As my family would gather together for the third anniversary of my beloved father’s death so I went home on Jul 2 together with two of my relatives from Quanzhou-China and their five friends. For my relatives, it’s their first time to visit Indonesia so my uncle and I accompanied them to visit our relatives.
We brought
food, flower, paper money, joss sticks and candles to cemetery on Jul 3 morning
and also prepared it on the altar at home. We had a meal together in the afternoon
with family, relatives and friends for almost 30 adults and kids.
I had a chance
to meet my relatives and friends in Surabaya, Sidoarjo, and Tulungagung
including having a dinner with several of my primary school friends for the
first time after our graduation in 1983.
I also had a
chance to share my vocation journey during the St. Aloysius Gonzaga –Mojoagung Charismatic
Prayer Group 2nd Anniversary as requested by several parishioners.
After spending
two nights with my younger sister’s family in Madiun including attending their
house’s blessing, I visited “Telaga Sarangan”-Madiun with my family.
I went to Graha Samadhi Vincentius, a beautiful retreat house in Prigen-Pasuruan on Jul 8-15 for my annual retreat. The retreat house is belongs to Vincentian Fathers and the Vincentian sisters take turn to help it, KYM sisters (http://kymindo.blogspot.hk/) is in turn for this time. I attended Eucharist and said the morning prayer together with the priests, sisters and parishioners, while said the evening prayer with the sisters. I had meals, three times rice meals, alone except for the first and last meals at the convent together with the priests and sisters.
Fr. H. Hario Subianto, CM, retreat master, gave reflection based on the theme “The Quality of Service of Religious Persons” with several topics: Who I am including the essence of human life according to 1 Tes 5: 23, Jesus called us including several reflective questions about the reasons of being afraid to come to Him, I am called to serve including spirituality of ministry according to Lk 1: 26-38, A Good Minister according Phil 2:1-11, The Purpose of Ministry: Salvation including the foundation of ministry which is according to Jn 13: 13-15. During my retreat, there were three group retreats and I joined one of them: the week end meditation retreat “Ancilla Domini” led by Fr. Hario. The meditation “Ancilla Domini” was started by Fr. Hario and consists of preparation, the Word of God and Sharing, Meditation, Relaxation, Sharing, and Prayer. Holy coincidencely, I met one of my School of Personal Evangelisation classmates.
Fr. Hario also asked me to
reflect on the meaning of my name “Anastasia” which is “resurrection” and what
God wants me to do relating to the meaning of my name. What came to my mind is to think outside the
box, thinking about “resurrection” is thinking outside the box of “death”. I do realize how God asked me to think
outside the box since I started my discernment to religious life seven years
ago. I couldn’t hold my tears when I saw
from my window the altar servers played in pairs: one person’s hand was tied on
a bamboo pole and should lead the other person whose eyes were covered to walk
together with the rest of the group. I
just imagined myself as the person with covered eyes when I started my
discernment to religious life and God led me to walk my vocation journey and He
always hold me so that I never look back.
So many times, I asked to walk according to my desire and God still
granted it so what else that can make me not to believe in Him? My wish is that God always gives me the grace
to live according God’s will and die in the state of grace.
It’s really a blessing to be home at this time, to experience again God’s presence in my life through my family, relatives and friends, and especially the annual retreat. I also had chances to listen to others’ concerns and also pray with them either at homes, restaurant and airport just before I went back to Hong Kong on Jul 22 morning.
Thank you very much for your warm welcome, generosity and hospitality during my home visit this year. May God continue to bless your missionary journey.
Hong Kong, July
26, 2013
Sr. Anastasia
B. Lindawati, M.M.
Let’s do
simple things with simple love to make God’s love visible
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