St. Michael's Associate Recollection.docx

MARCH 23 RECOLLECTION

Time Guide 08:30 – 08:45 - Settling Down with Prayer 08:45 – 09:00 - Introduction 09:00 – 09:05 - Ignatian Meditation Pre-conditioning and Orientation 09:05 – 09:25 - Ignatian Meditation Proper 09:25 – 09:35 - Reflection Time 09:35

- Group Sharing - BREAK

10:30 – 11:00 - Input 11:00 – 11:05 - Reconciliation Orientation 11:05

- Reflection Time - LUNCH BREAK

01:00

- Group Sharing - Input

_________________________________ I. Settling Down Things to consider for the settling down activity: - Let them think of themselves alone. - Let them think not to worry about the things they left at home, problems, business. - Lead them to prayer by giving them (“God’s Letter” handout) and play a background music. - After 10 minutes, start an impromptu prayer and encourage them to say some of the things they want to ask from God for this recollection. II. Introduction - Introduce yourself them let them introduce themselves however they want as well as their expectations on the recollection. - Say some house rules and orientation. - Introduce the topic and style of the recollection.

- Since we are in the season of lent, I think it is right to prepare ourselves for the Holy Week and there’s no way of doing it but through recognizing God’s love and mercy for us even in the midst of suffering and do something about it through reconciling ourselves not only to our neighbors but also to God. - The medium that I will be using is English and Bisaya. - In the morning, we will be using a type of meditation that is called the Ignatian Meditation, named after St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus or Jesuits. In this meditation, we will be using our imagination with the help of music. - If needed, ask the demographics of the participants. - Tell them the story of the Monk and the Observer. III. Ignatian Meditation a. Pre-meditation - Find a comfortable spot within the hall. You can lie on your back, squat on the floor, anything that makes you comfortable. Close your eyes, listen to the guide. b. Ignatian Meditation - Mark 4:35 – 41 Sa pagkagabii na, miingon si Jesus sa iyang mga sumusunod, “Dali, motabok kita.” Busa gibiyaan sa iyang mga sumusunod ang daghang mga tawo nga nagtigom, ug misakay sila didto sa sakayan nga gisakyan ni Jesus. Ug sa nagalawig na sila, kalit lang mihuros ang kusog nga hangin. Sige ang hapak sa dagko nga mga balod, ug hapit na mapuno sa tubig ang sakayan. Apan si Jesus didto sa ulin sa sakayan natulog nga nag-unlan. Gipukaw nila siya. Miingon sila, “Magtutudlo, wala ka ba mabalaka nga malunod na kita?” Busa mibangon siya ug gimandoan niya ang hangin ug ang mga balod, “Hunong!” Ug mihunong ang hangin ug milinaw ang dagat. Ug miingon si Jesus kanila, “Nganong nangahadlok man kamo? Wala pa ba kamoy pagtuo kanako?” Gi-imbitahan mo nako karon sa pag-imagine nga usa ka sa mga disipulo nga kuyog ni Kristo. “Dali, motabok kita” Maoy nadunggan nimo nga giingon ni Hesus. Unsay

