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I. Answer the guide questions below.

II. Attach the screenshot of your favorite part of the Recollection.

GUIDE QUESTIONS:
1. How can you strengthen your "SPIRITUAL (Immune) SYSTEM" based on the sharing of Brother Andreus?

2. Share some of your experiences wherein you feel God's grace.

3. What are your realizations/insights after the Lenten Recollection?

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FAITHdemic: The Grace that Heals and Keeps - Jan Gabrielle C. Samson

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FAITHdemic: The Grace that Heals and Keeps - Jan Gabrielle C. Samson

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1.) In light of the discussion we had just had, I've come to know that by developing our faith, we're also strengthening our spiritual immunity. We can demonstrate our faith in a variety of ways, including by praying, helping others, and cultivating bonds with both our local community and with God Himself. In this way, we won't have to worry about anything since our faith in God will be enough for us to deal with whatever comes our way. Furthermore, it becomes clear that there is no need for us to satisfy or prove ourselves to anyone. To impress God is the one goal that we should have in mind. Our spiritual system will be strengthened as a result of this as well.

2.) My father always used to tell me that the mere fact that I get to wake up every single day, already means that God loves me. And so growing up I really was the kind person that always saw even the most simple thing as a blessing. But when my father died,  I thought I would die. I never imagined such agony like that ever existed, where it felt like it totally crushed my body and soul into a pulp, leaving me in despair, misery, anger, confusion, and deep, deep sorrow. It paralyzed me and I couldn't think straight during those times. I was consumed by my sadness and would always wake up in tears. And to be completely honest, after my father died, I would say that in a way I drifted away from God. I would always ask Him "Why him? Why does it have to be him?" But then after a couple of months, I got tired of people, especially my classmates who kept asking me what happened to my father. And so there were a lot of times wherein I would go to our school's chapel and I would just stay there after school or our whole lunch break, and I would just talk to Him and my father. And as time went by, I was able to feel like my old self again, and I think that I was already starting to heal from the tragedy that happened to my family. And I believe that it was God's grace that allowed me to heal, and to let me know that it wasn't my fault, and that everything really does happen for a reason.

I discovered and learned from this recollection that in our life, it's not always about doing the right thing. To be good, we have already been called upon. The purpose of life is to demonstrate to others the goodness of God. Many times, Brother Andreus used the phrase "God's grace," and it brought home to me just how truly fortunate I am. In addition, he explained what Faithdemic is. Faithdemic must be widely disseminated if pandemic is to be halted. God's goodness must be known by everyone.

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FAITHdemic: The Grace that Heals and Keeps - Antonia Marie Tan

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FAITHdemic: The Grace that Heals and Keeps - Antonia Marie Tan

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In the sharing of Brother Andreis, he shared ways in which we can strengthen our spiritual immune system. He stated prayers, worship, lifestyle, giving, and service. He told us his life experience of how he kept his faith strong by maintaining these things. He made me realize that prayers keep us hopeful and near to God. This helps us and our mindset to keep on going no matter how hard things are.

We must keep in mind that worship and service are important in order to honor God and in order to keep ourselves close to him. Worship makes a person have a healthy connection and a consistent connection with God. This also reminds us that worship will help us, and this is our mission, to serve and worship. Moreover, lifestyle makes our lives consistent in the things we have in life; it will train us to have routines and healthy life/relationships. Maintaining a lifestyle of wisdom and hope is also by accepting God in our lives, keeping him within us in everything we do as a formation of our better lives.

After the Lenten Recollection, I realized a lot of things. I realized that God’s love and presence for us has no end at all. This recollection is an eye-opener for us to accept God’s love and grace wholeheartedly. Whenever and wherever we are, God always remembers us, and what we need to do is to remember him and pray to him. With God by our side, we will be able to accomplish our missions.

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FAITHdemic: The Grace that Heals and Keeps - Jhoyce Micah G. Ibasco

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FAITHdemic: The Grace that Heals and Keeps - Jhoyce Micah G. Ibasco

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1. How can you strengthen your "SPIRITUAL (Immune) SYSTEM" based on the sharing of Brother Andreus?

Brother Andreus shared his experience of God's grace. He did everything to be with his mother, and this strengthened his spiritual system and faith in God. As for me, keeping the people who make me feel safe close to me and lifting everything up to God strengthens my spiritual system. It is because I know that they are here to guide me and be with me throughout my journey in life.

2. Share some of your experiences wherein you feel God's grace.

March 15, 2022, was my Tita's 3rd death anniversary. That night, I prayed the rosary with my family and asked God if I could see my tita in my dream. I cried myself to sleep. Then when I woke up, I smiled and said, "Thank you, Lord." My Tita appeared in my dream. I consider this God's grace because my heart felt at ease. To be honest, until now I found things hard to accept the fact that she had already left us, but one thing I know is that she is in a good place now.

3. What are your realizations/insights after the Lenten Recollection?
After the Lenten Recollection, I realized that God will always be there for us. Even though we cannot speak directly to him, he is there to listen to us and guide us as we go along our own paths.

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My favorite part of the Lenten Recollection -  illustrated that “God’s grace keeps saving us.” (In the photo are Brother Andreus and his mother.)

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FAITHdemic: The Grade that Heals and Keeps - Ethaniel J. Calimpon

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FAITHdemic: The Grade that Heals and Keeps - Ethaniel J. Calimpon

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1. How can you strengthen your “SPIRITUAL (Immune) SYSTEM” based on the sharing of Brother Andreus?

