Grade 11 RECOLLECTION

SY 2023-2024

Schedule:
7:30am - 8:00am - Assembly Time in Lantaka Campus
8:00am - 8:30am - Checking of Attendance
Settling Down
8:30am - 9:00am - House Rules Orientation
9:00am - 10:00am - Session I
10:00am - 10:15am - Snacks
10:15am - 11:45am - Continuation of Session I
11:45 - 1:30pm - Preparation for Muslim Prayer
Lunch
Rest
1:30pm - 3:00pm - Session II
3:00pm - 15pm - Snacks
3:15pm - 3:45pm - Synthesis
Evaluation
Giving of Certificates

Materials:
● Journal notebook (Binder notebook)
● Ballpen
● Nametag
● Examen Guide (Bookmark)
● Bondpapers, Colored papers, crayons, pencil, pilot pen, clay, paint
● Gong
● Bell
● Laptop
● Projector
● Certificates of Attendance
● Evaluation Form

Flow:
A. Opening Prayer
B. Springboard Activity
C. Input
D. Activity: Prayer Map
E. Snacks
F. Spiritual Conversation / Small group sharing
G. Plenary Sharing
H. Session I Synthesis
I. Prayer / Lunch Break / Rest
J. Session II: Guided Examen (Christians and Muslim will be separated)
K. Processing of Examen experience
L. Snacks
M. Synthesis, Evaluation, Distribution of Certificates
N. Home Sweet Home
 MY SACRED SPACE

It is natural for human beings to need space and time to pause and reflect. Efficiency and
speed tires our bodies and souls; hence it is natural to want to get in touch with our inner
selves every now and then, and also to give expression to our deepest desires and
aspirations.

Grace to ask:

In this recollection, we ask for the grace to:

● Become aware of God’s presence through prayer
● Get in touch of my own personal sacred space
● Revisit my Prayer Journey experience
● Practice and experience a guided Examen

Session I: Prayer Journey

Opening Prayer:

The facilitator will guide the students in the Mindfulness Exercise and Prayer.

Mindfulness Exercises - 2-3 minutes2-3minutes

1. Start by breathing in and out slowly.

2. Breath in through your nose and out through your mouth, letting your breath flow
effortlessly in and out of your body.
3. Let go of your thoughts. Let go of things you have to do later today or pending
projects that need your attention. Simply let thoughts rise ane be at one with your
breath.
4. Purposefully observe your breath, focusing your sense of awareness on its pathway
as it enters your body and fills you with life.
5. Stay in this exercise for 2-3mins.

The facilitator can play one video song for the opening prayer. (Suggested: God of Silence)
Springboard activity:

What can you say about the pictures? These are places to worship. These are sacred spaces
that we can consider in prayer.

On a personal note, we also have this comfort spaces in our homes.

These spaces are actually our comfort zones or areas. We freely express ourselves in prayer
in these areas. We can consider these spaces as our own safe spaces.

Sacred spaces are not just physical spaces that we can see. In this Recollection, we hope
that the experience here will also allow us to have a sacred space where we can be true to
ourselves and express our genuine self before our God. This Recollection in itself is our
sacred space with God.

Input:

Sacred spaces are not new to our experience. Different faith traditions have these as a
means to connect with the divine and with fellow members of their community. Catholics
and Christians have their churches; Jews have their synagogues; Muslims their mosques.
Even in antiquity, temples honoring the deities were common acrossaccross cultures.

We all need this sacred space. Entering it in prayer and reflection allows us to reflect on our
lives - on what happened in our day, and what tomorrow may bring. It is a sanctuary where
one can shed a tear, breathe a sigh of relief, quiet a troubled mind, or savor one’s victories.

This will be a place and experience to reflect and contemplate on what is important to you,
where you can connect with your inner self without interference and in solitude.

To help us get in touch with this sacred space experience, one way to deepen it is through
the Daily Examen. Fr. James Martin, SJ, has this to say on the Examen:

The Examen is a quick prayer to help you see where God was active in your day. Usually
done for 15 to 20 minutes at the end of a day, the prayer was popularized by St. Ignatius
Loyola in his classic text The Spiritual Exercises. Use these five easy steps to pray the
examen every day:

PRESENCE:
Remember that you’re in the presence of God in a special way when you pray. Ask God for
help in prayer.

GRATITUDE:
Recall two or three things that happened today for which you are especially grateful. Savor
them. Then thank God for these gifts.

REVIEW:
Review your day from start to finish, noticing where you experienced God’s presence.

SORROW:
You may have sinned today or done something you regret. Express your sorrow to God and
ask for forgiveness.

GRACE:
You may wantwnat to return to a meaningful part of your prayer and speak to God about it.
To end, ask for God’s grace for the following day.

