END-OF-RETREAT SHARING

I now know at least one reason why the lockdown was good – it was an opportunity to go through and complete a retreat such as this in a more meaningful way. As we go through this pandemic and beyond, the challenge will be to continue growing in the realizations and lessons that this experience reawakened in us. Let us help each other make sure we move forward in our relationship with Jesus.

I was not able to go to my freshie-year retreat because of this pandemic and I was bummed because of it. I just went to a retreat last December, but I really wanted something that would help me see if the fruits of the retreat, the prayer and work I’ve been doing, have brought me somewhere. Then, the Lord brought me here after reading a homily from this website. I saw the homily I believe last Laetare Sunday and I was able to see the posts about the previous Triduum Retreats. I was excited at first, but after a while I actually forgot about this. But, thank God; He reminded me of this.

I am usually busy during Holy Week since I am a server in our parish so I find this year’s celebrations very different and peculiar. I really wanted to get “busy” like what I usually do during Holy Week. So I said I’ll try to occupy myself with this retreat. At first I thought this retreat would not be helpful or anything, especially that since I am distracted so easily (and I usually don’t want my family to see me emotional or anything since we’re just living in one room). I must admit I didn’t not know what to expect or what graces I would obtain from this retreat. But after a while, I was really able to see where the Lord is bringing me. I was able to concentrate without any distractions and I was able to keep myself busy, even for a short while, because of this. I must even say that this was the first time that I was really able to have a very intimate “face-to-face” with the Suffering Christ during Good Friday and even with my “tomb” – the person that I liked but rejected me. It was really helpful since I wasn’t able to have a “face-to-face” before with my tomb, and even moreso, Christ Himself! I must also say that I became very emotional these past three days, probably the most emotional Triduum I had so far.

Truly, I was able to experience Christ in His Paschal Mystery in a deeper and more intimate way. I’ll surely never forget about this retreat, and I’m looking forward to next year. Blessings be upon Pins Of Light! Thank you for being God’s instruments of His peace and love. Peace be with you! Alleluia! <3

This retreat showed my claims of having an intimate relationship with the Lord thus leads me to reality of me being complacent with that thought.

This pandemic locked me down to remind me of one important thing that I should be taking care of, my relationship with God and neighbours. ♥️

Thank you for this innovative, inspiring and insightful online rereat. It has allowed me to deepen and renew my faith in the Lord, allowed me to see God in music, be moved by lyrics in the most unexpected manner.

It is amazing how you are able to come up with ways to rekindle our faith in the most imaginative ways. Who would have thought pop songs can evoke reflections for Lent? The exercises were a bonus treat as well, making the retreat interactive in the most unusual way. It is a treat to the senses.

Thank you for allowing us to see God in everyday life, for being able to find peace thru this retreat amidst this pandemic, and for leading us into silent prayers that will drive us to embody the word of God in our lives.

Happy Resurrection Sunday to everyone. Thank you Fr. Johnny as always.

Thank you for this wonderful 3-day journey! It’s truly been a blessing and grace. I guess there’s no other way but to turn it on, get up from the tombs and accept the invitation of Jesus who actually never left my side. It was I, distancing myself from His boundless mercy and love. I hope and pray with God’s grace and people’s prayers, I’ll be able to slowly but surely be ever closer to the Lord and do the things He has entrusted me to accomplish.

Thank you so much, Fr. Johnny and your Team for making this annual online Holy Week Retreat possible! I hope you all won’t get tired of helping & serving people and spreading God’s love and mercy to all.

Thank you very much for a highly satisfying spiritual and soul searching experience! It was my first online retreat and it will certainly not be the last! I look forward to the next one! Lent 2021 seems so far away! Maybe you can have one for Advent 🙂

Happy Easter to one and all!

Hope abounds!

Thank you for this retreat, Father Johnny! Whenever I feel spiritually tired, hungry or thirsty, trust I will go back to the songs and prayers you have shared here.

This pandemic will end, but the effect of it will be lasting. I pray that the lessons you shared on keeping close to God, and allowing Him to infect us with forgiveness, and compassion will always be with us.

God bless you, keep you and protect you.

I was going to start a new and exciting phase in my life when the Corona virus hit and I got distracted and started feeling anxious and slightly depressed. Thanks to this online retreat and all the other resources you’ve offered, my eyes have now been opened once again to the hope that Jesus offers. It is time to take His hand and step out of the tomb!
This site is truly God-inspired. Thank you!

The Lord’s resurrection marks my resurrection. His fuels mine. Thank you Lord. I love you.