According to Brother Andreus, I can strengthen my “SPIRITUAL (Immune) SYSTEM” by having more of the Lord in my life and keeping close to Him. I should let God love me because He loved me first. I should stop trying to win God’s love because He already gave that love to me. I have to open myself and let God love me as is, with all my flaws, dirt, and sins, and I will soon end up loving Him back. I should expose myself fully to God even if I have committed many sins. God’s grace is always available and keeps on saving us. I should receive His gifts and accept them as part of my life. Because God loves us so much, we cannot help but love Him back. Love strengthens our immune system. We go to confession because we feel the mercy of God, so we want to change. “Ang taong nagmamahal, nagbabago.” “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippines 4:13). And no matter what is the state of our lives, we can still be at peace when God is with us. I should also keep close to my family and take care of them as much as possible. “If you are having a hard time with your family, if there is abuse, go ahead, love from afar, but love still, honor still, because God anointed them to be your parents.” (Bro. Andreus)

2. Share some of your experiences wherein you feel God’s grace.

I experienced God’s grace many times, but my family’s experience last year, from the end of February to the middle of March, stood out. I was the only one in our family who was not COVID-19 positive. It was a nerve-wracking ordeal that we never expected. Nobody knows how my family got infected with the coronavirus. We were all required to undergo RT-PCT Swab Testing. My father, mother, and brother, along with my mother’s cousin, all tested positive. It is a miracle how I was spared! Thankfully they all recovered quickly. It was the very first time I was separated from my immediate family, with only Papa’s cousin with me. When I was alone with my Ate Ding, I felt that God watched me and guided me through my daily life. From the early bringing of Papa to the hospital, to Papa having gotten a room to stay, to the right time Mama and Kuya were picked-up by the ambulance, and the good Quarantine Facility that they were brought into, and all the relatives and friends who had helped us, and me testing negative - all happened by God’s grace and mercy.

Then, in November last year, I was stricken with Dengue. I almost gave up fighting the unusual high-fever patterns and body aches. In the hospital, I rested for a week and continued to participate in the 8 PM Holy Rosary of Santissimo Rosario Parish, UST, like when I am home. After a week of getting a daily blood sample to monitor my platelet count, taking many medications, resting on the hospital bed, and many collective prayers, I was finally cured. A week later, my brother began to experience the same thing! I felt God’s grace during these times as He helped us go through yet another harrowing ordeal peacefully. As Sir Legaspi, my CLE teacher, said in class, it was in these moments that God was there for me and that I am a living witness to His healing and saving grace. I agree with him about having a second chance in life after my ordeal with Dengue. Thankfully, our platelet counts never went below 70, the crucial level. We did not need to have a blood transfusion, but I must admit that I have never been so scared in my whole life. I had a batchmate back in Grade 8 and a neighbor-friend who both passed away of Dengue. Thank God for again helping us and giving my brother and me another chance to live. We are healthy now. And it’s because of God’s grace and divine mercy through the intercession of Mother Mary. The prayers of my family, my relatives, class of 10-St. Dominic, and my teachers, were priceless.

3. What are your realizations/insights after the Lenten recollection?

From Brother Andreus Casio - Salvation is Lent’s gift to us. God’s goodness and love are with us from conception till death. We have a real God who can conquer life and death. So, in return, we should spread the word of God because faith should be spread – this is my mission here on earth. God is calling us to help and serve others. God’s grace will keep us provided. He is saying, “Trust in Me, keep following Me; miracles are about to happen. I have loved you with my everlasting love.” In everything we do, it will always be about serving God. There is a blessing in serving. It’s great to be at the giving end. We are called to be like God because we are created in the image of God. He will never let us down. All the things He did are incomparable. In the novel “Les Miserables” by Victor Hugo, a quote will always be stuck in my mind, “To love another person is to see the face of God.”  Loving truly is like seeing the face of God because God is love. God’s love redeems everything and conquers all. We must also love our parents back like how they loved us. God loves us that He created us, took the risk in giving us free will, and keeps on saving us. Heaven is something that He wants us to experience here on earth. So, we should keep on loving and praying in the name of Jesus Christ. We should: 1. Remove our mask in prayer. God will heal our insecurities. Only God can heal us. Every day is a blessing. 2. Remove the distance of the hearts. Be an instrument to other people of God’s grace. God’s grace heals our inner selves.  “Ang temptasyon ay nilalayuan, hindi nilalabanan, baka ikaw ang matalo.” 3. Dirty your hands by being a servant. Serve God by loving people. 4. Strengthen your SPIRITUAL IMMUNE SYSTEM.

From Fr. Aceron’s homily - The Holy Rosary is the compendium of the Gospel (which is also being taught to us in class). It is the prayer of Mary in which she is united with us and orients us towards Christ. As we pray the mysteries, the contemplation on the life of Jesus helps us stay away from sin. If we are faithful as Christians, we can have a glorious resurrection.

From Sir Nuqui – a recollection is a re-awakening; to be awakened, to collect ourselves from concerns, questions, problems, and distractions. A recollection moves us up closer to God. There is no other way but up to God. In this time of the pandemic, we should stay awake, grow spiritually, and find our way back to God. This has been a very inspiring and uplifting Lenten Recollection. I feel renewed, energized, blessed, and at peace as I hear stories of love, mercy, grace, and faith.

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Brother Andreus with his wife and parents during New Year's Eve

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FAITHdemic: The Grace that heals and keeps - Darren Dhale S. Cruz

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FAITHdemic: The Grace that heals and keeps - Darren Dhale S. Cruz

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“We Love because God first loved us”

- 1 John 4:19

During the recollection, Brother Andreus rephrased that bible verse into “Let God love you, He loved us first” and it really left an impression on me. I can strenthen my spiritual system by letting God in, by submitting myself to Him. In the talk of immune systems and medicine, God is like a vaccine, He is with us, He is within us; and helps us fight our inner demons and turmoils; He strenghtens our spirit and our body; He is our light in the darkests of moments; He is our hope.

I can feel the presence of Gods graces whenever I feel fulfilled, protected, and accomplished. He is with me through my ups and downs, my highs and lows. He has never left me and I feel His grace when I am lost and I pray for Him. I feel him everywhere that there is life. I feel God’s grace when I see my friends and family health. I feel God’s Love and Grace whenever I pray and think of Him, He is already there.

