Live Pure Movement Visits SJA

'We will live PURE!'
Our God would want it that way because He loves us.

"There is no fear in love."  -1 John 4:18

Last February 21, 2014-Friday, we, the Grade 8 students, had our recollection-seminar with the Grade 7 students. This was held in our St. James Multipurpose Hall. We were visited by the Live Pure Movement--an organization which its goal is to spread the good news of TRUE LOVE. Yes. Very straightforward and shocking. True love.

What do we know about love? Why are they giving us these kind of seminars? It's not like we already found our true love by this time? These were the first three questions that came into my mind. Simply because I was true. What do we know about love? Well, if you count puppy love, that is.. You could ask us. But.. True love? Pssh. We wouldn't know the first thing about it, young as we are. When we kept talking about it and talking about it and talking about it, it led me to more and more DISCOMFORT. Why? Because I don't like talking much about my feelings with the general of people. I could talk about it with my friends but not with other people who hardly know me. I mean, please? You'd be rolling your eyes for it too, would ya'?

Anyway, they gave us this separate seminar where the boys are separated with us, girls. And they talked with us about 'Beauty'. Okay. This is really bugging me. So much. But.. I learned, at least, this much:

3 Tips to Being Beautiful Inside and Out

     1. Guard your heart

      2. Practice modesty

      3. Practice waiting

I also learned that true women wait.

Now it's really bugging me to talk about it.

Enough.

Though we did watch this short film by Live Pure Movement that I half enjoyed since it was about two best friends and the one best friend in love with the other. But the other had a girlfriend and the best friend went all broken hearted. But in the end, the girl found a boy rightful for him after all. I enjoyed it, yeah. I'm not all that bitter.

After the recollection-seminar, there was a thanksgiving mass. We were given a few minutes to prepare before the actual mass. While other people were out and about and looking for a vacant comfort room, I was looking for Ms. Sernicola. I was going to ask her if I was going to join the procession of the mass since I was the Responsorial Psalm. And when I saw her, I asked and she said yes. She also told me to get the toga-like wear to be worn by the lectors and commentators. So, I went to that certain room. I didn't turn on the lights so I was just there and standing and looking outside if Ima were to come too.

Not much later, Paula and He came. They turned on the lights and I was there trying not to move so much. Then, he talked to me. He was asking me if I was going to sing the Responsorial Psalm and I was like, "No way!" and he just giggled. Moments later, we saw that the mass was about to start. Ima was still no where to be found. We told this to Ms. Sernicola and we temporarily replaced Ima for a moment with Marie Anne. And just that second, Ima came out of nowhere. She switched places with Marie Anne, not knowing what to do. Then, Ms. Sernicola pulled him away from the procession because he was supposed to commentate in the mass. Hihi. Cute. Much much later, we were already walking in the procession.

We awkwardly headed the wrong direction. Since we didn't have any practice for this, what were they expecting?! So, we moved to the other direction without catching much of the attention of the people.

My seatmates, Ima and Paula, were bugging me on such things. They were asking me when they were going to come up the stage and were we going to join the closing procession. We seriously didn't know. Pamela Pampi was also there because she was the operator of the projector and computer. She also told me that we should switch but we didn't because Ms. Sernicola or Mr. Flores might get mad at us. A little more later, it was the first reading. Ima wasn't prepared for this AT ALL. She was evidently reading the verses in one tone. It was still good to listen to though. After the first reading that almost lasted a lifetime, I went up the stage. I bowed. And I looked up front. Flattened the paper I'm going to read and started talking:

This was what I was reading during that time. This is the actual piece. I just scanned it. So yeah. It went well, thank goodness. It wasn't like before that I was inhaling exhaling over the mic because I was so nervous. I felt more calm. Maybe it was because he was the commentator and I felt more myself than I was or maybe it was just me. After the Responsorial Psalm, I went back to my place and it was the gospel reading.

During communion, my seatmates were also asking me when will we do communion. Luckily, when I looked at him and he signaled us, we knew. And when we were lined up, WE were aligned with each other. Hihi. Not much to brag about, really. When we came back to our seats, I prayed.

And when the mass was over, we didn't know eventually that we were going to join the closing. But we evidently joined. He even smiled at me because we bowed much too late after Father had already bowed. I giggled a bit too. After the whole mass, we all went home. Well, for me, I still didn't. I was looking for a place to go to since I didn't want to go home yet. So, I saw Ronna and we went to the bridge to watch Dianne, Ate Kate, Joanne, Natty and much more of our friends do their training for being a COCC officer. When we went up the bridge, we saw Faith Sanoy and Chesca already there watching them so, we joined in. Much later, I talked much about him. Especially to Faith because she didn't know much. After later, the COCC training ended and we went home.