Here are the recordings and other materials used by Fr. J at the LETTING GOOD, LETTING EVIL, LETTING GOD Holy Week Retreat.
HOLY THURSDAY: “LETTING GOOD”
Here are the Zoom recordings.
“LETTING GOOD” Part 1
“LETTING GOOD” Part 2
IMAGINE GETHSEMANE – “SOMEONE YOU LOVED” (Lewis Capaldi)
Video edited by Galvin Ngo
Image from “Son of God” (2014)
GOOD FRIDAY: “LETTING EVIL”
“IN HIM ALONE” (Bukas Palad Music Ministry)
Here are the Zoom recordings.
“LETTING EVIL” Part 1
“LETTING EVIL” Part 2
IMAGINE CALVARY: “DON’T GIVE UP ON ME” (Andy Grammer)
Video edited by Galvin Ngo
Image from “Son of God” (2014)
HOLY SATURDAY/EASTER SUNDAY: “LETTING GOD”
“IF I COULD TOUCH YOU” (Bukas Palad Music Ministry)
Here are the Zoom recordings:
“LETTING GOD” Part 1
“LETTING GOD” Part 2
IMAGINE EASTER: “RAINBOW” (Josh Robenald)
Video edited by Galvin Ngo
Image from “Son of God” (2014)
“ALL SHALL BE WELL” (Bukas Palad Music Ministry)
Please feel free to post any comment or question below.
Many thanks to all the online retreatants and my team of moderators: Jen Ferrer-Ramirez, Jeraldine Ching, Jem Gemzontan, and Galvin Radley Ngo!
26 replies on “2021 ONLINE HOLY WEEK RETREAT Resources”
Dear Father Johnny,
Hi. You don’t know me but I’ve been an attendee of your online retreats for the past many years already. I don’t remember exactly how long anymore but I’m a fan. I just want to let you know how much I appreciate everything about your retreats. It’s something I really look forward to during the Holy Week. And I feel it also is how God “speaks” to me somehow, telling me what I just need to know given the circumstances surrounding my life at that very moment. I really do wish I can meet you. Too much had happened to me most especially the past months. You spoke about surrendering everything to God. And I like it when you said that God will meet me where I am. But sometimes I’m finding it hard to let go, to let God take control. I think I’ve forgiven the people who have done me wrong but the thing is I cannot forget and is that bad? My not being able to forget forces me to put on a “shield” because I don’t want to get hurt anymore. Call it being indifferent but I’d rather be that than feel pain again. Also, is it right for me to believe that even if God puts us in an open system, He still allows things to happen? Is that fate? Is there such a thing? I’m sorry I’m bombarding you with questions. But I’m in a situation wherein I feel I need help in understanding all that is happening in my life now. I know God loves me. Jesus loves me too much He died to save me. And that He will be the only one who will be most faithful to me, who will not disappoint me. So I believe He’s allowing me to go through these ups and downs knowing in the end, He only wants what’s good for me. Or at least, in the end, as you had said, only God’s will that will prevail. I just want to understand. Anyway, I don’t know if you’ll get to read my message but if you have, thank you for your time, Father Johnny. I just needed someone to talk to.
This might be somewhat controversial, but I wonder if Jesus might have felt some joy amidst the pain and suffering – in that He obeyed God right to the end and that He was returning to His Father from whom He has been physically separated for the past 33 years…
Maybe peace, but not joy. It’s possible to have peace of mind even when you’re suffering, but I don’t know about joy. 🙂
Insightful, thought provoking, novel…
Thank you Fr. Johnny Go…cheers!
Thank you Fr Johnny and the Pins of Light staff for the great triduum recollection! It evoked a lot of new perspectives and insights and inspirations…and QUESTIONS! which can fill our journey of faith in the coming months of the pandemic! Two nagging and related questions among many others: a) did not the Old Testament pointed to the coming of the Messiah (Isaiah’s Suffering Servant, etc.) and thus rendered the Crucifixion an indispensable part of God’s salvation plan for humanity and creation (even if we don’t accept that Jesus’s mission was to die for our sins); and b) if the core of our faith rests on the Resurrection, then would it not be necessary for Jesus to die in such a self-sacrificing fashion so He can be raised to a new life. What online resources can you suggest that address these questions since I realize these cannot be adequately answered here. Thank you very much and more power!
Just because God knows what’s going to happen in the future doesn’t mean He WILLED it, di ba? The Resurrection is DE FACTO the foundation of our faith because our Lord was crucified. If there had been no original sin, there would be no need for redemption and there certainly would be no crucifixion! 🙂
In her book Creation and the Cross, Elizabeth Johnson wrote what to me is a very enigmatic theological interpretation: “Loudly and clearly, one more time, the mercy of God is not dependent on the death of Jesus. Divine mercy does not require the torture and violence of crucifixion. To phrase this in reverse, the death of Jesus is not necessary in order for God to forgive sin. The fact that Jesus died an agonizing death on the cross is indeed part of the story of salvation Christians tell, but not because he had to appease an angry God or pay some some kind of debt. Salvation does not require that kind of transaction.” What are we, Catholic Christians, to make of this Father?
That’s exactly what I was trying to say! 🙂
Hi Fr Johnny,
I often hear of Jesus being able to suffer not just the Passion week but throughout His ministry because He was God. Not much credit is being given to His humanity. I think we should not be mixing up the human and the divine nature in that way.