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for speaking and touching our hearts through Fr. Johnny and his team.

Thank you for all the wonderful realizations and for facilitating my discovery about myself, about God, and about our relationship with Him and with each other. This is my second year of joining the online retreat. It continues to be deeply meaningful and personal- much more so because of this pandemic. It has been greatly inspiring, relating to Jesus through what is happening now. Thank you so much!

I am very thankful that I chose to be in this year’s online retreat. There were years past that I was so busy I could not even participate in anything religious or related to Lent. This year, I told myself that I can put my busy-ness aside to pay attention to what truly matters. I feel very consoled by all that I read, listened to, what I reflected on and shared in the past week. No matter what our burdens, the Lord is alive and well among us, and we will know Him more when we allow Him to be closer to us. Thank you again, Fr. Johnny, SJ and your team. God bless you always. Hanggang sa muli…

This is the first time I’ve joined a retreat on Lent. The time I spent during the retreat is reflective, discerning, and awakening. My journey towards healing and acceptance is still long but it’s alright because I’m getting there with the help of our Almighty God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit and all these people They send, and all these events They allow to happen.

This is the most meaningful and significant retreat I have ever had in years! I never knew about this virtual exercises/retreat/lenten observances until now! Got the link from one of my co-catechists via our messenger chat group. I have forwarded the link on the Stations of the Cross in this pandemic times to most of my friends or to those who I can possibly do so. Thank you so, very much for all those who have been instrumental in making all this happen! God bless you all for all this! The Lord be praised forever!

The Lord indeed is risen! Alleluia!

Thanks the Pins of Light team for putting up this online retreat. It is my first time to join this but I am amazed at how this experience touched me. I think God has allowed to receive that I was asking for at the beginning of the retreat. This whole experience made me realize that Jesus has always been present in my life and has been loving me unconditionally, despite of me. God bless everyone!

Thank you, Fr. Johnny! You never fail us. ?

This is my first time to join the online retreat. Sad to have known about this only this week. I will not miss the next ones. I needed it and I’m truly grateful.
The important insight I was reminded of is to read between the lines of scriptures and during prayer. The point on Jesus going to hell and meeting Judas was a 360 change in point of view for me. It was very helpful to process and recap the 3 days. Thank you so much Father for this beautiful experience albeit is virtual. God bless you more and stay safe in His love

I appreciate the insight on what faith is and what knowledge is. Now I can take baby steps to have faith.

This COVID19 pandemic made me step out of my tomb. At least I appreciate that effect on me.

Thank you, Jesus.

God bless the Pins of Light team!

Echoing comments of some fellow retreatants, this year’s the best yet. Nothing by accident, the pandemic had a lot to do with it because we found ourselves with time and opportunity in our hands.

Thank you so very much for this beautiful labor of love – the music, the inter-active response-eliciting activities, the reflections, everything. So inspired, indeed.

May we always find God’s love in our hearts!

This has been such a great retreat. The interactive participation was very good and made me experience it more deeply. It forced me to make commitments to myself and to God. God bless everyone here.

Thank you Fr J and to you Team for putting this together. I just had the most wonderful, life-changing retreat ever. I had a good time to reflect on God’s abundant love and to pray for the world in these trying times.

This online retreat is a work of love. Thank you again for the passion to put all materials excellently so that we as retreatants could have the most precious time with God and ourselves. Such passion is incredible and I could only pray that the Team behind this will be given much graces and blessings so that you guys too can carry your own crosses and continue to do His works. Thank you God for Fr J. and his team and thank you for this beautiful online retreat! All Glory to You!

Looking forward to next year’s retreat!

Stay safe guys. Take heart, God has overcome the world!

God bless and keep you and protect you.

Thank you very much for preparing this retreat. I consider it to be practical as it used the current situation to understand the Passion and Resurrection of Christ. The reflection actvities I went through hit home. Seems I went through a face to face retreat

This lockdown experience has been a retreat in itself. It took us away from our normal lives and routines. This year’s online retreat has been especially unique and helpful because it had given me chance to find meaning in this pandemic. The distancing, the washing, the disease.. the Lord knows and understands too. He meets us where we are at now.

Thank you and see you next year!

I have been joining this online retreat for a few years now and it just keeps getting better and better. Indeed this year has been extra special because of the pandemic. Kudos to Pins of Light. Well done. Happy Easter ?????

