10 THINGS THAT I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER FROM BR. ELMER
by Br. Jomar (FIN-BMA missionary in the Amazon)
One of my inspiration to be a Salesian Brother is Br. Elmer
Rodriguez, SDB or 'Brads!' as I fondly call him. His passionate life was solely
dedicated to the very poor and abandoned young people. His love for them was
ordinary yet lived in a very special and extraordinary way. For me, Br. Elmer
is a saint!
When I learned about his passing away, I wanted to immediately
post something here on Facebook to pay him tribute. However, the internet speed
in the forest and in the rivers of the Amazon (Brazil) did not permit it. Now
that I am back in the city of Manaus, let me grab this opportunity to share
something. Allow me to share only 10 (I have more and you may have other 10's
too). Here is mine.
1. BUSINESS CARD - One afternoon, we were attending mass
somewhere in Tagaytay. There was a parish announcement offering scholarships to
poor parishioners after communion. After the mass Br. Elmer gave his business
card to the commentator to have it passed to the scholarship coordinator. He said,
he is Br. Elmer from Don Bosco Makati TVET, and he is giving 5 slots for their
parish. All they need to bring is a birth certificate. What is more interesting
is: What are the criteria for accepting TVET trainees? "Ang trainee ay
handang matuto, handang sumunod, handang mag-sakripisyo." (A trainee
should be willing to learn, should be willing to obey and should be willing to
make sacrifices.) He will always help those who do not even know how to read
and write, those you come from other religions, and even from those with the
least resources in life. Siguro kung pwedi lang tanggapin ang lahat,
tatanggapin ni Brads sila.
2. "ETERNAL CAKE" - I will always remember Br. Elmer
bringing to us delicious Red Ribbon cakes that were not sold in the shops
because they were deformed or expiration is near. But what is more touching to
me is: he would also bring these to our community even though there is a
typhoon, or when he has a fever, or even when he is so tired. He said he needed
to bring these to the young people whom he cares, and to the many people who
collaborates with him (and to the seminarians and brothers too!).
3. SEMINARY HELP - Do you think Br. Elmer only works for the
very poor youth? When I was Economer of the Postnovitiate in Canlubang, I am a
witness for his immesurable love for vocations, especially the seminary. I know
he needs a lot of money for his Ampon Ministry but he was able to find a
benefactor to the Postnovitiate who donates some amount every month. He will
give anything that could be of great help. He said: offer prayers for the
benefactor. Likewise, he used remind me to take good care of our postnovices.
Whenever I need something I could tell him, "baka may maitulong daw siya.
(maybe he could help in a way.)
4. "KALBO, HALABAS AT TRABAHO" - (Shaved heads,
Sickles, and Work) - Did you ever think why Br. Elmer (when he was Director of
the TVET) would ask the boys to shave their heads, bring sickles/broom-stricks,
and work under the scorching heat of the sun for the whole day? It is explained
this way. (1) To shave your head means that we are all equal in the training
center, no body is rich or poor, no body has a better background, 'no-read' or
'no-write' are welcome. We are all equal in the eyes of God. We are all
brothers in the training center. (2) The sickle represents the need to clear
your life from bad ways. You need to sickle the weeds out from your life. This
means you need to remove what chokes the wheat to grow, and to produce good
fruit. These are the vices, the bad habits, and sin. This is your business in
Don Bosco, transformation. (3) Lastly, work is vital because this is the very
motivation why the students come to Don Bosco TVET, to work and to live a
better life. You should not give up in challenges. Work will definitely build
character. God is always with you. Moreover, he would always remind the
students to work the "Bosconian" way. To live up to the values they
learned from Don Bosco, a holier life too!
5. STRONG-GRIP - Who would never shout whenever you receive the
strong grip from Br. Elmer when you shake his hands. I really do not know the
reason for such a unique gesture. But for me, the stronger the grip, the
stronger the love, concern, and the importance of the person to Br. Elmer.
6. PURITY - He told me that one of the most important virtues of
a Salesian is Purity, his chastity. He always reminded me to go to regular
confession, to keep myself in the state of grace, and to stay away from
temptations. In working with the young, this is a very important.
