This page offers our in-house retreatants a platform for testimonies of their experiences of our Good God.
“God is good, God is more than Good, God is Goodness”
St. Therese Couderc, co-foundress of the Religious of the Cenacle. Let us nourish one another through our various prayer expression / symbols that others may also come to experience the same Goodness.
You are Free (April 2020)
.. I just felt I have to share the last part of my 8 Day Retreat:
Actually, when we ended the last SD, I was feeling uneasy and disturbed. I could not pinpoint it out. I still felt that same feeling during lunch and before my siesta. I was keeping the mood and reflecting and praying. Staying there. I desired to feel more and think less. I begged for the grace to taste the love fully. And to experience and see the miracles of God despite the chaos. I went to a different location for my prayer period. Sat there. Feeling down and uneasy. I was telling myself, is this how I am to end my retreat? Is this how we are ending, Lord. I felt that Jesus was silent again. But I just stayed and continued to feel His presence, begging there.
Then maybe after almost an hour, I looked at the poem you gave me as accompaniment today. And it caught my heart. I felt every word. On how Jesus have been desiring me daily to remember his love for me. And I realized, what I was feeling was indeed again disturbance due to fear. I feared that I am failing again in this life. I feared that just like the other retreats, I would not be able to stand firm and reap its fruits. Suddenly, one of my favorite Filipino religious song, ”Pag-ibig Ko,“ played in my mind. And there, I just caught myself tearing again, feeling Jesus love for me.
I felt him talking to me. Allowing me to experience his consoling love more. I felt him asking me “Why the sad face? Why are you gloomy? Hey look at me. Look at me. I know it is challenging. But remember to be secure in my love for you. With my grace, and your openness, you’ll see more miracles in your life that came to you and will come to you to remind you of our experience together.”
Then all of a sudden I saw the (well it seems like) white bald eagle soaring and hovering again near Henry Sy building where I was. And I felt him giving me a sign. Maybe to encapsulate the experience, I would like to share with you the poem I was moved to write to summarize the “message” I received from Jesus. It’s simple, direct, yet very meaningful for me.
“You are Free”
I ended my prayer with this message from him, and I was grateful. I was filled with miracles, if I may say. Of the various things around me that I saw as his miracles for me. i recalled all the people especially this year who served as miracles during my chaos.
And I ended my retreat with a grateful heart. I messaged every person I could remember who was part of my journey, and just said “thank you for the accompaniment” I received from them. From my batchmates, to all my formators, and all who accompanied me in SDs and Guidance centers. Brothers and lay persons as well. I thanked them deeply.
Courage, Trust & Love of a Religious (Feb 2020)
(An Immersion Program @Cenacle) A testimony from a participant, Singaporean, through whatsapp:
Gd Morning Sr.!
I really wish to visit Manila. My heart is drawn to go there again..
It is hard to share a little of my experience about the Manila Immersion Programme as it is a rich and eye-opening 7 days journey.
However, if I am to summarize the grace God has granted me, that would be the courage to trust in the love of our good Lord, in the way He wants to love me, not in my preferred way, because He always know the best than I do.
At first, I hesitated to join the programme because there is too many ‘risk’ I have to face, especially in taking leave from full time job, which is normally not so easy. But even before the programme, God has granted me the courage to trust in His providence. He only wants my YES and He takes care of the rest. Praise God for that!
Throughout my journey in Manila, He showed me that this grace came alive in the Religious Sisters and Brothers whom we visited. They face different challenges in their respective missions and vocation journey, but they persevere on and amazingly, all of them look so happy.
They love until it hurts, but they still carry on to love, until it hurts no more, but only love remains.
Thank you Sisters and Brothers for letting me taste the fruits of your courage, trust and love.
On top of all, I thank my Lord for this experience. It is too wonderful that I wish to return to Manila and I hope there will be another similar programme so others can receive the experience like I did. 🙂
A “Work Week” in the Cenacle by Ms. Xab Castor (July 2019)
From my childhood, I had always felt the need to be astounded. Life needed to be extraordinary. Food always had to be in the newest or novel restaurant, accommodations had to be at the top of a cliff or by the sea. No matter how much I’ve seen and experienced, I craved even more.
Living like this for the past 27 years, has brought me so many good memories. From witnessing sunsets on Mt. Everest, to partaking in the seas of Portugal, my life had always been so blessed and wonderful.
On my senior year in college, I’ve rediscovered my spiritual relationship with Jesus. The first few years that followed, I had been so deeply infatuated by Him and the wonders that happened during my prayer life that I’ve kept on expecting to see Him in the grand big events of my life—career milestones, accidents, or faraway places.
Only, our God is the God of the ordinary as well. And this is how I’ve come to meet Him during my silent retreat at the Cenacle.
The first thing I notice when I checked in as a retreatant on Monday was the gentle silence in the area. It is a very calm and comforting atmosphere, very soothing.
The house and rooms are kept bare, furnished only to what is necessary. A bed, linen, and a pillow, a desk, a lamp, and a chair. A Bible, a closet for outdoor things.
Mornings are glorious as I automatically awaken to the sun coming up the corners of my bedroom window.
The mass service was something I looked forward to as the sisters gathered in silence and prayer. It felt like we were all adoring this man, Jesus, celebrating the Eucharist with so much love and joy. There were no majestic sermons, nor a full church hour, and it’s barely even an hour each day but it had peace and gentleness.
The food was simple, yet gracious. I felt so nourished at every meal, one would think eating a pan de sal with butter is nothing much but even in simple bread and butter as I refuel my body, I felt the Lord loving me abundantly.
I’ve started going to [the Cenacle] for spiritual direction for a year prior my retreat. It was after a long time of searching for a spiritual companion during the period of “ordinary life” between my annual retreats.
When I started with my spiritual journey, I didn’t even know there was such a thing. After all, the basic needs of a human are food, water, and shelter. But, what I’ve come to realize is that spiritual direction is one of those “necessities” that you don’t even think you need in your adult life, until you come across an accident or a major struggle. It’s in one of those things people don’t really mention as necessary like let’s say an ample insurance policy or a really good mechanic.
A few of the many graces I’ve received from spiritual direction is the gift of awareness, and a soft acceptance of oneself, even in one’s weaknesses and shortcomings. Believe it or not, these graces have helped me achieve a healthy level of success in my work and family life. Self- awareness and acceptance have helped my productivity and those that I’ve worked with. It has helped me deal with the aging of my parents, the struggles of my siblings, and the natural falling away of friends.
It’s funny how the Lord can surprise you, first with a life-altering event and then, later in something as simple as coffee in the morning in the Cenacle. Indeed, Jesus walks with us not just in the big moments of our lives, but also, in the seemingly mundane hours of the week.
Inner Child, Singaporean, June 2019
“You, who see me through my birth, my childhood and my adulthood
Watching me over the years as I grew up
Waiting patiently for me to accept you into my life
Alas, I don’t always do that
I pushed you away, blamed you, doubted you and was angry at you
And yet, you responded with love, patience and tenderness
I was scared and fearful of the unknowns and challenges of life
You did not reveal to me what are those
Instead, you showed me that you will protect me and will go before me, even when dangers lurked
You brought out the inner child within me which I have hidden away, afraid that she will be hurt once again
Look at what you have shown her
Finally someone whom she will be safe with
Someone who sees her as her
Someone who accepts her every flaw
In you, she does not need to pretend to be someone else
In you, she found a warm and loving home”
