Diocesan Youth Apostolate Recollection and Meeting 2014

Dec 11, 2014

SANDAKAN (Herald Malaysia): Members of the Diocesan Youth Apostolate (DYA) team convene every three months for their recollection and meeting. The 12th recollection and the 17th meeting, on 22nd and 23rd November 2014 was held at the Diocesan Youth Office, Sandakan.

The gathering provides space for the youth leaders to boost their spirits in serving the Lord in His vineyard. Not only that, it is also an occasion where the team have their time alone with God, a time to rest and relax away from their daily hectic life and also, a time to strengthen the friendship bond among themselves. As Pope Francis has said, “Together with the culture of work, there must be a culture of leisure as gratification. To put it another way, people who work must take the time to relax, to be with their families, to enjoy themselves, read, listen to music and play a sport.”

The theme for the recollection was taken from Matthew 5:8, Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. It is also the theme for the upcoming World Youth Day (WYD) in 2015. Sr. Lilian Unsoh fsic, the assistant spiritual adviser guided the team throughout the recollection.

We spent quiet moments in solitude with the Lord, focusing on Him alone. It helped us to unwind from our daily routine.

We recalled the blessings showered upon us since our previous recollection. We were grateful that God has kept us safe thus far. He has accompanied us throughout our ministry. We shared on “pure in heart” — what it meant to each and everyone and how we could actually be “pure in heart” in the youth ministry.

During the last part of the session, the team had the opportunity to climb up the Rosary Corridor on Marian Mount. We paused at each station to recite the mysteries of the Holy Rosary. It was an awesome experience, praying the rosary amidst the wonderful and quiet surroundings of Marian Mount.

After the sunset mass at St Mary’s Cathedral, DYA members had a dinner fellowship with the new Spiritual Adviser, Fr Sunny Chung. It was a beautiful occasion to get to know the new adviser more closely.

The next day, 23rd November started with a morning prayer, followed by the meeting proper. The coordinator from each parish reported their activities throughout the year and tabled their plan for 2015. Activities at diocesan level such as the Youth Leaders Camp 4, Temasya Belia, Consultation and Campus Student Gathering were discussed.

‘Pope Francis, in Evangelii Gaudium (Joy of the Gospel), called on Catholics to go out into the world, sharing their faith with enthusiasm and vitality by being living examples of joy, love and charity. Let us be courageous and brave to heed the call of the Holy Father.’