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Joey Velasco Foundation’s Jubilee of Hope-themed Day of Recollection

The Hapag Community of the Joey Velasco Foundation — composed of mothers and youth — held their Jubilee of Hope-themed Day of Recollection at the Cenacle Retreat House in Quezon City, facilitated by Sr. Ria Valeroso, rc last 14 June 2025. We are deeply grateful to the generous benefactors of the Saint Thérèse Couderc Foundation who made this recollection possible. Thank you for your continued support! If you wish to partner with us in sustaining this mission, you may refer to the bank details below or contact us for more information. cenacle.philippines@gmail.com +639175703349 +63270059220 “𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘪𝘮 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘱 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘱𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘰-𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘥𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘰𝘳, 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘳 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘱𝘴.” (𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘚𝘛𝘊𝘍’𝘴 𝘚𝘌𝘊 𝘈𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘐𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥)

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Primerea

Do you miss Pope Francis? What do you remember most about his teachings or words of wisdom? I recently read his autobiography titled Hope: An Autobiography, and there found an interesting lesson from Pope Francis. Dios nos primerea. God is always ahead of us. It is actually part of the deep Argentinian or Latino Catholic Christian faith. It is based on a vision from Ezekiel. As the winter season begins, the prophet sees the almond tree and observes that among the trees in the forest, it is the first to bloom and bear fruit. It symbolizes God, writes Pope Francis, who is always ahead of us, always first, always leading us. Even when we sin, God is already waiting for us; like the Prodigal father, he is ahead in waiting for our return. Dios nos primerea. I remember this principle because today the beautiful and very touching story of Joseph the dreamer ends. We have been following this very human story for a week now. The drama ends today. With the death of Jacob, the patriarch, the brothers who envied Joseph and maltreated him, panicked. They thought finally Joseph would exact vengeance upon them. But Joseph had really forgiven them and told them that everything that happened was God’s will. God, he said, meant it for good, to achieve his present end which is the survival of many people. Indeed, as economic minister of the whole of Egypt, Joseph saved the kingdom from famine. Dios nos primerea. God was ahead of Israel; and even the crime that the brothers committed against Joseph was mysteriously part of God’s plan for the chosen people. The Gospel puts it in another way: divine providence. Jesus teaches that there is nothing to fear because God provides for everything that we need. “Even all the hairs of your head are counted,” he says. “So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” Like a mother or a father, God already knows what we need and provides for them. Dios nos primerea. He is always ahead of us. The legendary Ateneo High school teacher, Mr Onofreo Pagsanghan or Pagsi for short, shared that when he and his wife was newly married, they would spend days planning for the future of their family. Once, they brought up where to build a home. At that time, this was still wilderness but it was the closest to the Ateneo. They thought it would be very convenient for them, since Pagsi was teaching at the school . all he had to do was cross the street and Ateneo would be there. And if they had children, the boys would also conveniently just cross the road as well and attend school; and for the girls, they would just cross the street then walk left to go to Maryknoll. Good thinking, they said, and settled down at Esteban Abada. He was so impressed by how the plan worked out well. And then it dawned on him how we humans are so good at planning our future: we buy life insurance plan, health insurance, educational plan, etcetera. Despite our limitations—we cannot see the future—we rely so much on our capacity to prepare for the future. And yet, he says, we deny the same faith from God. When crisis happens in our lives—wars, natural calamities, grave illness or death—our faith in God waivers. Surely, he says, God who is omnipotent, omniscient and all loving has prepared a future better than we can ever imagine. As the prophet Jeremiah says, “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Or indeed as the Latinos would simply say, “Dios nos primerea.” God is always ahead of us! Homily delivered by Fr. Emmanuel (Nono) Alfonso, SJSaturday, 12 July 202514th Week in Ordinary TimeCenacle Retreat House

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14 June 2025 | Closing Dinner | Residential Program Batch 19

We had the joy of accompanying ten religious sisters for the Cenacle Residential Program. It’s a 10-month residential training program for religious sisters from Vietnam and Myanmar designed to equip them to be effective in retreat and spiritual direction in their respective missions. Our heartfelt gratitude to all our benefactors and funding agencies who have been supporting us to make this program possible.🙏🏼

