An Introspection Into Love, Faith and Hope

Last November, the Grade 11 students—Batch Matatag—went on their annual retreat. It was split between the girls and the boys, with the former arriving at St. John The Baptist retreat house in Tagaytay and the latter spending their own time in the Manresa Retreat house in Quezon City. While rest and reflection is said to be a daily need for spiritual, physical and emotional wellness, a total balance of both work and lifestyle is hard to come by for the senior high Manresans. Hence, the school hosts an annual retreat for Grades 10 to 12 to not only provide them with time to recuperate their energy but to also strengthen their relationship with God and make sweet memories along the way.

“My most memorable moment in the retreat was the moment I stepped foot into the lobby and realized that this was the same retreat house we used to go to for our recollections back in elementary. The nostalgia hit me like a truck!” says Jason Del Rosario from 11 - St. Pedro.

Bridget Velasquez from 11 - St. Candida also recounts her most memorable experiences. “...we had 1-2 hours of time for ourselves to talk to God and to relax our minds at peace after a rough week, and the reflections/sharing with others! It helped me learn about other personal experiences that others dealt with, rather in difficult or different situations…” 

Throughout their retreat, the students have been taught the essence of the three theological values: faith, love and hope, wherein they can apply these values to their everyday lives. For Caitlin Navidad, she has learned to apply love when taking great care of her classmates, faith through being reliable to them (“I sometimes remind them of the requirements needed to be finished so that they won't have a hard time in accomplishing and forgetting most of them but it is safe to say that I also rely on them in case I missed anything important”) and hope whenever a task feels too difficult for her to handle. “I always have people around me who can help in assisting me to achieve my goals in school as I do the same for them.” 

Ethan Azarcon of St. Candida would then go on to give a similar answer as Navidad, insisting that these virtues are what build a “Christ-centered community”.

Enzo Livelo of St. Lorenzo gives his own thoughts on the virtue of Love: “The theological virtue that struck me the most is Love. Personally, love is a word that [depending on context] can go very deep. It can create strong emotional bonds, help people understand each other, and help bring happiness and joy to a person's life. It also inspires people to be a better version of themselves. Above everything, love can change a person. For example: let's say that a person is terminally ill and has a limited time left to live; we should do all in our power to love and cherish that person while we still can, to help that person feel comfortable, and to make sure that we won't have any regrets. As brothers and sisters through God, it is this kind of love we should foster with another, and with God above all things.” 

Navidad continues by saying: “The retreat has given me the time to reflect and reconnect once more with God because I have always been busy within the past months ever since school started…” 

“...this entire experience made me realize that I should have put more focus in my closeness with God from the very start because like from what was said in the retreat, ‘God is the first to love us’ and I took it seriously to once again rekindle our relationship as I love the Lord the way He loved me back.” 

Indeed, this retreat has further strengthened the grade 11 students’ relationship with our Lord. Though transitory, this step in their journey of getting closer to God helped to rekindle their hearts, minds, and souls—to inspire them with the values of Faith, Hope, and Love.