By Joy Ampiloquio and Jojoh Lepatan
The authors are members of the Teresian Association (TA or Institución Teresiana) working in Taiwan. Joy, from Bislig City, Surigao del Sur, has written for Misyon before. Jojoh is from Cebu City. Here they report on the experience of a group of students from Tainan, Taiwan.
By Joy Ampiloquio
Peter came up and asked Jesus, ‘Lord, when my brother wrongs me, how often must I forgive him? Seven times?’ ‘No,’ Jesus replied, ‘Not seven times; I say, seventy times seven times’ (Matthew 18:21-22).
There was a release of guilt on her part. Guilt, as defined by the dictionary, is a condition of having done wrong. It is concerned with a deed which has violated certain norms. ‘The violated norms involved in guilt are often, but not always, moral’ (Aaron Ben Ze’ev: The Subtlety of Emotions, p. 498). We feel guilty after doing something which is forbidden and it typically involves some harm to another agent. This student felt guilty and, at some point, thought that her impulsive action was wrong. When people feel guilty, they try to repair what they have done by apologizing, explaining themselves, offering excuses, confessing and making amends.
By Joy Ampiloquio
This reflection is born from the writer’s experience of being in a multi-religious work context in Taiwan and journeying with young people who are searching for meaning in life. In many instances, students share that they feel so at home and able to open their hearts. The writer also has some Buddhist friends who marvel at the fact that a Catholic is willing to be nourished by their practice of meditation.