nawong ni Hesus? Unsa iyang humot? Unsay klase sa iyang tingog? Unsay nawong sa imong mga kauban nga disipulo? Unsay ilang expression? Daghan ba ang mga tawo nga naa sa baybayon? Unsay ilang gipangbuhat? Sa pagpadulong nimo sa sakayan aron musakay, unsay gidak-on sa sakyanan? Layo ba kini sa baybayon? Kusog baa ng balod o linaw? Unsay humot sa dagat? Dali ra ba ka nakasakay sa sakayan? Naa bay gatabang nimo sa pagsaka? Pila mo kabook nangsakay? Asa ka dapita nilingkod? Sa naa na mo sa tunga-tunga sa lawa, unsa may nakita nimo nga nipalibot sa sakayan? Naa bay mga langgam nga naglupadlupad? Naa bay isda nga nag-ambak-ambak sa tubig? Unsay kolor sa panganod? Kumusta imong mga kauban? Kumusta si Hesus? Sa pagkalit og horos sa kusog nga hangin, unsa may gibati nimo? Unsay mga expression sa imong mga kauban? Gasugod na og hapak ang mga dagko nga balod ngadto sa sakayan. Kusog ba ang tingog sa paghapak niini ngadto sa sakayan? Unsa may gibuhat nimo? Unsa may gibati nimo? Unsay gibuhat sa imong mga kauban? Unsay expression sa imong mga kauban? Kumusta si Hesus? Tungod sa paghapak-hapak sa mga dagko nga balod, nasudlan na og tubig ang inyong sakayan. Unsa may imong gibuhat? Unsay gibati nimo? Tugnaw ba ang hangin og tubig? Kumusta imong mga kauban? Kumusta si Hesus? Kumusta ang panahon, ngitngit ba o hayag? Hapit na malunod ang sakayan apan nakit-an nimo nga si Hesus nahinanok gihapon sa pagkatulog. Unsay imong gibati? Unsay imong gibuhat? Kumusta imong mga kauban? Unsay nakita nimo samtang hapit na malunod ang sakayan? Unsay nawong sa pagkahinanok ni Hesus?

Gi-unsa nimo pagpukaw si Hesus? Unsay tuyo nimo nga gipukaw man siya? Giunsa pagpukaw sa imong mga kauban si Hesus? Unsay facial reaction ni Hesus pagmata niya? Hapit na ba gyod malunod ang sakayan? Taga-asa na dapit ang tubig sulod sa sakayan? “Ginoo, wala ba ka mabalaka nga malunod na kita?” Kinsay nangutana? Unsay nawong sa nangutana? Imagina ang mga nawong sa imong kauban, ang nawong ni Hesus, ang imong nawong? Kumusta naman ka? Kumusta ang imong mga kauban? Busa nibangon si Hesus og nibarog. “Hunong!” Ug nihunong ang hangin ug nilinaw ang dagat. Unsay nawong ni Hesus niini? Paspas ba siya nibarog? Kusog na iyang tingog? Unsay nakita nimo sa imong palibot? Nilinaw ba dayon ang dagat ug nihunong ang hangin? Unsay mga facial expression sa imong mga kauban? Naa bay nagsaba-saba? Naa bay naghilak? Nihilak ba ka? Unsay imong gibati? Ngano gibati man na nimo? “Nganong nangahadlok man kamo? Wala pa ba kamoy pagtuo kanako?” pangutana ni Hesus kaninyo didto sa sakayan. Unsay tono sa iyang tingog? Unsay gitubag nimo? Unsay gitubag sa imong mga kauban? Unsay expression ni Hesus? Unsay expression nimo? Unsay expression sa imong kauban? c. Group Sharing Use these guide questions for the group sharing. The group sharing will start 10 minutes after giving them the set of questions in order for them to prepare and reflect on the questions given. 1. Kumusta man ang Ignatian Meditation? Nakatabang ba kini sa imong pagpamalandong? Unsa may imong mga pamalandong kabahin sa storya ni Hesus ug sa Iyang mga apostoles didto sa lawod? 2. Duna bay punto sa imong kinabuhi nga galagot ka o ni-question ka sa Ginoo tungod sa mga kalisdanan nga imong nasinati? Unsa man ni nga kalisdanan? Unsay imong gibuhat aron kining tanan nga kalagot mawala? Unsay panan-aw nimo nga gusting ipadayag sa Ginoo kanimo taliwala ato nga problema? 3. Kumusta ka karon? Naa ba kay bug-at nga gisagubang sa kinabuhi? Nakatabang baa ng imong pagtuo sa Ginoo sa pagsubang niini nga kalisdanan? Sa unsang paagi?