You point out that in Gethsemane, He felt the abandonment of the Father but yet, He persisted in His trust in the Father. As you said, He was committed to the redemption, turning suffering + love into a sacrifice, As Scott Hahn said, it is not how much Jesus suffered that saved us, but it is His limitless Love! His suffering was finite, though it could have merited infinite grace for us. He went through the suffering to show His infinite love for us.
So what is the nature of the Hypostatic Union of humanity and divinity in Jesus?
There seems to be this thinking that because Jesus is God, he could endure everything. The CCC in 470 quoting Gaudium et Spes declares: The Son of God. . . worked with human hands; he thought with a human mind. he has truly been made one of us, like to us in all things except sin. Further the CCC states: 472 This is why the Son of God could, when he became man, “increase in wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and man”, and would even have to inquire for himself about what one in the human condition can learn only from experience.
Having heard your Gethsemane talks and having this question on how to understand and respond to the statements that Jesus could undergo the extraordinary human suffering in His Passion because He was God has helped me to connect some dots. How do you “separate” Jesus in His humanity as being able to withstand the suffering because He was God? The bible says that Jesus often went to a quiet place to be alone with the Father and that He could spend the whole night there alone. He had an extraordinary relationship with the Father given the time He spent with the Father in His humanity. So the trust He had in the Father was there at Gethsemane despite what feeling of abandonment He may have had. The feeling of abandonment was such that in Luke 22: 44 And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling upon the ground. But yet He trusted the Father enough to recite Psalm 22 in His dying moments on the cross.
Could I ask you for some more ways in which I can respond to those who say the Jesus could go through the suffering in His Passion because He was God?
Thank you.
Thank you, Fr. Johnny for this retreat which was impactful. And thank you also for explaining God’s mission for Jesus. I have read a number of Fr. Richard Rohr’s writings and didn’t quite understand what he meant when he talked about this. Thank you for shedding some light.
Thank you Father J for bringing me closer to our Lord. The recording is such a great idea because I could not attend the retreat (my helper left to assist her sick father). To my surprise, my doubting son-in-law attended and has since been talking about it. I can see how it has enlightened him. We certainly will go out, share the joys of the Resurrection.
Thank you, Fr. Johnny and team, for this “mind-blowing” recollection! I always look forward to your online retreats and I share them with family and friends. This one is my favorite thus far because of the format. It was great listening to you give the talks. I gained so many new insights enough to ponder on until your next recollection! I pray that God continues to bless you and your ministry so that you can keep on challenging us to critically think and in doing so deepen our faith.
Thank you Father Johnny for very meaningful and insightful retreat. This is my first time and I thank my friend, Annie who recommended this to me. God bless us all
Kudos! Fr. Johnny. It was again an amazing retreat experience with you. A lot to ponder and discern as we celebrate Easter. As I continue to journey in this seeming simple yet complicated world and this jouney may not be smooth or even lost in my direction let your this be my compass
Letting good is to believe in the goo and discern the good. Letting evil is to defy and resist it. Letting God is to share the sadness and halve it to share the joy and double it.
Kudos! Fr. Johnny. It was indeed an amazing retreat. My heart was filled with joy and inspiration. I was awed really with the many things that I have learned and reflected in the retreat… As I continue to journey in the seemingly simple yet complicated world I always remember these…
Letting good is believe in the good and discern the good
letting evil is to defy and resist it
Letting God is share the sadness and halves it and to share the joy and double it. Daghang samalat Fr. Johnny. Let’s keep the faith. God bless you po.
The 3 days retreat of Fr. Johnny was truly enriching. It was like a crash course in Theology – very engaging. It was a wake up call and reminder that sometimes we are too busy and have no time for our faith……………
So many take aways to ponder on…….. Thank you Fr. Johnny
Please send me the link to the 3rd day Lenten retreat online 2021. Thank you!
I’ve learned the retreat only today. May I join, please. Thanks.
Hello po Fr. Johnny! It’s my 1st time to attend your Lenten retreat and I must say it’s very, very, very good. My “Aha!” lightbulb moment turned on several times. I appreciate the open/closed system as I am a science college teacher as well teaching STS as well. I also had a better understanding of Jesus’ Gethsemane moment – about being estranged from God the Father. Wow! That was big to me. I never really gave the Lord that much appreciation of what He went through due to that separation. It’s really something that I ought to be be grateful for Him. Your discussion about the relation of pandemic and fear was very timely as well. It was a great Holy Thursday retreat despite the fact that I’m seeing it only now -Good Friday. When you mentioned how Evil Spirits influence one’s thoughts. I immediately connected that to what happens when a person uses illegal drugs. Sadly, it makes a person an easy prey for the Evil Spirit to enter. I can go on and on about how good this retreat was to me. Bottomline, I got loads from it than what I can ever imagined possible. The Holy Spirit is really at work! Praise be to God!
Thanks for all these insights! 🙂
FR. JOHNNY… YOU HAVE SHED LIGHT ON OUR DOUBTS, FEARS AND ANXIETIES… THANK YOU… YES, FAITH INDEED IS TRUST, COMMIT AND DISCERN…
Your holy thursday recollection is life changing. Thank you for being an instrument of God’s love and mercy.
The pandemic taught me to let go of people I love with gratitude.
So sad. 🙁
Thank you, Fr. Johnny!! Our family is attending this retreat together. We were reminded and comforted of God’s goodness and love during this pandemic and quarantine. We renew our love, faith and trust in our Lord that all these trials and sufferinhs will come to past. We look forward to the next two days’ spiritual journey with you. Keep safe and God bless you more❣
Thank you for this recollection Fr. Johnny and to everyone who is part of making this recollection possible.