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16-22 June 2025: Training Program for Retreat Facilitators

20 religious sisters from the five congregations* came to Cenacle Retreat House to attend a 7-day training/workshop entitled “Training Program for Retreat Facilitators” facilitated by three Cenacle Sisters from Cebu: Sr. Malen Java, rc, Sr. Xiaowei Li, rc and Sr. Ria Valeroso, rc. The aim of this training workshop is to provide the participants with an experience of a retreat and with the strategies to give retreats that will help the retreatants (especially the youth) encounter God. *Society of the Sacred Heart (RSCJ), Religious Sisters of Mercy (RSM), Servants of the Holy Spirit (SSpS-PHN), Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (DOLSH) and Sisters of Our Lady of La Salette (SNDS)

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Ascension

            I was missing Pope Francis this past week so I went back to videos of his visit to Tacloban. I don’t think any papal visit in our country was as deeply moving as that one. Remember the scenes there? Everyone was in a yellow kapote, wet, & weather beaten including Pope Francis. Walang kaarte-arteng pari. The original plan was for him to say Mass in the comforts of the sacristy. They’d just stream the video out on the giant screens. He wanted nothing of the sort, of course & wanted to be where the people were. In the homily, he spoke in native Spanish rather than officialdom Italian. Ibig sabihin galing talaga sa puso niya ang pakikiramay sa mga sinalanta ng Yolanda. “So many of you have lost everything,” he said. “Many of you lost family. All I can do is keep silence. I walk with you all with my silent heart. Many of you have asked the Lord, ‘why, Lord?’ And to each one, to your heart, Christ on the cross responds from his heart. But I (myself) have no more words that I can say. Let us look to Christ. He understands us because he underwent all the trials that we have experienced.” People who were already teary-eyed with started to cry. I myself was a mess…again. But then, later, I chuckled when the Pope was about to enter the plane back to Manila. A gust of wind whipped the Pope’s zucchetto off his head, like God saying, “Dito ka muna, hoy. Stay longer.” Which, I bet, might’ve been the people’s wish. I mean, it was my wish. And I was just a bystander. When people saw w/ their own eyes that Pope Francis dressed like them, was all wet & weather beaten like them, was silent with them in their suffering & longing, then, they must’ve also felt upon his departure, that he took with him a real part of themselves: a chunk of their hearts, the lump in their throats, the tears in their eyes, the fight in their spirit. And bringing those w/ him, maybe he could bring them all closer to God. Sisters & brothers, when people close to God & close to us depart, & they take with them a share in our being, a part of our lives, we feel hope, don’t we? Yes, we feel sadness. But if you go down deeper, we also feel hope; especially when they’re departing for a much better place than where we are. We hope they never forget us, for one. We hope they will always pray for us. Most of all, we hope they come back & stay with us longer. Or, if we ever make it to that better place where they are, we hope to be welcomed, too. And this time around, we hope we can be together for good. Sisters & brothers, I’ve tried to understand Jesus’ Ascension in this light. Jesus of Nazareth lived, moved, & had his being like us in everything (in everything) except sin. So, when he ascended to the Father, Jesus “took” with him everything like us which he made like himself, “took” with him everything part of us which he made part of himself except our sinning. So, the One who ascends to heaven is deeply familiar w/ how it is being on earth. We can therefore say, “’Yang taong ‘yan na umaakyat patungo sa Diyos, alam niya kung papaanong mabasa sa ulan, kumbaga, kung paanong ginawin sa hangin, bagyuhin ng tadhana, magutom. That One who ascends knows the difference between our joy & our despair & everything else in between, because he crossed that bridge many times himself. The One who ascends values friendship & community, because he chose a bunch of friends & together, they ministered to people who needed them. The One who ascends, alam niya ang pakiramdam ng mayapos at mapasalamatan ng dukha, kasi galing din siya sa karukhaan. At marunong din umibig, kasi labis din siyang minahal at inaruga ng kanyang mga magulang.” As Jesus ascended to the Father, how closely & dearly Jesus held us in his heart. Everything we are, he also was, including our constant need of uplifting, raising, transcending, for cheering up, freeing up, & taking up. If we felt that Pope Francis took w/ him a real part of being “us” as he made us part of himself for a few days, can you imagine what Jesus still carries w/ him to this day? He who was & still like us in everything but sin, he bears in his very being who & what we are. That’s why we say our Lord’s Ascension is not a matter of space: Jesus “up there,” & us “down here.” Rather, it is a matter of depth. The Ascension is our deepest reason to hope that we will not only be raised from death to life, we will also be taken up, lifted up towards God. Through Jesus’ Resurrection, the Lord says, “‘Wag kang mag-alala, wala nang kamatayan.” Through his Ascension, he says, “‘Wag kang mag-alala, wala nang iwanan.”   Homily delivered by Fr Arnel Aquino, SJduring the Anticipated Sunday Mass on the Solemnity of the Lord’s AscensionCenacle Retreat House; 31 May 2025

