as a personal
call, gift, and grace of the Holy Spirit?
For me its a personal gift. I always see it as a grace from God. Others were blessed with it but
some like me, I really need to work hard for it.

8. Am I at peace and comfortable with my celibacy?

Despite the many temptations and fall, I am still at peace and comfortable with Celibacy.

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 ORDER OF THE PIOUS SCHOOLS
PROVINCE OF ASIA PACIFIC
CALASANZ de Davao Community

PERSONAL EVALUATION (August-October)

9. Am I making my own, interiorizing the spiritual practices of the community, seeing
them as needs for my personal growth and holiness, and not simply as duties or rules
imposed?
Yes, I am interiozing the spiritual practices we have here. I always look at them as opportunity to
grow in holiness and not simply duties or rules imposed to us.

INTELLECTUAL FORMATION

1. Am I eager to learn, to grow in knowledge and understanding of the faith?

Yes. Actually I am still studying some theological disciplines even though I already finished
theology.

2. Am I developing a habit of reading – reading both religious and high quality secular
literature?
Yes. I am reading both spiritual and secular literature. Currently, I am reading Dr. Jordan
Peterson’s book and Father Thomas Green, S.J.

3. Do I have a growing familiarity and friendship with the scriptures as well as growing
in an up to date critical understanding and study of the scriptures?
As of now I have less encounter with the scriptures because I am preoccupied with some
school works.

4. Do I see my seminary education as only the beginning and thus see the need for
ongoing study and reading. Do I realize that I do not have all the answers and never
will?
Yes. My seminary education is only the beginning and I see that I still need to learn many things
especially in learning facilitation and dealing with teachers and parents.

5. Am I interested in, knowledgeable of traditional culture, so that I can assist in

inculturation of the faith? Do I see and appreciate values in traditional culture that
are in conformity with gospel?
Yes. I am a student of humanities and I always wanted to learn other cultures. I value and
appreciate them.

6. Am I able to express the theology and teaching of the church in ways that ordinary
folk can comprehend?
Yes, I tried in my own ways to express my knowledge in theology using words that will be
understood by all especially in Social Media.

7. Is my faith rooted in the christiam tradition, but also vibrant with contemporary
directions and developments in theology?
Yes. My faith is rooted in Christian- Calasazian tradition.

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 ORDER OF THE PIOUS SCHOOLS
PROVINCE OF ASIA PACIFIC
CALASANZ de Davao Community

PERSONAL EVALUATION (August-October)

8. In light of the reality of sin, and in light of the needs of my mission area, do I see all
theology as leading to justice and involving a message of liberation?
Yes. I see theology as a dynamic liberating discipline especially for our students and teachers
who are working with us.

9. Is my vision of church and priesthood shaped and formed by the documents of

Vatican II and subsequent church documents
Yes. My professors in theology helped on this matter.

PASTORAL FORMATION

1. Not only do I pray, but can I lead and guide others in prayer?
Yes. I was trained during my novitiate and when I took spirituality major in my masters.
However, I still need to develop my own personal prayer.

2. Do I take advantage of pastoral opportunities, workshops, lectures on pastoral

issues?
Yes. But as of now I cannot find any workshops or lectures on pastoral issues here in Davao. I
just resort to online theological symposiums.

3. Do I see and find Jesus in the persons I live with, and the persons I serve?
I am always trying because there were moments that Jesus is very difficult to see in other
people.

4. Am I able to relate to persons of varied ethnic and religious traditions, and not show
favoritism to a particular group?
Yes, I am.

5. Do I take time and effort to improve my speech, my diction, my ability to protect my

voice to a large group?
Yes, communication is one of my strengths.

6. Either through classes or on my own, have I learned a system at least the essentials
of bookkeeping, of keeping financial records?
No. In the past months I did not have opportunities to learn these things. Maybe I will try to
include them in my personal studies.

7. Do I appreciate the distinctive role and mission of the laity in the church and in the
world?
Yes. I appreciate the role and mission of the lay people especially now in our school. I see them
as partners in our Calasanzian Mission.

8. Do I see priesthood too simply as cultic, or I see it as a priest among people, a

servant priesthood, a priest who identifies with, preaches and prays with his people?
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 ORDER OF THE PIOUS SCHOOLS
PROVINCE OF ASIA PACIFIC
CALASANZ de Davao Community

PERSONAL EVALUATION (August-October)

I can say that I have a different perspective of priesthood now having experienced living in the
formation houses and pastoral communities. I see it more as servant priesthood.

9. Do I listen to the people, feel with them, so as to empathize with their joys?
Yes. Here time to time I visit some of our teachers and I try to converse with them about their
personal experiences as teachers in our school.

Br. John Michael O. Dion, Sch.P.

Religious-Brother