The part of the recollection that I will always remember was when brother Andreus narrated the story of his late mother who had cancer. It made me remember the saying that “God picks the most beautiful flowers early so He can preserve them in heaven” It essentially answers the question as to why good people die first. And on the topic of time left on Earth, it made me realize how lucky I am that my parents, and gradparents are alive and healthy and are with me right now. Life is very short and we must always cherish it with the people we love in order for it to have meaning. Aside from that, I also realized the importance of prayer in life and to remember that everything that happens has a reason and is always in accordance to the will of God.

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I wasn't able to get a good picture but what I mean here is the whole talk of Brother Andreus was my favorite.

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FAITHdemic: The Grade that heals and keeps - Mario G. Comia III

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FAITHdemic: The Grade that heals and keeps - Mario G. Comia III

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I can strengthen my Spiritual immune system is by believing in God and his grace. As brother Andreus talked about love and grace of the Lord, I was amazed and inspired by him and also the ones who joined the recollection. The love and grace of the lord will truly inspire me and will make me be inspired to follow him.

Everyday in my life, I feel God's grace because everyday God is giving me another chance to be better. God's grace is always present with us. When we need him, he is there always. When I'm in trouble or being troubled, I pray to him and he makes me feel better. He always makes me feel better.

I realized about God's Love and Grace for us. We should always appreciate of what we have right now because eventually, it will become better. We should always let God enter us and Let him guide us to the right path.

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FAITHdemic: The Grace that Heals and Keeps - Juan Carlos Da Silva

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FAITHdemic: The Grace that Heals and Keeps - Juan Carlos Da Silva

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1. How can you strengthen your "SPIRITUAL (Immune) SYSTEM" based on the sharing of Brother Andreus?

Brother Andreus highlighted that God's love is unrivaled. He has shared His love with all of us, and He has not left anybody out. We should quit battling for that affection since it is not a reward for misbehaving. By welcoming God into my life and allowing Him to enter, I may enhance my "SPIRITUAL (Immune) SYSTEM." I will let go of all the restrictions I have placed on myself and freely welcome Him into my life.

2. Share some of your experiences wherein you feel God's grace.

Throughout my life, I have sensed Divine. In times of struggle and worry, he has been a pillar of support for me. Notwithstanding those moments of weakness, I continue to sense the love and will soon encounter the compassion. Jesus love for me has always existed. When I got into an accident i felt that God was watching me and helped me recovered well, mentally and physically, for that I am so thankful.

3. What are your realizations/insights after the Lenten Recollection?
It helped me realize a few things. It helped me understand that God is always wonderful and that we should have complete faith in him. He gives us with everything just for our benefit. God wants us to establish a healing relationship with Him. He loves us so profoundly that we should put other things aside to experience his infinite grace.

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FAITHdemic: The Grace that Heals and Keeps - Stephanie Keith Calabazaron

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FAITHdemic: The Grace that Heals and Keeps - Stephanie Keith Calabazaron

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Brother Andreus’ talk inspired and motivated me to strengthen the foundation of my Spiritual System. What made an impact to me the most is his message about love and grace. Despite the many things in life that hinders us from achieving our goals and pursuing our dreams, God’s grace will always be there, helping, healing, and guiding us. Like the popular saying, ‘By Grace, we have been saved, through faith.’, we must always remember to believe in His ability to save us, no matter what the circumstances may be. Moreover, His love for humanity overflows in our hearts, so that we may be able to share it to others. Because God teaches us to love, we must also do it to others, to our brothers and sisters, our family, and even to people we do not know. It is very fulfilling to think that we are showing love to others, the same way God has shown love to us.

During the pandemic, my mental health has not been doing great, especially with the thought of being away from my peers and spending time in front of my gadget, very much away from the real world. At the peak of lockdown, the whole world seemed so dull in my point of view. I was always inside the four corners of my room, contemplating whether this life was something that I deserve. Then, I started talking to my friends more, and having bonding moments with my family. I also started meditating, listening to worship songs and homilies. Then I realized, maybe it is the little things that kept me going. My friends, family, and the little motivations that came in my journey of finding myself were a part of His plan to save me. His grace is truly available no matter what, especially in our darkest of times.

After the Lenten Recollection, I was reminded of God’s unending grace to us, and His overflowing love for humanity. Like what Sir Nuqui said, this special event allowed us to be ‘up, up, and away’, awakening us from our slumber and reminding us to open our hearts to Jesus. At a time where most of us are stressed from all the schoolworks and stuff going on around us, it is important that we always remember to open our hearts and remember the sacrifice made by Jesus for our sake. In this Lenten Season, may we be able to appreciate one another, say sorry for our sins, and celebrate the coming of our savior, Jesus Christ.

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FAITHdemic: The Grace that heals and keeps - Sheanlee Tan

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FAITHdemic: The Grace that heals and keeps - Sheanlee Tan

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1. How can you strengthen your "SPIRITUAL (Immune) SYSTEM" based on the sharing of Brother Andreus?
From Brother Andreus, we can strengthen our spiritual system that God's grace is always available. God give us the beauty of wonders of nature that we see each and every day in our life. The best grace that God give us is our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave all our sins. God give grace when he forgive us each time we repent. God give us the freedom to forget about other people's opinions. God promised us to be with him all the times. His holy spirit will counsel us and prompt us as we go through our days. He is with us in each present moment and those moments lead us to a glorious future. He emphasized that it is by grace we are save through faith and it is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.

2. Share some of your experience wherein you feel God's grace.
The truth is that God's love and grace is wider and deeper that our sin and as long as we love God, it will never change how he feels about us. I have experience his grace during the time our house was burnt, I thank Him for Gods grace that he saved my family from any harm and protect them from any danger, even though we lost our home but Gods grace is always their because at that time the condo of my Tita was just turned over to her and we have place to live after the  fire. This were I realize the goodness of the Lord. We must learn to be expectant by being attentive of our surroundings and anticipate God's presence all the time.