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33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time | 2024

There’s this story about a young lector, a beginner, who was reading in church to a big crowd for the first time. He was super nervous and had a difficult time getting through the first reading. When he finished, he accidentally shouted,  “This is the end of the world!” (Of course he meant, “end of the word.” Then the whole congregation replied, “Thanks be to God!” Someone once jokingly said that it is often those who are not certain, not clear about this life we live in now, who worry about the next. At first glance, today’s readings might seem focused on the afterlife, but the readings actually emphasize living fully in the present moment. You may have heard the story of St. John Berchmans, a young Jesuit scholastic who passed away at the age of 22. When asked what he would do if he knew God would call him while he was playing football, he reportedly said, “I would keep playing.” I believe this reflects the idea captured by the Latin phrase ” Age quod agis,” meaning “Do what you are doing.” It encourages all of us, as followers of Christ, to be fully present and dedicated in whatever we are doing, even at the end of our lives. As we approach the Feast of Christ the Eternal King, the Church encourages us to reflect on our readiness to welcome Him, not in the distant future, but here and now, as He is constantly present. The key message of today’s readings is to “watch.” Jesus reminds us that no one knows the exact time of His coming, chacitine the temporary nature of our world. Many people often forget that our time here is limited; and so they live as if, they will be here forever, perhaps accumulating possessions or harboring grudges. Yet, deep down, we all know that we are not permanent; our existence is fleeting and transitory. Given the limited time we have, it is important to focus on living fully in the present, and aligning our actions, with God’s desires. Each of us has a unique role that only we can fulfill, and if we do not take action now, that part of our purpose will remain incomplete. The best time to embrace our calling is in this very moment. This present moment is the foundation for asking meaningful questions during spiritual direction and retreat: What moves you or stirs your heart? What brings you life? What do you truly want to dedicate yourself to? What do you desire most deeply? And what sustains you in times of suffering? To help us focus on the present moment is why we ask those questions. The coming of the Son of Man is a call to unity, not division. By embracing God’s purpose and living fully in the present, we can rise above the fear of missing out, a struggle many young people face today. Our actions should flow from a genuine love for goodness, not from fear or the hope of personal gain. When we adopt this perspective, we discover true contentment and peace, freeing ourselves from the grip of fear and opening our hearts to a life of purpose and fulfillment. The second reading highlights this selfless action and fearlessness, exemplified by Jesus on the Cross. He sacrificed himself for humanity, not for personal gain but to save us from self-absorption, from selfishness and show us the way to new life. Jesus’ life and death are models of unconditional love, inspiring us, moving us to follow His example.  Today, we are invited to shift our focus from a distant future to the profound reality of Christ’s presence with us in this very moment. Let us open our hearts fully to this sacred time, anchoring ourselves in His love, and letting our lives become a reflection of His grace and compassion here and now. Amen.   Homily delivered by Fr. Chris Dumadag, SJ 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time 16 November 2024 | Anticipated Sunday Mass Cenacle Retreat House

