REFLECTION PAPER

(YDJ Overnight Vigil)

Vocation, so easy to define yet so hard to find. Young as I am, I am struggling to
find meaning. My innermost desires and passion are yet to be discovered. “What am I
bound to do?”, I’ve been asking this to myself ever since I got the zeal in me to make
the best out of my life. Prior to the overnight vigil last Friday, I was hoping this question
will be answered, or maybe at least clues will be revealed.
It was 6 PM, the vigil had not started yet. As I sat comfortably while waiting, I
pondered on things I should be expecting to this event, but aside from offering of
prayers and singing praises to God, I do not know what else to expect. Joining this for
the first time, it made me think on whether my participation will indeed help me in filling
the emptiness of my life’s meaning. It was almost 8 PM when the vigil officially started.
Throughout the event, we prayed and danced and sang. All was lovely and lively. We
were a reverent crowd of worshippers, hailing God of the nonstop blessings he has
given to us. His love and goodness was testified by the guest speakers of that night. I
got to hear different stories of different lives, but are all sharing a common thread: (a)
that no matter how dark and hopeless a situation may seem, God always saves us; (b)
that failures in life are just mere instruments in revealing God’s better plan for you; (c)
that you must not give up because unfolding of problems are just meant for us to be
tougher individuals; (d) that the uncertainty of the future must not worry you because
God is always there, guiding you throughout your life; and lastly, (e) that all these saving
acts of God are made possible only when we have trust and faith in Him. The speakers
shared their different ways of overcoming their adversities and how they, despite all
that, still have trust and faith to Him. I also got to hear more stories from my classmates,
how every day of their lives is like a battle they need to win. With this, I realized my
problems are not as tough as theirs yet I complain even the smallest problem I am
facing. I realized we were all seeking the same thing—meaning.
Despite the differences of our abilities and talents, the differences of our paths
and our walks of life, there is a common vocation for us all: love. We love because God
is love. And love is not merely a feeling, but an action. God loves us by giving us
everything we need. We give love by showing kindness, compassion, or doing works of
mercy. We give love by using our God-given gifts. I owe these realizations not only to
the testimonies of the sharers that night but also to the YDJ’s theme itself: “I am a
Josenian, beloved, gifted, and empowered to love”.
“What am I bound to do?”, this question is still left unanswered. But the overnight
vigil provided me deep insights, answers to questions I have not even asked yet, clues
of answers to the questions I am still pondering upon.