3. What are your realizations/insights after Lenten Recollection?
My insight and realizations after Lenten Recollection that something must happen first in our life for us to realize or open to and be aware of God's presence. We can experience God present in any ordinary circumstances, we can see his uprightness when mercy is shown for the weak and when justice prevails for the wicked. He is just as real and present in our struggles and in our pain. We can expect to experience Gods presence  through spiritual leader like Brother Andreus that we can received his wisdom he shared to us. "We do not have to leave in a monastery to experience God's embrace" Robert Webber. "The spiritual life is not an escape from life but an affirmation of God's way of life in the struggles we meet in our personal thoughts, in the relationships we have in the family, among our neighbors, at school, and in our leisure. The Christian life is an embodied life. it affirms that all life belongs to God, and God is everywhere in life." In this time of pandemic we know that all of us struggle not just physically but mentally but God's grace is always with us that we could handle everything and overcome all this challenge.

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FAITHdemic: The Grace that Heals and Keeps - Veronica Louise L. Pajarillo

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FAITHdemic: The Grace that Heals and Keeps - Veronica Louise L. Pajarillo

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1. How can you strengthen your "SPIRITUAL (Immune) SYSTEM" based on the sharing of Brother Andreus?

During his time in the recollection, Brother Andreus provided a great deal of useful guidance. My Spiritual Immune System was strengthened as a result of his messages, which were extremely meaningful. The stories he shared with us were very interesting, but there were also messages hidden beneath the surface. He was very convincing and passionate in his discussion of his experiences as well as the importance of strengthening our spirituality and religious faith. He was honest about his insecurities, which helped him to be more relatable to others. It was he who taught us to take off our masks and be vulnerable in front of the one who loves us the most. He advised us to close the distance between our hearts because God wishes for us to be united as a family. He advised us to get our hands dirty by serving others because there is a blessing in serving others. We can strengthen our spiritual immune system by refraining from attempting to win and instead allowing God to love us.

2. Share some of your experiences wherein you feel God's grace.

When I pray, I can sense God's presence and grace. It may not have been noticeable, but I was aware that God was keeping an eye on me and showering His blessings upon me. Even when I am going through personal difficulties, I am aware of His presence, and I am confident that He will never abandon me. The death of my grandmother was one of the most difficult experiences I've ever gone through. When it finally dawned on me that she had passed away and was in a better place, I felt helpless and lost. I was filled with regret for not spending enough time with her, but I was also relieved that she could finally get the rest she so desperately needed. When she passed away, I prayed even harder, praying with all of my heart that she would be able to spend eternity with God. Every time I prayed for my grandmother's well-being, I felt God's loving embrace around me. It was one of the most comforting feelings I'd ever experienced following her death.

3. What are your realizations/insights after the Lenten Recollection?

I've come to realize a number of things as a result of my recollection. I realized that I needed to be more vulnerable with those who care about me, especially God. Being more open helped me deal with my own problems and difficulties. It bolstered my self-confidence and my faith in the Almighty. I also learned that we should be willing to serve others. Rather than assisting others for the benefit of future blessings, we should do so because we want to be kind to other people.

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FAITHdemic: The Grace that Heals and Keeps - Sharmyl Unica F. Ulatan

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FAITHdemic: The Grace that Heals and Keeps - Sharmyl Unica F. Ulatan

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1. How can you strengthen your "SPIRITUAL (Immune) SYSTEM" based on the sharing of Brother Andreus?

The sharing of Brother Andreus all throughout the Lenten Recollection was truly inspirational and motivational. He talked about different ways how we could strengthen our Spiritual (Immune) System during these trying times. One of the ways from him that I believe will help me in strengthening my spiritual system is by removing my mask and exposing my love for God.

Facing the difficulties and challenges in our lives on our own will not do any good to us as it will only make us feel worse. We should not hinder ourselves from the Lord just because of the thought of burdening Him. Honestly, I had been like this when the pandemic started wherein everything has been difficult for all of us. I was afraid that letting God help me will make me feel weak to face all of my difficulties and also, I might burden Him.

However, I was enlightened that letting God enter our lives is not a bad thing to do rather, it is the best thing and decision that we must do. Removing our masks to let God see us was one of the ways that helped me to strengthen my spiritual immune system and to expose my love for Him as being open to Him enabled me to easily show how much my love is for Him.

2. Share some of your experiences wherein you feel God's grace.

God itself is a grace for us. It is a blessing to have God in our lives who is more than willing to help and guide us in our lives as His love for us never dies. I have a lot of experiences where I experienced God’s grace but one of the experiences that I had in which I really felt His grace the most is when I almost lost my younger brother. It was two years ago when my brother suddenly got a convulsion due to his high fever which is almost close to being severe.

Our family was very hopeless during that time as it was the time when the virus is very prominent and lockdowns were implemented in our country which made it difficult for us to go to the hospitals immediately. It was the evening on that certain day when I almost lost myself as I saw my brother’s state. I don’t know what to do during that time as I am feeling hopeless because we can’t even bring him to the hospital right away.

I prayed so hard to God to help my brother to survive and to guide us on what we should do next. After a few minutes, my younger brother was able to be on his normal self again. It was like God guided my mom on what she should do to help my brother survive when we still are trying to find a way to bring him to the hospital and indeed, He does.

God never left our side and made the impossible–possible, as His grace was bestowed upon my younger brother, upon us. With this experience, I am so grateful that God is always there for all of us as He will always be at our sides to make all things possible as long as we strongly believe in Him. It was an experience that I will never forget.

3. What are your realizations/insights after the Lenten Recollection?

After the Lenten Recollection, I have gained a lot of realizations that I believe will truly help me in becoming a better follower of God and a better person. One of the realizations that struck me the most is that God will always and will forever be by my side. I was able to be able to realize again that God has always been good to us as He is more than willing to give everything to help and guide us in every way possible.

With His love that never dies and is everlasting, I realized that I must also expose my love for Him just like what He does. I should be more open to Him and let my difficulties be known to Him as it should not be considered a burden to God as He only wants us to be closer to Him by being open to sharing our difficulties.

I must remove my mask and expose my love to God without any doubts or hesitations to do so as He never hesitates to help us at all times. Overall, Brother Andreus was able to make me realize how important it is to share my love to the Lord during these trying times as it will be the way to be more connected with Him and be closer to Him.

