Catholic Fried Rice

Immaculate Conception: It's about what?

2011-12-08T15:22:00.001-05:00

A comedic look on today's Feast day. Until about two or three years ago, I was like one of the ones interviewed in this piece and wasn't quite clear who and what the Immaculate Conception was really referring to:

Funniest Auto Correct: Motts Apple Sauce

2011-12-06T12:49:00.001-05:00

I saw this today on my lunch break. I couldn't stop laughing.

The Lay Need Lay

2011-12-02T09:51:00.001-05:00

After two months of travelling, I'm finally in one place: Arlington, VA. In my couple weeks here I've started to settle in---I cleaned my room (which now needs to be cleaned again), I've been interior organizing (buy of the week? Dish rack for the house), and I've started to venture out to see what is in my community.

We are the 99%.

I saw this bulletin in our our local Catholic paper, the Catholic Herald (which I've become quite fond of), and it was for this book forum on JPII's "Love and Responsibility" for young adults in their 20s and 30s at a local church. I thought to myself, "I'm a 20-something, I like JPII, and wait, it's at my actual church St. Charles?" Could I receive a stronger sign God?

At the book discussion we read a chapter from Sri's "Men, Women, and the Mystery of Love" together, split into groups (one all guys, the other all gals), ate pizza that we ordered on the church's dime, came back to small group and discussed some interesting topics, a memorable example being about if it's OK for a husband to send a text coming home from work that he's excited to see his wife naked later. In hindsight, it's funny that we were bringing out all these hypothesizes, or "hypos" as one guy called them, of marriage life being all single people in the room. It's like I was back at Catholic with college friends talking like we know exactly what NFP could be like.

Later we went out for drinks, well, rather the next door diner for milkshakes and drinks, and hung out. This was an important factor for the night as we got to get to know each other better outside of the book talk.

Here are my takeaways:

-It was refreshing for me to meet other good Catholic men who aren't already in my close CUA circle. (i.e. it was affirming that other like-minded guys exist). In fact, one of them, Steve, invited me to one of his Catholic guy groups where they "booze and smoke cigars" in their get-togethers once a month. I am so down.

-The discussion was thought provoking. I mean, what is the answer to the hypo of the naked text to your wife? I realized my answer in prayer last night, and it involves mirroring our love to the holiest marriage we all know, a phrase I will coin right now: WWJD, What would Joseph Do?

-Lastly, and most importantly, the group touched on a topic that I've been thinking about for awhile: the Catholic community. One woman even called us out, "Protestants are so much better at community and fellowship." Why is that? And what can we do?

A big part of why Protestants are so good at fellowship and community is because it's lead by lay people. Catholics obviously have a hierarchy, and while we love our priests who lead us, they wouldn't be seen at our marriage discussion about hypothetical sexual text messages. So, what can we do?

Answer: the lay need lay. We lay people, the 99% of the church (occupy that), need to step up and create stuff for each other. We need more groups like the one I joined last night (though, as Steve and I joked, we'll need more ones that aren't called "Love and Responsibility" if we want to draw more guys). We need intramural basketball teams, running and biking clubs, bowling groups, coffee open mic nights, and yes, Steve, fish fry's.

And nothing wrong with book clubs or bible studies or prayer groups (I'm been part of my fair share), but they all need to end the way last night ended: over some food, drinks, and laughter. Because we need more of it: fellowship, or rather fraternity or sorority----community.

More importantly, we need lay leaders to lay the law (say that five times fast) and step up and organize these things. If you, yes YOU, have an interest or hobby, I guarantee someone else and their friends do, too. I appreciate women like Patricia, a 22-year-old college graduate who was the one who started up this group last night. It took her two seconds of real-life adulthood to realize that if she wasn't going to organize something, no one would have.

The lay need lay. If not you, who? If not now, when?

Amén.

¿Porque cerramos los ojos?

2011-11-30T14:03:00.001-05:00

¿Porque cerramos los ojos cuando rezamos?
¿cuando lloramos? ¿cuando soñamos? ¿o cuando besamos?
Porque sabemos que las cosas mas lindas en la vida no se ven,
sino que se sienten con el corazon.

-Anónimo

4:08 a.m.

2011-11-07T21:59:00.001-05:00

My groggy eyes open. I wonder what time it is. Waking up on my own I feel surprisingly awake for the meager amount of hours I slept. I pick up my phone. It had turned off overnight. Great. I turn it on. 4:08 a.m.

That’s not good.

After three weeks on the road, I was back in my bed in D.C. The previous night around 10 I was too tired to do anything functional (like pack) that I decided to hit the hay, setting my alarm for 2:30 a.m. to give myself plenty of time to pack, shower, and get ready for Super Shuttle to come at 4:05 a.m.

4:05 a.m., that’s right, I woke up PAST the time my ride was supposed to come. There are few situations in my life where there was no time to panic. This was one of them.

I plug in my phone. It rings and I pick it up. “Hello?” An automated voice message comes on, “This is a message from your driver telling you that he will arrive in five minutes. For the courtesy of other customers, please be ready outside waiting for your driver.”

“OK, thank you.”

I pick-up my carry-on and rush to my drawers. I pick up the familiar collar shirts I’ve been sporting the past month and a handful of white tees not even counting them. Throw them in. I throw a couple additional t-shirts and add them. I pick up a wad of boxers, socks, throw them in. A pair of nice khakis are on the floor from unpacking. Throw those in. Where are my jeans?

Catholic Volunteer Network table cloth that I washed the day before---throw it in. I proceed to my book bag. Stuff in my computer and notes for Missouri. I thank God that I’m only gone for a week this time otherwise I’d have to be a little bit more prepared.

I run to the bathroom where my toothbrush is out of my toiletries bag. I look at my unwashed, unshaven face. Don’t got time, sorry for anyone who I see this morning. I pack everything up and throw it in the carry-on.

Phone rings again. “Hello?” Automated message again: “Your driver has arrived and is waiting outside.”

“OK, just a minute.”

I’m still just in my boxers. Where are my jeans? I throw on a pair of corduroys laying out, sock up my feet. I glance at my Panthers jersey hanging up for my Sunday ritual attire and realize I had already packed all of my plain white tees. Sorry Carolina, you’ll have to win this one without me. I throw in my other favorite white shirt I wear from the Philippines I wear frequently.

Ah, hat! The secret of my success. And to hide my dumb haircut. I’m still upset that my guy cut my sides so short yesterday. Where was Lelys, why did she leave, and how did no one at the barber shop not have her number? “No más,” the woman at the counter had said when I asked where my favorite barber was. Rude-R-Us.

I remember I put my hat in my closet. I open it, grab it, and quickly glance at my hangers of pants. Where are my jeans? I’ve been talking about this hay ride I’m going to be joining in on with students at University of Missouri Science and Technology and I sure don’t want to wear any nice pants on that night. No sign of jeans, and no sign of my go-to-comfortable-go-out shoes. I opt for my less- comfortable-dressier-I-look-good-in-them-but-I-hurt shoes.

I throw on a light jacket that I picked up from the Waiver wire (i.e. bought yesterday, Fantasy Football has taken over my life), I add on a dressier, heavier black jacket I had picked up from home. For a second there, I think, wow, I don’t look half bad.

Phone rings again. Oy, I bet that’s the actual driver. “Hello?” It is. He says in an Indian accent, “Is your home under construction?” He must be talking about how the building is covered in white construction covering as they’re working on the windows. Too bad for him that the entire two blocks of condominiums are covered in these white sheets.

“Uh, yeah. Sorry, I’ll be out in a second. I’m coming out right now.”

I jam my phone and wallet in my pockets. I zip up my carry-on and my bookbag. As I’m bending over my bookbag, I think, “I’m forgetting something. I know I’m forgetting something. I must be forgetting something. What am I forgetting?” For the longest time in high school, whenever I went on a weekend retreat or camping or even the beach, I always forgot my towel. I remember those days of borrowing a friend’s wet towel or drying myself off with my dirty t-shirt. Never again do I forget my towel. I felt like I was missing something equivalent to a towel.

I can’t think of it. I put on my back pack, pick up my Catholic Volunteer Network banner with my left hand, and roll out my carry-on with my right.