I have attended the online retreats for several years and had attended the face-to-face alumni retreat a couple of years back. While every year’s retreat is unique and brings a deep encounter with the Lord, I would say that this year’s is one of my favorites. Perhaps I have the emotional turmoil caused by the pandemic to thank. Perhaps too, trapped by myself during this lockdown, I was able to spend more time for undistracted prayer. Thank you for the work on this retreat; I know it took great effort and internal preparation for you to give birth to the retreat modules. I appreciate the interactive activities and the various genre options for the reflective songs in addition to the well-thought out reflection points. Excuse the metaphor but this retreat is like a psycho-spiritual enema experience. It dug through the depths of my psychological issues which entomb me and prevent me from having a truly intimate relationship with the Lord. I’m coming out of this retreat with a deeper desire nurture my relationship with the Lord and with my loved ones. Many thanks, Fr. Johnny and Pins of Light team. May God bless you abundantly.

This is my 5th or 6th year joining this retreat & every year before the start I always try to send it to as many new friends & remind my old friends/ family to join it. This year has been extraordinarily filled with so much realization & tears especially with the pandemic & the inner crisis it brings within…but after one goes through this retreat – one is Renewed , one is Blessed & confident to face the challenges that life may bring. This year I have also been encouraged to share more of myself & that to me is big deal because I have conquered my fear, yes, I have pushed the “stone” further open this year , aiming to get it completely OUT OF THE WAY.
Thank you is not enough to Fr.Johnny & to the pinsoflight Team who have so carefully & masterfully put this year’s Retreat together ~ you always have a way of touching the heart❤️& even “pinching the senses” & successfully pulling out the ‘tombs” we keep deep within.
Thank you ~ you will be in my prayers even if I do not know your individual names . More Blessings come to you??!!!
To God Be the Glory ‼️

Jesus, thank you for these past few days and weeks of solitude and solace, of this “hiding place”. I keep getting lost but you keep finding me – and I am ever grateful for your love and grace and mercy, which never fails to embrace me even though I am weak, even though I may doubt and despair – you are always faithful and loving and constant. Thank you to Father Johnny for this retreat – in this time of uncertainty and pandemic, it is has been very consoling to pray.
All the more I cling to you Lord and hold on to my faith in you, and trusting in your loving care for us all. +AMDG

I would like to share this prayer from my Easter devotional that I read this morning:

Jesus, thank You for rescuing me from eternal separation from You. It’s because you willingly endured separation from Your Father that I never have to. Today, help me to pause and reflect on the magnitude of Your sacrifice, and to give You the glory You rightly deserve. No matter what I’m feeling, You are always worthy of my worship. So today, I choose to worship You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Thank you to everyone who worked so hard to put this year’s retreat together. I don’t recall how many years I’ve been doing this, but it might be around 5 years now. This is always the highlight of my Holy Week. I love reading my fellow retreatants’ sharing and insights and I find comfort in sharing my thoughts as well. This has truly been a blessing for me, and another refreshing, enlightening experience. May we all continue to live out the messages we received this retreat and may we all have a blessed and glorious Easter! Thank You, Jesus!

Thank you, Pins of Light!
God is now here.

I am now ready for a jubilant Easter. Thank you for this retreat.

Always moving. Thank you Pins of Light team for making this Online Retreat available. May God bless and keep us all

Thank you for this retreat to remind us that He is always there. That He will never abandon us as He did not abandon His Son in Calvary.
These are perilous times. One can be easily frightened…it’s only human nature to be so. We forget that God is always there for us.
In one way, this virus is an opportunity to lockdown all non-essential things & focus on the essential thing this Lent…Our Lord. We come closer to Him & distance ourselves from the non-essential.
It is difficult & takes effort. But, how is that compared to what Jesus went thru this Holy Week? We can at least try our best…and keep trying even if we fail. That is all that God is asking from us…Keep Trying!!

Thank You for allowing me to grow closer in my relationship Jesus. It is during time we need Him more than anything. We must put our trust in Him and believe that He is always there. Jesus is there even when we are at our lowest points. Happy Easter and stay safe.

Thank you very much for this retreat. It has been such a blessing to be able to build and strengthen my relationship with the Lord and to know myself more, even via online.
I pray that God continue to bless and protect everyone, especially during this time of the pandemic.

Thank you Lord for your gift of life and salvation.

Thank you for the community who put up this retreat.

May God bless us all.

I am truly grateful to everyone who made this online retreat possible for the last 13 years!! Pins of Light has been my source of Lenten spiritual enlightenment and reflection. I have shared my experiences and have encouraged countless people to make this part of their spiritual journey.

With God, all things are possible! I praise Him that He gave His only Son for our redemption. In Jesus’ Resurrection, He was victorious over sin and death. I pray fervently that we will also be victorious and claim the world’s healing from this global pandemic.