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FAITHdemic: The Grace that Heals and Keeps - Beatrice Rae Ann Alberto

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FAITHdemic: The Grace that Heals and Keeps - Beatrice Rae Ann Alberto

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1. How can you strengthen your “SPIRITUAL (Immune) SYSTEM” based on the sharing of Brother Andreus?

Brother Andreus made me realize how important “SPIRITUAL (Immune) SYSTEM” in our life. Because we connect ourselves to God through ups and downs. With this, we may find greater love and joy, and strengthen our faith to God. Brother Andreus provided strategies to improve our Spiritual (Immune) System, one of them is to try to build relationship with God, we should take risk, we should trust, and welcome him to our life. God is the one who will understand us with our ups and downs.

2. Share some of your experiences wherein you feel God’s grace.

Everyday, I can feel God’s grace. As I start my day, I can feel that he heals my inner self and provided me with his grace. Whenever I breakdown because of the happenings around me, God is always by my side, ready to listen.

3. What are your realizations/insights after the Lenten Recollection?

During the Lenten Recollection, it made me realize certain things. It made me realize that God is always good, we should trust him wholeheartedly. He provides us everything just for our own good. God’s desires us to have a healing relationship. He loves us so much, that we should set aside other priorities, and feel his unending grace.

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FAITHdemic: The Grace that Heals and Keeps - Andrea Margaret G. Tantingco

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FAITHdemic: The Grace that Heals and Keeps - Andrea Margaret G. Tantingco

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From the sharings of Brother Andreus, one way I can strengthen my spiritual (immune) system is by being aware of my surroundings. To feel God's grace, we should be observing the simple miracles around us as God can work in different ways to fulfill our needs. Sometimes, we can feel His grace from a simple greeting from our friend, or we can feel it when we are forgiven for our mistakes. Aside from feeling God's grace, we should be the ones giving it to others as we remain as our humble selves and help others. There must be a balance with giving and receiving God's grace because as children of God, we all deserve to feel His grace.

While I often feel God's grace in the most mundane things, I greatly felt this grace when I reconcile with my friends. Friendships aren't always perfect, and sometimes, I do something dumb that can compromise our friendship. Still, my friends forgive me for what I've done even if I was in the wrong. It makes me feel more guilty for my wrongdoings, but I greatly felt His grace when they forgive me. I know that giving forgiveness is never easy, but my friends are always ready to forgive me as long as I genuinely apologize and make up for my mistakes. During these times, I sometimes feel like I am undeserving, so I redirect this feeling to God instead and thank Him for bestowing His grace upon me.

After the Lenten recollection, I realized that love is really important at this time. During this pandemic, many of us felt lonely as we stayed trapped in our homes, and many of us are spiritually fatigued thanks to our current situation. With that in mind, love is a great solution to heal one another. To love means to connect with God, with family, with friends, and with everyone. With love, we are encouraged to act in service, and this spiritually mends our inner selves as we do so. Not only do we help ourselves, but we also help others as we love and act for others. Love is about giving and receiving, so it's our mission to receive God's love and spread that love to everyone and share God's gift.

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FAITHdemic: The Grace that Heals and Keeps - Gerard Berino

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FAITHdemic: The Grace that Heals and Keeps - Gerard Berino

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Based on Brother Andreus' sharing he, showed to be stronger is just simple. Serve God, Let God use you for the greater good of this earth. And love everyone no matter what. I felt God's grace when I lost my mother which gave me the strength to get back even stronger and just believe in him. I realised that everything will happen for a reason and a lesson will be taught. My answers are short but I just showed how I felt and summarised it.

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FAITHdemic: The Grace that Heals and Keeps - Jasmine Belle F. Gemoto

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FAITHdemic: The Grace that Heals and Keeps - Jasmine Belle F. Gemoto

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1. How can you strengthen your "SPIRITUAL (Immune) SYSTEM" based on the sharing of Brother Andreus?

As I understand it from his discourse, we may become more connected to God by removing our masks during prayers and boosting our spiritual immune systems. I believe this is true. As Brother Andreus said, the pandemic is something to be stopped; Faithdemic is something to spread. He is saying that we should take off our masks and show him who we are. We should also demonstrate that we still love him and that we should express our gratitude to him.

Brother Andreus' speech was a source of inspiration for me. His tone of voice persuaded me that this is the way we should deal with difficult situations. When he spoke about his now-wife, I had butterflies in my stomach. He responded,
"That woman? She became my wife.” Because God has blessed his life, his experiences made me scream aloud. But, even though his life has been so good, I had the impression that he worked hard to allow God to present him with these special times in his life. It was always going to end up that way from the beginning.

2. Share some of your experiences wherein you feel God's grace.

If we are saved only by the merits of Christ's work on the cross, we may say that we do not need to earn God's love, forgiveness, or salvation ourselves. Even though we will never be able to achieve salvation through our efforts, God sees us as righteous because of Jesus Christ. That grace is ours only if we believe in it. In addition, God provides us with the faith and confidence we need to believe in him. It is by grace through faith in Christ alone that by grace through faith in Christ alone, we are saved, not by following a set of rules and regulations. God is in charge of our salvation, and we may rest assured.

Every time I pray or converse with God, I get this thought in my head. "Maybe He is real, or maybe He isn't," of course, but that quickly faded when I could sense His presence in my prayers and conversations with Him. When I'm older, I hope I have more opportunities like this.

3. What are your realizations/insights after the Lenten Recollection?

After the Lenten Recollection, my impression was that it had been a terrific and beneficial occasion. "Catholics and Christians develop in the spirit of faith," Sir Nuqui said, and I believe that. He works in believers by renewing our brains to be like Jesus' mind. He does this by persuading us of our sin and guiding us toward forgiveness.

And for Brother Andreus' talk, the most memorable part was "Iba kapag nakaramdam kayo ng pure love, the one that loves and accepts you for who you are." When it comes to love, things might become a little complicated. We all have various ways of defining love. In the end, it's not all about one thing. And as I heard from the speakers, "God is healing me through the love of other people." My stomach started churning as a result of this. I could see why so many people cherished me. This helped me believe that God was with me and supporting my journey on this challenging path.

