Raul Tabaranza blog

I would like to connect with the way Comboni used it- For the Lord. FOR the glory of the kingdom.  My MISSION ITSELF.  I always write to my friends when I make decisions:  "If this work is for God, this will surely bear fruit."  I always look at this in the sense of humility, that I work not to satisfy myself or else, it will become personal.  I work FOR Him, and I am just a collaborator.  I collaborate with God's project as He has chosen me.  In that way, I grow in my understanding of dependence to God, "this is for you, you should bless it." In my missionary life, what are potentials of growth that were offered to me? 1. Understanding- not just the language, but also situations, events, poverty and the lives of people.  God gave me wisdom to connect myself to people- especially emotions, affections, spirit.  These are potentials that were developed there, and could still be developed in my future mission. 2. Leadership- most especially to the youth.  I have...

Visiting the story of my missionary life, what experience of God that I have carried and what God has asked me to do? 1. Family det achment- I joined the Comboni Missionaries when my mother was very sick and paralyzed; and when my father was in the hospital because of vehicular accident.  I helped them financially at that time, and I was in the process of renovating the house.  For me, the was the most painful "yes" that I have ever said in my whole life. 2. My experience of God as God of second chances.  I had near death experiences, my severe attack of malaria in the mission, and that of the allergies of bees that nearly took my life, while I was celebrating mass in the village.  They were ready to measure my coffin.  God gave me second chance(s) and confronted me with issues on forgiveness and abandonment of my life into His hands. 3.  Another beautiful experience of God is my experience of people's hospitality.  I have never seen in my whole life that people comple...

Comboni in my life: The birth: I came to know the Comboni Missionaries when I was still working in the bank, through the World Mission Magazine. I saw the situations in Africa and Latin America, and suddenly I said to myself, this is the life I am longing to live, but not having in mind that it was already the start of my vocation, or missionary journey.   If I have to revisit my vocation, it really started with an experience of emptiness that I could not describe. I had a well paid job, I was on my own, I was free and living a life of abundance.  But I was not completely happy.  I was always in the monastery of the Carmelite Sisters, spending my time there for no reason, except that I normally go for morning masses.  Sometimes, I just go there by day time, during weekends or holidays, and stay in the church in silence. Since I was young, I was already a thinking or reflecting person, at high school, I was already keeping journals.  I was already dreaming to become a doctor to help...

Vocation Sunday Today we celebrate Vocation Day of Prayer for Vocations that is to publicly fulfill the Lord's instruction to, "Pray the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into his harvest" (Mt 9:38; Lk 10:2). I never thought of priesthood, though my uncle is a priest and he founded a small congregation in the Philippines called the Society of the Holy Family. My elder brother is also a priest and he is in our diocese. I worked happily in the bank. I was working from Monday to Friday and Saturdays and Sundays, I was doing my masteral course, and in some evenings, I had to meet my unit, as I was also heading a group of Singles for Christ. My life completely revolved around these three commitments plus my family. In the morning, at 6:00am, a priest would collect me, and I go to the Carmelite monastery for mass. But I was also living in the compound of the Sisters of St. Joseph the Worker. I was surrounded by religious sisters and priests, as my uncle was the paris...