I tell the driver, “Sorry, I literally woke up 10 minutes ago.”

It was then I realized that I had woken up on my own without my alarm. Had to be angels. Thank you, God.

Life on the road, Catholic Volunteer Network.

Matt Aujero, signing off.

The Top 5 Things to Consider When Volunteering Internationally

2011-10-10T14:05:00.002-04:00

I wrote about what I think one should consider if you want to volunteer internationally here:

http://catholicvolunteernetwork.blogspot.com/2011/10/top-5-things-to-consider-when.html

Who are you, man?

2011-10-04T22:33:00.000-04:00

Today on the phone one of my best friends Bobby Kilner, who's in the seminary to be a Diocesan priest, told me that when he thinks about guys who are trying to live out the calling to the married life the right way, I'm one of the guys he thinks about.

I was humbled. I'm not doing anything special. But it did remind me of what I am about, who I want to be, and who I should be today.

I'm a single guy, but I believe in men preparing ourselves to be responsible, disciplined, and strong enough so that one day we can provide for our wives and families---lovingly, financially, and physically.

I'm not saying guys should be the breadwinner, but I'm more concerned that I should be able to take care of myself---physically, emotionally, financially, and spiritually. My thought is how am I supposed to provide support and strength in those areas to someone else or a family if I can't do that for myself?

One piece of great advice I heard a speaker say to my brotherhood back at CUA simplified it in four words: "Get your sh*t together."

Sometimes I try to remind myself of the guy who I "dream" to be, who I consider is the best version of myself, and then remind myself that he should not be an eventual goal, but someone I need to shoot to be today.

Anyway, I guess I want to thank my boy Bobby for reminding me of who I need to be every day: the best version of myself, Matt Aujero.

This is all I'll have to say about this for now---I need to do more walking than talking. And in honor of the Feast of St. Francis today, for the rest of the way, my motto will be: "if necessary, use words."

Amén.

Why men are in trouble...

2011-10-04T21:54:00.000-04:00

A great article on the stats on where men stand in America

http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/04/opinion/bennett-men-in-trouble/index.html?hpt=hp_c1

And another about the movie coming out to inspire men:

http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/10/04/church-produced-film-courageous-lights-up-box-office-on-opening-weekend/

Video: "I serve because..."

2011-10-02T22:03:00.001-04:00

I made the following video for Catholic Volunteer Network. It has my nephews, it has bloopers, it spells Catholic Filipino Ridiculousness to the max.

http://www.youtube.com/user/MattAujero#p/a/u/0/LSflWh1dUKo

CUA GameDay

2011-09-20T22:52:00.003-04:00

I wrote the following post from my Catholic Volunteer Network visit to CUA. It can be found here:

http://catholicvolunteernetwork.blogspot.com/2011/09/gameday.html

Katie and Me

2011-09-10T15:14:00.001-04:00

Katie and I about to go out

[Editor's note: This post was originally posted without photos by intention, but because of a superfluous amount of friends who were confused on who Katie actually was, I posted photos of my beau for everyone's clarity.]

I remember when my brother Mark introduced me to Katie about a month ago. I later told him, "Wow, she's beautiful." I had no idea she's been in Arlington this whole time, like this hidden gem that I had to find for myself. I remember our first time out together,. it was like we were discovering who we were, what I like to do, what she prefers. I found out fast that I need to be a bit more gentle---I guess I am a little rusty. It's been taking some adjusting, not having spent time with someone like her for a long time. I've been telling my friends and co-workers about her, and they're happy for me, telling me that she's "good for me." I couldn't agree more, for my mind, body, and spirit. Some of my guy friends know what I'm experiencing, being in similar relationships. "Isn't it great?" they'll say. It really is.

I think about the shorty (sometimes I call her that) a lot, looking forward to the weekends where we've gone out every time. If I'm lucky, we get to hang out during the week. Last Tuesday was great, for example, we were outside and got caught in the rain together, nothing to protect us. I held on to her, close, heart beating fast, laughing, feeling alive in the rain, and even happier that she was with me.

I'm usually not into girls with tats,
but hers is actually what inspired
her name.

We both love nature. There's this creek right by my house in Arlington that we like to go to. I found it for the first time with her, and probably wouldn't have found it without her. We were on this trail and we could have taken a left or right. She didn't say anything. She just took my hands and lead me left. We do a lot of that. She leads me, I lead her. She loves it though when I take control, switching it up on her, changing gears. Sometimes though she'll challenge me, push me to work harder, be better. I need that and I appreciate it. But there are these moments where we won't say anything, and she just let's me hold her, like we're going somewhere, but nowhere to be at the same time.

We discovered this gorgeous creek that I didn't even know existed. I went there today again with her, this time taking a dip. I loved the refreshing, cool water. Floating, closing my eyes, hearing the crashing water underneath the surface was breathtaking. like I had reached nirvana. God was there, well He's everywhere, but He was clearly there in that moment.

Tangled up in each other

I took Katie home because of plans, and I'm already thinking about spending time with her again. I can't wait until we do, especially taking advantage of the nice weather while it's still here. It's not going to be fun when I start travelling in a couple weeks and we won't see each other much. But we'll cross our bridges, test the road, work together up our hills. We've been going steady for several weeks now and I definitely see this becoming a long-term thing. Katie, shorty, K2, my new found love, my new bike, here's to you.

Check in

2011-09-07T00:27:00.001-04:00

At the end of the day...

...you just want to connect with people, relate with people.

...you want to love some body and be loved back.

And when I say "you", I'm really just talking to myself. And this is where I do my check in.

Who am I connecting with and who am I loving? Is God in this mix? What am I trying to prove, wondering if "I still got it", and to who? Who and what matters in the end, Matt?

Check-in.

Amén.

Sex and Freedom

2011-08-31T23:34:00.000-04:00

An overheard conversation today:

"I decided I want to save sex and anything related for marriage."
"Wow...how do you feel about that?"
"I feel so free. I instantly feel so free."

...wow.

Amen.

"I Love You, Man"

2011-08-20T11:25:00.002-04:00

Probably the biggest thing I missed during my Costa Rica year was the ability to call any of my brothers (close guy friends, if you will) and hang out. Don't get me wrong, I got to hang out with great guys in my housemates Jordan Differeding and Tom Robertson who are the different friends I needed to talk and play basketball, goof around in Spanish, and explore a whole culture and country together. I would say I had acquired two new brothers this year, along with Tim Smilnak and especially Mike Lamanna, my designated prayer partner, in the FC Syracuse house. As Tom would say, I picked these four guys up in this past year's draft.

But this past year, I had definitely missed the guys who were already on my core team. But in the past several weeks back in the states, I have gotten to catch up and more to the guys that matter.

First week in D.C., it was project man time. Boom, dinner with Bobby Kilner (the boy's going to the seminary today!). Boom, movie and dinner at Mike Iskandar's house. Boom, happy hour with Chris Paris.

My bros and my love....kind of sums me up in a nutshell.

I trained down to North Carolina to see what's up, and unfortunately my pickings were slimmer. I had lost Chris Love to team Atlanta where he works now, and I couldn't reach Sam Pendergraft at all, so he must be on the 15-day DL somewhere. In last summer's draft I had picked up one of my boy's Andrew Lipetsky and we got to catch up like we know how: Frisbee golf, talks about married life (the guy just got hitched), and burritos at Moe's.

I came back up to a Silver Spring trip that was epic. I walked into the guy's apartment, and there we were, Paris, Anthony Rennekamp, and Zack Malone (the Spring Break and summer NC travel squad) along with Dan Burns and Matt Tixier, all sitting hanging out talking about the Transformers like we were all in my college suite again. That night, Bobby subbed in for Zack and it was an epic seven-man feast of eat chicken with your hands at Naando's (a new favorite, great $6.95 deal). As Chris put it, there was no better atmosphere, at that price, with the quality and quantity of guys to spend it with. I think even our waitress (who we dubbed "Chicks rule", after her clever work shirt) could tell something special was happening that night.

