And the Word becomes flesh… in us - Advent Recollection (December 12, 2018)

“And the Word becomes flesh… in us” (cf. Jn 1:14)

​On the 12th of December, the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, there was a big turnout of attendees for the Verbum Dei Advent recollection.  Held at Christ the King Parish it was entitled “And the Word becomes flesh... in us.”  A total of 88 attendees (with 50 newcomers) participated in this one-day recollection. 
 
The first talk was given by Fr. James on “Listening like Joseph.” He reminded us that if Joseph did not listen and act on what he was commanded by the Lord, we would not have Christmas as we know it.  Joseph was a just man who adjusted his life to the word of God. Likewise, if we don’t listen to the Lord and take time off our busy schedules for Him, then there is no Christmas to celebrate at all.
 
The second talk entitled “Don’t forget to chew like Mary” was given by one of our SOWers, Michelle Dayrit-Soliven. She taught us how to assimilate and ponder like Mary with her 3 P’s of fruitful pondering with Prayer, Patience and Perseverance. Mary listened with her heart and so should we. “Be still and know that you are not God!”
 
Lastly, Stella Deriquito’s talk was on “Living the Word”. .Jesus became human out of love just to show us how to truly live with joy, love and peace. Let us give room for the Savior and welcome Him in our hearts and not to let Him be “away in a manger.”
 
The talks were all thought-provoking and inspiring in preparation of the Lord’s coming. We were reminded, though, that the reflection and prayer after each talk were of utmost importance. Only in doing so will we be able listen like Joseph, ponder like Mary and live like Jesus. 
 
To cap off the day, we celebrated the Holy Eucharist after confession and rosary prayer.  Fr. Bong Guinoo officiated the mass and emphasized that equally important is announcing the Word of God just as the shepherds did. The essence of Christmas is not an event that merely happened more than 2000 years ago. The mystery of Christmas is ongoing and should be lived and announced every day of our lives. Only in doing so do we make the Word become flesh ... in us.

---

With thanks to Emy Abaya and the WordNews team