The Season of Lent in the Ateneo de Manila Senior High School (ASHS) allows us to open our hearts for the Lord to enter in a special way through meaningful and varied activities to practice our faith and to learn more about our Savior so that we can have a deeply personal relationship with God.

We begin with our Ash Wednesday Mass, a community mass. Our mass is sponsored by senior classes and celebrated by our Campus Chaplain.

There are also common reflections given to our students to guide their personal reflection. Members of our community are invited to provide a  7-minute morning reflection to share insights that aim to inspire and provoke a personal process of contemplation. Volunteers from the Faith Formation District of the Council of Student Organizations are taking the lead in preparing these reflections.

Our Campus Ministry and the Christian Living Education Subject Area have provided periods of confession, primarily for our students who desire to be reconciled.

The students, parents and school personnel are also invited to join the University Way of the Cross with all of the members of the university coming together to pray and reflect. There is a mass at the Church of the Gesu before the Stations of the Cross within the campus. Aside from these, our faculty is given a Lenten Recollection that helps them grow in their personal faith.

It is with much hope that these chances to grow in faith, inspired by Christ’s passion will inspire greater love for God, ourselves and others.

Article written by Caroline C. Laforteza in coordination with Jennifer Concepcion and Gian F. Dayao