Novitiate: Life of Encounter with Jesus

The letter REJOICE, began with the following words.  “The joy of the Gospel fills the heart and lives of all who encounter Jesus. With Jesus Christ joy is constantly born anew. “

The document later states that “Consecrated life is a call to incarnate the Good News, to follow Christ, the crucified and risen one, to take on “Jesus’s way of living and acting as the Incarnate Word in relation to the Father and in relation to the brothers and sisters”.

In practical terms, it is a call to take up his way of life, to adopt his interior attitude, to allow oneself to be invaded by his Spirit, to absorb his surprising logic and his scale of values, to share in his risks and his hopes. “Be guided by the humble yet joyful certainty of those who have been found, touched and transformed by the Truth who is Christ, ever to be proclaimed”.

Our two novices from the US-Philippines delegation desire to embrace the religious life as they are now journeying through their time of novitiate.

Novice Hanjam Eugene Habitan was born on December 13, 1995 in Legazpi City, Albay, Philippines.  He entered the Adorno Fathers Seminary in Vinzons in 2013. He graduated with a degree in classical liberal arts, major in philosophy and minor in religious education at Holy Trinity College Seminary and began his canonical year of novitiate on June 4, 2018.

Novice Jordan Valencia was born on June 5, 1989 in Maragondon, Cavite.  Upon finishing High School, he went to Western College and obtained a BS degree in Business Administration.  After working for five years, he entered the Adorno Fathers Seminary in Vinzons in 2015. He then took courses for an associate diploma in philosophy at Holy Trinity College Seminary.  He began his canonical year of novitiate on June 4, 2018.