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?

 

          Bro. Andreus Cosio shared three concepts: removing one's mask in prayer, removing the distance of the hearts, and dirtying one's hands by being a servant. It highly emphasizes the title of the program, "FAITHdemic: The Grade that Heals and Keeps." 

 

         As we all know, prayer enables us to communicate with God. Unfortunately, in this pandemic, masks are prevalently sold to different parts of the world and ensure that we are protected from the virus. Although spiritually, we should remove our masks, be open, and communicate with God. We should not cover ourselves with earthly things, and we should receive Him wholeheartedly. As He is our Almighty God, He will never harm us; contrarily, He will protect us.

 

         Moreover, one of the tremendous effects of this pandemic is that it made us socially distant. In a span of two years, we indeed missed a lot. Although it shouldn't be a reason for us to be spiritually distant from one another, especially from God. Instead, we should be closer to Him, especially since this is a time of uncertainty. 

 

          Lastly, many people at this time need guidance and assistance. If we have the capability to do something, even just a bit of help, from the bottom of our hearts, we are called to give. At this time, we should really be there for each other. Like what, Bro. Dreus said, "It's not about the amount; look at your hands, what can you do."

 

         This recollection allows us to realize that the heavy cloud that the pandemic has brought upon us gave us light to spiritually see that we need faith. Truly at this time, we need His guidance through prayer. God's grace is always available, and we have been saved with grace.

 

 

          It was a traditional hell week during eighth grade. I had a mountainous stack of requirements to finish, and I had a lot of group works to manage. It was not easy; all I could do was cry and break down. I didn't know what to do, so I ranted to my friends. They were also cramming with a lot of tasks given to them, and likewise, all they could ever do was rant and question why we even have these numerous tasks even in online classes. Finally, I said, "Lord! Bakit ba ganito? Ano po ba ginawa ko bakit ganito kahirap mga pinapagawa niyo po sa akin?” I questioned him. Of course, God won't help me finish my requirements, but he would genuinely guide me. I cried after that and then slept because of exhaustion. I woke up with a heavy heart because I had another day to meet my requirements. On that day, I was surprised that I had already finished four to six requirements before two o'clock in the afternoon! Honestly, I am a slow writer, and I am somewhat a perfectionist. Gladly, I only have about four requirements left to finish. I had actually finished all my tasks by nine o'clock in the evening! Although I passed one of my tasks late, I'm still glad I could accomplish everything! I realized that after questioning God, with all the trials I am conquering in my life, even if I question Him, He will still be there to guide me in my daily agendas.  

 

 

         Bro. Andreus Cosio emphasized many times that "God is Good." He said it so many times I couldn't even count it! I actually learned that God's grace is always available. It has always been there, and it is up to us, Christians, to receive and acknowledge it. Furthermore, as the speaker talked about God's love and being humble servants, I realized that God never failed to love and take care of us. As Bro. Cosio mentioned, “Never niyang [God] hiningi yung love mo bago ka niya mahalin.” It is up to us, His followers, to reciprocate His love by strengthening our faith and returning back to Him. He likewise said that there is a Blessing in Serving, and I had always believed that simple acts of kindness could intensely make a massive impact on an individual. It is fulfilling, showing how we give care, love, and concern to people. Overall, at this time, as we call it "FAITHdemic," we should strengthen our faith; not hatred nor the virus, but His love and His Word.

I can strengthen my "SPIRITUAL (Immune) SYSTEM" based on the sharing of Brother Andreus by letting God love me. Allowing God to love will offer me many blessings, such as greater faith, victory over sin, healing, prosperity, and joy.

I talk to myself and become conscious and attentive that I am surrounded and drowned in God's love. I believe we must first allow God to love us. I don't believe you can love God unless you open and allow God to love you. God never asked us to accomplish things in our own power; rather, He asked us to do things in His strength. He never expected us to be able to get through life without His help and comfort. As I open myself to God and embrace the truth that God's power is present, available, and genuine, wonderful and even miraculous things, I believe, will happen to me.