d. Input

Mark 4:37-41 A great windstorm arose and the wave beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. But He was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to Him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”

Real World Problems came into our life, beating us left and right, testing the limits of our endurance. - Natutulog ba ang Diyos? By Gary V. - Why is God punishing me? - What have I done to deserve all of this? - Why is God abandoning me? - If God is such a good God, why is he allowing such evil in my life? - I AM VERY ANGRY WITH GOD

Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith? - The Theology of Retribution  Is an old idea that you get what you deserve. If you do bad things, then you will reap bad things.  In the Old Testament, an example of this can be found in Proverbs 3:33, “The Lord’s curse is on the house of the wicked, but he blesses the home of the righteous”.  In the New Testament, an example can be found in Acts 28:4, “They said to each other, ‘This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, the goddess Justice has not allowed him to live’”.  Another example would be a widow.  Up to this day, we can still hear things like this.  Can we really condemn those who are sick? Can we condemn those who have problems in life? If yes, naa bay tawo nga way problema? Aside sa mga naay sakit mentally, wala. Therefore, if tinuod ni, kitang tanan ma-condemn.  However, the Theology of Retribution had been already debunked thousands of years ago. During Jesus’s time. Because if it is still applicable, then what is the purpose of Jesus’ crucifixion? - My CPE Experience  When I had my CPE 3 years ago, I had the chance to talk with different people who were admitted in the San Pedro Hospital in Davao City – people with terminal illness, teenagers who were rushed to the hospital because of illegal abortions, families of patients who were already in their last hours, etc.  What was typical responses to suffering is the tendency to foster contempt and doubt in God. It’s not usual for me to hear phrases like: Natutulog ba ng Dios, is God punishing me, what have I done to deserve all this, etc. I call this as the “God-against-me” type.  Like the disciples, these responses assume that God is either asleep or not concerned to the situation. The interpretation is not simply that life is difficult, but since it’s difficult, God doesn’t care or is working against them.

 The truth of the matter is that during moments of suffering when we accuse God of being apathetic, sleeping, or against us; it is the time that the Gospel is really at work, it is the time when we will be always reminded with the effect of the cross.  How come? Show “Everything I Do” movie. During the passion scene, people from different status in life throw something to Jesus, spit on Jesus, He was even tortured, mocked, and even challenged that if he is the King of the Jews, He should save Himself from the cross.  Despite all of this, did he throw a lightning bolt to these people? Nope. He offered Himself and die on the cross because He want to save us all from damnation and show to us His great love. His willingness to bridge the gap of our understanding of God – which is abstract – through being born to a virgin, being a man – who bleeds, who feels pain, who feels hunger and thirst – and death. He is the visible sign of an invisible reality.  If the effect of the cross is gone, then, dugay ra unta ta gikilatan.  What I did when I encounter patients who were under this type was to bring the Gospel into the scene. Letting them realize the nature of God, from careless and cruel into a God who is actually amazing and merciful.  How then did I do it? Through teaching them to offer their sufferings to God, believing that God is always there with them. He won’t give us trials if we can’t handle it. - Conclusion  We are almost at the end of our first activity, may this activity be a reminder for us that even in the midst of any suffering we have and times when we feel that the world is unfair, God won’t give us this trials if we can’t handle it. He gave us trials so that we will learn to be strong after solving it.  Tell the story of the Mama Camel and Baby Camel. IV. Reconciliation a. Pre-reconciliation orientation - In the previous activity, we recognized God’s mercy and love in the midst of the suffering we experienced in life. Yet, we must not stop there since it is also fitting for us to make Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice (giving Himself up on the cross for us to be saved from our sins) be not in vain. In this session, we will be invited to recollect the things we do in the past, reflect on those things through the guide questions, then hopefully do something on the things that we can say that we are not that proud of (sinful actions). b. Gospel Reading - Read Mt. 18: 21 – 35 (invite them to open their own Bibles) Unya miduol si Pedro kang Jesus ug nangutana, “Ginoo, kon ang akong igsoon kanunay makasala kanako, hangtod kapila ko man siya pasayloon? Kapito ba?” Si Jesus mitubag, “Dili kay kapito ra, kondili kapitoan ka pito. Kay ilalom sa pagmando sa Dios ang kahimtang sama sa usa ka hari nga