The following nights my best friend Anthony and I hung out and stayed up late in Matt and Anthony pillow talk style like we always do. He's picked up guitar, so that first night we didn't say a word to each other but just jammed out, even writing a new song. He is my official musical muse who I was definitely missing in the CR. The next night we hung out outside with stogies (again, classic us), talking about vocations (not surprised here), girls (appropriately part of the vocations discussion), and the beauty of brotherhood. We agreed, blessed to have one of my best bros back, that's for sure.

Then boom, this week CUA happy hour and I catch Casey O'Conor and Mark Koury, another two guys I held close and were part of great times in my life (House and Esto Vir, respectively). Then, last night at Koury's b-day, Kilner and back to full circle with Joshua Baum which ended in classic Matt and Josh style Wendy's chow down in his car.

I woke up this morning...feeling completed. My brothers...complete me. Actually, after talking to Josh, one guy missing in this mix and is like that missing puzzle piece is my freshman roommate Matt Patella. That guy's out in Long Island and soon in Boston, I don't know if I'll ever get to see him anytime soon. Patella, if you're reading this, I miss you man. Let's save water sometime.

Others missed as well: Chris Ladner and Ryan Gebhart. These officers were part of our 8-pack of Snowmagedon week and a huge piece of my Senior Esto year. Hope to find you guys in the near future.

Before I end this, I have to throw in some honorable mentions in the mix. First three, Joe Moser, Andrew Finley, and John Simpson. I'm always humbled when anyone buys me a beer, and the act is not soon forgotten in my book. I owe these three a beer one day whenever I get the chance. I should throw in the mix too Jonathan Jerome, Nick Valentino, Craig Mariconti, Kyle Bakas, Robert Poppleton, and all those other guys I hung out with at the wedding.

Lastly, it kind of goes without said that my real brother, Mark Aujero, tops all these guys as he is family. Getting to hang with him and my brother-in-law Steve around has been the best a little brother could have.

"I love you, man." That movie is about a man who doesn't have any guy friends so he goes on a search to find friends to be his groomsmen. "I love you, man" is also a phrase I frequently use with my guy friends, my brothers. Guys who, at the end of the day, complete me and make me a better man. In the end, I think I'll be the one who has a hard time figuring out my groomsmen too...the hardest part trying to pick the few to stand up there with me.

Thank you God, for my boys, my brothers.

Amén.

Articles about my service year in Costa Rica

2011-08-18T12:46:00.005-04:00

So apparently I'm getting published here and there....check it out!

http://www.cua.edu/125/news/LongTermServiceSurprisesBizGrad.cfm
This article is specifically about me and what I was doing in Costa Rica and how it's changed me.

http://www.cua.edu/125/news/longtermservice.cfm
This article is more about long-term service in general, but it has a picture of me at a service site with a couple of my students.

Who whudda thunk, huh?

Amen.

Los Cinco Panes y Los Dos Peces

2011-07-31T21:59:00.002-04:00

[The following was my talk in Spanish to Jesus the Lord in Keyport, NJ]

Buenas días. Me llamo Mateo Aujero, y me gustaría a decir gracias a Padre Ken, el dioses de Trenton y ustedes por la oportunidad a hablarles. Soy de la oficina de La Red de Voluntarios Católicos o en ingles The Catholic Volunteer Network en Washington, D.C. Disculpen por mi español, yo aprendí durante mi tiempo de servicio en Costa Rica, pero no tanto. Va a ser un milagro si ustedes entiendan todos de mis palabras en este tiempo. Vamos a ver, ¿verdad?

Bueno, quiero explicar más de Catholic Volunteer Network, y creo que podemos empezar con el evangelio hoy. Padre Ken leyó la famosa historia de Jesús y la multiplicación de los panes y los peces para cinco mil personas. Alguien recuerda con cuántos panes y peces empezó Jesús? (Pausa) Él empezó con cinco panes y dos peces. Para cinco mil. De los padres que cocinen para una familia de cinco, esto es suficiente, ¿verdad? Traten de cinco mil.

En ninguna parte de la lectura escuchemos a Jesús diciendo: “Eh, chicos, no tengo suficiente.” Tal vez está en una otra Biblia, pero no en nuestra versión que leemos hoy. Pero piensen en esta frase, “No tengo suficiente” y con qué frecuencia nos decimos esta frase en nuestras vidas.

“No tengo suficiente tiempo para esto.”

“No tengo suficiente dinero para esto.”

“En verdad, no tengo la suficiente paciencia para esto.”

Pero Jesús nunca dijo eso, ¿verdad? Él toma lo que Dios le ha dado: cinco panes y dos peces y lo multiplicó.

A mi me gustaría compartir mi historia de cinco panes y dos peces. Acabo de regresar de hacer un año de servicio en Costa Rica a través de unos de los programas de Catholic Volunteer Network. Yo era un coordinador de proyectos de servicio en un colegio y todos los jueves yo llevé algunos estudiantes a un hogar de ancianos. Recuerdo mi primera visita en setiembre del año pasado y me encontré con una mujer ciega que tenía 75 años se llama Flori. Ella se sentó en su silla de ruedas en la parte posterior de todos los demás, y para mi, se parecía una persona no tan feliz. Pero yo era optimista, y me hizo mi meta aquel día a conseguir una sonrisa de ella. En verdad, era más difícil que yo estaba pensando.

Traté de contar historias, bromeando con ella. Y le dije, “Flori, yo sé que usted no puede verme, pero usted está mirando a el filipino más guapo del mundo.” No respondió. Probablemente ella sabía era una mentira.

Me preguntó si yo tenía una novia, y yo pensé, “OK, esta es mi oportunidad.” Yo le dije, “No, no tengo novia. Solo tú, Flori, eres mi novia.” Ella miró directamente a mí, cara seria, y dijo, “Mateo (era mi nombre en español, Mateo), Mateo, tengo un esposo.” OK, bromas que funcionan, ninguna.

Yo había traído mi guitarra, y en el fin de mi visita, yo decidí tocarla. He traducido algunas canciones de inglés a español y empecé a cantar y tocar, ensenando al mismo tiempo. Fue divertido, algunos estaban aplaudiendo, otros cantando conmigo, y algunos…durmiendo. En medio de una de mis canciones, yo vi a Flori atrás los demás, en su silla de ruedas. Y estaba sonriendo. Mi guitarra, (no mi voz), pero mi guitarra, mis cinco panes y dos peces que Dios me dio, fue suficiente para poner una sonrisa en la cara de Flori.

Fue en ese momento cuando me di cuenta de que el servicio no se trata de cambiar el mundo. Se trata de cambiar el día de una persona cada vez. Para mí, se trata de poner una sonrisa en las caras de personas como Flori.

Y esa es la misión de la Red de Voluntarios Católicos, o en ingles, the Catholic Volunteer Network. Es sobre de los 14 mil voluntarios en nuestras programas que toman los cinco panes y dos peces que Dios les ha dado, para cambiar el día y la vida de personas como mi amiga Flori. Escuelas, clínicas, construcción, programas para jóvenes, la lista es interminable de todo tipo de servicios imaginables en nuestras programas en todo 50 estados y más de 100 países en todo el mundo.

¿Quiénes son los voluntarios? Es laicos, hombres y mujeres como ustedes---jóvenes, solteros, casados, mayores, jubilados. Nuestros voluntarios son personas que están respondiendo al llamado a servir, dando un paso de fe, para ayudar aquellos que lo necesitan. Algunos de nosotros toman dos semanas de su vacación, otros un verano, y otros como yo, tomar un año o dos para vivir con la gente que estamos sirviendo.

¿Por qué servir?

Conozco mucha gente que les gustan usar su tiempo de vacaciones no sólo de ver el mundo, pero también ayudar aquellos que ven. Mis padres, por ejemplo, son enfermeros se están jubilando y tienen más tiempo. El otro día mi padre me llamó por teléfono. “Matt, sus programas, ¿necesitan enfermeros? Tal vez pueda encontrar algo con su trabajo con CVS.” “Papa, no es CVS, es CVN, the Catholic Volunteer Network, y sí, necesitamos enfermeros. Te voy a encontrar algo.”

Por último, para los estudiantes que se van a graduar de sus universidades, este es el momento perfecto para tomar un año o dos y vivir en otra ciudad o país para servir. Pueden aplazar sus préstamos, obtener un “stipend” (pago de la organización o sponsor), alojamiento con pensión completa, seguro, todo, y la oportunidad de ver un mundo diferente y encontrar a la persona que son fuera de la universidad.

