DSC07524During the Holy Week, more than 20 men gathered at the Formation House in Lipa City as prepare and dispose their souls by “[ridding] itself of all the disordered tendencies, and, after it is rid, to seek and find the Divine Will as to the management of one’s life for the salvation of the soul” (First annotation, Spiritual Exercises). This Spiritual Exercises, preached according to the method of St. Ignatius of Loyola coincided with the Sacred Paschal Triduum celebrated at the chapel of Sheshan House of Formation.

 For our Institute, the preaching of the Spiritual Exercises is one of our apostolic priorities, as evangelization of the culture is achieved by sanctifying people individually. Its method are time-tested and has benefited numerous souls, they may be a priest, religious or lay faithful.

These 20 men came from mainly from Manila-Lipa area and their ages ranges from as small as an adolescent to a grown-up professional, and they were able to live in an atmosphere of silence and prayer, marked with some devotions proper to the Lenten Season, as the Stations of the Cross. Some brothers of our Houses of Formation assisted them in doing this retreat.

 After the retreat, a simple Easter feast was prepared for everyone where the retreatants were able to meet the religious members of the Institute here in Lipa.

We commend everything to the hands of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who waited sorrowfully and patiently during the darkest hour of her Son’s passion and was later rewarded with a great joy when Christ our Lord rose on the third day.