Back-Blog: the 7palabras adventure 2010

In another one of my futile attempts to write a blow-by-blow account of what happened -- and should have happened -- during the Holy Week, today I shall concede and just write a (probably -- possibly) lengthy blog about it.

You see it was a week full of frustrations. I was already running on batteries then -- I was tired from month-long exams. All my brain wanted to do was rest. But it was forced to work overtime when I found out that what was supposed to be an almost-finished 7palabras presentation has not yet to take-off. We had four days left and no concrete program. I started to panic.

I walked around our 'stage' -- that is, the steps in front of the church's altar. My tired, tired brain is not its usual self. No ideas coming in. And the fact the kids' commitment to the presentation was also faltering was not helping. Looks like I have to build a sensible and meaningful program from scratch -- with only four days to go and a handful of committed teens.

Now that plan A was scrapped, we formulated a plan B. That was scrapped, too. Then we had plan C. That didn't work either. By Holy Wednesday, I formulated plan D with what is left of the kids (around 10) and my energy. We decided to go for a simple sharing and reflections sessions. Starting at 1:30 pm, instead of the usual 12noon. We based our program on Bo Sanchez' Mga Huling Wika, which was also being aired during the time we were presenting it.

We also had a simple set up. I brought my foldable square table, covered it with white linen. I put my small purple tea-candle lamp on it and a simple steel cross I borrowed from the rectory. Beside the table, we placed a comfortable chair, where the speaker would sit. To make the ambiance relaxed and casual.

A few feet from the table was a cross draped with purple cloth. Before it, we placed seven candles, each one to be lighted before the prayer for each word. After each word, instead of a live presentation, we played carefully chosen music videos of church songs on the projector.

The presentation ended on time -- 15 minutes before the Veneration of the Cross -- with enough time to spare for clean up.

It wasn't as what we planned for months -- but not bad for something prepared for in just days. I am really proud of my two sacristans -- who wrote their own reflections. They will be going to the seminary come June 2010. We have high hopes for them.

I was very disappointed with what happened and decided to break away (maybe for a while or maybe for good) from the Parish Youth Ministry. This is not to overrule the Ministry but to make sure that the kids understand what service means.

That being a youth willing to serve does not mean youth camps, or trips, or what-have-yous. It's time to go back to basics. Time to serve -- in the rawest sense of the word. It's time to go back to catechism -- to making them understand what it means to be youths for and in the service of Christ. It's time to stop posing to be parish youth ministers and start to really be one.