Todos los detalles de nuestros programas se organizan acá en este libro La Respuesta, o en inglés, Response. Estos libros son gratis para que lleve a sus casas y compartirlos con sus hijos, nietos, abuelitos, vecinos, compañeros de trabajo, sus carteros y sus perros y gatos. Con quién sea. Tenemos un número de teléfono libre si desean ayuda. Y también se pueden llegar a nuestro sito de Web www.catholicvolunteernetwork.org . Voy a estar aquí atrás después de la misa, si quieres verme y hablar más sobre el servicio. Busquen al el filipino más guapo del mundo.

Antes de terminar, me gustaría volver a la metáfora del Evangelio de hoy, y quiero preguntarle a ustedes: ¿cuáles son sus cinco panes y dos peces que Dios les ha dado?

Quizás sus cinco panes y dos peces son cinco días, usted y su esposo o esposa, en un viaje misionero de verano en Guatemala. O cinco meses para su hijo o hija que se graduó de la universidad para pasar en la ciudad de Nueva York en un programa de niños.

Quizás sus cinco panes y dos peces sean cinco dólares y dos ceros más en nuestra segunda colección hoy. Hablar de un milagro de multiplicación, ¿verdad? Pero en realidad, por 40 años, the Catholic Volunteer Network, o la Red de Voluntarios Catolicos, se ha mantenido fiel a su misión gracias a la generosidad de la gente buena en nuestras iglesias, en las iglesias como Jesus The Lord. Sus contribuciones de hoy nos ayudará a continuar con el reclutamiento de voluntarios y atender las necesidades de todos nuestros programas. Y también su dinero va a ayudarme pagar por mi gas para volver a Washington, D.C. Broma.

Por último, y lo más importante, tal vez sus cinco panes y dos peces son cinco minutos de la oración para nosotros. Les pedimos que puedan orar por nuestra misión, nuestros voluntarios, y las personas que servimos. Y las sonrisas que creamos para las mujeres ciegas que tienen 75 años.

Cinco panes y dos peces. ¿Es suficiente? Y mi español? Un milagro. Ahora, con nuestro pan y pez, vamos a multiplicarlo.

¿Amén?

Amén.

Five Loaves and Two Fish

2011-07-31T21:55:00.004-04:00

[The following was my talk I gave based on today's Gospel this weekend at Jesus the Lord Catholic Church in Keyport, NJ]

Good evening/morning. My name is Matt Aujero, and I would like to thank Fr. Ken, the Diocese of Trenton, and you fine people here at Jesus the Lord for letting me speak to y’all on behalf of the Office of the Catholic Volunteer Network based out of Washington, D.C. This is my first time in Keyport, New Jersey. I looked you guys up before I came here. Apparently you’re “The Pearl of the Bayshore.” Wow. I’m from Durham, North Carolina and we’re known as the “City of Medicine.” I don’t know about you but I’ll take “The Pearl of the Bayshore” any day.

Now, to tell you more about Catholic Volunteer Network, I feel it’s appropriate to start with today’s Gospel. Father Kenneth just beautifully read the famous story of Jesus multiplying the loaves and the fish for five thousand. Anybody remember how many loaves and fish Jesus started with? (Pause) Five loaves and two fish. For five thousand. For the parents out there who feed a family of five, I’m sure that’s enough, right? Try five thousand.

Nowhere in the reading we hear Jesus saying, “Um, guys, I don’t have enough.” Maybe in the fine print somewhere but not in the version we read today. But let’s think about that phrase, “I don’t have enough” and how often we say that phrase in our lives.

“I don’t have enough time for this.”

“I don’t have enough money for this.”

“Honestly, I don’t have enough patience for this.”

But Jesus never says that, does He? He takes what God has given Him, five loaves and two fish, and He multiplies it. He makes it work.

I’d like to share my own five loaves and two fish story with you. In Costa Rica, I used to visit this old folk’s home, and I remember my first visit in September I met this 75-year-old blind woman named Flori. She sat in her wheelchair in the back from everyone else, and she just didn’t look like a happy person. Well, optimistic me, I made it my goal that day to cheer her up, get a smile out of her. I tell you what she was not having it.

I tried telling stories, joking with her. I told her, “Flori, even though you can’t see me, you’re looking at the most good-looking Filipino you’d ever known.” No response. She probably knew I was lying to her.

She asked if I had a girlfriend, and I’m thinking “OK, this is my chance.” I tell her, “Nope, don’t have a girlfriend. Just you, Flori, you’re my girlfriend.” She tilts her head and looks right at me, dead serious, and says, “Mateo (that was my Spanish name, Mateo) I have a husband.” OK, jokes that work, still zero.

It was getting towards the end of my visit that day, and I happened to have brought my guitar, and I decided I wanted to feel good about myself wanted to end on a good note and play for everyone there. I took some songs that I had translated to Spanish and I started to sing and play away, teaching as I went. It was fun, I had some clapping their hands, some even singing along, and some…straight up sleeping, but in the middle of it, I catch with the corner of my eye, Flori, in her wheelchair in the back of the room. And she’s smiling. My guitar (not my singing), but my guitar, my five loaves and two fish, what God gave me, was enough to make Flori smile.

It was at that moment when I realized that service is not about changing the world. It’s about changing the day of one person at a time. For me, it’s about making people like Flori smile.

And that’s the mission of Catholic Volunteer Network. It’s about the 14,000 plus volunteers who are currently in our member programs, who take the five loaves and two fish that God has given them, to change the days and lives of people like my friend Flori. Five loaves and two fish to literally feed the stomachs of hungry children, or feed the minds of those we teach, or in reality feed the hearts and souls of those we touch. Schools, health clinics, construction, youth programs, the list goes on of every type of service imaginable happening in our programs in all 50 states and more than 100 countries worldwide.

Who are these volunteers? It’s lay men and women like you---high school, college, single, married, older, retired. Our volunteers are people who want to use their skills in areas of health care, education, engineering, management, community outreach, poverty relief, the list goes on and on, all to serve the poor and those who need it. Answering the call to serve, taking a step of faith into the unknown for those in need. Some take a few weeks, some a summer, others like me, take on a whole year or two to immerse themselves among the people they serve.

And why do people choose service?

I know quite a few people parents who like to use their vacation time to not only see the world, but also help those they see, too. Both my parents, for example, are Registered Nurses and are retiring, around the same age as some of the early retirees in this room, and they have a lot more time. The other day my dad calls me on the phone, “Matt, do your programs need nurses? Maybe you can find us something with your CVS job.” “Dad, it’s CVN, Catholic Volunteer Network, and yes, our programs need nurses. I’ll find you something.”

Lastly, for those graduating college, it is the perfect time to take a year or two and immerse yourself in another city or country to serve. You can defer your loans, you get a living stipend, full room and board, insurance, the works, and a chance to see a different world and find the person you are outside of college. A mentor once told me that the year after college is the most forming year of our adulthood. It’s so true. I graduated from the Catholic University of America out of D.C. last year with a Business Management degree and still wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted to do. I did my year of service in Costa Rica, and I fell in love with teaching English to my juniors down there. Now I’m so sure of what I want to do, and it’s become a high school English teacher. It’s not as important in what we choose to do, but how certain we are with full confidence with what we want to do. I came back with that. How many college graduates do you know have that kind of confidence in what they want in their future?

All of the details of our programs are organized and listed right here in this Response book. These books are available for free to take home, and share this with your children, grandchildren, grandparents, neighbors, coworkers, your mailman and your dog. We have a toll free number to call us if you want one-on-one assistance. And we can also be reached on our Web site at www.catholicvolunteernetwork.org I’ll be available after Mass if you’d like to see me and talk about more about service. I’ll be the good-looking Filipino in the back.

Before I end, I would like to come back to the metaphor in the Gospel, and ask you, what are your fives loaves and two fish that God has given you?

Maybe that’s five days, you and your spouse, on a summer mission trip in Guatemala. Or five months for your son or daughter who’s graduating college to spend in inner city New York working an after school program.

