Grade 7

Name: Jason Floyd E. Andaloc

Section: St. Peter Faber

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 Iñigo Lopez de Loyola was a carefree womanizing soldier who
fought, wounded, and killed his opponents in duels and battles.
But one time he got wounded severely. He was forced into
solitude while recuperating from his broken legs, but it was this
time when he was alone in silence that allowed him to make a
choice that would spell the difference for eleven thousand
Jesuits all over the world. Because of his spiritual introspection,
he later became St. Ignatius of Loyola.

A recollection or retreat is intended to be a personal encounter with God often characterized

by meditation, silence, reflection, and prayer. It primarily seeks to renew our faith that may
have long been practiced but not fully internalized so as to bring about a desired positive
change in us and in our lives.

May this spiritual experience bring you an experience that will encourage positive values,
behavior and a fresh perspective of life.

Retreats and recollections call for considerable mental and behavioral discipline. Focusing of
attention may be a personal struggle for you as distractions and temptations in the form of
cellphones, smartphones, tablets, and all other electronic gadgets are everywhere.
There’s nothing wrong with gadgets if they are used responsibly and out of necessity. The
problem does not lie on the gadget but on the user of the gadget. You have to resolve to stay
away from any form of distraction and engage yourself to have a real break for both body and
soul.
Retreats and recollections are means of attaining spiritual growth and enrichment.
God never tires in calling us to walk these spiritual roads that are less travelled.

Recollections and days of

reflection offer you a chance to
pause and take a deep breath. For just a day, you can step away from
your hectic academic life to reflect on who you are, who God is, how God
knows and loves you, and how to respond to that love.

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READINGS

The Story of the Giving Tree

by Shel Silverstein

Once there was a tree.... and she loved a little

boy.
And every day the boy would come and he would
gather her leaves and make them into crowns and
play king of the forest.
He would climb up her trunk and swing from her
branches and eat apples.
And they would play hide-and-go-seek.
And when he was tired, he would sleep in her
shade.
And the boy loved the tree.... very much.
And the tree was happy

But time went by.

And the boy grew older.
And the tree was often alone.
Then one day the boy came to the tree
and the tree said, "Come, Boy, come and
climb up my trunk and swing from my
branches and eat apples and play in my
shade and be happy."
"I am too big to climb and play" said the
boy.
"I want to buy things and have fun.
I want some money?"

"I'm sorry," said the tree, "but I have no money.

I have only leaves and apples.
Take my apples, Boy, and sell them in the city. Then you
will have money and you will be happy."And so the boy
climbed up the tree and gathered her apples and carried them
away. And the tree was happy.

But the boy stayed away for a long time....and the tree
was sad.
And then one day the boy came back
and the tree shook with joy
and she said, "Come, Boy, climb up my trunk
and swing from my branches and be happy."
"I am too busy to climb trees," said the boy.
"I want a house to keep me warm," he said.

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"I want a wife and I want children,
and so I need a house.
Can you give me a house?"
" I have no house," said the tree.
"The forest is my house, but you may cut off my branches and build a house. Then you will
be happy."
And so the boy cut off her branches and carried them away to build his house.
And the tree was happy.

But the boy stayed away for a long

time.
And when he came back,
the tree was so happy
she could hardly speak.
"Come, Boy," she whispered,
"come and play."
"I am too old and sad to play,"
said the boy.
"I want a boat that will
take me far away from here.
Can you give me a boat?"
"Cut down my trunk
and make a boat," said the tree.
"Then you can sail away...
and be happy."
And so the boy cut down her trunk
and made a boat and sailed away.
And the tree was happy
... but not really.

And after a long time the boy came back again.

"I am sorry, Boy," said the tree," but I have nothing left to give you -
My apples are gone."
"My teeth are too weak for apples," said the boy.
"My branches are gone," said the tree. " You cannot swing on them - "
"I am too old to swing on branches," said the boy.
"My trunk is gone, " said the tree.
"You cannot climb - "
"I am too tired to climb" said the boy.
"I am sorry," sighed the tree.
"I wish that I could give you something....but I have nothing left.
I am just an old stump.
I am sorry...."
"I don't need very much now," said the boy.
"just a quiet place to sit and rest.
I am very tired."
"Well," said the tree, straightening
herself up as much as she could,
"well, an old stump is good for sitting and resting
Come, Boy, sit down. Sit down and rest."
And the boy did.
And the tree was happy.

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Points for Reflection

Giving and Altruism

The tree keeps on giving to the boy until it has nothing left to give. The boy on the other hand does
not give anything to the tree.

