The adventure of life by “learning by doing”

 I arrived in Kabajangan a mountain Barangay of municipality of Oslob in the province of Cebu, Philippines for my annual retreat. I was full of joy because the place is cold and has beautiful views. My expectation is to have conducive place for a period of quite and rest a while. Our Lord says: You must come away to some lonely place for a period of quiet   and rest a while. Mark 6; 31.  In union with God through prayer, meditation and Holy Communion are rest to you….come and rest for a while…..in silence and solitude.

When I knew there was no supply of water, I felt sad and confused. I said to myself: what will I do here without water?  I was complaining and questioning, what kind of rest a while is this?

When my retreat master asked, of my expectation of this retreat? I expressed to him my complains and confusion, and to my surprise he respected it, and let me stayed with it and told me that is God probably chooses to speak to me.

I realized, for many times in the past, I had been so focused on temporal things. I have been filling a need which is not essential in life. At this time I am open and my perspective in life are so different with my previous. I can not imagine, but it happened.  I was in the midst of our poor people. I helped them to gather our food in the garden and washing the dishes.  I helped to fetch water for cooking and drinking it is an hour by foot to reach the place called “tigip”.

That is an opportune time of experiencing the loving presence God in silence, solitude and enclosure. Silence and solitude is not the absence of noise, but stillness of the heart and mind.  Enclosure is not putting me into four walls but a sacred space that God dwells in my heart.   Silence, solitude and enclosure of the heart is experienced even a midst of the crowd. Maybe this is the meaning of “learning by doing” as a novice of a contemplative of the Good Shepherd, I am starting to learn now essential elements of our contemplative life.

One day the feast of Immaculate Heart of Mary, I was surprised of my lunch a piece of “daing” dry fish only. But after that, I realized that they only have one daing as an expression sharing and love to me. Life is meaningful in spirit of sharing even of having nothing. We have poor people always, why? They provide the best opportunity for us to leave our comfort zones, our abundance of blessings and our inner goodness.  The last day of my retreat, I believe that everything is meaningful, everything will be fruitful, and everything is to be adventure in life.  God pursued me and let me feel that He is at my side. “Live our lives to the full, for after all if we don’t use the precious life we have, then we may as well be dead”

 Kabajangan, Feb,9, 2007

bykristprast, novice