The sisters from Luzon and Visayas Clusters participated in the Annual Retreat which was organized by the Provincial Team held at the Provincial House in Quezon City from June 24 to July 1, 2024. They invited Carmen Soto Varela, SSJ from Spain to be the Facilitator of the Retreat.
The Retreat started in the evening of June 23 at 7:30 PM and ended on July 1 at 12:30 PM with a symbolic presentation of each participant on their deep journey experienced with the Lord.
The day of prayers started with the aim: “to delve deeper into the fundamental keys of each one’s experience of faith. Each one is called to ask themselves about the way they believe, the strength of their certainties and hopes on how each of them experience the mystery that inhabits in them and what names they give it as go through the different stages of their lives.”
Carmen helped the sisters rediscover God’s presence in their lives through the Biblical images of women’s great contribution in the Salvation History. She emphasized the strengths of the women disciples in proclaiming the Reign of God through the symbolism of pieces of cloth like a patchwork quilt as they recalled the Biblical stories of faith that speaks of people who were able to accept the consolation and the tender mercy of God who came to meet them and pronounce their
name. She invited each one to journey the same encounter and allow themselves to be accompanied by God the way the women disciples’ stories speak of. Each day the sisters were invited to weave their quilt on which to embroider their love story with God who reveals herself/himself freely and mysteriously to each one of them.