1. Do you think the boy is selfish? Why or why not?

2. Is there a word for someone who keeps on giving without thinking about him/herself or
expecting something in return?
3. Why do you think the tree is not happy after giving the boy her trunk?

The Nature of Giving and Gifts

In the story, the tree gives the boy many gifts.

1. Have you ever given something away and later wished that you hadn’t?
2. Is it easier to give something away if the receiver truly appreciates the gift?
3. When you give something to someone, do you expect something in return?
4. When you are given something, do you feel that you owe something to the person who gave
you the gift?
5. Would you give something you really need to someone you love if they really need it, too?

The Nature of Love

Early on, we read that the tree loved the boy.

1. Why do you think the tree loved the boy in the beginning?
2. Why do you think the boy loved the tree?
3. Do people need to have a reason to love someone?
4. Do you treat people that you love differently from the ones that you don’t?
5. When you love someone, how do you show him or her that you love them?
6. Have you ever been angry with someone you love because they went away for a while, or
because they did something you did not like?
7. Can you be angry with someone and love them at the same time?

Happiness

1. Is the boy happy at the end of the story?

2. Is the tree happy?
3. If you were the tree would you be happy? Why?
4. Have you ever done something just to make someone happy?
5. Does doing things to make others happy make you happy?
6. Do you need others in order to be happy?
7. Do you need a reason to be happy, or can you be happy for no reason at all?
8. Can you be happy and sad at the same time?

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God, the Giving Tree

Watch the video: Jesus and the lepers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roz7IwHuupQ&feature=related
Jesus Cleanses Ten Lepers

And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up
their voices, saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us." When he saw them he said to them,
"Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they went they were cleansed. Then one of
them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he
fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus
answered, "Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and
give praise to God except this foreigner?" And he said to him, "Rise and go your way; your
faith has made you well." Luke 17:12-19

God deserves our thankfulness and we should tell him we are thankful. These ten men
came before Jesus with the hope of healing. All of them walked away cleansed but only one
turned back to praise God and thank Jesus for his healing. Jesus makes it a point to call out
the other nine to show the importance of our gratitude. Use this story to share with your child
that God is faithful to provide our needs as well as extra blessings. He deserves to hear our
thanksgiving often through praise and prayer. Consider making it a daily activity at the dinner
table or while driving in the car to list 3 things for which they are thankful. Regularly
expressing our thanks to the Father is one of our best weapons against all of life's battles.

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RECOLLECTION PROPER
OPENING PRAYER:

1. Find a place where you can be still.

2. Use whatever will help you to prepare for
your prayer time.
3. If you like, play some music or if you
prefer, sit in silence.
4. In the presence of your loving Creator,
look honestly at your feelings over the last
day, the highs, the lows and the level
ground. Can you see where the Lord has
been present? What are the reasons you
have to give thanks? Which situations are
you aware of that need God’s care and
protection?
5. Offer all these to God who accepts our thanksgiving and hears our prayers.
6. Talk to God … about what is in your heart right now.

POINTS GIVING

Gratitude refers to positive thoughts and

feelings that people experience when they
reflect on the good things that they have in
their lives.

Every day we receive a lot of blessings, food, clothing, gadgets and so on and because
of this we often ignore many things like being grateful for them. That is why we need to
pause and stop, so that we can look back and see how the Lord is present in our lives.
As we look back, we will see that there are a lot to be thankful for. We look at ourselves,
at the events that happened and the people in those events.

ACTIVITIES:

A. JOURNAL WRITING

We keep a lot of things in our heads, but we put less down on paper. All those thoughts and
ideas bouncing around can sometimes feel overwhelming. You have to-do lists, hopes,
dreams, secrets, failures, love, loss, ups and downs. Ideas come and go, feelings pass. How
do you remember all of them? How do you keep them organized? A great way to keep your
thoughts organized and clear your mind is to write them down in a journal.

Now, close your eyes and reflect on your day.

You may not know what to write about … that’s okay. Your journal can be about anything
you want to say. A good way to begin writing is to close your eyes and think about what

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you’re feeling at the moment. You might want to think about the reflections you’ve had
when reading the “Giving Tree” or the bible passage about Jesus’ Healing of the Ten Lepers.

Or you might want to ask yourself questions.

What has happened today? How did that make me feel? Reflect on the thoughts and
feelings you’ve been having especially after this recollection.