7. HUMILITY (in the Salesian Brother Vocation) - He used to say
to the brothers: If you want more applauses, be a priest, but if you can take
to be applauded almost never, be a Salesian Brother. If you want popularity,
become a priest, but if you can live your vocation to be unnoticed, then be a
Salesian Brother. Moreover, if you want to receive more 'Thank You' be a
priest, but when you do so much good even without 'Thank You', then you can
become a Salesian Brother. Let me add more. Looking at your life, Br. Elmer, I
would like to give you more applauses, and I want to make your life more known
(to make you popular). Also, our "Thank You's" will be immeasurable
too. Super thank you, Brads! Your life is a reminder to live the Salesian life
to its fullest. I can hear him telling me that Salesian life is not a joke, it
is not an easy life. Live it well! Who has a documentation of the vastness of
the Ampon network? You are Don Bosco to many young people.
8. MISSIONS - Br. Elmer's big heart is a missionary heart. He
goes out to look for the most in need. But did you know that he also wanted to
go for missions "ad gentes", he told me this a day before I left for
Rome last year to prepare for the missionary expedition course? He reminded me
to have a big heart especially for the poor. He told me to fulfill his
dream to be a missionary. I pray that I can imitate his big heart too. I will
surely do my best to do so. He told me not to forget to pray and to go to
confession.
9. PUSO - (Heart) - He always reminds me "Love the
young." Love like the Father loves them. He has a fat body, so too his
heart is. I remember my formators telling me, "How will you measure the
relationship of a person to Jesus? You need to look at how he loves his
neighbors." For those you know Br. Elmer, this does not need much more
explanations.
10. KABANALAN - (Holiness) A "Bosconian" should be...
a SANIT! (Maging... Santo!) he would always speak about this especially in very
informal encounters. This is the goal of every Salesian to help the young find
their way to become saints. You are truly a saint, Brads! You gave yourself for
the young until your last breath for the young. With your life, you have proven
sanctity is possible.
I cannot express everything in this short post. The love you
have given us confreres, the TVET students under your care, is immeasurable,
you loved like 'The Father'. The many people who went to your wake and has
attended your funeral is a testimony of how you have consumed your life to the
young. As I recall your story, you were like Bl. Artemide Zatti, Bl. Stephen
Sandor or Ven. Simon Srugi, and other holy Salesian Brothers.
Thank you, Brads! Walang kapantay na pasasalamat! I will truly
miss you.
10 THINGS THAT I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER FROM BR. ELMER
by Br. Jomar (FIN-BMA missionary in the Amazon)
One of my inspiration to be a Salesian Brother is Br. Elmer Rodriguez, SDB or 'Brads!' as I fondly call him. His passionate life was solely dedicated to the very poor and abandoned young people. His love for them was ordinary yet lived in a very special and extraordinary way. For me, Br. Elmer is a saint!
When I learned about his passing away, I wanted to immediately post something here on Facebook to pay him tribute. However, the internet speed in the forest and in the rivers of the Amazon (Brazil) did not permit it. Now that I am back in the city of Manaus, let me grab this opportunity to share something. Allow me to share only 10 (I have more and you may have other 10's too). Here is mine.
1. BUSINESS CARD - One afternoon, we were attending mass somewhere in Tagaytay. There was a parish announcement offering scholarships to poor parishioners after communion. After the mass Br. Elmer gave his business card to the commentator to have it passed to the scholarship coordinator. He said, he is Br. Elmer from Don Bosco Makati TVET, and he is giving 5 slots for their parish. All they need to bring is a birth certificate. What is more interesting is: What are the criteria for accepting TVET trainees? "Ang trainee ay handang matuto, handang sumunod, handang mag-sakripisyo." (A trainee should be willing to learn, should be willing to obey and should be willing to make sacrifices.) He will always help those who do not even know how to read and write, those you come from other religions, and even from those with the least resources in life. Siguro kung pwedi lang tanggapin ang lahat, tatanggapin ni Brads sila.
2. "ETERNAL CAKE" - I will always remember Br. Elmer bringing to us delicious Red Ribbon cakes that were not sold in the shops because they were deformed or expiration is near. But what is more touching to me is: he would also bring these to our community even though there is a typhoon, or when he has a fever, or even when he is so tired. He said he needed to bring these to the young people whom he cares, and to the many people who collaborates with him (and to the seminarians and brothers too!).
