“Give me Life by your Word” (Psalm 119:25)

Last November 22-25, a group of 17 regular attendees of SOW participated in a 4 day
silent retreat at Verbum Dei Tagaytay. As regular Sow attendees gathered for this
retreat, there was a spirit of being “home” together with other SOWmates. One would
think four days of silence would seem difficult but truly everyone felt so at peace in such
a serene environment. It was a sanctuary to commune with the Lord as the Temario
(Theme set) was tackled extensively by Fr. Filipe, Fr. David, Sr. Gabriela and Fr James.
Some themes may be quite familiar but notably, it was at a more intense level. As one
SOWer stated… “It felt that we were at the “heart” of Verbum Dei spirituality.”

Temario: Life and Love, Your Life comes from love, Your life is for loving, To be Christ,
Conversion, Mercy, Incarnation and Go and Make Disciples

Every talk and every activity, whether it was the sacrament of reconciliation, rosary
prayer, adoration and simple lighting ceremony were so meaningful that it was a
challenge to choose one or two fruits from this retreat. This retreat was definitely not
silent for the Lord spoke to us with each and every activity. To summarize, perhaps you
can say we came back home with our hearts, our minds, our souls full…. with life and
love!!! One fruit that echoed in us is the invitation to persevere. “How do you keep the
fire burning or how do you keep the music playing?”
​
It was interesting to note that the theme started with all of us asking the Lord to give us
life by His Word…. but after deepening ourselves in His Word throughout the retreat…
we are called by the Lord to give Him life by our word to others.

Here are a few more photos of the event:

​Hello family and friends!

Read the 2nd issue of our Word News, our National Newsletter here in the Philippines. 
Read the embedded PDF below or download the PDF file and read it offline. Enjoy

On the weekend of Nov 2-3, 2018, a group of 21 intrepid correspondents gathered in Dahilayan, Mindanao for the 2nd Verbum Dei National Communications Camp.

Representatives from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao participated, with ages ranging from 16 to 52+ years old. The purpose was to deepen in our knowledge of social media and platforms, with the view to evangelize the so-called “6th continent” (where the vast millions, especially the youth, are connected and ‘live’ in this global village).

We had guidelines, the Holy Eucharist, sharing of prayer, formations on Church teaching on mass media & how to respond as Verbum Dei, teambuilding, recreation and moments of bonding.  

Church teaching on communications

The Church teaches that the means of communication “when they are put at the service of the Gospel, they are capable of increasing almost indefinitely the area in which the Word of God is heard; they enable the Good News to reach millions of people. The Church would feel guilty before the Lord if she did not utilize these powerful means that human skill is daily rendering more perfect. It is through them that she proclaims "from the housetops" (Cf. Mt 10:27; Lk 12:3) the message of which she is the depositary. In them she finds a modern and effective version of the pulpit.” (Evangelii nuntiandi, no. 45).

Pope Francis said “The digital world – the social networks that are so pervasive and readily available – dissolves borders, eliminates distances and reduces differences. Everything appears within reach, so close and immediate. And yet lacking the sincere gift of our lives, we could well have countless contacts but never share in a true communion of life. To share in the mission to the ends of the earth demands the gift of oneself in the vocation that God, who has placed us on this earth, chooses to give us (cf. Lk 9:23-25).” (Pope Francis, Message for World Mission Sunday message, 2018)

From the participants:

Yesha (from youth), said “  I  am happy to be part of  of the event, It was an opportunity for me to meet other brothers and sisters in the community.  The camp helped me to know how to be a good communicator especially in the sharing of Kuya Darwin.  Through the message that I will disseminate to them which is the Word of God, I want them to truly realize that he will be always be with them and  will guide them." 

Percy (misionera) said “It was a total package that achieved its objective. The camp created real human connections among us and gave us the strong desire to transmit the message in the digital world”

A day of fun, friendship and prayer took place at Philip’s Sanctuary when over 50 participants from
Luzon participated in the Youth Outdoor Recollection entitled “Explore to the Other Side” last October 27, 2018.

The youth participated in different team building activities that test not only their physical activities but also their sportsmanship as well. They were also given a moment of reflection on what the impact of the activities were on them. The event aimed to unleash the potential of the young people and to encourage them that they have a big role to play in the world. It also reminded them that in every journey that they take there is someone who’s always with them as a true friend, Jesus. The Holy Eucharist was celebrated to end the day’s activity.