The Order of St. Augustine Asia Pacific in cooperation with the Asia Pacific Augustinian Conference hosted an Asia-Pacific Regional Congress for Vocation Promoters on October 1-4, 2009 at St. Nino Center of Spirituality, Cosolacion, Cebu City. The Congress was attended by all vocation promoters from different orders and religious congregations of the Augustinian family; The Order of St. Augustine Cebu Province and Vicariate of the Orient, the Order of Augustinian Recollects, Order of Discalced Augustinians, Augustinians of the Assumption, Augustinian Sisters OSA(ASOLC), OSA(ASJM), Augustinian Recollect Sisters, Augustinian Sisters of the Divine Love, Augustinian Sisters of Little Missionary, Augustinian Contemplative Nuns in Cebu and Bohol, Augustinian delegates from Korea, Australia, and members of the International Commission of vocation promotion from Malta and Chile in the presence of Rev. Fr. Leslie Gatt , OSA and Rev. Fr. Rodrigo Coli.., OSA respectively. We were also honored to have with us our lay collaborators as partners in vocation promotion from the AVP'S (Augustinian Vocation Promoters). Also, with the special participation of two Dominican Sisters of St. Catherine of Siena, O.P. who are also following the rule of St. Augustine.
I was privileged to be sent as a delegate in the said congress as a vocation promoter of the Augustinian Sisters Servants of Jesus and Mary. I have observed and experienced the magic of belonging to a family united with a common touch of love and unity. This was an encounter that filled us with so much joy and laughter as we went out of ourselves and gave our best as vocation promoters in our respective orders and congregations. As we tried to discover and uncover the real joy and beauty of being chosen by God, our desires and beliefs have deeply penetrated solely on the love and compassion of the Beloved, the source of the Real Beauty. We firmly believe that the God of yesterday is the same as the God of today and will always be the same forever who continuously calls us from our restlessness; a God who calls us from our nothingness; a God whose beauty is so ancient, yet so new; a God who never looks on outward appearances but who sees deeply in the heart-a heart that longs for inner peace and reconciliation. Our God is a God who accepts everybody, righteous and sinner alike
The said congress helped me so much to discover the challenges of being an Augustinian religious sister. The culture of vocation today is facing a lot of struggles and crisis that we as laborers of the vineyard must pray and work that the God of the harvest may send laborers for the harvest. The economic situation of the country and in the family, materialism, consumerism and secularism enter and affect the lives of many even religious communities. Sad to say, religious are being succumbed to the so-called progressive secularization. We are forgetting our goal? This keeps on bothering me after listening to the series of talks that our resource speakers have shared with us throughout the congress. The Augustinian families were bombarded with a lot of inspirations and challenges that there is a need for us to wake up to the call. Being one in heart and mind, we have to consider the culture of vocation today in order to reach out the young generations who are the hope of tomorrow's leaders in the Church. As Augustinian vocation promoters, we have to sow the seed of vocations in the mind and heart of the young people,be an example and live faithfully our lifeas religious. Vocation Promotion is not only a duty of those designated as vocation promoters but of all of us who are living a life of service and sacrifice. By our example and way of living, we become true witnesses of the Gospel, faithful to our commitment and joyful in our self-offering. It is a challenge for us to speak the language and culture of the youth in order to understand and reach out to them, enter into their lives and speak words of truth that is easy for them to return to themselves, return to their heart and return to God.
Again and again, as Augustinians, it is always our desire and aspiration to live in the so called "school of life", which we popularly call it community. Yes,as Augustinians, there is something that draws us together. Augustinians don't have any particular area of concern for specialization in terms of charitable works but wherever the needs are, there the Augustinians are. We are the restless people who are continuously searching and seeking for the presence of God in the lives of people and the presence of the same God within our hearts. These make me proud of being an Augustinian, a woman who is always on the go to serve with a humble and happy heart until I find rest in the heart of God.
