The Cambodian Phnom Penh vicariate's Call for Commission hosted vocation camping under the theme "Time in With Jesus" at Phnom Vor Natural Paradise Resort in Kep Province in southern Cambodia, about 171 kilometers from the metropolis of Phnom Penh.
100 young people from Phnom Penh vicariate's nine pastoral districts attended the event.
According to Fr. Samnang Vy, a vocation committee, the main purpose of the camp is to help young Catholic people who want to know and understand the call of God in their lives and how to dedicate themselves to God.
The priest added that in this program, all young people have the opportunity to be with Jesus and God by listening to His voice in their hearts, which is a sign of God's call for them.
The event was attended by Bishop Olivier Schmmitthaeusler, apostolic vicar of Phnom Penh, priests and nuns, who were given some formation about the Bible and spiritual guidance.
On the opening day, Bishop Schmmitthaeusler told the youth to discover the presence of Jesus in their daily lives, highlighting nine ways.
There are to believe and know that Jesus is in the heart, to look around with eyes of faith, to consider and examine your own life with gratitude to God every day, to use short prayers to communicate with God, to take time to adoration and Meditation, to pray in morning and evening, to put the rosary or cross in the bag, to take time to reflect the need of the world and the people God has created, and to be merciful to others, especially the poorest ones.
The bishop said that these nine ways, although we cannot find Jesus with our own eyes, are a way for us to know that our lives are connected to the presence of God, and in our faith, we know that Jesus exists in our lives and travels with us daily.
He said that as a young Catholic, you have to open your ears, your eyes, and your heart to hear, to see, and to accept God's call to be a priest, a nun, or a lay person who can serve the Church with all strength and heart.
Neth Mon, 17, from St. Joseph Phsar Touch Church in Phnom Penh, said the program helped him to be close to God and to discover God's calling for his life.
This second time, Mon said he wanted to be a Catholic person who helped the church work, helped others, and served the church all his life, but not as a priest.
Chantha Sros, 20, from the Child Jesus Boeung Tumpun church in Phnom Penh, said that the three days she attended made her feel happier and gave her a clearer sense of life. It’s that God really called her to be a nun. Sros will continue to reflect more on this.
In this three-day program, young people receive spiritual education, learn how to pray in groups and individually, and listen to the clergy share their experiences of the calling of God.
Sreymom Pheng, FMA, a member of the committee for girls’ vocation, hopes that this program will help young people have the strength to respond to God's call, no matter how the first steps meet some challenges or obstacles. She said that because of this, God puts in young people who want to serve His community.
According to Father Samnang Vy, after the vocation camp ended, 17 gentlemen enrolled in the Emmanuel group and 9 young ladies enrolled in the Samuel group. These two groups regularly reflect on the life of God's calling as religious.- RVAKhmer
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