Celebrating My 7 Years in Service and Counting: A Reflection, Ministry Renewal and Team Building Event

Hello, fellow Hivers! How are you doing?

It's been a week since our renewal as minister of the lectors and team building has passed, but the learnings and the lessons I've got, especially from the team building, are really fresh until now. Last Saturday, we renewed our service in front of God and to the people who witnessed the events. But before the event, it was First Friday, and as our parish priest has said, we were obliged to have first a confession, or the Act of Reconciliation, before we could renew our service, and while having the confession, we were having the holy hour adoration. It's really a big help to all of us, especially since we used to serve Him. And did you know that our parish priest explained it is good to have an examination of conscience before having the renewal so that we can clean and purify our souls because maybe other members got a confession once a year, or it might be that others confessed a long time ago? That's his purpose. So we attended the holy mass that Friday afternoon, and after the mass was the Holy Hour Adoration. We were so blessed that night because we received the grace of forgiveness from Him. We head home at peace and in the state of grace with the following words from the homily: "3P's – Paminaw (Listen), Panan-aw (Vision), Panaw (Journey)." Those are the words that touched and hit me during the homily as a lector and a servant of God.

December 6, 2025, the day of our renewal. As practiced, it started with a holy mass at 6:00 in the morning, and after the holy mass we've gathered together at the parish convent to have a breakfast which our parish priest has offered. Then at 8 to 9 in the morning, after taking our breakfast, we head to the Mantalongon Elementary School as the venue for our team building.

Saturday 5:00pm ANTICIPATED MASS GROUP

Sunday 5:00am MASS GROUP

Sunday 7:00am CALERIOHAN MASS GROUP

Sunday 9:00am MASS GROUP

Sunday 11:00am MASS GROUP

Sunday 5:00pm ENGLISH MASS GROUP

We lined up for the registration and got our name tag. We're so blessed that day because the youth has prepared for the venue and the program flow as what our parish priest has offered. So all we've got to do is prepare for the presentation, which is a contest by group. We are 6 groups, and each group must present something unique and aligned with the theme. The program started at almost 10 in the morning because we waited for our parish priest for his rationale talk, and after his talk, we presented by groups through a pulled-out game, in which we were in the second group to present. The first presenter was the 5:00PM anticipated mass group, who composed the wordings of their own and had the Binilanggo background music and danced later on, and then we were the second to present the 5:00PM English mass group, which we performed just like a speech choir, originally composed by one of our members, which we've won as the winner, followed by the 9:00AM mass group, who danced gracefully with their white and red outfits; then the fourth presenter was the 5:00AM mass group, who danced also, and the fifth to present was the 11:00AM mass group, and lastly, the 7:00AM Caleriohan mass group, who presented a drama.

THE VENUE

After the presentation, it was followed by group division, which means that our name tag has a shape drawn on it, and that means we have to group it by finding our members with the same shapes. That part was so exciting while we danced, roaming around and finding our members. It was a one-of-a-kind kind of fellowship. I belonged to the circle shape, and we made it; we formed a circle after having completed our group. We will also have to sit and find a table. Then the game began, and everybody has enjoyed and participated in the game.

my name tag drawn with a circle

We took a lunch break and started again after one hour of break. It started with another game and was followed by a short talk from one of the youth who has been an altar server, is now the ex-president of parish youth, is an organist and is also an organizer of the children's choir. After the short talks, another game was made, and finally it got to the part with sharing experiences in each group, followed by another game which I broke down emotionally.

THE SPEAKER FOR A SHORT TALKS AND REFLECTION

At first it started with just simply making a big circle with all the members, then creating outer and inner circles, and I was in the inner circle, and we compressed each other in the middle of the complex. Then as the host instructed like "inner circle step twice to the left or right, outer circle takes thrice to the left or right.... and so on. And it was in the last two parts that I was landed on the woman whom have conflicts when we both serving in the barangay me as a barangay treasurer and she was the barangay captain. She hated me most until such time she texted me when I was on my recovery due to vehicular accident that she will terminate us together with the barangay secretary and so with I but my hatred was disappeared already after my successful heart surgery. I even forgive her silently and deeply I offered it to God. Yet, during the team building, all I could say was that God's plan is the best and the best part has to come to heal those wounded hearts. We forgive each other and I forgive myself, too. I said her SORRY many times though she wasn't said in return. With a humbled heart I ask for forgiveness to God and to her and we partake each other with a peace of mind and heart. After that activity, I wasn't prepared to talk and share my experience in front of my fellow lectors and cantors. It was an impromptu speech yet, full of gratefulness and forgiveness. I shared everything though not all my past experiences but somehow a lesson to everybody who has been struggling for trials and challenges in life. All I can say is that "There is God!", we are not alone in our journey. We have Him if we put our trust in Him.

impromptu sharing my experience

And the event goes well, and we head home with a grateful and forgiving heart, healed in His time and will. The right time has come, and this is the moment I always cherished: the moment we humbled our hearts and asked for forgiveness. And so I will celebrate my Christmas with a cleaned, purified and healed heart. I've got the reflection from our team building the unity and harmony in service that comes first within ourselves. By accepting who we are and forgiving ourselves, too. Christmas is a time of forgiveness, and as we celebrate this coming 3rd Sunday of Advent, which is the "Gaudete Sunday", it is the time of joy and happiness.

My award for participating the QUESTION AND ANSWER GAME

And if you've gone this far reading my blog, I'll really appreciate your efforts. Until my next blog.

With gratitude,
daileen23