Newly ordained priest, Rev. Fr. Mark Austine Tuason, now a Parochial Vicar of St. Gregory the Great Cathedral in Old Albay, Legazpi City, served as the Recollection Master of the newly concluded Parish Lenten Recollection held last April 9, 2025. The said activity was attended by all the mandated ministries, religious organizations, and the lay people of the Parish of St. Stephen the Protomartyr. The theme of the Lenten recollection, “The Way to Calvary, the Way of Hope: A Journey Through Pain Toward Promise,” reminds us that even in the darkest valleys of life, God’s promise is never far behind. Some points of reflection mentioned by Fr. Austine in his talk was, Lent is a sacred season, a perfect opportunity for us to pause, and reflect. It is a spiritual pilgrimage that mirrors the steps of Jesus as He walked the road to Calvary. This journey, while marked with suffering and sorrow, is not one of despair, but of deep and abiding hope. Also, Fr. Austine quoted a phrase uttered by Margaret Thatcher, “You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it.” This phrases reminds us that hope lives not in our perfection, but in our persistence. In Christ, every fall becomes a step closer to redemption. According to Fr. Austine, death, betrayal, and injustice—these are parts of our complicated human stories. Also, Calvary mirrors what the world truly fears the most: abandonment, suffering, and failure. Hence, ironically Calvary also reveals what we need most: it is love that stays and love that saves. In addition, pain, in its many forms—be it doubts, disappointments, fears, or failures—can often feel isolating and unbearable. But according to Fr. Austine, when united with the suffering of Christ, our pain takes on a new meaning. It becomes a way, not to despair, but to transformation and conversion. It becomes profound way for grace to enter, and have our faith deepened. Fr. Austine concluded his talk with the invitation to walk with Christ during this Lenten season, to find the meaning of our sufferings, and to hold-on to the unshakable hope that God offers us and through Him, pain leads to promise, and the cross leads to renewed life.
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