By Charlene Patrick Arjunan
KUCHING — In the spirit of the season of lent, Kuching Archdiocesan Youth Commission (KAYC) organised a gathering of young people to spend an evening of prayer and recollection with the theme ‘Lost and Found’. The programme was held at the Archdiocesan Curia and Cathedral Pastoral Centre (ACCPC) chapel on 9 April 2022 and was attended by youths and young adults from different parishes under the Archdiocese of Kuching, both in person and online through Zoom.
The recollection started out with the welcoming of the participants at 8.00 pm followed by prayer sessions. After the Gospel proclamation from Luke 15: 1-10 (“Rejoice with me for I have found my lost….”), Fr Ramon Borja SDB gave an input session. He shared about how Jesus lovingly looks for the lost and that we are invited to do the same with him. Group sharing followed. The stewards who attended in person and those who were participating through Zoom were then separated into groups to discuss and share their opinions and reflections based on their personal experiences.
After having been enriched by self-introspection and sharing from peers, the participants entered into the deeper part of the recollection—the time for prayer and adoration with the Blessed Sacrament in their midst. Two youth leaders, Claudia Law and Ralph Balan, led the participants into a prayer moment reflecting on what young people go through and how they long for God in their lives.
Simultaneously, confessions were held for stewards who attended the reflection in person. Fr Ramon Borja SDB and Fr Eugenio Maglasang SDB welcomed the youths in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Throughout this session, prayers were recited, petitions were offered and hymns were sung, guided by recorded music videos of youths from different parishes sharing their gifts and talents, singing for the Lord.
At around 10.00 pm, the common prayer concluded, but participants who wanted to spend more time in personal prayer and confessions opted to stay longer. How touching to see young people spending intimate moments with Jesus that night. It was almost midnight when the evening of recollection concluded with a closing prayer and blessing led by Fr Ramon.
Through moments like this, may more and more youths get more intimate with the Lord.