3. SEMINARY HELP - Do you think Br. Elmer only works for the very poor youth? When I was Economer of the Postnovitiate in Canlubang, I am a witness for his immesurable love for vocations, especially the seminary. I know he needs a lot of money for his Ampon Ministry but he was able to find a benefactor to the Postnovitiate who donates some amount every month. He will give anything that could be of great help. He said: offer prayers for the benefactor. Likewise, he used remind me to take good care of our postnovices. Whenever I need something I could tell him, "baka may maitulong daw siya. (maybe he could help in a way.)
4. "KALBO, HALABAS AT TRABAHO" - (Shaved heads, Sickles, and Work) - Did you ever think why Br. Elmer (when he was Director of the TVET) would ask the boys to shave their heads, bring sickles/broom-stricks, and work under the scorching heat of the sun for the whole day? It is explained this way. (1) To shave your head means that we are all equal in the training center, no body is rich or poor, no body has a better background, 'no-read' or 'no-write' are welcome. We are all equal in the eyes of God. We are all brothers in the training center. (2) The sickle represents the need to clear your life from bad ways. You need to sickle the weeds out from your life. This means you need to remove what chokes the wheat to grow, and to produce good fruit. These are the vices, the bad habits, and sin. This is your business in Don Bosco, transformation. (3) Lastly, work is vital because this is the very motivation why the students come to Don Bosco TVET, to work and to live a better life. You should not give up in challenges. Work will definitely build character. God is always with you. Moreover, he would always remind the students to work the "Bosconian" way. To live up to the values they learned from Don Bosco, a holier life too!
5. STRONG-GRIP - Who would never shout whenever you receive the strong grip from Br. Elmer when you shake his hands. I really do not know the reason for such a unique gesture. But for me, the stronger the grip, the stronger the love, concern, and the importance of the person to Br. Elmer.
6. PURITY - He told me that one of the most important virtues of a Salesian is Purity, his chastity. He always reminded me to go to regular confession, to keep myself in the state of grace, and to stay away from temptations. In working with the young, this is a very important.
7. HUMILITY (in the Salesian Brother Vocation) - He used to say to the brothers: If you want more applauses, be a priest, but if you can take to be applauded almost never, be a Salesian Brother. If you want popularity, become a priest, but if you can live your vocation to be unnoticed, then be a Salesian Brother. Moreover, if you want to receive more 'Thank You' be a priest, but when you do so much good even without 'Thank You', then you can become a Salesian Brother. Let me add more. Looking at your life, Br. Elmer, I would like to give you more applauses, and I want to make your life more known (to make you popular). Also, our "Thank You's" will be immeasurable too. Super thank you, Brads! Your life is a reminder to live the Salesian life to its fullest. I can hear him telling me that Salesian life is not a joke, it is not an easy life. Live it well! Who has a documentation of the vastness of the Ampon network? You are Don Bosco to many young people.
8. MISSIONS - Br. Elmer's big heart is a missionary heart. He goes out to look for the most in need. But did you know that he also wanted to go for missions "ad gentes", he told me this a day before I left for Rome last year to prepare for the missionary expedition course? He reminded me to have a big heart especially for the poor. He told me to fulfill his dream to be a missionary. I pray that I can imitate his big heart too. I will surely do my best to do so. He told me not to forget to pray and to go to confession.
9. PUSO - (Heart) - He always reminds me "Love the young." Love like the Father loves them. He has a fat body, so too his heart is. I remember my formators telling me, "How will you measure the relationship of a person to Jesus? You need to look at how he loves his neighbors." For those you know Br. Elmer, this does not need much more explanations.
10. KABANALAN - (Holiness) A "Bosconian" should be... a SANIT! (Maging... Santo!) he would always speak about this especially in very informal encounters. This is the goal of every Salesian to help the young find their way to become saints. You are truly a saint, Brads! You gave yourself for the young until your last breath for the young. With your life, you have proven sanctity is possible.
I cannot express everything in this short post. The love you have given us confreres, the TVET students under your care, is immeasurable, you loved like 'The Father'. The many people who went to your wake and has attended your funeral is a testimony of how you have consumed your life to the young. As I recall your story, you were like Bl. Artemide Zatti, Bl. Stephen Sandor or Ven. Simon Srugi, and other holy Salesian Brothers.
Thank you, Brads! Walang kapantay na pasasalamat! I will truly miss you.