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FAITHdemic: The Grace that Heals and Keeps by Danielle Noreen D. Lagdamen

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FAITHdemic: The Grace that Heals and Keeps by Danielle Noreen D. Lagdamen

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1. How can you strengthen your "SPIRITUAL (Immune) SYSTEM" based on the sharing of Brother Andreus?

Brother Andreus highlighted in his talk that we should stop in not letting God enter into our lives for He loved us first. We have to surrender ourselves to Him and let His enduring and merciful love enter us. We should let God freely love us, without boundaries, restrictions, and doubts we feel, for He knows and loves us most.

With this sharing of Brother Andreus, I can strengthen my “SPIRITUAL (Immune) SYSTEM” by embracing God into my life and letting Him enter. I will remove all the limitations that I set in my life and openly welcome Him into my life.

2. Share some of your experiences wherein you feel God's grace.

God’s grace is a gift and I am so grateful that I get to experience this despite all the hurdles I am facing. With this gift that I receive in all the highs and lows of my life, I get to appreciate His grace when I am experiencing difficult times in my life. It serves as a reminder that He will be always there for me no matter what.

3. What are your realizations/insights after the Lenten Recollection?

After the Lenten Recollection, I became more enlightened of God’s grace and love for us. I realized that despite all our shortcomings, He still loves and accepts us. With this, I learned to also give love to others like the love God has for us. I became more aware that I am the version of me today because God molded me with His love, mercy, and trust. He is the solid foundation of my life and identity. Without Him, I wouldn’t meet this version of myself who’s always trying to be a better person to herself and to others, guided by God’s plans and unwavering love.

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FAITHdemic: The Grace that Heals and Keeps - Charmaine Paredes

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FAITHdemic: The Grace that Heals and Keeps - Charmaine Paredes

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The message Brother Andreus shared that stuck with me the most is the one about love. He told us to constantly surround ourselves with people who truly love us for who we are. For me, that person is God. With this mentality, I will be able to strengthen my spiritual immune system. There are often days where I do feel undeserving of the love that I receive or days where I feel l am not loved by anyone. I feel the need to constantly establish myself and prove my worth because I thought that that is the only way I am to be loved. Yet, at those times, I forget that there is a God who created me like this and a God that loves me beyond my status, my possessions, or any external factors in my life. Despite anything, God will be able to love me for what I am and through strong faith, I will be reminded of how great He is in my life.

In general, I feel God’s grace whenever I see the good in people. Whenever someone shows me kindness, I really believe that God is showing me his grace. However, the most significant moment in my life where I felt Him was probably when I got sick. My health has always been an issue for me. In the past, God showed me his grace since I don't believe I would have had the strength to get better without it. Furthermore, without prayer, my mindset would have shifted to one of negativity, and my resolve to improve my health would have weakened. I praise God for always alleviating my suffering and demonstrating to me that things would be better. When I've been on the verge of giving up, God reminds me of His presence in my life.

This recollection made me realize how important it is to open yourself to God. God is always going to be there for us, but we won’t see it if we don’t allow Him to come into our lives. God loves us for who we are and He will never fail to show us that. But, we often have the misconception that God will show himself through grand expressions and elaborate miracles, but most of the time, he shows himself through the little things. So, we have to remember that in this Christian faith, it’s the little things that matter.

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FAITHdemic: The Grace that Heals and Keeps_Cyrus Salvador

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FAITHdemic: The Grace that Heals and Keeps_Cyrus Salvador

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In the recollection, I remember three points on strengthening your Spiritual Immune System. One is that we must appreciate the miracles around us. We might think that things around us do not happen for a reason, but the reality is otherwise. We should be thankful for all the little and big miracles made by Him that cause significant changes in our lives. Second, we want to do everything to show God that we love Him, but we must remember not to exhaust ourselves too much because God already loves us even before we are born. Sometimes, we stress ourselves too much and forget the main reason why we pray to God. It is because we love Him. Lastly, we must be open to God and let His love and grace flow through us. There are times in our life when we think that if we keep things to ourselves, it would be better. Let us remember that He knows it even if we do not tell Him. So it is better to be open and let Him help us.

I remember when I was hospitalized before for about a week and felt the presence of God. I had pneumonia when I was around seven years old, and our family is in the hospital with me. I felt God's grace in the presence of my family. I felt relieved, and I think that they are the message of God that everything will be okay. After a week of praying, being in the hospital, and receiving medicines, I went back home healthy and happy.

After the recollection, I realized that I was not alone. I still feel isolated and lonely at times, but I always go back to why I am here. God made me live because I have a purpose, and I will continue living until I do my duty here on our land. With God's presence and guidance, I would be able to help others, listen to their stories, learn from their stories, and apply it in serving others because there is always a blessing in serving.

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FAITHdemic: The Grace that Heals and Keeps - Franzell Lopez

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FAITHdemic: The Grace that Heals and Keeps - Franzell Lopez

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In the recollection, there were numerous points that were brought up by Brother Andreus but one particular message that he shared with all of us stood out the most for me and it was surrounding yourself with people who will love us for who we are and will accept us as a whole. All of us have flaws and imperfections and we tend to try and hide these insecurities from other people as much as possible and we end up not showing the person who we really are. I know that there are a lot of people who will accept and love us but for me, the person that we can be sure of is God. With this lesson, I will be able to strengthen my spiritual immune system. With this, we can be more like ourselves and we won't ever have to hide our true selves. God created us and he knows us better than we know ourselves. He accepts us as we are and he will always love each and every one of us no matter all of the things that we think will make us unlovable.

I feel God's grace in every air that I breathe. I believe that every second of my life is already a blessing and we should be thankful for the many blessings that he has bestowed upon us. We should not look for things that we do not have and instead acknowledge the things that we possess and be grateful for them. The most significant moment in my life where I felt his grace was whenever I felt down and lose motivation in life and God would make things happen that would lighten up my mood and make me smile. I feel God's presence even in small things and I am reminded that he is always there with me even during hard times.

