God's Love and Life

I am away from the parish and involve in doing a retreat for the catechists over the weekend. This is my first hand at doing something major like this, similar to the pilgrimage I 'led' late last month.

I am writing this from the Choice Weekend retreat house (Jurong West) where are all holed up using my laptop and somebody's 'open' network. Through scanning the place from my room, there were about 4 wireless networks that was not securely locked, so I managed to just piggyback on one of them.

Anyway, the session began well enough with everyone who is there as I slowly open their minds and being to the renewing of oneselves in hungering for God. It was to make a point that we need to acknowledgeour fundamental identity in the eys of God: that we are his children. This then proceeded to the roles and responsibilities of working out this identity through the catechetical ministry that goes hand in hand with proper stewardship.

Throughout the day, I gave them ample opportunities to reflect and pray about their current lives and what more they could do to further develop and grow into a better instrument for sharing and passing on this life and love of God to others.

Much of this has been on my mind lately and when I had used an example of my encounter with the Mysterious during my 30-day retreat in Chiangmai some years ago when I was seminarian, I can't help but felt utterly overwhelmed with great awe and welled-up with tears. Such was the power and presence of God that continues to be with me even during this time.

We ended the day with Holy Hour in the chapel and in the stillness and solitude of that space and time, it was my prayer and hope that the catechists caught a glimpse of God's passing as did Elijah at Mt Horeb.