naghusay sa mga utang sa iyang mga sulugoon. Sa diha nga nagsugod siya paghusay, gidala ngadto kaniya ang usa ka sulugoon nga nakautang kaniyag dako kaayong kantidad. Wala siyay igong ikabayad sa iyang utang. Busa misugo ang iyang agalon nga ibaligya siya lakip ang iyang asawa ug ang iyang mga anak ug ang tanan nga iyaha aron makabayad siya sa utang. Miluhod ang sulugoon sa atubangan sa iyang agalon ug nagpakiluoy nga nag-ingon, ‘Sir, ayaw intawon ako apikiha kay mobayad ra unya ko sa tanan kong utang!’ Naluoy kaniya ang agalon busa gipapas niya ang utang sa sulugoon ug iyang gipalakaw. “Milakaw kining maong sulugoon ug gikasugat niya ang usa sa iyang mga kaubang sulugoon nga nakautang kaniya ug gamay ra kaayong kantidad. Iya dayon kining gilabni, gituok ug giingnan, ‘Bayri na ko sa imong utang!’ Ang iyang kaubang sulugoon miluhod ug nagpakiluoy kaniya, ‘Ayaw intawon ako apikiha kay mobayad ra unya ko nimo!’ Apan wala siya mosugot. Gipapriso hinuon niya kini hangtod nga makabayad sa utang. Sa pagkakita sa ubang sulugoon sa nahitabo, nasubo sila pag-ayo. Nangadto sila sa ilang agalon ug gisuginlan nila siya sa tanan. Busa gipatawag sa agalon ang sulugoon ug giingnan, ‘Wala kay puangod! Gipapas ko ang tanan mong utang kay nagpakiluoy ka man kanako. Angay ka untang maluoy sa imong isigkasulugoon, sama nga ako naluoy kanimo!’ Nasuko pag-ayo ang agalon ug gipapriso niya ang sulugoon aron silotan hangtod nga makabayad siya sa tanang utang.” Ug gitapos ni Jesus ang sambingay sa pag-ingon, “Ingon usab niana ang buhaton kaninyo sa akong Amahan nga atua sa langit kon dili kamo mopasaylo sa inyong isigkatawo sa kinasingkasing gayod.” c. Reflection Time Use these guide questions for their reflection time. Play instrumental music and invite them to be in a comfortable position inside the chapel.

1. Do we remember to forgive who hurt us? Do we remember to ask forgiveness from people we have hurt? 2. Is it easy to ask forgiveness? Is it easy to give forgiveness? 3. How do we feel after you asked forgiveness from someone you have hurt? How do we feel after you have forgiven someone who has hurt you? 4. Take time to talk with the Lord on your top concerns; what has been affecting you; dominant feelings; and what you want the Lord to do for you? Take time… Tell Him, listen to Him… 5. End by thanking the Lord and simply resting in His love. After 30 minutes, give them the follow-up discussion questions that they are going to use for the group sharing later. 1. What are some of the situations within your own life or within your family in which forgiveness and reconciliation are necessary? Please explain. 2. What are some of the situations within your parish or neighborhood in which forgiveness and reconciliation are necessary? Please explain. 3. What are some of the situations and reasons that keep you, your family, and your community from choosing reconciliation and forgiveness? 4. In what ways can you make forgiveness and reconciliation a more central part of your personal life and the life of your community? d. Group Sharing At this point of time, invite them to feel free sharing the things they realized in the time they had their reflection. e. Input As displayed on the powerpoint presentation. No need for further explanations.