Maybe your five loaves and two fish is five dollars and two zeroes after it in today’s collection. Talk about a multiplication miracle, right? But really, for forty years Catholic Volunteer Network has remained faithful to its mission because of the generosity of the good people in our parishes, parishes like Jesus the Lord. Your contribution today will help us to continue recruiting volunteers and serve the needs of all our mission programs. It will also help pay for my gas money back to D.C. Kidding.

Lastly, and most importantly, maybe your five loaves and two fish is five minutes and two seconds of prayer for us. We ask that you pray for our mission, our volunteers, and the people we serve. And the smiles we create for 75-year-old blind women.

Five loaves and two fish. Is it enough? Jesus said it was. Now let’s make it multiply.

Amen?

Amen.

Firsts of Many in Keyport, NJ

2011-07-31T21:48:00.003-04:00

This past weekend I drove to Keyport, New Jersey to give three talks (two in English, one in Spanish) during the homily of three Masses at this church called Jesus The Lord. The talks are for my new job, the Catholic Volunteer Network, and I was there to motivate people to volunteer and support our programs.

Some moments I want to take back:

This is how I roll...literally.

-Enterprise (actually Tiffany who worked there who wanted to hook me up) gave me a 2010 black Chevy Camaro to drive. That ride was so sweet. I felt like a G riding full bass with XM radio wearing my black flat brim. Lil Wayne's "How to Love" is stuck in my head, was my favorite song that would come on because the bass would literally shake the entirecar, and after a year of salsa and bolero music, some hard hip-hip in my life was welcoming. And don't get me started with the speedometer which was 3D blue light, literally it appeared ON THE ROAD as I was driving, and the music selection appeared there, too. It'll be sad when I have to return that baby back tomorrow morning.

-Gave my first talk ever to a parish of complete strangers. And I think it went off as a hit. I got a lot of compliments, which was humbling, even after the applause after my talk each time. Some people shared some pretty profound stuff with me, I connected with this one college guy, and I ended up writing a lot of their info down to follow up. We had run out of the booklets and brochures by the third Mass, I felt bad! So I made a sign up list for people to take...

-Funniest interaction with a parishioner. No joke here's how the conversation went with a white-haired woman who I think was in her 70s.
"So, are you single?"
"Yep, I'm single." (I'm thinking, sweet, maybe she has a cute grand daughter she wants to introduce me to)
"Are you sure, you're single?"
"....yep. Yes I am."
"OK!" And she says it with this grin on her face. And she walks away. I didn't see her after that haha.

-My dinner with Fr. Ken. Great guy. We had a lot to talk about from priesthood to how my Fr. O, CUA's last president, is now Bishop O'Connel, the bishop of his diocese to teaching English to my time in Costa Rica. Really great guy. And he took me out to this really fancy restaurant with prices I've dreamt of spending. Like, we each ordered an appetizer. I had my OWN APPETIZER! To myself. I don't think that's ever happened in my life.

-After dinner I drove out to the shore and walked along the beach by myself. I sat there in the dark, listening to the water. And I had moment, just talking to Jesus, about life. I haven't done that in awhile, but walking on the beach made me think about how Jesus walked on the beach when he was gathering fishermen to follow him. I asked him if he was catching me, too.

-I came back to the Holiday Inn, and it was the first time in my life I had a whole room, shower, huge bed with four pillows, TV, all to myself. That was redunkulous. I took the guitar out to the pool to jam out then cam back and vegged on Iron Chef. Chum Salmon desert? Interesting...

-I gave my talk in Spanish the next day. I wasn't as practiced as I wanted to be because I had it edited late (lesson learned), but I still got the message across and I had an overwhelming amount of people who wanted to talk to me, I feel like more than the last two Masses combined. Again, I felt bad that we had ran out of booklets.

Anyway, I'm going to post my talks, too. I feel like Fr. Bob posting my homilies (and I guess they sort of are, they're reflections on the Gospel and I spoke in place of the priest's homily).

Overall, great weekend. I think I'm going to like this job....

Amen.

Last Prayer

2011-07-22T01:03:00.003-04:00

Tonight my housemates from Costa Rica and I said our last prayer together. In Tom's room in Pennsylvania, a couple weeks back from down south (some of us more), and we laid in his bed and prayed for the last time. We each said one thing we were thankful for in the year. One mentioned gratitude for the people we met, another for the fun we had, another for how she has changed, another specifically about St. Francis and his model to live by.

I was thankful for how much this year has (unexpectedly) altered the way I want to live the rest of my life. In this past year, I got to find out that I want to teach and has pushed my ambitions and life goals in that direction. Through our community I found out that it is possible to pray together every day with someone else, to share a meal every day together, both things I was skeptical that it was going to happen, but it did, and I want to bring that to my family. I told them that I too had fallen in love with St. Francis and the Franciscan way of thinking and living. And no, maybe I won't be a Franciscan friar, but I want to have a Franciscan family one day, a family that is big on feasting together, laughing together, and being true to each other. And words are not necessary in any of those activities.

At the end of our prayer, we ended with one Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be in Spanish. It was touching for me, to say it together, probably the first full Spanish sentences some of us have said since Costa Rica. And I was proud, that we knew it with our eyes closed, with a Tico accent and everything. It took me personally a long time to get these prayers down by heart, longer than everyone else when we first learned them in our first several weeks. I write them below:

Padre nuestro

que estás en el cielo.

Santificado sea tu nombre.

Venga a nosotros tu reino.

Hágase tu voluntad en la tierra como en el cielo.

Danos hoy nuestra pan de cada día.

Perdona nuestras ofensas,

como también nosotros perdonamos a los que nos ofenden.

No nos dejes caer en tentación

y líbranos del mal.

Amén.

Dios te salve María, llena eres de gracia,

El Señor es contigo.

Bendita tú eres entre todas las mujeres,

y bendito es el fruto tu vientre Jesús.

Santa María, Madre de Dios

ruega por nosotros, pecadores,

ahora y la hora de nuestra muerte.

Amén.

Gloria al Padre, al Hijo y al Espíritu Santo

Como era en el principio, ahora y siempre, por los siglos de los siglos.

Amén.

------------

And for me, it wasn't a better way to end our prayer, our year. In Spanish, something we had learned and experienced together, to our Father and Mother who took care of us down there. Thank You God. Gracias a Dios.

Amén.

The Present of the Moment

2011-07-10T00:40:00.003-04:00

Today I found myself doing something I haven't done for a majority of this year. I was having dinner outside sitting with the core members and workers at L'Arche, the volunteers from Syracuse, and Amy's parents and brother. We were there celebrating Amy's birthday, lucky her having three communities, really three families, surrounding her on her day. I joked with Danielle, one of the core members, I laughed with Amy's mom, and played sass-tennis with Jeanie as we tend to do since I've been down here. And in the middle of that picture-perfect memory, I found a peace in myself and noticed I was doing something I found so hard to do for months. I was living in the moment.

January this year, I came back from winter break strong with momentum and everything was hitting all cylinders. I was praying and working out every day, going to bed and waking up at the same time, and my balance of life, work, community, and friends and family were pretty good.

Then once March rolled around and was starting to be in the thick of applying for jobs, things started to change. I was applying to dozens of teaching and ministry jobs, waiting, waiting, checking my e-mail several times a day. After not hearing back from many, getting straight e-mails how it "won't work out", I got two interviews via Skype. Both felt like shoe-ins, one at a school where one of my best friends worked was talking up the staff for me and another at my old parish where many of the staff already knew and liked me. After what felt like another month of interviewing and waiting for them, I received e-mails from both directors saying the spot has been filled.

The following months I pursued with the job search (longer than I had expected), and even though I had my projects like my Lent Project, "Proyecto Cuaresma" I found myself still at times filled with anxiety and still wondering and worrying about my future.

Finally on May 31st, I landed my job with Catholic Volunteer Network, and for that last month, especially my last two weeks until now I have found the present moment again, especially starting in Costa Rica considering that I may never see some of these people ever again.

I guess I just want to reflect on how refreshing it has been to be fully in the moment of where I am. To be with someone and just sit and be fully engaged in what they're saying, not thinking or worrying about what I need to be doing somewhere else.

If I had a Dumbledore's Pensieve to save memories, I would take my wand and pull out these picture-framed moments of the past several weeks to save forever.