Activity: MY PRAYER MAP

In our prayer journey experience, we have encountered many challenges and struggles
along the way. Some encounters are happy and fulfilling while others are not. For us to get
in touch once again to our prayer journey experience, let us do this activity. To guide us,
please take time to pause and reflect on the following questions:

● How is your prayer life?

● What are the challenges or roadblocks that you encounter in your prayer journey?
● How are you moved in your prayer journey experience?
● If you are to give status to your prayer life right now, what would you label it?

Using the available materials (crayons, pilot pen, clay, bond papers, colored papers, paint),
answer the questions by making your own Prayer Map. This prayer map will give us a
glimpse on how we grow spiritually. There may be roadblocks along the way yet we are
still able to transcend from all of these. Your Prayer Map will help you see how God has
been present in your life. Our Prayer Map varies from each other. No two experiences are
the same.

Examples:
After doing the activity, the students will be divided into small groups for sharing. After the
small group sharing, students will be gathered again for the plenary sharing.

—- BREAK —-
Session II: Deepening of One’s Examen Experience

*Short instructions from the CMEr then separate the Christian and Muslim Group.
The Christian Group will be in the Chapel (Hall A) while Muslim Group will stay in Hall B.

Both groups will apply the Examen practice. The CMers will guide the students in doing the
Examen. Muslim groupsgroup will have their counterpart of examen in Islamic
perspective.

Take time in doing the Examen, there is no rush. Allow the students to savor the process
and experience.

This is the Examen Guide that will be used:

Christian Group Muslim Group

A 5-step method for reviewing your day DHIKR

and giving thanks to God 1. Istighfar: Before meeting Allah
(SWT), we always purify ourselves
1. CENTER - take a moment to become physically by doing Wudu’ or ablution.
aware of God, myself and my The same thing also in doing dhikr, we
surroundings start with Istighfar or saying
2. GRATITUDE - what am I especially Astaghfirullah as this serves as a
thankful for today? reminder to reflect on any
3. REVIEW - what brought me joy? wrongdoings, seek forgiveness to Allah
What challenged me? (SWT), and make a sincere intention to
4. TURN TO GOD - what could I have avoid repeating those actions in the
done or said differently? How can I future.
improve? “What wrongdoings have I done and
5. LOOK FORWARD - in what spirit do ask Allah (SWT) for forgiveness?”
I want to enter tomorrow? 2. Tahmid: Expressing gratitude and
praising Allah (SWT) for His blessings
and guidance. This includes recognizing
and acknowledging the favors,
provisions, and opportunities bestowed
upon oneself by Allah (SWT).
“What am I grateful for to Allah
(SWT)?”
3. Tahlil: “Laa ilaha illa Allah” renew
your vow as a Muslim and acknowledge
the Tawhid or uniqueness of Allah
(SWT).
“In the silenceIn silence of your
 inner voice, look for Allah (SWT) and be
aware of his presence.”
4. Salawat: Those who send
salutation to Prophet Muhammad
(SAW), Allah (SWT) sends His
salutation tenfold to ones who did.
“Remember the qualities of Prophet
Muhammad (SAW) and try to
manifest it.”
5. Takbir: Acknowledging that Allah
(SWT) is great and that all of creation
submits to him alone.
“Now acknowledge that you are
weak and a creation of Allah (SWT)
and that you will rely on Him alone
in all of your affairs.

Processing of Experience:

● How did you feel in doing the Examen?

● Which part of the Examen did you find most easy and challenging?
● If there is any, what image of God did you see in prayer?
● What particular prayer or reflection or realization stayed with you all
throughoutalthroughout the Examen?

Note: Depending on the facilitator, the students can have a small group sharing then
plenary. Acknowledge the feelings that are present and other important points.

Synthesis:

Sample Synthesis:
Earlier in the morning, we recalledwe have recalled and revisit our own Prayer Journey
experience. We were reminded how God has been present everyday in our lives. We also
realized that each one of us is gifted with a uniquewith unique prayer experience. In our
afternoon session, we were led and guided in an Examen. We get in touch with our
personal prayers before our God. We can consider that for today, this Recollection is our
sacred space to be with our God.
Additional:
We can ask the students a word or phrase that struck them the most in this whole day
experience.
Evaluation and Distribution of Certificates
Home Sweet Home
Sources:
G11 RDL Module

Preparations:
● Reserve the Recollection dates at the venue - DONE
● Print out / produce copies of the Examen – bookmark type
● Riso evaluation forms
● PowerPoint template of the Session I
● Certificate of Attendance
● Attendance Sheet
● Prepare the Recollection box with the ff contents:
○ Crayons, Pilot pen, Pencil, Bondpapers, Colored papers, paint, clay
○ Evaluation Form
○ Gong, Bell, Bible, Qur’An
○ Candles, Lighter, Cloth