Because of online classes, I’m always in front of the screen. Even though our class ends at 12:15, I’m still doing my requirements in the afternoon, and sometimes until night. I’m stressed out and confused about what I will accomplish first. I am also pressuring myself to finish my requirements and it became my habit. It is a disadvantage because I am not eating or taking care of my well-being just to finish a task. I feel not fully recharged for the task to be done during the day. It manifested all over my face, now I have a lot of pimples which used to be smooth skin. My only consolation is that I constantly pray to God to overcome all challenges. God is always touching my heart to believe in His goodness, to trust Him more, and to walk in faith with Him. I believe that I did well and continue to do well. I was able to face and overcome hardships and challenges because I know that God is always with me. He delivered me from my fears, worries, anxieties, anger, and doubt which this pandemic had created. I hope in God and believe that God will provide. Because of His grace, I want to entrust myself to His faithful care because I know anything is possible in Him. Knowing that He is with me, I can do all things through God who strengthens me.

I learned that in life we have to show the world how God is good. Like what Brother Andreus said, Faithdemic is something that needs to be spread. We need to spread that God’s grace is always available. His grace heals our inner self. His grace desires to heal our relationships. His grace keeps us provided. God’s grace keeps saving us. Brother Andreus also said that “Ang temptation ay hindi nilalabanan, dapat ay nilalayuan.” God wants us united, the devil wants us divided. God loves us that He created us. He took risk in giving us free will and that He keeps saving us. God is good, all the time!

Accep-ting and allowing God to be in our spirit, mind, and heart both externally and internally can help to strengthen the "SPIRITUAL (Immune) SYSTEM." Allowing ourselves to be enveloped in the grace that he desires for us to possess. We must first help ourselves before we can expect God to be able to assist us. Having faith in his will and simply following the correct path will ensure that the rest will take care of itself. Being truthful and always possessing the truth can also help to strengthen our "SPIRITUAL (Immune) SYSTEM," because being free allows us to experience peace of mind in a variety of ways and forms, which is beneficial.

I always feel God’s grace every time. By just being alive every day is already a sign of God’s Grace. Being grateful for all the minimal things that God gave is just what we need to feel his Grace. This pandemic I went through a lot of hardships, difficulties, and predicaments. Online class was never easy. I barely needed to adjust in almost everything. I always ask myself if I can surpass this or if I can do this, but through prayers and guidance from God I was able to go through all of the challenges that I faced and I’m grateful for that.

Throughout the entire Lenten Recollection, I've come to the realization that God is always good! Those problems and grievances that we have are simply obstacles in life, and because an obstacle has a finish line, we will be able to overcome them; however, we must first go through all of the ups and downs in order to be successful. Accepting God in our inner self and just being grateful for all the Grace that he gave us is also one of my realizations, through these factors we can live peacefully and content.

-Lynuel Escama

In this time of the pandemic, we are required to wear masks as protection from the virus but not from God. The mask is to keep the virus away, not our faith.  Let us remove the mask for a second and let God in. By communicating with Him through prayer, we will be strengthened and healed. Communicating with God will make us closer to Him, and the closer we get to Him, the stronger our faith and spiritual immune system will be. 

The second tip Bro. Cosio shared is to remove the distance of the heart. Although the current situation advises us to stay physically apart to stop the spreading of the virus, we must still be spiritually close to one another. One of God’s commandments is to love God and our neighbor. Let us take time to repair our connection with God through prayer, and our relationship with others through service, which is the final tip of Bro. Cosio. 

Service is a must for us Christians. Through simple ways such as prayer and donations, we can be of big help to others. Words are not enough, there must be proof of promises through actions. As we survive our current situation, we must help each other with the most of our abilities. Our hands must not be full of the virus but rather of good deeds.  

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

It was the start of 2022 when I tested positive for covid 19. It was a time of vulnerability and weakness for me, but I still attended my online classes. It was hard taking tests and participating in classes while my body ached and my mind spun. I wasn’t in the right condition to participate actively and ace my exams. In the afternoon, my mom asked me to sit with her and watch the novena of St. Jude every Thursday of our quarantine. In the event, we would ask God to heal us and make our situation better. 

The next day, it was a surprise to me that I woke up just fine. My body felt better and the tight pain in my head was gone. I did well in class, and I also got a perfect score on one of my exams. This is when I realized that God will always be there for us. If we are sincere in prayer and faith, He will not hesitate to give you His grace. Bro. Cosio said in our program that you do not have to be good to receive his grace. I have made a lot of mistakes in the past so I was sure that God would punish me for not obeying Him. This, however, was not the case. He heard my prayer and made sure to take care of it. God’s grace is truly there for us we might see it or not.  

