Institute of Preaching

Sr. Theresa Ha Nguyen, OP

Evaluation
(Recollection at Tala)
1. The audiences: the students of the third year of Rosario College.
2.The title of the recollection: "Returning to God in Lenten Season (MK 1:15)"
(Based on the the Gospel: MT 6: 1-6, 16-18)
3.The time of preaching: 30 minutes (the total time for activities is nearly 3 hours)
The evaluational sheet of deliverer based on 5 questions which Professor suggested in
the material.

1. Was the Word of God clearly explained to you in such a way that you now
understand the original author's meaning and purpose in this passage?
The Word of God was explained clearly and help me understand deeply the core,
the message of the recollection.
Lent is a season of grace; a new beginning, a new journey on the way to convert to
God, who is love and generosity. We are called to stand up to return to God with all our
heart with the invitation of the Church and the Gospel: "Repent and believe in the
Gospel" (MK 1, 15)
2. Describe the Word of God was directly applied to you...
Base on the text, MT 6: 1-6, 16-18, and the presentation of the deliverer, I can
understand the content, the message that Church, the Gospel invited me or the faithful
try to live deeply the meaning on Lenten season. Namely, in Lent, we are callled to live
in fullness three things according to the invitation of Our Church. They are : "Pray, Fast
and Give". It can be said that they are basic things for the faithfull’s life in practice of
living the spirit of Lent and put them into actions concretely.

With the questions: "What is the purpose of Lent?, What is the dying to sin?, What
is the living for God?, What is fasting?, What is the meaning of giving or alms?, What are
the attitudes that we need to live during Lenten season?... The reporter wanted to guide
the students going deeply into the core, the content of the message of the Gospel. The
deliverer presented the purpose of Lent in shortly, clearly and easily understandable.
1
Such as, the purpose of Lent is a time of prayer and penance, when Christ wants to lead
us back to our baptismal promises of dying to sin and of living for God. And then try to
guide them know clearly about what What is the dying to sin?, What is the living for
God? The reporter did not forget to use the stories, images or illustrations as possible as
she could make the students know thoroughly.

Under the light of the Gospel, the students could absorb the calling of conversion
to God deeply in hearts and at the same time to to put into practice by specific actions.
That is praying, fasting and giving which the faithful, the students feel the the need to
convert, to return to God in hearts, in lifestyl because of the values of the Gospel.

The deliverer also led the student knew the fate of the human being. And What
were the attitudes that we need to live during Lenten season? Truly, we were sinners
and we need the mercy of God. We was to be loved and saved by the high price of Jesus
Christ. "Repent and believe in God" is an invitation for each of us to think about the
meaning, the values of life and where is the ending of our lives? From now on, we
strongly stand up and return to God because God is generous and lenient Father who is
slowly angry and full of love to His children.

At the ending of delivery, the reporter did not forget to show some specific actions
to practise, to live the meaning of the Lent. Conceretly, the presenter suggested 10
things to which were simple and specific with the students' living according to Saint Pio
with stigmata. That was the demand of the Gospel in Lenten season.

3. Was the Word of Good preached to you in such a dynamic, passionate, intersting
way or boring, confused....
With all the ability or talent God gift, especialy with the ability in English language,
the deliverer tried to do guide the students understand and, at the same time, keep in
heart and then put it into the pratice as much as possible. There is one thing that the
reporter have to confirm that She believed inIn the power of the Holy Spirit, the
guidance of Him in order to help recolection for students at Tala. That is all.

In general, the students understood her presentation by paying attention, looking

at her in the respect, listening to her and turn by turn answering everything that she
asked while sharing. By making some questions while repoting, the students were ready
to answer actively and ebbuliently. How many percent did the talk gain or succeed? That
thing had already the anwer or feedback from them the listeners through their
evaluational sheet. However, the deliverer just felt that she was very happy and
comfortable while sharing recollection with the students at Tala. Moreover, she felt
confidence even her english language seemed limitation.

3. How well did the preacher use the homiletical tools in presentation?
2
 Actualy the preacher had already prepared some tools for presentation, such as:
poinpoint, short film, some video clips to serve the students at Tala. However, these
things could not happen or to used because of the poor facility at that school. To replace
for the lack of conditions, the deliverer tried her best to use other illustations, such as,
storries, statistics, the comparisions, the ordinary things in living life, the news or
experiences happening in society in the Catholic Church in the philippines, or some
places here and there to hightlight the content or sharing. Besides, there was clearly
concretely an ouline to present to them.

5. How was about body language?

With the deliverer's observation the room at the beginging, she made some
changes by rearranging the room, such as she let the students have seats into a circle as
closer as possible with her and then divided them into 4 groups for discusion later.
Truly, with her limitation that she had, she tried to speak with loud voice; kept standing
and moving around; kept using eyecontact in different sections, from the closest ones to
furthest student in the circle. She, the preacher, used somes ways to make them paying
attention, for example she questioned and invited them try to answer as much as
possible.
There one thing that the preacher was deeply aware in her sharing is speak from
heart. She did it well because she had to do it well by replacing for her limitation in
English language. Moreover, the most thing which the deliverer need to share in this
evaluation was she believed in the guidance of God, the Holy Spirit being in her at that
time. If there was this confirmation in faith, every words are just meaningless and
emptyness words.

In conclusion, thanks be to God that let me and sent me there, at Tala, to help
recollection for the students. Through recollection at Tala, it was truly humble to admit
that the preacher felt the limitation and the lack of many things, experiences needed to
improve, to learn and to train more and more in the future. At the same time, the
deliverer also felt the happiness in her preaching because this work is the work which
tough the hearts of the people. So she need to prepare, learn, pray and do it well in the
future. last word, this is mission of Word. Word of God must be spread to the end of the
earth.

3
4