I haven't been having a nice time lately, and I've faced numerous problems and
difficulties. But I've always believed that if I always try my best, I could succeed, and I
always remind myself that if something bad happens, God will always be by our side.
With all of my struggles, I have learned a lot about myself; I have learned that we
should always focus on ourselves; it is also very important that we should take good
care of our mental health; and I am grateful to God for always assisting me in
overcoming my challenges. I am eternally grateful to God for never leaving me behind
in the midst of my struggles. That also leads me to believe that God is always present
in our lives, especially in this time of the pandemic. That is why we should always be
grateful to God for all that He has given us. This pandemic has also taught me a few
things, like the importance of always showing and being resilient in difficult times,
never giving up on all of our struggles, always striving till you succeed, always
believing in ourselves, and always praying for better days to come. The ones that are
mentioned are the different things that I have learnt in this pandemic and the various
techniques and ideas on how to stay strong in this pandemic. Lastly, I am praying for
all of the individuals who are struggling in this pandemic, I wish them the best of luck
in overcoming their difficulties.

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B. MY GIVING TREE
1. Make your very own giving tree come alive. Make paper leaf cutouts using
colorful construction paper. On your leaf cut outs, write the name of the person
whom you consider as a giver in your life. Below the name, write what gift was
given to you by that person. When you’re done, stick the leaf cut outs on the
branches of your tree.

When done, take a picture of your Giving tree and post it HERE.

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 C. A THANK YOU NOTE
How often do we thank our parents/guardians/siblings for what they have done for
us, and for what they are still doing to help and support us when we need it?

Write a thank you note to your parents/guardians or siblings. Take a picture of

you giving them your letter or your recipient’s reaction as he/she received your
letter and post it here.

DAILY PRAYER POINTS JOURNAL

Prayer Point: Asking God for the desire to pray.

DAY 1 February 3, 2022

Date

Dear lord,
Thank you for another day. First off, I'd like to apologize for all I've done wrong. I am very
grateful for everything that you have given me, and I am hoping that you would continue to
bless me. I am also hoping that I'll be able to complete all of my tasks this week, and with
everything that's going on right now, I'm praying that everything will work out. In Jesus name
Amen.

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Prayer Point: Praising God for His goodness.

DAY 2 February 4, 2022

Date

Dear Lord,
I am very grateful the goodness that you have shown to me and to my family, and I am hoping
that everything will go well in the coming days. and I would always be grateful for all of the
things that you have given me. In Jesus' name, we pray, amen.

Prayer Point: Thanking God for His presence.

DAY 3 February 5, 2022

Date

Dear Lord,
I am grateful that you were always present in the times when I needed you, that you were
always there for me when I was going through difficult times, especially during this pandemic.
I'm also praying for all of the people who are currently experiencing challenges, that they will
be able to overcome them. In Jesus’ name, we pray, amen.

Prayer Point: Thanking God for His perfect Love.

DAY 4 February 6, 2022
Date

Dear Lord,
I am thanking you for your perfect Love. You have always given me a lot of blessing, you were
always present during my difficulties, and you always kept me and my family safe all the time
especially during this pandemic. That is why I am very grateful for your unconditional love. In
Jesus’ name, we pray, amen.

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Prayer Point: Thanking God for how He cares for me.
DAY 5 February 7, 2022
Date

Dear Lord,

I am very thankful for how you care for me, you’ve always taken good care of me, you always
aided me in overcoming challenges I didn't believe I'd be able to overcome, and you've always
kept me and my entire family safe especially during this pandemic. That is why I am grateful for
the way you cared about me and my family, because I know that none of this would be possible
without you. In Jesus’ name, we pray, amen.

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Closing Prayer: Examen

Note: Light a candle and place a crucifix in your mini altar and do this prayer in front of it.
Start and end with the sign of the cross.

1. Close your eyes. Look back in your day

• In your mind, look back to all the things we talked
about today.
• Which of those struck you the most?
• Stay with that thought and recall the reason why it
touches you the most.
• Are you thankful for what happened today?
• How do you feel about the recollection?
• What is your most unforgettable learning for this
day?
• Give thanks to God for all your realizations and
learnings.

Let us pray:
Lord, we are grateful that you brought us here together in a prayerful atmosphere as a class
that we may bond with our classmates and most especially with You. Thank you for allowing
us to experience Your love in gratitude. Allow us to always remember to respond in gratitude
to Your love in everyday of our lives for everyday is a blessing from you. Our life is God’s gift
and everything we have is His gift to us that we may be better persons. Starting today and for
the rest of our lives, we will always give thanks to God and be cheerful Christians.
We promise to …
• always say thank you to people.
• always acknowledge our giftedness.
• always pray every day with a grateful heart.

3. Our Father.

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