Bp. Raul Leads CFC and LSS Lenten Recollections
The CTK Life in the Spirit Prayer Community held its own lenten recollection last March 19, a Monday, during the Feast of St. Joseph. The recollection, given by CTK’s very own Spiritual Director Bishop Raul Martirez, was held at the Divine Mercy Chapel at 7:30 pm. Bishop Raul talked on ‘Faith and TransCiguration’. the recollection was followed by a celebration of the Holy Eucharist in honor of St. Joseph.
Interestingly, Couples for Christ requested Bishop Raul to give the same recollection talk four nights later, on March 23.
Bishop Raul began the recollection by quoting scripture, specifically, Matthew 16:13 where, at Caesarea Philipi, Christ asked, ‘Who do you say I am? And he was answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the son of the living God’.
He then began to deCine ‘faith’. Faith is not about amassing ideas or collecting facts; rather it’s about relationships – do I really know Jesus? And faith, argued Bishop Raul, needs to grow and develop, nourished and nurtured. Bishop Raul added that personal growth, as with relationships, entail some pain. He quoted Pope Francis, who had said, ‘Real love starts when the honeymoon is over’.
Bishop Raul then transported the audience to the Garden of Gethsemane, with Peter, James and John witnessing Jesus’ agony. To give them courage, Jesus allowed them to experience his full divinity during the Transfiguration.
Bishop Raul ended by stating that
oftentimes, we don’t recognize the presence of God in our lives but He is there. So he admonished that at least for the coming Holy Week, let us remember the real presence of our Lord in our lives.