-Tom's tears as he read us his final prayer to us in our living room. His tears weren't the only ones falling in that room.

-Brittany's pursed lips whenever she talks about her girls from her work and how they give her havoc.

-Jelly's barking laugh, chin up in the air and eyes shut, finding humor in one or all of us.

-Jordan holding me when one day after I came home in tears after an upsetting moment at Hogar.

-Singing "Trading My Sorrows" with my youth group, Paxto, for a last time, all of them praising God with me with their thumbs and L's in the air yelling "Yes, Lord! Yes, yes Lord!"

-Reading "Buenas Noches", my departing poem to my English classes, the kids that have made me realize my calling in teaching.

-Playing "Pass the top" with the my boys at La Isla. I had taught them to say "May I have the top," "Yes, you may" and "Thank you" in the exchange of the thing we threw around.

-Hitting the last student square in the chest in our last dodgeball game of the tournament that my decimos and I organized. It was glorious.

-Saying goodbye to Flori, a blind woman I had gotten close to at Hogar, at her bedside because she's really sick now. Saying one last prayer with her, holding her hand, seeing her tears, hearing her say my name one last time, "Mateo...."

-Being in front of the teaching staff in my goodbye breakfast, telling their example has made me want to become a teacher. Some joking, shaking heads, telling me I had chosen wrongly.

-Singing and playing guitar in the office with my boss Jenny, praising God together, songs I had taught her in the beginning of the year, finishing our time together with those same songs. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

-Arriving on U.S. soil, to find in the Charlotte airport Bojangles Fried Chicken, my all-time favorite fast food that's based out of NC. Getting upgraded a 3-pc meal for 2-pc for free. The seasoning and Texas Pete hot sauce covering everything. It was a sure sign God loved me.

The first weekend back, I attended a wedding where I saw a lot of close friends.

-The moment Josh and I rolled into Kelsey, Kara, and Juliette's hotel room, which JJ later followed. House '08-'09 reunite. I'm the luckiest guy to have loving faces to be so happy to see you after such a long time, joke with you, beam at you. Kara yelling: "Matt has facial hair!" These are best friends for life.

-Seeing Casey and Kate kiss the numerous times at the wedding and reception. They are so in love. And classy. I want to be that in love and classy when I get married one day.

-Praying with Mimi in the hallway before the night ended, both leaning over the railing. It's touching that I can still pray with my friend after not talking and seeing each other for so long.

This past week I've had the opportunity to go to each of the sites of the volunteers here in Syracuse, one per day.

-At Jeannie's site, Vincent House, to see the smile on Malaysia, a short pudgy girl with almond-colored skin, a smile where her eyes look almost shut. Every time I glanced at this seven-year-old I thought to myself, "She is so pretty."

-At Tim's site, CYO, to see Gah Wah, a four-year old Asian boy with red pajama outfit with action heroes all over it. The way he would just sprawl out on the floor when he was tired, overwhelmed from learning ABC's.

-At Monsy's site, the food pantry, Sister Therese as she's packing the grocery bags. Joking to me how she needs a step to reach the top shelves.

-And at Amy's site, L'Arche, "shooting" Tim, one of the core members, in the eye, and he going, "Oh!" while grabbing his eye, then following, like a script, "Did you see that?"

            A side not about the my friends here at Syracuse...they inspire me. They are so into their work, into the relationships they have with who they work with ("work" in quotations, as Amy would put it). They really are invested, and they often put extra hours, extra heart, so things can work out the way they should. They may have been overworked this year at times, but it's manifest that the places they work at are over-loved by them.

            As for me, I'm at a peace again after months of trying to find it. I had moments, but this past month since the last two weeks of Costa Rica, has been the most consistent time I've just been happy. (Well, I take that back, the last two weeks of Costa Rica I was borderline depressed thinking about all the people I was leaving). But I got my closure there and I'm smiling because it happened as Dr. Seuss would say. Not stressing about jobs, not stressing about girls, just me being me, playing my guitar, smiling at the person I'm talking to, engaged in what they have to say, laughing out loud at stories told, and having no other place to be but here and now.

            My dad once told me that life and each day is a gift. Jordan would say "that's why they call it the present." I say, thank you God, for letting me to truly be in it again.

Amén.

"Buenas Noches" by Mateo Aujero

2011-06-29T02:37:00.002-04:00

The following is a poem I wrote for my English conversation classes with my juniors that I had been teaching since February. Last fall, I had attended their confirmation retreat, and spent the night in the all-boys room. That entire night, they kept getting up, playing soccer in their underwear, and just being guys, clapping in unison, yelling "Buenas Noches!" It had been an inside joke ever since. The next morning I played "Trading My Sorrows" for them, and the next spring, I became their teacher. This is my review of it all via poem. I read the following on our last day of class:

"Buenas Noches" by Mateo Aujero

It began with a “Buenas Noches!”

Chicos clapping in unison:

“Buenas Noches…Buenas Noches….Buenas Noches”

I responded with a song

All of us singing with a thumb and an L to show who counts:

“Yes, Lord, yes, Lord, yes yes, Lord!”

The next year I became your teacher

And asked, “Why English?”

Many said jobs, but others said they just want to connect

Connect in conversation, which we began.

It started with Machismo

If men and women inequality exists

And if you will let it continue.

I asked what you wanted to be when you were a child

And told you that some of those dreams will always stay with you.

Pursue them.

Find out what you want by finding out who you are.

Because at the end of the day, you want to sleep knowing you are happy with how you spent your life

With someone beside you saying

Buenas Noches, Buenas Noches, Buenas Noches

I asked you to recite your favorite music

Chili Peppers, Black Eyed Peas, Beatles

“By the way I tried to say”

“that tonight´s going to be a good night”

“when you say hello, I say good-bye”

Buenas Noches, Buenas Noches, Buenas Noches

I came up with Project Facebook

With the hope that we can start thinking, talking, and joking more in English

Some did it, some faked it, and some chose not to, saying this to their grades:

Buenas Noches, Buenas Noches, Buenas Noches

I asked you why many teens feel ugly or fat when they actually are not

I asked what does TV or movies have to do with this?

And will we let the media affect us?

What does God see?

When we shut the computer and look in the mirror, will we like who we call “me”?

Buenas Noches, Buenas Noches, Buenas Noches

I asked what makes a hero

You told me strength, courage, someone who makes sacrifices

I asked who was your hero

You told me your mom, your dad

Told me they have strength, courage, and how they make sacrifices

Will you be a hero like them?

Giving every day and night to your children,

Saying before they sleep

Buenas Noches, Buenas Noches, Buenas Noches

I gave you an impossible maze to solve

And we discussed disabilities

What does that mean, and how should we treat those with them?

Sometimes we have the disability to pronounce words correctly

Did you know that the soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert?

And why did a seamstress and sewer fall down into the sewer line, anyway?

Spanish, unlike English, is always pronounced the same, like these words:

Buenas Noches, Buenas Noches, Buenas Noches

My décimos

You have changed me for the better

I came to Costa Rica, to San Francis

Not sure where my future pointed.

Then I got to teach you

And you taught me that I should love what I do

Love who I spend time with.

And it´s students like you

Students like you.

It began with a “Buenas Noches!”

Remember where you were, with a thumb and an L, singing “Yes, Lord”

And know those two words is the answer to all of life´s difficult questions

Because I can´t be your teacher to tell you that anymore

To have these conversations

I have to leave, I have to say good-bye, I have to say

Buenas Noches, Buenas Noches, Buenas Noches

Despedida

2011-06-29T01:41:00.002-04:00

A couple last words written and/or said to a couple key people today on my last day:

"No sabiá mi futuro antes de me llegue aquí en Costa Rica, a San Francis, que voy a hacer despúes mi tiempo aquí. Yo crecí pensando no es posible para ser un profe y tener bastante plata para una familia también, pero ustedes profes, están haciendolo, están haciendolo, me inspiran, porque de sus ejemplos, y de mi experiencia dando clases de inglés a los décimos, quiero ser un profe ahora.....Me di cuenta ustedes son una buenísima familia. Ojalá voy a buscar una familia como ustedes en un colegio en los estados."
-To the teaching staff in my good-bye breakfast and teacher´s meeting

"Gracias por ser mi oración contestada. "
-What I had said to Paxto, and a couple other key people today. In our house there´s a jar where we put shells in for answered prayers. Throughout the year my housemates and I have put a shell (collected from the beach) into the jar whenever we felt God had answered one of our prayers. I had put shells in when I would pray for La Isla to start or for more new volunteers for Hogar. The shells I gave to people were to signify to that person that he or she was specifically an answered prayer for me. I meant every bit of it.

