Easter Encounter 2025: A Journey of Hope

by Resti Ma. Bautista, MD

This past Holy Week, the Verbum Dei family in Luzon gathered at the serene St. James Retreat House in cool Tagaytay City for the Easter Encounter 2025. It was a heartfelt celebration that welcomed individuals from all walks of life—single adults, married couples, and even families with young children aged 7 to 11—into a shared experience of faith, reflection, and renewal.

"My Hope is in You!" — A Theme Lived and Shared

Inspired by Psalm 39:7, this year’s theme, “My Hope is in You!”, resonated deeply throughout the retreat.  Participants were invited to encounter God with both courage and vulnerability—and in doing so, they discovered and reflected the light of His hope to one another.

Holy Thursday opened the encounter with a spirit of contemplation and searching. Participants were invited to reflect on the deeper questions of life and faith, entering into the Last Supper with a heart ready to receive and respond.

Good Friday was marked by an intimate experience of God's faithful love. Through moments of silence, prayer, and reflection on the cross, retreatants encountered the depth of Christ’s sacrifice and the enduring presence of love even in suffering.

Holy Saturday offered a sacred pause for quiet transformation, inviting participants to embrace stillness and let God work in silence. Afternoon reflections and talks deepened this experience, leading into the Easter Vigil—a powerful celebration of light and Resurrection—followed by a joyful Fiesta of music, dancing, and community.
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Easter Sunday culminated the encounter with joyful celebration and proclamation. The risen Christ was encountered in community, worship, and mission, igniting hope in each heart and inspiring a renewed commitment to discipleship.

The retreat was not just a series of activities—it was a living encounter that stirred hearts, kindled faith, and planted seeds of lasting hope. Through shared prayer, meaningful conversations, and moments of grace, participants witnessed Christ in one another and were reminded of their call to be hope in the world.
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Sophia Azize, a participant from faraway Sydney, Australia reflected on her first Verbum Dei Easter Encounter. “The joyful, encouraging and faithful community of people that I shared this experience with was one of the highlights. The diverse talks, engaging activities, group sharing and beautiful liturgies allowed me to truly feel the presence of God. It was comforting to experience firsthand that God remains the same, no matter where in the world I might find myself.”

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A Hope That Endures

As Pope Benedict XVI once said, true Christian hope is not mere optimism. It springs from a real encounter with Christ. We pray that the hope kindled during the Encounter remains alive in each one—not as a fleeting emotion, but as a deep, enduring strength. Let it guide our steps, inspire our choices, and bear fruit in our everyday life. 

During the Easter Sunday Mass, another participant Iñaki Llamas from Quezon City shared: “My takeaways from the encounter are learning to listen, to discern and to take action. I enjoyed the exercise of listening throughout the retreat, listening to God’s Word, to the talks and to each other.  I also realized the importance of discerning God’s will, to know what God is telling us and asking us to do.  Prayer is key, but we all must carry out God’s direction. Just do it!” 

The journey continues! With gratitude and joy, the Verbum Dei Family welcomes all to keep walking in faith, love, and hope.

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Reliving the Encounter

We invite you to revisit the highlights of the Easter Encounter by exploring our virtual bulletin board on Padlet, where you’ll find photos, songs, reflections, and key messages from the retreat:

Explore the Encounter

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Resti and his wife Cecilia, are married couple missionaries in the formation course in the Verbum Dei Missionary Fraternity.  They have been part of Verbum Dei since 2016, and attended their first Easter Encounter in Cagayan de Oro City in 2019 with their son Santino.