“A joyful heart is a grateful heart” was how University President Fr Mars P Tan, SJ, ended his homily at the noon Mass organized by the Office of the Mission and Ministry (OMM) to culminate the month-long Mental Health and Wellness celebration. It was a perfect reminder to everyone who physically joined the community Mass at the University Church of the Immaculate Conception yesterday and even those who participated online via XUICC Facebook page.

For the entire month of March, the different units and offices of Xavier Ateneo had one full day of relaxation with their office colleagues in different locations like the beaches and mountain view decks in the city and around Misamis Oriental. OMM Vice President Irene Guitarte also provided a light and simple “Kamustahan flow” for everyone as a community-building activity. “We hope the R&R becomes an opportunity to simply be grateful for the gift of companions in XU and just to spend quality time with one another and have fun.”

Members of the faculty, non-teaching staff, formators and administrators joined the culminating Mass presided by Fr Mars with Fr. Ismael Jose III V. Chan-Gonzaga, SJ, JD, Rector of Loyola House and Director of the College Campus Ministries.

Below is the homily of Fr Mars P Tan, SJ.

 

Homily: Mental Wellness Closing Mass
(Gospel: John 5:1-3, 5-16)

 

Today we gather together as one Xavier Ateneo community to thank the Lord for the blessings of companionship, fellowship, and friendship. This is something that we already know quite well but sometimes we forget or ignore it because of the busyness of life. Many times, work gets in the way and robs us of the spontaneous joy we deserve to have in life.

Indeed, there is much to celebrate in life despite all the restrictions and pains the Covid pandemic has brought upon each of us. There is so much to thank the Lord for, our life, our family, our faith, our work, our relations, our project, and yes even our challenges and concerns. But amid the hustle-bustle of life, we forget to give our hearts the chance to celebrate in joyful praise and thanksgiving to God for all these gifts.

That is why I was happy that the President’s Council (PC) had thought and decided to have a day (even just a day) of rest and recreation for our mental health and wellness. I am even happier to learn that many of you have been grateful for it and felt helped by a day of rest with your colleagues and friends in your respective units and offices.

Thanks to Ms. Annie Oclarit for sharing with me a video of the college Campus Ministry formators during their break day somewhere in Claveria, quite seriously celebrating the Holy Mass with Fr IJ and gleefully singing, dancing, and playing in the company of one another. I was told by Fr Arman about the Philo Dept faculty who decided to spend their dinner and 3-hour long philosophical discussion in a private place in Nazareth. I just hope they did not get indigestion due to so much thinking and talking while eating. In Initao, the Christian Humanism faculty of the Junior High School happily spent the entire day swimming and boating causing muscle pains and tanned skin. Their sharing according to Bro Bien was filled with testimonies of gratitude to one another and to the university. The Senior High School Administrative Council according to Fr RB opted to have lunch at Amaya and spent swimming in the pool afterward while others preferred to have a quieter time in relaxed conversations. At long last, the President Council and the OP staff were able to have an outing after two years of planning in Jasaan beach resort. Ms. Libby, Ms. Irene, and Ms. Sol had to join hands together to make this mental health and wellness activity a reality for the PC (and everyone). It was a relaxing and happy day for everyone spent mostly in conversations, sharing, indoor games, eating, and a little planning (PC could not help inserting some business in any conversations). Sadly, I was alone snorkeling in the calm and cool waters because the rest were enjoying the card games and drinks and some others did not want their hairs destroyed and their skin darkened.

I know the rest of you did have your various mental health and wellness activities in different places, far and near XU, and I know most of you if not all did enjoy and found it relaxing together with your office companions. If you feel worn out during the day and after the mental wellness activity, then you’ve missed the whole point of the activity. A mental break is more than just doing nothing it’s about intentionally enjoying life, feeling you’re so much blessed by God.

Enjoying life or being happy with life amidst life’s realities is spirituality. It’s based on Christian theology that our God desires us to be happy and joyful in life. But we become strangers to that spirituality or it has become unknown to us. That is why it’s hard for many of us to imagine a God who laughs and dances and sings. Our God has become a somber one, serious and always watching us for every mistake we make.

Our image of God is formed mainly from the way we want to form our image of ourselves. Our image of ourselves is also influenced much by our world, its culture, and beliefs. If our image of God is an angry one, stern, and judgmental then most likely that is also how we want to appear to others. No amount of mental break days would be enough to make us relaxed, happy, and grateful to one another.

But if our image of God is a happy one, kind, and even playful then we also enable ourselves to enjoy life and be happy with whatever we do. A happy heart is a healthy heart.

In the Gospel, the paralyzed man was healed after Jesus commanded him to rise, take up his mat, and walk to the pool. Jesus did not perform any healing session on the man. He just empowered him to do by himself what he failed to do for 38 years.

Much of our mental and physical healing depends on us, our choices, and decisions with our life, work, and relationships in whatever circumstances we are in. We ask God to bless us with healing and joy in our hearts. A joyful heart is a grateful heart.