ASC Advent Retreat held in Daejeon
Daejeon, Korea, 2 December 2018 -- The Association of Salesian Cooperators in Korea held its Advent Retreat with the theme “God, ASC and I (sub title: ‘For God sent his son into the world not to judge the world, but so that through him the world might be saved.’ John 3:17)” at the Daejeon Salesio Youth Centre located in the middle of South Korea. About 200 Cooperators including their sons and daughters and Delegates took their time to look back over the past year and to begin a new year with a renewed mind.
In the evening of the first day, there was opportunity for confessions.
As part of the preparation for confession, they watched a video clip containing the penitential process of 'Saint Joan of Arc' and wrote down their past year’s life on a prayer note as an aid to deeper reflection. About 10 SDB priests helped with Reconciliation. Special thanks to the priests who came from distant areas.
The second day began with morning prayer. In the morning there was a lecture from Fr Mark Yang who works in Cambodia as a missionary. Fr Mark stressed that we had to realise the true meaning of 'incarnation', and as a result should live our own life for the true self, and not for something outside us.
There was a ceremony during the retreat to celebrate the 25th anniversary of 2 Cooperators, during which the Korean ASC also expressed special thanks to Mr. Celestino Yoon Jong-Gul, the former Provincial Coordinator who translated the PAL into Korean and did many things for the formation of the Korean ASC. This year the Korean ASC also organised a choir and sang Taizé songs in unison.
In the afternoon Cooperators made small sycamore fig trees of the kind that Zacchaeus climbed up to see Jesus. This activity was prepared by Delegate Sr. Jung. It enabled participants to experience becoming 'Zaccheus' in order to meet Jesus. In the sending Mass Delegate Fr John Jung stressed that Cooperators are another Salesian living outside the convent walls, and requested their commitment to help many abandoned youth become upright citizens and good Christians.
