Advent Recollection

In preparation for Advent, my community organized a recollection for us. It was held at the Verbum Dei Retreat house right beside the Celestial Gardens. Its been a long time since my last recollection. College pa siguro yung last. It was an early instropection on what the year has held for me and what I have to look forward to. As our officiating priest called it, preparing for the preparation since Advent is the preparation for Christmas.

The homily of the Spanish priest really hit home. He touched on the parable of the talents and how our lives are our talents and how we should invest and use our life. He said that its all good that we count what the Lord has given us but we should also give God an accounting of what we have done for Him. Tell Him how the life that He has given as a blessing is being used.

I appreciate and am so thankful of how God is so giving to me and my loved ones. He has showered so many blessings on me and the people who matter to me. I feel most ashamed that I haven't done enough for Him. I haven't been as loving of my neighbor as He would have liked.

Its a different perspective for many of us, I suppose. We are all used to counting and keeping track of all the good things or not so good things that has happened to us through the year. But how many of us has kept track of whether he has done enough good for others. Of how many people's lives we have made better. It just really made me think.

But the recollection wasn't all serious stuff though. We had a lot of fun during our icebreakers. And the missionary assigned to us was a real barrel of laughs. He's Spanish also and after staying in the Philippines for 4 yeras, he has imbibed the irreverent Filipino humor as well. Complete with the mannerisms and everything.

This has been a fruitful day and its a good introduction to the Christmas season as well as the coming New Year. Now, I have to think of a most beautiful gift for the real star of the Christmas season, our Lord Jesus.