Raul Tabaranza blog

September 4, 2004, exactly11years today, together with my Family, Relatives and Friends; and with my Comboni Family, I celebrated the most memorable, most meaningful and most decorated moment in my life, my priestly ordination! It was full of spirit, fun but also tears of joy. Up to this time, I am most grateful to you all Sibutadnons, Mayor Lolita Tolentino, who worked really hard in the preparation, the Diocese of Dipolog for their unending support, Fr. Eric Zafra, who even renovated the church just for my ordination, my brother Fr. Atilano Tabaranza, who facilitated everything, my relatives all over, friends who came especially for that. I will never forget all my classmates in Grade 1 and Grade 6, and High school, they did a very special part for my ordination, cleaning and repainting the facade, donating whatsoever. Amazing! I miss our group and reunions. We should do it often! My Comboni Family was always at my side, I am so very grateful! Part of these eleven years, more t

My mission in Chikowa- Chipata, Zambia. It is a remote area of Jumbe district.

THE HIDDEN SOUL IN THE HEART OF AFRICA, THE SHINING PEARL IN THE HEART OF ASIA

THE CROSS- (IN THE LIFE OF BLESSED DANIEL COMBONI) Raul B. Tabaranza,mccj One of the highlights of the Lineamenta for the XVI General Chapter of the Comboni Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus is the ‘Charism and Spirituality of the Comboni Missionaries.’ It reiterated the topic of the Cross, basing from Rule of Life #4: “In the spiritual journey of our founder, the cross became and always more inseparable companion. A Comboni Missionary is conscious of this, and places the Crucified, Risen and Living Lord at the centre of his life, and is ready to make his own fate of the people to whom he has been sent, even until the supreme sacrifice of martyrdom.” I thought therefore of having a special veneration of the Holy Cross, as we, the followers of Comboni are on the same journey, where we are ‘called to accept and live the dynamic of hope, and to be in solidarity with all the crucified in history. In many of the talks given, we deepened our understanding of contemplation and pr

May 4, 2003 "A missionary is called to spend his life for the people of today, in the here and now, responding to the signs of the times." Father, you have embraced me and whispered to me: "Do something!" You have caressed me and hedged me round with your loving arms. You have engulfed me with indescribable joy and wrapped me with innumerable gifts. Who am I Lord that you have made me your everything? I thank you Lord for having sought me. You have scrutinized my inmost heart and planted the seed of love and abandonment within. Once again, I want to give back to you this expression, disposing myself into your hands so that you may have free access on my faculties. I freely commit myself to this way of life, desiring to live in the simplicity and poverty of my spirit, so that you may mould me in the way you want me to be. Therefore, for the honour of God, before the Church, here and now, before my confreres and the congregation, in the presence of Rev.

IMPORTANCE OF SILENCE From the moment we rise in the morning, ANG DAMING INGAY NA SA KAPALIGIRAN- the alarm clock buzzing, music blaring, coffee pot beeping, may nagwawalis, nagsisigaw etc. We live our lives amidst noise everywhere, and some of the most pressing and stressing sounds are the ones we live with internally. Our minds are filled with woven thoughts – ang dami nating iniisip, always one after the next. There are external commotion of our environment athindi pa medyo tahimik sa kaloob-looban natin, that leaves little room for us to truly experience silence. Silence is a virtue, universally. The beauty of silence is that it simply “is” silence!; it offers an opening that cannot be immediately defined, basta kailangan natin yon! Silence, however, does not come naturally for most of us, karamihan sa atin, hindi sanay sa pananahimik, we have the uncomfortable habit of filling silent gaps with superficial talk, kahit sa loob ng simbahan, nag-iingay, nagchikahan, whispering.