"You are a leader. The world, the church, will need, and needs guys like you. Keep your prayer life alive and show it to everyone. People look up to you and you need to be the example for your peers, your friends. You´re a leader, mae. "
-Words to one of my guys, taking him aside. In reality, there are a lot of good male leaders at the school, and could have said this to a lot more, and I have in different ways in different times to others, either written or said. I was glad to at least catch this one in particular.

"Tenga paz en su vida. Cuando si hay paz, bendice el nombre del Señor. Cuando no hay paz, bendice el nombre del Señor."
-what I wrote on Jenny´s song sheet of "Blessed Be Your Name". We had sang that song together several times together, especially last fall. It´s one of her favorites as is mine, probably top five ever. It meant so much to me to sing it with her, and to sing that song after this year. There had been moments when "the sun [was] shining down on me" and "the world[was] all as it should be" but there were other moments, especially this year when my "road was marked with suffering" and "there [was] "pain in the offering." In total case, singing the song made me realize I can´t help but praise and thank God for all of it, He lovingly gave me my blessings, got me through my sufferings, and I´m better for all of it. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

Good-bye San Francis, good-bye Costa Rica. Thank you for being good to me. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

Amén.

Hopes and Dreams

2011-06-20T02:55:00.001-04:00

I can´t sleep. I´ve tried the old iPod trick but I think my three hour nap in the middle of today has kept me up for now. I currently have "I´ll be" by Edwin McCain on repeat, one of my all-time favorite songs, a song I dream to play at my wedding one day.

Speaking of dreams, it´s what´s keeping me up at the moment. One of the last messages I want to tell my students before I leave here is to keep dreaming, do what you love, pay attention to what makes you alive, what gets you going, what makes you burn, and when you realize what that is, you will know what you want to do with your life.

Perhaps the greatest gift my experience here in Costa Rica in the past year will give me is my realization of where my own hopes and dreams lie.

I want to be a father
I remember from September to around December last year, I had seriously began to be open to being open to the idea of priesthood. I had honest and hard conversations with myself and God in my journal during this time weighing both options. It came down to a conversation with a priest friend in the states. He told me, "What do you want to struggle with?" letting me know both are lives of struggle and "What you choose for you is also best for the rest of the world." The two questions came together as I decided I want to struggle with marriage and family life and write about it in an honest way, with the hope I can reach others, especially fathers, who struggle with marriage and family life. It comes back to my deepest core desire, something I´ve discovered about myself at four years at Catholic: I want to form men to become the men and fathers they´re meant and called to be. The world cries for better and more fathers and vocation is where the needs of the world and your desires meet. That is my vocation. Besides the exciting joys to one day love a wife with everything I have and to raise my own children, I know I can´t fullfill this vocation to preach about fatherhood if I am not struggling with it myself.

I want to write (best-selling) books.
I´ve written about this before, but I´m going to write a book titled Called To Fatherhood and it´s going to be about the vocation of fatherhood that we men should take more seriously. I´m going to interview many men I know who have treated it like a vocation and put their input in it along with my meandering experience.

If I have enough courage, I´ll write a fiction book about a Filipino boy who comes of age to be a man, his conversion, his discovery. I never thought I had an interesting story to tell, but a couple years ago, a close friend of mine told me, "Not many guys have been through what you´ve done." Actually as I think about it, no one has lived my life but me. I´ve recently read Kite Runner (a fantastic book, by the way) and it has encouraged me that I should write my own story, an important message I feel hasn´t been told yet, just like the author of that book.

If I get around to it, I have dreamt to write a book for the female world titled How to Get a Guy Without Taking Anything Off, inspired by being with girlfriends who have swept me off my feet without me taking off anything. My last girlfriend, for example, all we ever did was kiss, with no tongue, and nothing else, hands nowhere else, yet she was the one I loved the most out all of my loves. How did she do that? The book is going to be a guy´s perspective about the what men need and want from a girl, the root of their desires, and why I think girls seek boys in their lives for sometimes the wrong reasons, and the what I think is the secret to having a man to love you: finding respect and love for yourself first, a love and respect that comes from God.

I want to teach
The biggest gift Costa Rica and San Francis has given me is my discovery in my love for teaching. The example of the male teachers with families doing it has wiped away my fear I wouldn´t have enough money to raise a family. And my discovery that I want to love what I do for the rest of my life is more important than money. Money will come, and that combination of humble living and trust in God will get me through. As of right now, I´ve decided my dream job would be to teach English for juniors (like the age group I have now at St. Francis) and I can´t decided yet if I rather teach in a public school like my great alma mater Jordan High in Durham or in all-boys Catholic high school. I was never bought into the idea of single-sex schools until I read Boys Adrift which opened my eyes to why some boys need schools like these. Shoot, some teachers (i.e. me) will need a place where they fully feel alive, too. Plus, it combines my two passions in life: forming boys and English writing. Pay attention to what you love, right?

I want to create a summer camp for guys
One of my far-reaching dreams, one I´m slightly embarrased to share right now because the idea is under-developed, is to create a summer camp for high school Catholic guys. It would be five weeks long, and it would be a camp to expose guys to things they should be able to experience---working with their hands, sports, music, cooking, hiking, service, prayer, and a better identity of what it means to be Catholic and a man with talks and activities on discipline, sacrfice, brotherhood, and chastity (ha, and yes, for those of you who know me well, I know it sounds a lot like Esto Vir, but maybe that´s on purpose). The camp will have volunteer teachers and coaches to help out, also provide ways for fathers of these boys to be involved in an interactive, affirming way. I was inspired again from that book Boys Adrift , with its message that many boys now are more visual learners than hands on which is not the world needs. This camp would be a beginning to redeem hands on education.

I want to record my music
On a lighter note, I picked up my guitar today and played all the secular songs I know. There´s more than I thought, and I owe a lot of that to playing this year. I want to record my music, especially my originals, and I´ve contemplated the idea for awhile now of posting them online on YouTube. I feel when I have the computer that can do this, I will. So look out for that.

Well, it´s now been an hour since I´ve been writing this, and I think I´m finally becoming tired. This post started because I was thinking about how I want my students to dream to be the best version of themselves. I also believe and try to live on that motivation starts with example. These are my biggest hopes and dreams. What are yours? I hope and pray that we all can become who we´ve dreamed to be.

Amén.

Beginning of the end

2011-06-16T12:03:00.000-04:00

Last Monday I started to plan my good-byes and thank-yous.

This morning I asked Miguel if I could have some time to say good-bye to everyone for our last Paxto.

These are not happy activities.

Tomorrow will mark the beginnings of the Lasts. Last Paxto, then next week, Last conversation class, Last La Isla, Last Hogar, Last everything....

:/

Lord, a prayer to You.

Amen.

Something to chew on

2011-05-26T16:32:00.011-04:00

As my close friends and family know, food is a big part of me (though, I´m not that big). I have an appetite of an elephant and the size of an ant. I simply love food. Of my top 5 Things in Life, eating a good meal is a very close second next to spending quality time with close friends or family. Obviously the combination of the two is the ultimate trump.

A lot of times for lunch, I´ll go home to the house and eat dinner leftovers. And I´ll just sit and eat, nothing to read, nothing to watch. For many years, I used to always need some other type of stimulation while I was eating, whether it was rereading the back of cereal boxes when I was a kid, watching TV with my plate on a chair as a teen (shoot, I still do that), or checking my E-mail when I was in college. Now I just sit and eat, rest my mind, and concentrate on the moment and the food I´m eating. Maybe I picked this up after watching Eat, Pray, Love several months ago, but I can´t blame Julia Robert´s character for trying it. It´s such a different experience when it´s just you, your food, and your thoughts. Like an intimate relationship. When I was on newspaper staff in high school, we used to order these huge burritoes from a local hole in the wall during production week, and I remember my then-Editor-in-Chief Will Litton saying, "You have to make love to the burrito" and he would close his eyes, and slowly bite and chew the chickens-bean-guacomole-queso-rice-filled tortilla. His make out/love/eating session would last quite the moment. I, likewise, share the same care and love for food.