Thank you Jesus, for by Your death and resurrection, You made removed the distance between us and our Father. You freed us from sin. I feel God’s love today, and I know in my heart that we have an unstoppable God! We just have to believe, have courageous faith and trust in Him.

Its my first time joining this online retreat and it made my holy week so meaningful especially during this difficult time. Thank you to the team! God bless us all.

This lockdown and retreat have made me realize all the more what and Who is really important in leading a meaningful and purposeful life. I am hopeful that we will come out of this pandemic persons moulded more to His likeness the way we were all meant to be.

It has been a meaningful 3 days of reflection and prayer. Thank you Fr. Johnny and team for this beautiful Retreat. And reading everyone else’s reflections made me feel like I was with a community, even if I was really alone. In this time of isolation and sometimes, despair of what has become of the world…this retreat has given me hope, again. That God is now here. He has saved all of us. A blessed and joyful Easter to all!

This is my first time to join this retreat (I was looking for an online retreat because of the lock down). My actual experience was beautiful and meaningful way way beyond my expectations! I like that we can take time to reflect and pray. The choice of songs were great!!! The music, the videos and images were very helpful and seemed to have facilitated well what each topic wanted to tell us. THANK YOU Fr. Johnny G. S.J. and team for this retreat! I will definitely recommend it to family and friends! More power and hope you will offer again in the years to come! <3

Thank you, Fr. Johnny Go, SJ and your team for making our retreat journey worthwhile. God bless you. Mutual prayers.

It is my third year doing this online retreat. I always share and recommend it to my friends because it is so powerful and profound. Thank you once again for leading us into this reflection for the last 3 days. The Lord’s ways are hard to understand and I still find myself asking why He had to suffer and die. The answer I get is always love. I am grateful for His love and for all the second chances. Humans are so stubborn. I pray that in this pandemic, humanity will come out more loving and compassionate. May those who do not know Him encounter Him and believe in Him. May people who are lost come back to Him. Thank you Father. God bless you and your team. Stay safe.

Thank you Pins of Light for doing this yearly. As a Filipino abroad in a non-Catholic country, it has been challenging to celebrate Lent yearly. Your work has helped close that distance I experience spiritually. Thank you, thank you for all the work that you do!

It started with the Daily Stations of the Cross. I liked it because it was light, short but deep and very apt. It gave comfort and guidance when my fears and anxieties were just over the wall! When it was over, i decided to to do this. I initially thought of just skimming through it, thinking 1 hour was too long, but since i could do it at my own pace, i would just skip some pages if i felt that it was already getting too intimate. But I found myself going through each exercise, each page, each reflection and taking my time to do all those, writing my thoughts and prayers. It was a deep spiritual exercise yet done in a very refreshing, unconventional, unboring way. So thank you, Fr. Johnny. I’ve always been a distant fan. Still am. 🙂 But thank you. Thank you for this medium and for your guidance and sharing. You are God’s instrument. God bless you and your team.

Thank you Pins of Light! It has been a thoroughly grace-filled 3 days. I am forever grateful.

A profound experience and I’m very thankful for this retreat to help provide the structure to strike up the proper conversation with our Lord! Thank you for helping set the tone for allowing me to hear God’s message to me this Holy Week!?

Thank you Fr. Johnny. Ever since I read your book, “Quick Questions, Uneasy Answers”, I’ve gathered enough courage to leave my tomb and run towards His call. But daily life has somehow pushed me back in it. The darkness and silence of a tomb can provide comfort from the jeering of peers (and even family) who don’t understand. Through this online retreat, I’ve started talking to God honestly again, with less excuses on the choices I’ve recently made in life. Again, my deepest gratitude.

Thank you so much for these 3 days. It was a wonderful time to self-reflect and relish God’s undying love for us!

Grateful!

Thank you, Fr Johnny and team. It is my first time to join this retreat — it is very insightful, tagos sa puso. I appreciated the music, the prayer rituals (e.g., taking out the thorns from Jesus’ head, naming tombs in our life, among others), and the questions are piercing (I still can’t get over the possibility of Jesus meeting Judas when Jesus descended to the dead). I pray that you will continue this ministry. Happy Easter to everyone!

Thank you for preparing innovative approaches for retreats each year. I look forward to another fruitful exercise.

It was a wonderful 3-day recollection. I’ve followed and benefitted much from these recollections for several years now. This year, i hope to stay outside of my tomb and close it little by little. I know it’s not impossible, if I put my faith and trust in God’s Divine Providence. Staying close to Him is the key; and only by grace can I be saved.

