Consolations and Desolations

Rowena Maquiling: Weng has been with the LST for 28 years, involved in the academic programs and formation of priests, religious and lay. She joined the 18th annotation to explore and uncover means of quieting her very busy mind in the context of prayer.

I took the risk…
I struggled because I still had to get out of my comfort zones. At some point I got confused. But slowly I was schooled and awakened to the value of trying other ways to enhance and make my prayer more effective and fruitful. I cried because in my way of bringing to prayer my hurts, I had to relive painful episodes of my life.

But my RDL was not all sobs. I, of course, laughed, and laughed aloud filled with joy in my heart. It would have been more difficult if there was no one to share my joy with. In between the “ups” and “downs” of my retreat were moments of stillness and waiting, forgiveness and hope. The risking was faith. The choice to go through the struggle was faith. The persistent search for meaning so I would not get stuck in confusion was faith.

My guide served as a compass who kept me focused to my North Star: the UNMOVED and the CONSTANT. I had no doubt too that Mary accompanied me in my RDL journey, inasmuch as she accompanied Jesus till the end of His journey. It was that loving relationship that held Mother and Child closely together. So I pray that I continue to keep my awareness focused on that same loving relationship and to become a witness and a blessing from God who has loved me first.

Thanks for introducing me to various types of prayer. RDL provided me tools of uncovering my great potentials to quiet my very busy mind. It expanded my awareness that brought me to some in-sighting adventures. The experience was very moving . . . very faith-enhancing, very captivating . . . Indeed, the RDL is a path for those who desire to have another taste of what I claim as religious experience.