Daniel MacMahon sought parish sponsorship for a Magis program which took him to the Philippines and a placement which gave him insights into life and his life. He was asked to write of his experience:
In early January this year a number of young people, including myself, embarked on a pilgrimage to the Philippines. It was a pilgrimage which at its core centred on experience . And in terms of experiences there were many.
These experiences, which for me would not have been possible save for the generous funding of this parish, were made even more special by virtue of the Ignatian drive which underpinned them. Ignatius was a man dedicated to action and contemplation. With these basic spiritual tenets in mind the Philippines became a melting pot of experiences, the flavours of which were drawn out in fullness through generous contemplation undertaken throughout the trip.
The design of the Immersion did not offer a feel good exercise in social Justice. While these occasions are important and have their place, the primary aim was to challenge pilgrims to find God in the numerous, often tragic, environments in which we found ourselves. Through the experiences had in these environments a rich encounter with God was to be had for many.
One special experience for me involved spending a day with a 70 year old man Titing, his wife Maria and their children in Bohol. The day involved following a normal day in the life of Titing as he went about tending his fish farm, his numerous backyard crops and forest plantations.
Weeding his garden in the morning in tropical heat conditions proved electric with a gathering of unemployed women and mothers constantly overlooking; giggling and chatting about the strange foreigner appearing so out of place in one of their elders‟ garden. Whilst at the time it didn‟t mean much to me, on reflection Titing must have had a lot on his mind when he declared “when you come back, you take my daughter home with you and marry her!”
So, whether it was in the forests of Bohol, the Rubbish dump slums of Manila, the safe haven house of the FCJ nuns (who facilitated much of our pilgrimage), fishing in rivers or walking up to my knees in mud flats there were many experiences to be had during January. These experiences have certainly broadened by understanding of faith to include an outlook very much aware that action is just as important as going to mass, offering a Rosary or sitting in adoration before the Eucharist.
For without action, how are we to have experiences? And without shared experiences how are we to develop friendships, let alone a rich relationship with God?
These insights are just some of the fruits of my Immersion trip to the Philippines. They are insights which remind me of whence they came and precipitate great memories from which I continue to grow. Most importantly they remind me of the eternal experiences I had in January. They are imprinted forever onto my heart and constitute a part of me which, but for this parishes generosity, would never have otherwise been.
Thanks for the experience!