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Purging Pride (The Devil’s Heist)

When I hang on to my ego like I hang for life Devil clinging to me closely cutting like a knife In my effort to preserve myself I lose the fight Spiraling me downwards to a never ending night Before I know it the depression hits. It pulls me away From the ability to hope it’ll be a brighter day Anxiety and fear join me on the road Medicating all the manic highs and the lows I have suffered through the bruises of this back-breaking work Didn’t rest so I got on the brink of going berserk Poured from an empty cup, nothing was left Went through the weaving of the warp and the weft Hail Mary, full of grace Take me out if this deep, dark place Lamenting at the illusion that I cannot rest Forgetting to trust that God’s plan is the best I had to be exhausted to be devoid of the choice To do nothing but rely on God’s will and His voice He said,”you’re getting in your own way by clinging too hard” Just let go and surrender. Hand me your cards So let go I did, albeit reluctantly And I resigned to the depression incessantly But then I tried my hardest to pause and to pray And little by little I could see the light at the end of the day What prevents me from believing in God’s love for me Is the pride and egoistic spirituality That this world forces on you and infects us with sin Surrendering to Him’s the only pathway to win So I remember I’m an athlete and a soldier for Christ And must be disciplined to fight against the devil’s heist To sow fear and shame and rob our hearts of peace A docile, happy rested soul should be what God sees Surrender to God Rid yourself of the ego Surrender to God Rest in Him (written by one of the retreatants during the Holy Triduum Retreat 28-31 March 2024)

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Story

The story of Christmas opens with history, an actual census ordered by Caesar Augustus, during the time when Quirinius was governor of Syria. It closes with a tale of an angel telling shepherds of the nightwatch to go see for themselves “an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” The story of tonight is bookended by the truth of history and the truth of heaven. It starts with people moving to be enrolled because of a political decision and ends with the heavenly host rejoicing over God’s decision to enroll himself into our history. Quirinius we will not dispute. But when we hear of heavenlies talking at night, proclaiming, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests”, we wonder if Christmas is just some made up story we tell each other to distract or numb ourselves from the heartbreak of this world. And yet, the evangelist Luke, the story teller, takes pains to bookend the Christmas story with accounts from history and from something that is more than just fantasy. The wood of the manger foreshadows the wood of the cross. The birth in a stable at the margins of the city anticipates the death on a hill outside the walls. The swaddling cloths that wrap the infant prefigure the strips of burial linen in the empty tomb. The light of the Nativity is not without the darkness of the Passion. Mary’s tears are of happiness and sorrow. The Child has her eyes. Her tears are his as well. On this night, the stain of her blood on the earth is the same stain from the blood of the Lamb of God, the very stain which marks us for deliverance. Soon after, this family will be on the run, living as refugees in fear, fleeing to Egypt to escape the murderous wrath of a delusional king. So much for fantasy, this story. We are here tonight not just because of the inertia of tradition. We gather not out of obligation. We are here because we believe the story. We are here because this Child is true. And we believe his light to be the one light that shines in this “land of gloom”, the only light that outlasts the darkness outside. We do not deny that the darkness disheartens us. We confess how lost and afraid we are. We’ve had our share of delusional kings and their murderous greed in this country. We have witnessed how hatred and bigotry continue to shed the blood of the innocent. We have been distressed by the brazen distortion of truth and justice by those in power. The callousness terrifies us. Despite all this however, we will not let fear and desolation take hold. We will still celebrate this night of Christmas because we know it is amid terrifying darkness that God comes to us. And so before the wood of the manger and cross, we will dare to believe again in him who stays with us in the dark. We will dare to believe in him who is true. We will love again because only love can endure the night. Like the Christmas story, our own life stories are bookended by the truth of history and the truth of heaven. All throughout our lives, there will be enrollments to keep us moving from place to place. And angels as well, telling us not to be afraid, urging us to please go see for ourselves this infant wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. There will be tears of happiness and sorrow, swaddling cloths of tenderness and loss, moments of gladness and silence. At the close of our stories, perhaps we will be caroled too by some heavenlies proclaiming glory to God in the highest, and peace to all on whom his love rests. Wishful thinking and fantasy? Not really. We know the story. And we believe God’s story.   Homily delivered by Fr.  Jose Ramon (Jett) T. Villarin SJ Christmas Eve Mass Cenacle Retreat House 24 December 2023