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

The Lenten recollection enlightened me on how we could be spiritually healthy in this time of pandemic and the role of God’s grace in it. The main topic of the event was to emphasize how God is good and throughout the event, I realized that God is indeed good. He hears our prayers and acts upon them at the right time. He provides us with our needs indirectly through the presence of other people.  Everything happens for a reason and that is because of God. This pandemic caused us a lot of sacrifices such as losing our loved ones but that is only because God wants us to be strong. There are many challenges in life, and this is one of them. In our journey as Christians, God will always be there to support us and guide us in the hard times. The reason behind this is that God loves us. Bro, Cosio said that He loved us even before we love Him and that is applicable for everyone. As we survive this current pandemic, let us keep our faith strong and trust in God that everything will end well. 

Second, I want to apply one of the advice of Bro. Casio "Removing one's mask in prayer." This advice caught my attention. When communicating or praying to God, we should be true to Him. Even though we will not show Him the true us, He still knows what is inside our hearts. The mask in our prayer will let our relationship with God have distance because we are not showing God the genuine love we are feeling for Him. In this time of the pandemic, the virus is why we have distance from each other similar to the mask in our prayer; it will let our hearts be distanced from God, which we shouldn't allow. Praying and trusting in Him will make us closer to God and will be able to build a strong relationship with Him. Removing our masks in prayers will let God feel our genuine and pure intentions; guide us to be stronger in His hands. 

But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 1 John 4:8

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

I every day feel God's grace. I believe that His grace is always present in our everyday lives, especially when we are waking in the morning; it is a blessing from God because not everyone has an opportunity to see the world once again. Blessings of God are always present in our lives when we can eat, breathe, drink, and wake up.

I always feel tired, drained, and empty these past few days. I can no longer feel myself, maybe because I barely take care of myself and always prioritize my requirements. I always feel that there is something heavy in my heart or feelings. I always talk to God, asking Him to help me lessen the burden I'm feeling. Gladly, one day I woke up, I was happier than before. I did not feel sad or tired anymore and could focus on my studies. This made me realize that nothing is impossible in Him. I will never forget to thank Him for helping me to survive every day. I realize that without Him, I'm nothing.

Sometimes, we feel drained and tired because our relationship with God is not close anymore. We have a distance between Him, so we start to feel empty because, just like what I said, we are nothing without God.

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

During the Recollection, I realize that God is always there for us, maybe not physically but spiritually. He never leaves our side despite our doubts in Him; He is still always there to guide and enlighten us. God truly loves us; even though we commit sins and disobey Him, He still accepts us despite our flaws and imperfections. He is full of surprises, blessings, and miracles in life. "Iwan ka man ng lahat, pagdudahan ka man ng lahat, nariyan ang Diyos upang tanggapin ka paulit-ulit."

Based on the sharing of Brother Andrius, I know of three ways on how I can strengthen my spiritual immune system. First, I must expose myself to God, I must close the distance between us and I must welcome him into my life. I shouldn't attempt to hide anything about what I've done and who I am to him because he already knows, and I need to accept the fact that he does so that I can close or somehow lessen the distance between us. I need to become more honest and expressive towards him in prayer, I need to trust him, rely on him, and never doubt him. Doing this will strengthen my commitment to my faith, and it will greatly strengthen my resolve in life.

Second, I must also close the spiritual distance between myself and other people, especially my loved ones. My family and friends have supported me for as long as I can remember. They have provided many of my needs and wants, they have provided me practical and effective pieces of advice, and they have comforted, protected, and helped me countless times from many dangers, tragedies, and inconveniences. If I become more engaging towards them, more expressive towards them, and more courageous in helping them, then I'd be able to properly repay them and God for all the love that they've given me and other people, and we'd be able to properly support each other through these times of crisis and beyond. 

