Fruits of Labor

Fruits of labor

“The student is not above the teacher,

but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher.”

-Luke 6: 40

Vacation was near approaching for most of the students of Calamba, Laguna but it looks like that the Dominican Postulancy in the Pre-Novitiate House did not go with the flow. We were all wondering what to do in our continuing formation because this is the first time that we, the Brothers, had our semestral vacation all together. We asked ourselves if we are the guinea pigs for the upcoming formation years. I thought that it will be a lax vacation wherein we would not be pre-occupied by any activities. I do not like those moments because those make me think of escaping the seminary compound to go to the mall or any landmarks and parks. Thank God, there’s an answer to our prayer of avoiding boredom and that is our English Class with Mr. Melvin Hate (pronounced Ha-TEH).

I am fascinated with his stories from his childhood mainly on his experiences as a student. Can you believe that a kid who had a theme writing paper only he could understand will become an English teacher of the future leaders of the Church? That’s right! I believe in the spirit of “never giving up” and that manifested in Mr. Hate. He inspired me in some ways. His persuasive thoughts are secondary of my admiration to him. The primary reason? Well, he’s dedicated to his work and he encourages us to work harder if we want to discover our passion – the Eureka moments of our lives. Indeed, mind matters too. Whatever we are thinking was being shared in the class. He does not want the ideas to nest in our powerful organ, the brain. The motto of the Dominican Order, Veritas (Truth) was magnified when he asked us to voice out the truths that we believe in. I believe in three truths: 1.) God loves us all, 2.) we are all missionaries in our earthly life and lastly 3.) we are all unfairly blessed (The life, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ was His battle but ours is the glory). We thought that he would only ask us to read three of his essays but he never forgot the last one, The Spectrum of Humanity. According to William Shakespeare, “All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.” We are all unique and our diversity as human beings makes life colorful. But behind all those essays and motivating words, who would forget his jolly smile and enthusiastic personality? He loves sharing with us stories too and listening to our autobiographies. The classroom was not used for lecture alone but as an entertainment area. In addition, the sala was also a place for learning. He was the first male teacher (from Letran-Calamba) who scheduled a “Maalaala Mo Kaya? (MMK)” session with us. Our female teachers act as mothers to us that’s why it’s no longer new to hear that ladies love listening to stories. But most of all, between you and me, he’s the teacher who also loves eating with us during lunch time. Just keep it a secret, alright! He might find out that I told you.

I know that time will come I could be like him or be better than him. He knows it too. That’s what he instills to us as his students. I guess every teacher will be proud if he/she would be able to produce a student or disciple better than he/she is. The only unsurpassable Teacher is Jesus Christ, of course! Tame your selves people! Do not defy God.  I appreciate Mr. Hate’s dedication for his work. He admits that he also gets tired after our three-hour class but he feels that it’s worth it. I told him that I want to become a teacher someday and he responded, “Really? Well, there’s no money in teaching. Only happiness.” And I answered him, “I know that, sir. I just want to be happy too.”

It has been a short while with him but he gave us lots of lessons in life which other teachers were not able to teach in the four corners of the classroom. So, to Mr. Melvin Hate, you might be reading this, sir. I will never forget you being a part of our lives as seminarians. May God bless you in your future endeavors. The storms may come any minute but “DON’T WORRY. THAT’S PART OF LIFE.” There is a poem that we used to chant in our Citizenship Advancement Training (CAT) when I was still a cadet officer:

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,

When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,

When the funds are low and the debts are high,

And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,

When care is pressing you down a bit-

Rest if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,

As every one of us sometimes learns,

And many a fellow turns about

When he might have won had he stuck it out.

Don't give up though the pace seems slow -

You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than

It seems to a faint and faltering man;

Often the struggler has given up

When he might have captured the victor's cup;

And he learned too late when the night came down,

How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out -

The silver tint in the clouds of doubt,

And you never can tell how close you are,

It might be near when it seems afar;

So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit -

It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.

Sir, you are one of the reasons why I should always think that I am lucky in life. I am not kidding. Having you as my teacher was a great opportunity. Our future essays, sonnets, poems, compositions, songs, etc. are fruits not only of our labor but also yours. Take care and may I be one with you in prayers.