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The Third and Fourth Sons in the Parable of the Two Sons

To Pray on and Ponder: Matthew 21, 28-32 In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus recounts the very short parable of two sons–one who seemed unfaithful in his words, but ultimately followed his father’s instruction, while the other seemed faithful in words and even quick to say “yes!” yet, ultimately did not obey the very words he said “yes” to. One may argue that the one who proved faithful was the son who carried out his fathers’ instructions despite the initial resistance. Yet I am moved to include the storyteller, Jesus among the sons we are called notice. And of course in Jesus, we find a third Son who is faithful both in word and in deed and in whose love we can incline our hearts so that by our loving contemplation of him, some of the fidelity and obedience may rub in on us. Well, if you wish, we can consider ourselves the fourth child. While the parable as a story recounts of two sons and their respective dispositions, the parable as narrative has the third son, Jesus, as the narrator of the parable who is the faithful one both in word and deed, and we, the narratees, the ones to whom Jesus addresses the parable now as the fourth child whose response has yet to come to light. In the first place, contemplating Jesus, we can learn trust and surrender. After all, people who would tend to resist at first instance and block off the deepening love relationship probably have things to defend or have need for a clear map on how to proceed where a genuine loving relationship have no clear maps to help us navigate. Trust and surrender asks from us a leap of faith, an opening to vulnerability with only the assurance that God loves and God cares to draw us and confirm us in a more complete self-gift. Secondly, contemplating Jesus, we can learn to befriend mystery and to open ourselves to a God who resists any form of reduction or idolatry. God draws us closer to Godself, yet he will resist any attempt from us to put him in a box so we may fully understand him and take a hold of him. God as Truth has made Godself knowable and accessible to us, yet not completely. As with the Greek’s notion of truth as “aletheia” God as Truth reveals Godself to us even as God hides Godself in dark mystery as well, so that even in finding God here and there, we thirst for more and continue seeking him out. There’s more to know about God and ourselves. Finally, contemplating Jesus, we can learn obedience through sacrifice. Alas, the self-gift and self-surrender are not without cost. We learn obedience by sacrifice. Our love deepens as our offering of self becomes more serious and of value and consequence. As we die more and more of ourselves, we proclaim by our dying that God is more and more to us. What John the Baptist proclaimed becomes truer in us: “I must decrease, so he may increase!” so that in due time we can honestly proclaim as with St. Paul: “It is Jesus and not I who lives in me.” And so this third Son who is faithful in words and deeds, faithful in fact in everything in his life, will become the very spirit of our own life. We ask especially as we journey along the last leg of our Liturgy’s Ordinary time, that Christ our Lord may continue to reveal himself to us, and allow this kind of fidelity to spring forth and take root in us and our communities. So the we, the 4th child in this parable, may indeed become faithful children in word and in deed. God Bless! Homily delivered by Fr. Victor Baltazar, SJ 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time 1 October 2023  

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“For men, this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26)