Third, I should humble myself and help other people as much as I can. When you humble yourself, you focus on the well-being and gain of others rather than yours. You adopt a selfless mentality, and you think of yourself as a servant of God. In that way, we are able to somehow empathize with others, and help in a kind and respectful way. We must not act boastful or entitled when helping others, we should remain humble and discreet. Helping others this way will help me properly accomplish my various duties as a Christian, and it will help me overcome arrogance.

I personally think that we feel God's grace in every second of our lives. The fact that I am still comfortably living is caused by God's grace. But there were many times that I felt that God's grace was uncontrollably overflowing. One night, my mother suffered severe pains radiating from one of her legs. She shouted loudly and was rushed to the hospital. According to the doctors, the cause was improper blood circulation because of hours of sitting and a bad diet. She couldn't walk properly, and the affected leg was slightly swollen and sensitive to pain. She had to undergo therapy, take pain killers, and make great changes to her diet.

My father mostly assisted her during these times so he was very tired and haggard, yet he still pushed forward and continued to aid my mother. Me and my little brother weren't able to help much during the situation, yet we both prayed for the physical and mental recovery of our mother. Eventually, she recovered and now she can walk and run properly. When I finally saw her properly walk after the very hard times, I was very overjoyed. I thanked God so much for guiding my father and giving him the strength he needed to aid my mother, and for lending his healing aid to my mother. I thanked him very much for his overflowing grace. My parents greatly learned from the situation, and now they exercise more often, and eat less meat and fats. 

Our Lenten recollection reminded me of my various duties and responsibilities as a child of God. I am reminded of how I need to continue to persevere and do my best in my academic, religious, and familial duties. I have also realized that I must expose myself to God, that I must become more expressive towards my family, and that I must humbly help others not feel entitled after. I am also reminded of God's unconditional love and greatness. I am reminded of how he is not the cause of bad things but rather the devil is. The recollection has also changed my perspective on the importance of developing and strengthening one's resolve against temptations. I learnt that we cannot fight against temptation, rather we must flee from it and distract ourselves from it with God's goodness. We must have good resolve so as to not feed our temptations.

Based on the sharing of Brother Andreus, strengthening our spiritual system can be done in a way that we remove one’s mask in praying. To do that, we must be honest with him with all our heart and communicate with him. We can think of it as a way that as we all know, masks are also used to hide our faces, and when you remove the mask, you become vulnerable and show your true self. Just like with God, Brother Andreus wants us to show our true selves to God and be sincere with Him.

In all honesty, I feel God’s grace everyday, everywhere. Just me waking up is enough for me to feel His grace. I am blessed enough to be showered with love and care from my friends and family, and I thank God everyday that He is with me, and is always there for me.

We all have heard about the saying that, “Honesty is the best policy.” When Brother Andreus was telling a story about his childhood days, I remember how good it feels to be honest to one’s true self, and to other people. Telling the truth makes you feel good, and honesty is really the best policy. I think that it is important to know that being sincere with not only to others but also to yourself is as important as the former.

Letting God fully in our hearts and souls is what strengthens our "Spiritual Immune System." Brother Andreus Cosio's advice is to remove masks during prayer, remove distance in our hearts, and dirty one's hands. Brother Cosio's advice leads to one thing: to let God love us. To give ourselves up to him and serve others. God gives us love, mercy, hope, and strength. We should not hide from God and present ourselves to Him entirely. We should communicate with Him with hearts and minds open. 

There are always those moments when I would feel lost, tired, and guilty. I would ask myself why life had to be filled with such negativity. I remember praying to God that all of the pain would just go away, but that is not always the case. Growing up, I have learned that God makes us endure these challenges in life to be stronger.

An example of these struggles is back when the pandemic started. Everything seemed to go wrong, and life wasn't the easiest for everyone. We were isolated in our homes and were restricted from going outside. Fast forward to grade 8, and it was the first time I've had classes at home. I thought everything would be easier if we did schoolwork at home, but I was wrong. I felt constantly tired and lonely. My days were filled with tasks and projects. But no matter how hard things got, God's love and guidance stayed with me. I've gotten through everything with the help of prayer and hope.

God has always and always will be there for me. He taught me how to keep my heart good, merciful, patient, and hopeful. Things get difficult, and there are times when we have to endure challenges. But no matter how hard everything has gotten, God stayed and guided me. I've always felt God's love through it all. Truly, God is good all the time.