The Archdiocese of Caceres through the Caceres Commission on Communications (CCCom) and in partnership with the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) once again hosted the annual Media Lenten Recollection on March 25 at the Villa Caceres Hotel with the theme: Listening to the Word, Journeying with the Lord. More or less 40 participants from several media outlets attended the recollection which was livestreamed on the Archdiocese of Caceres official Facebook page. Robert Obiedo of Villa Caceres Hotel and Nilo Aureus of Bicol Mail sponsored the event.
Fr. Louie Occiano, CCCom director, said that in a year, it is important for media practitioners to pause and listen once in a while to deepen their spiritual journey. Fr. Roy Raňa, CCCom assistant director, emphasized the goal of the recollection which is to understand fully the teachings of Jesus and practice it in our daily life. He said that when we listen, we understand, and we begin our journey with Jesus.
Fr. William M. Parde, the talk giver, gave insightful messages. He said that anything spiritual will remain in the next life, giving emphasis that in every endeavor in this lifetime will not matter because God has the final word in every person’s life.
He said it is important to listen to the word of God because listening is essential in human communication. He urged the participants to always listen with their hearts for it is the foundation of a true relationship. “We are called to tune in, to be willing to listen to His covenant of love,” Fr. Parde said. “Without listening, there is no good journalism; the reliability and seriousness of the information is compromised,” he added.
In his talk, he gave emphasis on the importance of putting God in the center of one’s life. He said that a person’s journey with Jesus starts when one learns to renounce himself, take up his cross and follow Christ.
Fr. Parde added that “love is the condition for following Him, but it is sacrifice that is the proof of that love. Jesus does not ask us to give up living, but to accept a newness and a fullness of life that He gives. We are not the standard against which to gauge everything.”
"Recollection allows us to have more time with God and to discover things about ourselves. It shows us what to do next,” he reminded the participants. He said that there will be challenges ahead but to become a disciple of Christ, one is required to give a full time and a long term commitment to follow God’s will. “God did not call us to be a comfortable Christian consumer, silent spectators, or a half asleep, half-hearted halfway follower. He has to be at the heart of our lives,” he concluded.
After the meaningful talk and sharing from two participants about their journey with God after listening to His call, the participants prayed the Way of the Cross and joined the anticipated Mass.
-- Apol Baldemor