This recollection made me realize the importance of opening up to God. I realized that whatever we are going to commit or become, he will always accept us and he will always love us no matter what. God is always there for us so we should welcome him into our lives and accept him as he accepts us. I realized that God works in ways that we cannot always expect so we should always have faith in him and let him work in our lives.

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Brother Andreus sharing his unforgettable encounter with his wife on the bus.

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FAITHdemic: The Grace that Heals and Keeps; by: Kristel Devela 

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FAITHdemic: The Grace that Heals and Keeps; by: Kristel Devela 

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Followed by his hair gel incident with his wife, Brother Andreus wisely mentioned in his talk, “you should expose yourself to the one who loves you the most.” In Brother Andreus’s case, his wife suggested that he should refrain from using a hair gel as she perceived he was better looking without it. Despite this being his insecurity, Brother Andreus stopped using the product immediately. In our case, on the other hand, Jesus suggests that we strengthen our faith, for this will make us grow more as a person. Both instances are just two sides of the same coin because they only gave a slight nudge, which made us become the best versions of ourselves.

God’s grace can be seen even through our difficulties and distress. It’s just that sometimes we tend to get overwhelmed by certain situations that we forget to look at the silver lining. I remember one time when I was rejected in a dance audition. There were times that I regretted even joining the audition in the first place as I remember the disappointment I felt. However, I now realize that the fantastic people I’ve met after such failure are far of greater value than any embarrassment.

The most significant realization I had after the recollection is that it is better to surround ourselves with people who show their love by criticizing our wrongdoings instead of people who condone our groundless actions. I think that constructive criticism is something that only a person who cares about you can give. They are the type of people who like to be successful with you because they are proud to be an instrument for someone to change their overall character for the better.

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The  picture within your sight is a glimpse of my ideal part throughout the Recollection.

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1. One simple word, is miracles. Based on the sharing of Brother Andreus, I can strengthen my "Spiritual (Immune) System" by appreciating the miracles around me. In Brother Andreus' talk, he reminisces a memory wherein his laptop broke, and he only had 13,000 to spend on a MacBook. He couldn't afford a MacBook since he didn't have enough money, but a friend gave him one because of a dream he had. There are many miracles around me that I have yet to notice.  Miracles that I may not see however give me inspiration, determination, dedication to doing action for my nation and my destination towards the direction of God's loving intention.

2. If I were, to be honest, I suppose that it is a very general and cliché experience.  This living being such as I, shall take a moment of your time, and shall narrate one happening in my life that I felt miraculous. I wake up in the morning, do my daily activities, and eat together with my family. A very cliche thing to say but you see... During this time of the pandemic, a lot are suffering, a lot are alone, a lot have given up. During this time of the pandemic, not everyone is given a chance to bid their final goodbyes, not everyone is given a chance to hug their loved ones once more, not everyone  So I feel God's grace whenever I wake up and see my loved ones, my lovely family. As they say, "The love of a family is life's greatest blessing." From the bottom of my heart, I am sincerely thankful for God's grace that allows me to experience the best of life together with my loved ones.

3. God moves mysteriously. And that is precisely correct. Just as  Brother Andreus said, "God's Grace keeps saving us." God does not make mistakes but He does miracles. I've also perceived that life isn't just doing things for yourself. It's possible to live in such a way that other people's happiness makes you happy too. Give love to the world and the world will give love to you. Bring Joy to the world and the world will bring joy to you.

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FAITHdemic: The Grace that Heals and Keeps [Jazper Jhun Bautista]

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FAITHdemic: The Grace that Heals and Keeps [Jazper Jhun Bautista]

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1. How can you strengthen your "SPIRITUAL (Immune) SYSTEM" based on the sharing of Brother Andreus?

Brother Andreus emphasized that God’s love is not up for competition. He has shared His love for all of us, and it did not exclude anyone. We should stop fighting for that love for it is not a reward for an unruly act.

Some of us think that in order for us to remain close to Him, we have to win Him. Otherwise, we are punished. However, for God loves us unconditionally, He sacrificed His Son for our own sake. He has given us the freedom to express ourselves, and it is up to us how we continue to follow Him along with this freedom.

To keep my “SPIRITUAL (immune) SYSTEM” strong at all times, I should always apply the things that He has taught me in my daily life. I should always follow the Commandments, I should always pray, and I should always trust in Him through ups and downs.

For miracles are born through faith.

2. Share some of your experiences wherein you feel God's grace.

God’s grace has been felt throughout my life. He has been my source of strength in times of doubts and worries. Despite these moments that tested my faith, I still feel the love and I soon experience the grace. His love for me has always been there, and it is up to us how we embrace it in our best and worst times. He has done wonders and miracles that brought to where I am today. Without these, I would never be the same person I was years ago.

3. What are your realizations/insights after the Lenten Recollection?

This Lenten Recollection was a chance to listen, to learn, and to lean on Him.

I sincerely enjoyed Brother Andreus as the guest speaker, and I have gained a lot of insights form him.

I, too, have experience a moment of doubt for the love that I experience from the people around me. Am I really worthless? Have I been lacking something? Was I too distant? However, the reassuring words of Brother Andreus gave light to me. It helped me internalize the fact that God loves me unconditionally, regardless of what I perceive to lack. I thought that I should always be at my best before facing the Lord, when in reality, the best version of me is when I am true to myself – unafraid to depend on Him and seek for Him.

The Love of God is not a reward over an invisible battle. The Love of God has always been with us, and it will forever be with us.

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FAITHdemic: The Grace that Heals and Keeps

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FAITHdemic: The Grace that Heals and Keeps

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Among the numerous lessons, Bro. Andreus shared with each of the participants during the recollection I believe that the most efficacious way to strengthen our spiritual immune system is to let ourselves become more vulnerable with the Lord. As he shared in his experience with his spouse, we should let our guard down in prayer as we do with the ones we love and value the most in our lives. This way, God can easily reach out to us, and we can reach out to Him when it is most necessary for us, strengthening our spiritual immune system in the process.