I´m the type of person who will eat anything. Though, at this moment, I´d like to make a shout-out to those special foods who tear at my heart-strings. To do this, I will categorize this by meals.

Breakfast


Spam Made in Minnesota, loved by Filipinos

First Place: Spam and Rice
Since I was a kid my favorite breakfast is Spam and Rice. Simple, from the can (made from Minnesotta, who knew Jordan Differding), spam cut up thinly, fried to a crisp, and eaten with plain rice-cooker rice. Eaten with fork and spoon---Filipino style. If you really want to get into Filipino style, you could eat with your hands (right hand for mouth, left for tearing meat), and sit on your chair with one foot on it having your knee all up in the air. Also, if it was a true Filipino meal, there wouldn´t just be spam and rice on the table (there are never just two items for any Filipino meal) and you might find dinner leftovers made into some type of fried rice, fruit, and probably a combination of eggs.

Runner Up: Bacon and Eggs
Now, it´s not like I can show up at someone´s house or Denny´s and ask for Spam and Rice. That just wouldn´t be right. So the next best thing is bacon and eggs. Emphasis on the bacon. I don´t mess around, bacon is up there on my top five favorite foods ever---for it´s crunchiness, greasiness, saltiness, and versatility (it can show up on your eggs, in a sandwhich, on a burger, even around yummy appetizers). It´s simply amazing. As for the eggs, I love my huevos sunny side up, very runny to soak up with with bread, or the Filipino way, with rice.

Honorable Mentions: Gallo Pinto or multi-grain, nutty, oaty cereal
Gallo Pinto is the typical Costa Rican breakfast made up of fried up beans and rice. It´s cooked differently everywhere I go, but a well made one takes the cake. Again, insert bacon and/or fried eggs here.
If none of these are available, I do appreciate a good cereal that has crunch, almonds, and oats all up in it. I love this cereal here in CR called "Komplete" Miel flavored. It´s comparable to Honey Bunches of Oats with Almonds, my favorite cereal in the U.S.

[Editor´s note: I´m getting hungry writing this, and I just had lunch.]

Lunch
First Place: Fried Chicken

Bojangles...just gotta have more.

If there is a food I have been most deprived of the past five years (fours years in D.C., one year here in Costa Rica) it would be good ´ol Southern fried chicken. Where is my Bojangles??! Ah, the right formula of cruchiness, greasiness, with hot sacue (Texas Pete, Tobasco go away) is again up there in top favorite foods ever. Add in Bojangle´s seasoned fries or if I´m at home, a plate of rice and I´m in heaven. Throw in a glass of cold, sweet tea. Add in a heart attack, but it´s well worth it.

Runners-Up: A good meaty sandwhich or cheeseburger (insert bacon here)
Give me a sandwhich with thinly sliced salami, tomatoes, cheese, and bacon and I´m good to go. Or a good meaty restaraunt burger with cheddar cheese and bacon and I am on like Donkey Kong. Or a good chicken sandwhich from Chik-fil-a (again, very southern). With either, a plate of fries is a must. Side note, fries are one of my top favorite foods ever (Bojangles´seasoned fried or Chik-Fil-A´s waffle fries or when I´m home I´ve made fries a several times). Actually, the potato itself is top two, and I rank how much I like them based on its crunchiness and friedness----french fries, tater tots, hash browns, latkes (prounounced "la-kas". I would be Jewish solely for these bad boys), baked potatoes and last, mashed potatoes.

Honorable mentions: My mom´s lumpia and arroz con pollo
One of my favorite meals ever has been my mom´s egg rolls, dipped in vinegar, eaten with plain rice, all by hand. This is probably my most missed meal and haven´t had in a very long time. It´s a treasure of my childhood though and special occasions.
Arroz con pollo is also very Tico and is literally translated "rice with chicken". It is fried up rice with bits of chicken and vegetables mixed with it eaten with frijoles molidos or refried beans and eaten by scooping all of it with big potato chips. If there is a meal I´ve had fourths and fifths of, it would arroz con pollo down here in Costa Rica.

Dinner
As difficult as this category is, I have to break it up with all the different parts of the dinner meal.
The perfect dinner includes:

Salad. As carnivorous as I am, I love me a good salad with a well-done dressing (my current favorite is Fray Nader´s olive oil and red wine vinaigrette that I´m learning to make. Second favorites would a good Italian or Japanese Ginger House dressing.)

Appetizer: Something fried like buffalo wings (Top 10 pick) or mozarella sticks and marinara sauce or if we´re going classy: fried, chewy calamari (currently most frequently chosen appetizer by Mateo)

My requested last meal

The main event: Steak
If there is one food completely missing in Costa Rica, it´s the big, fat, juicy, medium rare steak that we have in the United States. As tender as the Filet Mignon is, it´s not enough food. Slab me that New York Strip, Ribeye or Porterhouse 20 oz and now we´re talking. Hit me with a side of asparagus, maybe a mushroom sauce (both top five vegetables), and some type of variation of potato and I am loving life. Since working at a Japanese restaraunt, I´ve always loved their steak Hibachi style with all the different sauces.

Dessert. Now I´m not much of dessert guy (I always felt bad when cookies or brownies were given as gifts from friends and I couldn´t eat it all). Honestly, I´m the type of person who would rather half thirds than a plate of pie. But if I had to choose, my favorite desserts have always been in fruit form. I love me some cold, cut up mango or watermelon. Also, my cousin Titat´s cookie cake topped with cool whip and a variety of fruit on top has been a local favorite.

Runner-Up: Some form of burrito or taco or quesadilla or taco shell salad with chips and salsa
Since working at Moe´s, I´ve had a knack for creating the tasty burritoes and tacos of different ingredients. I already made it a law (discussion with unknown wife not necessary) for my future family to have at least one Mexican night where I can conjur one of the above contraptions.

Honorable Mentions: Italian and seafood
If I were to have a pizza all to myself (or with someone with my same-tastes), it would be a thin-crust pepperoni, mushroom, and anchovi. Yes, anchovi. I remember when I was a kid my family and I went to Kitty Hawk Pizza in the Outer Banks, and my dad was insisted in asking if they had anchovies. I never had heard about it before, but I wanted to have what my dad was having. And the thin pieces of it on my pizza was delicious.

As for pasta, I love me a good white sauce (something I´m currently try to make well) with a linguini or a good garlic red sauce with penne. Or better yet, a good pesto is my favorite and is the next sauce I´m learning to make well. What I like about Italian food is that it´s pretty filling, which is pretty important if I´m involved.

As for seafood, I love me a good tuna steak (raw in the center), or better my Dad´s salmon, or cracking blue crabs or Alaskan crab legs. Sushi hits the spot, too, with wasubi, tuna or shrimp tempura being top favorites. The thing about seafood is that it´s often not enough to fill me up. Problem-city involving this continously hungry stomach.

Disclaimer: As much as I mentioned different brands, I will say that a home-cooked meal of anything is my favorite. I am going to go ahead and say that a well-cooked breakfast, lunch, or dinner is one of the best gifts you can give me, or in my opinion, anyone. With that said, I´ve been trying to train myself this past year to be a better cook, so I can one day deliver this kind of gift to people.

I´m a little ridiculous when it comes to food, I know. But it´s the little things that count in life, right? One bite at a time.

Amen.

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¿Porque cerramos los ojos?

¿Porque cerramos los ojos cuando rezamos? ¿cuando lloramos? ¿cuando soñamos? ¿o cuando besamos? Porque sabemos que las cosas mas lindas en la vida no se ven, sino que se sienten con el corazon.

-Anónimo

4:08 a.m.

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Something to chew on

¿Porque cerramos los ojos cuando rezamos?
¿cuando lloramos? ¿cuando soñamos? ¿o cuando besamos?
Porque sabemos que las cosas mas lindas en la vida no se ven,
sino que se sienten con el corazon.