Retreat

It seems like there is no escaping quiet days with the Lord. The year 2006 was a very spiritual year for me, when I attended not one but two retreats in a row.

First was the Holy Week Triduum by the Center for Ignatian Spirituality (CIS) at the Loyola Heights campus. Second was the Retreat in Daily Life (RDL), also offered by CIS. I chose the 18th Annotation for my RDL, since I was just beginning to develop a serious prayer life.

To be more precise, the 18th annotation is "an adaptation of the Spiritual Exercises and is most suitable for those who are starting in their spiritual journey, or those who want to attend to their spiritual thirst or hunger" (http://retreatindailylife.blogspot.com/). It runs for 14 weeks.

So what did I do during these silent moments of prayer? I basically begged for direction in life. I was a bit lost. And I am now, still. I'm still not sure what's the right career track for me. I'm also not sure if I'm meant to be married or be content in single blessedness.

But the saving quality of those days spent with the Lord was that I was able to set some of my priorities straight. Now, I am sure that:

1) I'm not working for money. I'd like to have enough for a cozy house with a little vegetable garden, for one domestic and one international travel destination per year, and for my daily needs. I'm a simple girl that way.

2) I'm not meant to be a nun. Nor am I giving up hope on finding the right man. Only time will tell if I will be single and blessed, or blissfully married. Recent events in my life made me realize that I like the possibility of a married life, though.


The year 2007 was the year I read the whole Bible. My boss gave me a copy of "Our Daily Bread," which I religiously read day after day. It was the year I saw the beauty of love and creation.

I didn't think I'd be going to any retreat this year. I thought that I have no need for it yet, since I have yet to fulfill my realizations, anyway. But God has other plans. The Office for Mission and Identity and Organizational Development (OMIOD) organized a retreat for employees at the Canossa Retreat House in Tagaytay City.

There are two batches, one on April 11-13, and another on April 18-20. I'm attending the latter. And I know what questions I'll bring up to the Lord. And if you've been reading carefully, you'll figure they're the same things I've been asking since forever.

So wish me luck. Peace, love, and happiness.

*Photo taken by me of a crypt near the Ruins of St. Paul in Macau. There's a Jesuit buried inside, I think.