VINCENTIAN MARIAN YOUTH GREECE
together in FAITH, together in HOPE, together in LOVE for Christ!
“LIGHT & DARKNESS”: VMY GREECE holds Lenten Recollection
22 April 2022
Last April 20, 2022 (Holy Wednesday), a less than 2-hours recollection was held at the 3rd floor of the Miraculous Medal Center participated by the members of VMY Greece and some young students of the Catechism classes. Fr. Edric Bedural, a visiting Filipino priest from Italy, facilitated the recollection. It was an opportune time to prepare themselves in this great season of Lent especially of the Easter Triduum.
The recollection kicked off as Fr. Edric led the group with some body exercises and lively Hillsong hymns first in order to awaken and energize the participants’ spirits. He then recited the Prayer of St. Francis as an opening prayer which was followed by the group singing the song “Shine Jesus Shine”.
Prior to his talk, Fr. Edric asked first the participants for a few minutes to draw on a sheet of paper their favorite superhero symbol.
He then read the Gospel of John which tells the story of Judas during the Last Supper. Reflecting on the Gospel, Fr. Edric emphasized that in every story there is always a protagonist and antagonist, there is always a war waging between the two - a battle between light and darkness, something that is also happening within us. He then asked each one the question as to which side they usually allow to win.
He further explained that we are all living in a culture vicariously on the life of others - through other people, comparing ourselves to others. These things sometimes caused us to experience ‘darkness’ or negativity in our lives. We should not be ignorant. When we have something bad raging in our hearts, we have a weapon within us to fight that darkness. We should not be 'pa-victim'. Within us God has created a great ‘sun’, and that we need to keep Jesus in our hearts. We should always look on the goodness of others. And on that note, he asked the participants to place or paste on their back the drawings they have previously done. He then invited everyone to move around and write on each other’s drawings some good things about the person.
As a final thought, Fr. Edric shared that we should not ‘exaggerate’ the light and darkness within us but rather embrace and accept them. Acceptance of our darkness will lead us to healing and forgiveness, while acceptance of our light will lead us to thanksgiving to God and service to others.
Thanking everyone for their generosity and time, he blest the participants and close the insightful recollection with a prayer.