Thank you so much, Fr. Johnny, for this wonderfully curated retreat. The way that you had put together the retreat in light of the pandemic is sheer genius. May the grace of God continue to bless you and keep your talent for the benefit of many.

i have been doing this since this was launched. And I always look forward to it. This year is specially difficult and challenging – anxious about what is happening around us. This is always my source of strength, hope — a reminder to be always kind and compassionate — an affirmation that God will never leave us.

Thanks everyone and until the next one.

Yearly, I always look forward to the Lenten Triduum Retreat in ADMU. I was so unhappy when the lockdown happened. I am sooo grateful for this online retreat! My doing it solo in a quiet place allowed me to have deeper reclections. I also loved the music pieces! Thank you to all who have put this together! ??????

Thank you Fr. Johnny. Pins of Light has always been a special blessing every Holy Week for so many years now. It never fails to reconnect me to “the love of Christ on the cross and life in His resurrection.”

Thank you Father Johnny for taking time to create this online retreat and applying it in our present situation. It is truly touching, easy to understand and applicable in our everyday lives. We continue to pray that this pandemic will end soon. And i will continue to remember not to be scared and be strong .
God is Here.

Thank you so much for being there for us especially in these very trying times. I look foward to this every year and I try my very best to share it to everyone.
This retreat is truly meaningful and will definitely help us all to come closer to Jesus

Thank you very much Fr. J and the team! May God be with you always and give you strength and wisdom to be able to reach other people in their spiritual hunger. I’ve realized that really the internet has a good side just do it in a good and godly manner. May you continue this online retreat and thank you because you a very generous to share your wisdom, insights, reflections and even songs that would a great help to regain my faith. More power…God bless!

Inasmuch as you do this yearly because you are inspired by the comments we make, I want to thank you and the people that help you for making this every Holy Week. This online retreat is so relatable and always is with the times, especially now with the pandemic. the retreat makes me look back at my life. The songs, the videos and your words penetrate deep in my heart. I pray that this online retreat be there for the coming years. We are truly blessed that you are inspired with the words and teachings, and bring it to us in a very easy way for us to understand. I am truly grateful.

Once again, thank you very much Fr. J for this wonderful online retreat! I have been participating in this for several years already and have always been looking forward to it. This year is extra special though considering the global situation all of us are in and how you have perfectly connected this to the theme of the retreat. I believe that this retreat has touched me the most specially because I have been assured of our Lord’s love, compassion, and mercy amidst this pandemic and this has given me a deep sense of comfort and gratitude that all of these will come to pass…..in His time. God bless Fr. J!?

Thank you again for a meaningful retreat this Holy Week, especially in this pandemic that we are all in. Thank you for being an instrument of God’s love for all of us… to me. Being reassured of God’s undying love, Be still I am God, do not be afraid. As we continue to face our unknown future, we continue to trust our known God loves us, and with us, no matter what! God bless everyone and keep the faith!

I have always joined your on line retreat and I look forward to this every Holy Week. You guide my reflections and deepens my relationship with the Lord. Thank you.

Thank you to everyone behind this. It spoke to me, it created a spark of hope in the midst of fear and uncertainty of the pandemic. Thru God’s grace the stone will be rolled over & over again until that final Ressurection that He has promised ❤️ Happy Easter guysss. Please know I am one with you in praying for your intentions. God bless!!!

Blessings!

It is my first time to join an online retreat. Usually, I am skeptical about any kind of retreat. A few days ago, when I saw this online, I had the strong urge to join. I have no regrets, only happiness that the Lord invited me to know him more. I am blessed! I had so many realizations during this retreat but the most important for me is knowing that God is giving me a second chance to change my life, like a re-set button, especially after this lockdown. Thank you so much Lord for loving me and for blessing my life. I love you

Thank you for always assuring us that God is always in our hearts and around us. Always make time to connect and talk to him. Let us all be guided by his light as we journey through life.

Yesterday, I saw Jesus’ HUMILITY in the washing of His disciples’s feet and in choosing to die like a criminal. I realize how proud and vain I have become.

Today, I find HOPE. Someone else has rolled the tomb stone for me.

One need not look farther than Peter — he who fell asleep at Gethsemane, refused to be washed, and denied Jesus thrice — was chosen to lead Jesus’ church. Even those flawed can be used for God’s purpose.

What a blessing to experience Gods passion and see myself through it all just like He did in a special way. Thank you for making me feel God is “now here”. God bless us all.