Mabini, Jea Angeline B.

BSA16

IDENTIFY AND DESCRIBE the particular spiritual activity that you have chosen to
participate.

Rosary Walk

          The Rosary Walk is a repetitive and meditative prayer of the rosary that help us
remember the certain principal events in the history of our salvation. Usually, a group of
people is gathered to pray as they walk. However, since there is a pandemic, we are not
allowed to do so. With this, the Rosary Walk was improvised into a virtual one. The
sister/nun in the campus was praying while she was walking through the DLSUD
campus. All the students who attended the activity also prayed the rosary prayers
including The Apostles’ Creed, Hail Mary, Our Father and The Glory Be. During the
prayer, every time the sister/nun stops to a particular place inside the DLSUD campus,
we were given time to reflect. With the video of the sister walking through the campus
being played into our screen as she was praying holding her rosary, it felt as if I was
with her. It also feels like as if we are in an actual rosary walk as we follow where the
sister was heading to.

Lasallian Rosary

The reason why I chose the Lasallian Rosary even though I already attended the
Rosary walk, which was a similar activity, was because I wanted to learn the difference
between the two. The Lasallian Rosary is similar to the Rosary walk in the sense of the
rosary prayers that was being uttered all throughout the activity. The only difference is,
the Lasallian Rosary has a unique six decade, hence we were required to use a six-
decade rosary.  The usual rosary has 5 decades that represents 53 Hail Marys. It is the
rosary that I used during the rosary walk. The Lasallian Rosary on the other hand, has
63 Hail Marys. This rosary is prayed conventionally for the first five decades, on the
mysteries leading to the salvation of the lives of Jesus and Mary. In addition, we were
also given time to reflect after each prayer. In the end, I was able to conclude that this
was the first rosary prayer that I have attended that uses a six-decade rosary. It was
quite new to me and I thought that it was a prayer specially made for Lasallians.

What did you FEEL? What were your REALIZATIONS or insights? 

I really like both of the activities because aside from the prayers, we were also
given a moment to reflect. Looking back, it is almost two years and so much had
happen since the pandemic started, although I am thankful that my family is in still good
condition, the pandemic had still affected me. I can still remember how excited I was
before this school year started. I was really passionate with what I am doing during the
first semester. But I realized that during the second semester, I was denial with the fact
that I am now mentally exhausted. It was also confirmed through a counseling that was
conducted a week after the activities. The counselor told me that it was only normal for
me to feel that way, to feel anxiety because of the unfortunate situation we are in right
now. But while I was thinking that I was mentally exhausted, I was able to think of the
conditions of those who was gravely affected by this pandemic. When I attended the
second activity, rather than to pity myself with the tiredness and exhaustion I am feeling,
I genuinely thanked God. I was grateful towards him because, exhaustion was the only
feeling I felt throughout the pandemic. I was grateful because all my family members
and friends are safe and all of those who I value are in a good condition. I also thought
that there are other people who had struggled during this pandemic. That there are
people who had it worst, so I should be thankful and to stop pitying myself. During the
time given for us to reflect, I though and prayed for those who were really affected, I
was praying that they can survive all of this and hoping that they will not lose hope. But
in the very end of the two activities that I attended, I was thankful because I was able to
reflect and thanked God for all the blessings, support, and protection that he had
showered me. I also prayed for this pandemic to end in order for the people to no longer
experience pain and struggles. I hope that everyone who have individual battles can
think of God as their protection.

What particular LESSON/S we have in the MIDTERM PERIOD that you can relate to
this spiritual activity?

The particular lessons which I think are related to the activities that I have
attended is in Module 4. In the module, there is a topic about describing the church as a
communion, wherein every one of us must give a personal response. The personal
response was something I was able to do during the time that was given for us to
reflect. I see it as a personal response because I was able to think of God and I was
able to show my gratitude towards him. Moreover, the students who attended the
activity including me, was quite similar to the topic “church as a participation”. We were
able to do our responsibility not only as a student who were required to attend the
activity but also as a catholic who remembers the certain events in the salvation of God.
Lastly, the Lasallian rosary which I stated earlier that was something unique and special
for the Lasallian community, is related to the spirit of zeal and spirit of faith. In the spirit
of faith, it explains that we should see God in all things and to suffer everything with
him. The virtual rosary walk was an example of it. Although we are all suffering because
of the pandemic, we were still able to conduct such activities in order to help us
remember the salvation of God and for us to grow our faith towards him. In addition,
while I was able to reflect during the activity, it had really proved that we suffer
everything together with God. Every time we are in a difficult situation, it is God who we
call and was the one who is giving us hope. Furthermore, in the spirit of zeal, it says that
John Baptist wants the religious educator to exercise vigilance, good example, and
instruction. Aside from the professors and sisters are a good example to its students,
the Lasallian faculty was also able to help their students be reminded of God. I who
attended the activity assures it because through the activities that I attended; I was able
to be reminded of God.