By Bro. Jomar Cstillo, SDB
Photos: Br. Jomar Castillo, Cl. Jules Punsalan, and Br. Raddie Lagaya
Canlubang, the Philippines, 27 January 2016 - Almost a thousand young people from different schools, parishes and from the members of the Salesian Family gathered to pray together before the Blessed Sacrament during the Grand Eucharistic Adoration on January 27, 2016 at 5:00 in the evening at the gymnasium of Don Bosco Canlubang. The Don Bosco Postnovititate Community took the opportunity to organize the adoration in order to help the young people to deepen their relationship with Jesus and to prepare them spiritually for the grand feast of St. John Bosco, who is also a great lover of the Eucharist. The overlapping events of the Year of the Family and the Eucharist in the Philippines, the Jubilee year of Mercy, and the ongoing 51st International Eucharistic Congress gave a deeper meaning and motivation for the participants.
The postnovices rendered several fitting variations in order to allow a more conducive atmosphere of prayer. Aside from the usual adoration and benediction flow, the young dynamic Salesians added ritual dances in order to highlight the Gospel reflection of the Samaritan woman by the well. They invited Fr. Eligio Cruz, former FIN provincial and now the Spiritual Moderator of the postnovitate, who gave a very beautiful reflection on Jesus' role in our life taken in the context of the Samaritan woman, and Jesus' important role in the family in a young person's journey. From the monstrance, flowing water gush forth from an improvised well to represent the Gospel theme. Likewise, long rolls of white cloth was rolled out from the monstrance so that the participants could touch and pray touching something connected to Jesus. The well was also a place to touch and wash from the water that symbolizes the baptism that we received. The almost two-hour celebration was accompanied by the sweet meditative music of the Salesian Aspirants and Prenovices. The event drew many young people approaching the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Many Salesian Priests made themselves available for confessions for the whole duration of the adoration; some even extended after the event.
This year, the Postnovices invited the participants to draw from the love of Jesus and to allow him to take over their life which is taken from the focus or the theme "Hugot" which means "to draw from" -- it is only in Jesus that we can draw a love-filled strength, a stronger faith and an unwavering hope to spread God's love to all especially the young. The event was again a close collaboration between the Postnovitiate, Prenovitiate and the College communities in Canlubang.
After the event, many young people approached the postnovices and congratulated them for organizing a very meaningful and memorable personal encounter with the Lord. It was also a formative experience for our young Salesians, like the recently concluded Youth Day organized by them a few days ago, as they grow in developing their creativity in evangelizing young people that fits their contexts.
