Building a relationship with the Father

This year we are so blessed at Holy Family Parish, Choi Hung for having an Advent Recollection gathering on December 5 with our speaker Father Agustinus Guntoro, an Indonesian priest of the Society of Sacred Heart of Jesus. The theme of the recollection was “Walking Along To Emmaus”.

Father Guntoro talked about Luke 24:13:35 and invited us to think about why the two followers of Jesus went back to Emmaus? It is because when Jesus died, they lost hope that Jerusalem would be saved through Jesus, they were so disappointed and so they gave up following him and went back to their own way of life. They didn’t recognise Jesus because they were so occupied with worries and disappointments.

We are often like them too. When trials come our way we don’t recognise that we are not alone in facing them, as Jesus is always there by our side.

Father Guntoro shared his way to repentance. He lived together with his father but never had a good relationship with him. They were like strangers to each other. His father had an accident and injured part of his brain which caused him to have epilipsy. He was young and didn’t understand. His neighbour said his father was a crazy man, so he felt ashamed of his father that one time he even denied him. He realised that it was wrong. He wanted to repent and ask forgiveness from his father but it never came out from his lips. He later entered into a seminary. One Saturday they had a football game and without his superior knowing, he left the football field which is near to their village and went home. That time he saw his father and tried to say something, but he did not, which became his lifetime regret.

A neighbour came to the seminary suddenly one day and broke the news that his father had died. At that moment he felt the pain, the pain of guilt that he was too slow as he kept postponing to repent and talk to his father.

Now he said he is trying to remain a faithful servant of God as a priest to please his father wherever he is.

His sharing touched my heart and I went for confession at once. Advent means repentance. I felt at peace after my confession, I was asked to recite the Joyful Mystery as my penance.

My heart was filled with happiness while reciting the rosary. It was a journey back to the Father. I was reborn, renewed in faith as I build up again my relationship with the Father.

My Christmas had a meaning as I found Jesus in my heart.