SVD Postulancy

(Chosen and Beloved)

PINTIG is a Tagalog word that literally means “beat.” It refers to the rhythmic beating or pulsation, often associated with the heart. PINTIG however is descriptive of other forms of rhythmic movement. And for us, more than just a rhythm – it is a sign of life, love, and calling.  

Every heartbeat tells a story. And just as heartbeats move not in a straight line but rises and falls in waves, our story beat to the rhythm of life that come from diverse cultures, provinces, dialects, families, and personalities. We beat with different pulses – some  quiet, some loud, some steady, some still searching. Yet with our differences, a deeper rhythm unites us: the rhythm of love, the heartbeat of Jesus echoing within each of us, forming us into one pintig, one communion, one body, one mission. Hence, we are not simply a random group of individuals gathered by coincidence.

Inspired by the powerful words of the Gospel above, we call ourselves PINTIG. We are PINTIG, not just because of the beating of our hearts for Him whom we choose to follow, but because our following is a response to Him who chose and loved us, first. We were PINili aT inibIG –chosen and beloved by God.

PINTIG, therefore, beautifully captures the character of our class as it mirrors the image of a community of peoples from diverse backgrounds who march forward with hearts that beat for the  mission, and who, from the very beginning, knew as being chosen and beloved by God – chosen not  because we are perfect, and loved not because we are deserving, but because Christ first loved us.

Our class is composed of 22 seminarians—five from the Central Province and seventeen from the Southern Province. Each of us carries distinct lived experiences. Yet together, the name Pintig becomes the cornerstone of our identity. What flows from the beat of our hearts is the Divine Mercy of God, which fuels and drives us toward a single mission: to spread His love and mercy.

As we celebrate 150 years of the SVD missionary journey, we are reminded that this heartbeat is not meant to remain within its chambers. Like St. Arnold Janssen and the early missionaries, we are invited—through Christ, the source of all beat—to witness to the Light and to carry this divine rhythm to the ends of the earth.

The heartbeat of God’s love must reach everywhere and everyone, crossing borders, cultures, and brokenness. Just as the first missionaries left home and comfort to bring the Gospel to foreign lands, we too are called to go forth in our own little missions, fueled by the same heartbeat of divine love.

Our class name therefore, is not merely a title. It is a living reminder of our identity and mission. We are PINTIG—the heartbeat of a God who chooses, loves, and sends.

So as we journey together, we sing and dance to the pintig of the Divine Word in our hearts –to the  pulse that says:

“I chose you… remain in my love.”

John 15:9

And allow this beat to move us – as one heart, one family, and with one mission together with the prayer of St. Arnold Janssen:

“May the darkness of sin and the night of unbelief vanish before the Light of the Word and the Spirit of grace, and may the Heart of Jesus live in the hearts of all.”

By Post. Johnzell S. Capacia