Homily delivered by Fr. Adrian Danker, SJ on the occasion of Sr Christine Lam’s Perpetual Vows and the 25th Anniversary of the Foundation of the Cenacle Mission in Singapore “For men, this is impossible, but for God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26) These words make so much sense as we gather this morning. We hear in Jesus’s words the wondrous love of God labouring in our lives to make possible the impossible. And we do believe what we hear. Thanks be to God! God who makes possible the dreams of old men come alive and true. Makes possible the visions of young men taking on flesh and form in the world. Make possible the prophecies of our sons and daughters embodied in words we hear and deeds we experience. These are not words of Scripture to hear and know. Today, we witness the truth of these words in Sr Kris making her perpetual vows and the Cenacle mission celebrating 25 years in Singapore. Truly these express God’s good, faithful and generous labour bearing fruit. Individually and together, these two celebrations are the one story of God making possible the impossible. We gather to witness this. We give thanks and celebrate with you, dear Sisters. More than this, we are here to pray that God “who gas began this good work in you may bring it to fulfilment before the day of Christ Jesus.” A perpetual profession Sr Kris makes. This 25th anniversary the Sisters of the Cenacle celebrate. These are not just outcomes of formation and mission. Rather, they are milestones in God’s long walk with each of these good, generous, and holy women. God has set them apart for us and the Church. Their work is not done yet. It continues for the promise of God’s glory is still unfolding through their loving words, their generous hands, and their big-hearted lives offered for everyone. Today God makes possible Sr Kris’s perpetual vows. God has prepared her for this over many years of formation. It began when she encountered God in a Cenacle retreat in Chiangmai many years ago. This is how, you, Sr Kris, described this encounter in your vocation story: “God met me in my brokenness, healed me and drew me into the life and community of the Cenacle.” You added: “My vocation is a response to the healing love and gentle touch of God, and because of personally meeting Jesus, I desire to give myself fully to his mission: to go and tell everyone this is Good News.” Sr Kris, we marvel how God has taken the hope-filled desire of a young woman and today brings it to fruition as you make your perpetual vows. How good God is to you! But Sr Kris can only do this because of the greater good God has made possible – the establishment and unfolding of the Cenacle mission in Singapore. Her story is woven into the richer, larger and more colourful tapestry of the Cenacle presence here. It began humbly 25 years ago when two Cenacle Sisters joined 2 Jesuits to begin spiritual direction training at the Singapore Pastoral Institute. On 2 July 1997, the then Regional Superior of the Cenacle Sisters established the first Cenacle community in Singapore. Today that superior, Sr Linda, with Sr Mel serve us so selflessly and so well. Many Sisters came and went, everyone of them serving so generously to build the Mission. Over the years, God has even made possible 3 Singaporean vocations – Sr Fran, Sr Xiaowei and Sr Kris. The works of the Cenacle today are varied and rich, all of them focussed on the care and salvation of the souls in the Ignatian tradition. How could God have made all this possible? Peter’s example in today’s Gospel passage helps us understand. He, with the other disciples, have given up everything to follow Jesus. “What will there be for us?” He asks Jesus. No one follows Jesus without first encountering him, then surrendering all to follow, and as they follow, to find themselves challenged repeatedly to ask – in the most human, humbled and graced manner – “What will there be?” This is the necessary question facing every disciple. It demands more listening, more surrendering, more trust, even more faith, especially, when the possible no longer seems possible. Such must have been your journey, Sr Kris as you yearned to make these perpetual vows. Such must also have been the trials and tensions of the Cenacle Sisters as they began and grew in Singapore. Sheltered at their first home with the Good Shepherd Sisters at Marymount. Then, sharing space with the Daughters of St Paul at Jurong West. Now at their new home at Jalan Angin Laut in the East. What helped? Not what but who – God. Paul writing to the Philippians reminds us of this. In choosing Christ, Paul proclaimed the surpassing worth of knowing Jesus as Lord; everything else pales in comparison. And they should because to know Christ Jesus is to know that has made us his own, This truth helps Paul to press on because God alone was perfecting him for mission. You and I are called to let Jesus do the same for us. Do we? Will we? Sr Kris and the Cenacle Sisters heard and still hear this same invitation from Jesus. It moved them to say “yes, Lord!” I believe they did then and do now to know Jesus more intimately, love him more intensely and follow him more closely. Their “yes” makes possible today’s celebrations. This is why Sr Kris writes, “This passage describes my formation and growth journey. Difficult as it may have been, like all religious communities and life, there were abundant graces…At the start of my juniorate, I begged the Lord to show me that his grace is ever present.” The grace Sr Kris asked for is the same grace her Sisters echo, I believe. Not for themselves but for everyone they serve. After all, isn’t

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