God's grace is bestowed upon me every waking moment. The simple blessing of an opportunity to breathe in and live out my life on a new day the Lord has blessed upon us is sufficient for me to feel His grace. Yet, this is not to say that all the additional blessings and graces bestowed upon me have less significance than the blessing of a new day. Each blessing God gives us is equally valuable as we should have gratitude for the graces some do not have the fortune for these blessings to be given to them. Hence, we feel the grace of the Lord every single millisecond air enters and leaves our lungs.

The most valuable insight I had was when Bro. Andreus shared the story of how he no longer paid mind to his insecurity once his wife reassured him that his hair looks better when its untreated. This account of vulnerability helped me understand further where Bro. Andreus was coming from when he told us to let our walls down when praying to God and value this lesson more.

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FAITHdemic: The Grace that Heals and Keeps

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FAITHdemic: The Grace that Heals and Keeps

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Brother Andreus sharing his MacBook story.

1. How can you strengthen your "SPIRITUAL (Immune) SYSTEM" based on the sharing of Brother Andreus?

Brother Andreus shared that we should stop winning or fighting for God's love. He shared that God already loves us. Yet, some of us have this perception that we need to win Him over so we won't distance ourselves from Him or so we won't be punished by the Lord.

God loves us
that he created us,
that he took risk in giving us free will, and
that keeps saving us.

And Brother Andreus told us to keep following Jesus.

So, to strengthen my "SPIRITUAL (Immune) SYSTEM," I must keep following Him. I must strengthen my love for Him. And keep my heart open to let Him in.

2. Share some of your experiences wherein you feel God's grace.

I can feel God's grace every day. A grace that I feel undeserving. My achievements, and where I am. I am so thankful that despite my flaws and mistakes, God keeps His love shining through.

3. What are your realizations/insights after the Lenten Recollection?

My experience of the Lenten Recollection was filled with laughter, new insights, and tears. I thoroughly enjoyed Brother Andreus as a speaker, and the experience became a  breakthrough for me.

Recently, I had been having these self-issues regarding to love. A sense of finding comfort in someone, and a sense of worthlessness because perhaps no one loves me because of all my weaknesses. I thought that every mistake to the Lord I do is distances Him to me, and I'd need to redeem myself to get His love back.

The belief of I deserved no love, and everyone felt distanced, even the Lord. But when Brother Andreus said that, we don't need to fight for His love---He already loves us unconditionally. Despite all our drawbacks, he'd still welcome us with open arms. It uplifted my spirit.

With our current situation, a lot of us are having a series of ups and downs. So, it's felt nice to hear that God still loves us.

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1. Based on Brother Andreus's advice, I can fortify my Spiritual Immune System by recognizing the miracles surrounding me. He couldn't afford a MacBook since he didn't have much money, but a friend gave him one because of his dream. Many miracles surround me that I have yet to notice. Blessings that I may not see inspire me. That is why I must value each gift.

2. Some experiences I have wherein I feel God's Grace is when our family is happy and is eating together. When I study, I think God's Grace made me think, learn more, and be attentive to the lessons.

3. Following the Lenten Recollection, I discovered much more to our lives than meets the eye. We have so many layers, and they are unique to us.

I discovered that there are many things we take for granted, such as how the environment provides us with everything we require. I consider myself extremely fortunate to be alive, and I intend to work harder to appreciate everything that has been bestowed upon me.

I also realized how critical it is for me to accept my flaws and forgive myself for my errors. Sometimes I get so caught up in doing things exactly that I lose sight of what's essential: improvement rather than perfection.

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I could strengthen my spiritual immune system by always praying to God and studying the word of God to deepen my faith in Him. When we were going back home from Manila to Pampanga at night, the car in front of us unexpectedly stopped, which caused us to stop too. After that, we were accidentally in a car crash because the car behind us stopped and crashed behind us, which caused me to get worried. Despite that, I felt God's grace that He is there to protect my family and not worry about it. We didn't get hurt by accident, and we are just fine. It's also a miracle that we didn't get hurt by the accident because the damage is critical. One of my realizations or insights after the Lenten Recollection is that we must remain faithful to God despite that there's trouble is in the way. I also realized that we must forgive other people even if they didn't ask forgiveness and spare them instead of planting guilt.

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I would mostly pray to God to maintain my healthy Spiritual System. Praying keeps a connection with God and it also keeps up the relationship. Other than that, it also keeps me from sinning and temptations. In God's grace, we are forgiven. I experienced transforming on what I think on life and that it renews the my heart, soul, and mind. I realized that in this pandemic, we are in our households all day and that it is encouraged by God that we spend time with him, and by God's grace our Spiritual system will remain healthy.

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FAITHdemic: The Grace that Heals and Keeps

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FAITHdemic: The Grace that Heals and Keeps

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1. Brother Andreus had shared that in strengthening our spiritual immune system, we are to open ourselves to God, and let His love and His grace flow through us. I can strengthen this spiritual immune system by reminding myself of Brother Andreus' points, mainly removing our mask in prayer (where we expose ourselves to God, who loves us and heals us with His grace), removing the distance of our hearts (where God wants us to be united, and God wants us to be an instrument of grace to others), and lastly, to dirty our hands by being a servant (where we are all called to serve one another, and provide service). We are in the presence of the Lord, and in His presence, we are loved and we are saved.

2. I feel God's grace every time I give what I have. May this be material or not, it is always there. God had given me the choice to love and to give, and with this, His grace feels as if it were beside me.

3. One of the statements of Brother Andreus that had truly struck me was that we should "Stop trying to win God’s love because He’s already giving it to you. You just have to open yourself." It had resonated and remained in my heart even after the event had happened. It made me realize that it's us that needs to let Him in, that it's God who's waiting for us to love Him too. We are not worthy of this love, yet we still receive it. That through His everlasting grace, we are always loved.

- Caitlin Aquino