Pre Novitiate Claret, Kupang. “Today we begin a new academic year,” said Fr. Yohanes Mangge, CMF, the formator for Postulants in the introduction of the Eucharistic celebration at Pre Novitiate Claret (PNC) Kupang on Monday, September 2, 2019. Today the Pre Novitiate Claret community begins a new school year 2019-2020. The Eucharistic celebration was presided over by Fr. Yoma and was accompanied by Frs. Francisco Jose Baeza Roca, cmf (Local Superior) and Eusabius Toda, cmf (Formator of Aspirants)
One of the interesting sides that covered this celebration was the presence of the new members of the community. Aside from the postulants who already underwent one year earlier in the community, the Eucharistic celebration was attended by a fresh energetic faces of 40 Aspirants. The solid enthusiasm to undergo this new academic rhythm expressed fully through their participation in this holy Eucharist.
Listening is the key response and the expression of humility of a disciple. The beginning phase of learning process of a disciple is listening to the teaching of the masters. The attitude of listening enables a disciple to absorb the deepest meaning of his/her master’s teaching. Referring to the Gospel of Luke 4:16-30, Fr. Yoma underlined that the people in the Synagogue was angry to Jesus because they did not have the virtue of humility to listen to Jesus’ teaching. Their narrow-minded and cultural frame blocked their hearts in accepting the teaching of the Master.
Listening is the entrance door into the intellectual journey. Listening is not a passive expression, on the contrary it is an active approach in responding external stimulus. The main purpose of every single learning process is to form a solid-critical analysis and to build a paradigmatic argumentation in responding to the reality. In scientific domain this goal can only be obtained through listening. Thus, listening enables one to respond the reality critically as well as paradigmatically. Listening is the primary thesis in dialectic and in avoiding argumentation trap ad hominem, directed against a person’s character.
The celebration ended with the official announcement from the superior of the community that, “Today officially we begin the new academic year,” said Fr. Francisco JB. Roca, cmf.