God and the Bar Part IV

My first days in UP Law Review Center were tough and became tougher. When Professor Domondon gave us a lecture on Bar Techniques, I panicked especially when he said that we were there for the re-view and not for our first view of the law books and notes. I even made saddened when he told us about our handwriting and the time we have to alot for each question in every Bar subject. I knew I could hardly pass the Bar if all the words of this well-known professor were true. I felt the frustration in me. I asked myself why did I enter into this mess while I could have a more relaxed life as a priest. What did I do to myself? I was just punishing myself by taking up Law! So I texted Judge Belen, a lector/psalmist in the Resurrection of Our Lord Parish, how I felt. She uplifted me by her words that I could catch up during the review whatever lessons I missed back in the Law School. I was temporarily relieved of my being pessimistic at that time. Atty. Andro de la Cruz also told me the same.

When it was the time to review on Labor with Atty. Poquiz, the more I knew that I knew less on the said subject. Then after Labor, we had our Political Law review with Atty. Cruz and the farther I got lost knowing that I really knew nothing of his subject. There were many new lessons which I only heard for the first time. I had a hardtime to take down notes as the lecturer was too fast for me in giving his lecture which he gave us fluently without using a book as his reference. As months passed by, I was totally lost in the review. The burden of reviewing for the Bar was even made heavy when I had to go back to my brother's house after the review. At night, I could not read anymore as my body was tired and I needed to rest. In the morning, I could not still study because of the noise from the neighborhood. So I had to go with my brother early in the morning and spent my time in his office reading Law Books which I could not understand as the words which I must memorize would not enter my mind. The greatest burden during the review came to me when I realized I was financially constrained. The budget that I prepared for my review was not enough for food, for transportation, for photocopying of notes, etc. It was at this period that I sought the help of Msgr. Manny Gabriel. He welcomed me to stay in his parish at the Ressurection of Our Lord Parish sometime in July of 2015. Msgr. Manny told me that positive vibes in the parish could help me feel good in my review. He said this because he knew that our parishioners were very supportive in my chosen endeavor. I was free to accept mass schedules in the parish if I wanted to. All my board and lodging, accomodations in the parish and others were free through the generosity of Msgr. Manny Gabriel. I had to readjust myself in the new situation. I had to travel at 6 a.m. from Paranaque to UP Law Review Center in Quezon City. I had to go back in Paranaque after our review class and sometimes I arrived in the parish at 10 p.m. or even late at night due to traffic. This always happened when I brought my car with me. But if it was "coding", I needed to commute. Time was of the essence then. It was during these times that I started suffering from vertigo.