March 13, 2022
The Sister’s year-long monthly recollection every second Sunday of the month at 10am-12nn via zoom with Fr. Robert Manansala, OFM concluded last March 13 on the topic Encountering the Crucified Lord. It was a fitting talk during this Lenten season especially for us Canossians identified with Jesus Crucified. The Cross is a symbol for living and dying for others, a symbol of love, mercy, compassion and of our salvation. God transformed in Jesus a punishment for criminals into intense love in intense suffering. Jesus as the Lamb of God transformed it by taking the sin of the world and not giving it back. Jesus took in anger and gave back graciousness, took in chaos and gave back peace and took in sin and gave back forgiveness. The monthly recollection with him started in August on Spirituality. The other topics he facilitated with us were on Mission, Mary, Discerning the Presence of the Holy Spirit, Advent, Incarnation, Merciful Gaze of Jesus and Mystico-Prophetic Spirituality. The talks were followed by the Eucharistic Celebration.
At the end of this final session, Sr. Lilia Nuesca, Provincial Leader thanked Fr. Robert for facilitating these monthly recollections and deepening our spirituality in the different context of our consecration. Sr. Virginia Sarcaoga from Don Carlos community expressed her gratitude to Fr. Robert on our behalf for helping us to grow more in our spiritual life through his deep and enriching inputs. She was particularly struck with his session on Advent as a life-long spiritual program, a way of living one’s Christian life or relationship with God in Jesus. Advent spirituality is a day to day continuing awareness and responding to the presence of the Lord who has come, who will come again and who constantly comes in our everyday life.
Sr. Virginia relates this to the political situation in our country especially the incoming national election which for her creates a feeling of being disheartened and anxious. But advent spirituality helps us not to lose hope because we have Jesus with us. Moreover, advent spirituality helps to see the needs of the times. It urges us to do something more positively not only for ourselves but also for others who are in the same boat like us specifically helping them to be more informed about our political situation through voters’ education with our mission partners and beneficiaries and thereby to contribute something together with our community in preparing our people to take an active part for the said life-changing political event in our country on May 9. She also thanked Sr. Lilia for providing us with this kind of spiritual enrichment.