Before the Retreat March 26, 2013, Tuesday, 7:30 pm. I was still at school. This was two days before the Verbum Dei Easter Semi-Silent Retreat. While I was on my way home, I was worried about the event. Then I asked myself, ‘Will I still be able to join?’ I still had to finish some requirements before I can I finally be free from school, and honestly, money was also a big problem. I had this savings intended for the retreat, but unfortunately, I ended up spending this money for school projects. At the end of the day, I just prayed that everything will be alright, and that hopefully I will be able to join because I really wanted to. March 26, 2013, Tuesday, 7:30 pm. I was still at school. This was two days before the Verbum Dei Easter Semi-Silent Retreat. While I was on my way home, I was worried about the event. Then I asked myself, ‘Will I still be able to join?’ I still had to finish some requirements before I can I finally be free from school, and honestly, money was also a big problem. I had this savings intended for the retreat, but unfortunately, I ended up spending this money for school projects. At the end of the day, I just prayed that everything will be alright, and that hopefully I will be able to join because I really wanted to. March 27, 2013, Wednesday, 9 pm. I was officially done with all the school related tasks. All I thought about at that time was the retreat but there's one problem left. Then, it's just amazing how God worked things for me. Two people helped me with my fees. ‘Thank you so much!’ All of a sudden, everything was okay, and I was good to go. The Retreat The whole experience was somehow new for me. For the last two years, I have spent my holy week with the Verbum Dei Family and this year was the first time that we had a 'semi-silent retreat'. More time of prayer and more time with Jesus. This was what I really needed. The past three months was very hard for me. Family problems and difficulties with my studies came together at the same time. The retreat has given me freedom from all of these problems, and it has provided me a ticket to a journey to a more prayerful life. The talks have given me a lot of wisdom. It has given me nice thoughts that will always be remembered. From the very first talk, up until the last, I felt like being struck over and over again. ‘For the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword. It pierces to the division of soul and spirits, of joints and marrow, and judges the intentions and thoughts of the heart.’ Hebrews 4:12. God’s words are indeed very powerful. I felt revived, so alive, and there’s this feeling of happiness, fullness, contentment and love that no one else can give. I felt that God’s love for us overflows. His love is for you, for me, and for all of us. There is this passage that I really love, and it says that ‘The mountains may depart, and the hills may be moved, but never will my love depart from you nor my covenant of peace be removed” Isaiah 54:10. His love for us is unending. What touches me most is that even though all of us are imperfect, we are still precious in His eyes, and His love for us covers all our imperfections. From one of the talks, I learned that we must all live in love, and we should not fail to see the vocation of our heart, which is to love. The highlight of my experience was the confession. After my first Easter Encounter 2 years ago, I was really on fire. My heart was burning with passion, and I wanted to share this fire to others. I thought it would just be there, but I was wrong. The fire lasted only for a month, and then it was gone. Same thing happened with last year, my second encounter. It was just in the semi-silent retreat that I fully understood what really happened, and I knew what was lacking. Sister Lorna said in her talk that our sins disconnect ourselves from God, and yes, I got separated from God because of my sins. I admit that I was a sinner, and I felt so ashamed. I felt unworthy of His love. I realized that in order to keep the fire burning, it needs protection from all the sins that may destroy it, and that it needs to be fuelled everyday through our prayers and daily communication with God and Jesus. Through the confession, I felt that I was reconnected and reunited again with Him. I felt like the prodigal son, who was once lost, but was found. He made me feel that His mercy is always greater than our sins. He will never give up on us and He will be there to pull us back again if we’re lost. ‘Where sin is increased, God’s grace overflows all the more’. I knew for sure that the retreat has touched many lives. During our group sharing on the last day, I saw the spark in the eyes of my fellow youth, and there was this one cute little 10-year old girl who almost made me cry with her sharing. I really felt happy for her. I am almost 20 years old now and then there’s this little girl half of my age who knew a lot about Jesus. Now that’s really wonderful! After the Retreat I felt really good after the retreat. Prayer time really did help me a lot. I even said to myself ‘Pwede extend?’ Everything was great, and it was a memorable experience for me. Truth be told, it was life changing. I got a bit sad because those were the days where I felt so joyful, and yet, it has to come to an end. I enjoyed the very fruitful semi-silent retreat. I love the songs, the animations, the place, and of course the people. It was nice meeting new friends who will be with you in the mission. This is something that I would be looking forward to every year. Jesus was inviting me to live a life full of love, to share this love to others, and to touch other people’s lives. This is my mission. The real challenge for me begins now. With God the Father, Jesus, and Mary our Mother, I will strengthen my faith through prayers. My journey of keeping the fire of the mission with Verbum Dei begins today. Faith is a member of the Verbum Dei family here in Cebu. She is currently studying at the University of San Carlos.
You can contact her via email at [email protected].
Ron
4/2/2013 02:43:42 am
Very nice experience Faith! Keep it up. One way of keeping the fire going is to do the mission and sharing your experience is indeed one way to do it :) Comments are closed.
|
News UpdatesA place to read about announcements, news on the latest events here in the Verbum Dei Family Cebu and more. Feel free to leave your comments on any of the articles / updates posted here.
Archives
November 2016
Categories
All
|