Theme: “Desire to Serve God through Others”
I. Objectives:
A. Participants will recognize their personal strengths and enhance their choices
and decisions in life.
B. Participants will be provided an opportunity to seek concrete ways to share
Christ’s mission.
C. Participants will be introduced to prayer and reflection.
Time Guide
7:30am–8:00 am -Departure and Arrival
8:30am–8:30 am - Silencing and Settling Down
8:30am–9:30 am - First Activity
9:30am–10:00 am - Break
10:00am–11:00 am - Second Activity
11:00am–11:12 am - Group Sharing
12:00am–1:00 pm - Lunch Break
1:00pm–2:30 pm - Third Activity
2:30pm–3:00 pm – Sacrament of Reconciliation
3:00pm-HOLY EUCHARIST
II. RECOLLECTION
Silencing and Settling Down. With soft meditative music playing in the
background, allow the participants to take a few moments to relax and be comfortable.
Using a Singing Bowl or Gong, strike the bowl/gong three times (allowing the sound to
resonate) to facilitate silencing before the start of the prayer
A. Opening Prayer
Music Video: Wonderfully Made (Scripture Lullabies)
B. First Activity: Photo Language
1. Pre-select photographs from your Picture Collection (or Newspaper Clippings).
The number of photographs should be proportionate to the participants. A
minimum ration of 5 photographs to every participant is recommended
2. Clear the room so that the floor can be seen and ask the participants to sit down
in a big circle, making sure that no one is covered by anyone
Instruct the participants about the exercise:
a. From the set of photographs, each one of you will select one and only one
photograph that best represents God’s presence in your life. Find the Heart of
God in the photographs. Where and how is God present in the photograph?
b. We will spread the photographs on the floor then we will go around the
photographs clockwise, meditating, reflecting, and choosing your photograph.
Do not get your photograph right away. We will do the activity silently. You will
be given 5-10 minutes to study and choose your photograph. Once you have
mentally chosen a photograph, sit down and wait for everyone else to be
seated
3. Once everyone is seated, ask anyone from the participants to start the sharing.
Move clockwise from the first volunteer. Ask the first volunteer to pick his/her
photograph and share on the following.
a. Where and how is God present in the photograph?
b. How did God speak to you through the photograph?
c. What is it in the photograph that speaks to you about yourself?
4. Ask the participant to return the photograph. Some participants may have also
chosen the same photograph and so it is important that the participants return
their chosen photographs.
C. Second Activity: Bible Reading/Reflection
Grace: Lord Jesus, we beg for a deep, interior knowledge of your person, your
Gospel values and especially your way of loving, so that we can all the more fall in
love with you, follow you and learn to love as you love. (PE#36, Wood of Fire)
1. Prayerfully read the gospel, allowing the participants to “soak in” the richness of
the scripture. Read the gospel twice, without hurry
2. Invite the participants to identify a word or phrase that stands out for them, a work
or phrase that is significant for them
3. Invite them to savour this word or phrase. Ask the participants to continually
repeat the word or phrases in their minds
4. Give them 10-15 minutes to be silent and listen to what feelings or thoughts arise
within them as they create space for God to speak to them through the scripture
5. Then ask the participants to prepare his/her own journal:
a. Identify your five talents.
b. Do I use each talent properly?
c. Do I make God happy with my talents? Why or why not?
6. The class will be divided into 8 groups with 5-6 members per group
7. Ask the participant to share to the group all that he/she had written in his/her
journal
Suggested Scripture Readings:
a. Matthew 25:14-30 Parable of the Talents
The Parable of the Talents tells us that we are unique and special. No two
individuals are alike. Jesus was not after of the number of talents we have.
Others may have five or ten talents. Others may have one. What is the most
important here? To possess many talents? Or to properly use whatever talents
we have?
Short Input after the Group Sharing
Why did God make us?
Old catechisms asked, “Why did God make you?” The answer: “God
made me to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world and to be
happy with Him forever in the next.” Here, in just 26 words, is the whole reason
for our existence.
Jesus answered the question even more briefly: “I came so that you might
have life and have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10)
But what did you do with the talents you have? Did you use them for the
preparation for that ETERNAL LIFE that Jesus spoke?
So God’s plan for us is simple. He wants us to give us all good things –
especially eternal life. Jesus died on the cross to save us all from sin and the
eternal separation from God that sin causes. (CCC 599-623).
“We are truly His handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to lead the life of
good deeds which God prepared for us in advance.” (Ephesians 2:10) The “good
works’ of this new worship for all those who are recreated in Christ are nowhere
summarized more simply and sharply than in the ancient prayer: soli Deo Gloria-
to God alone be the glory!
If we love God and our poor brothers and sisters, ETERNAL LIFE is
waiting for us in heaven.
D. Third Activity: Video
a. In your life, what is it that you desire most?
b. CCN Hero of the Year Awardee-Efren Penaflorida
1. Ask the participants to beg for the sense of gratitude in response to what has
given and what He continually gives you
2. How can you use your God-given gifts, talents and abilities to help others for
God’s greater glory
3. Right now, what are your most profound hopes for yourself? for your loved ones?
for your country and people? for the world?
4. Each group may be asked to “dramatize” the output of the activity.
5. End with a short prayer
Lord God, as you sent forth your Spirit,
so too you send us forth as agents of your kingdom
Clarify your call to us
Give us courage to do whatever is asked
May we come to realized the dignity of our
unique vocation and rejoice in its entrustment
Show us the heart of Mary as we attempt
to emulate her commitment
Send us forth with joy and trust. Amen
Our Father…
Hail Mary…
Glory Be…
E. Reconciliation
The purpose of this activity is for participants to have courage in asking
forgiveness from those they have hurt. Make them realize to do penance for the
wrong thing they have done. Invite the participants to forgive and pray those who
have hurt them and those they have hurt. And that reconciliation requires a
sincere change of life. By re-establishing our relationship with God and others,
we commit ourselves to change our behavior, our attitudes, our ways of life by
receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation
Prayer for Forgiveness
God of mercy and compassion, deep within me is a
Longing to keep on renewing the love that you have
bestowed upon me
I am sorry for the many times that I make myself busy about
the many things that I consider important in life and ignore
the equally important and probably more important that we
thought they would be: our nourishment and renewal
You renew us everyday but we fail to recognize your
constant love and care; You nourish us with your strength
and energy that sustain in our day to day struggles
to you Lord, we give thanks and guide us with your Spirit;
so that we may continue to know the way to the perfect
nourishment and renewal in your love
Amen
F. Holy Eucharist Celebration
