By Br. Mary Teresita G. Figueroa, RGS, Philippines (Province of Philippines – Japan)

The Sacred Journey Towards Radical Transformation was a month-long program, held in September 2025.  It gathered three sisters from the Philippines and five from Myanmar for a time of rest, renewal, and rediscovery of their call as Good Shepherd women in today’s world.

Our Constitutions remind us that, “Our growth in freedom is a life-long process.” This sacred journey aimed to accompany sisters in that lifelong unfolding. Through holistic integration—spiritual, psychological, and emotional—the program invited each participant to rediscover balance, inner peace, and renewed zeal for mission. It also sought to reclaim the spirit of Sabbath rest and the contemplative dimension of our vocation.

We began by listening to the Universe Story—that great cosmic narrative that tells of the birth of stars, the shaping of the Earth, and the emergence of life. As we walked the Cosmic Walk, the sisters experienced not just the beauty of the story but their own place within it. One sister exclaimed with wonder, “Now I know I belong to the Universe!” Her words captured the awakening that was taking place in our hearts—a new sense of identity and belonging, a joyful awareness that we are part of something immense and good, held tenderly by the Creator who breathes life into all things.

Each day invited us to slow down. Through gentle yoga, quiet breathing, and care for the soul, we began to honor our bodies as sacred vessels of the Spirit. The session on art therapy and “Embracing Vulnerability towards Psycho-Emotional Wellness” became a threshold to healing. There, in the safety of shared presence, we learned that transformation does not come from denying our pain, but by welcoming it and allowing God’s mercy to flow gently through the cracks of our humanity.

Rooted in Good Shepherd spirituality, this journey led us back to the Heart of Jesus—the heart that beats with compassion for all Creation. It reminded us that divine energy flows through everything, calling us into communion and inviting us to live more deeply our call to be reconciling, loving, and compassionate presences in our world. Our religious vows are not burdens to bear, but gifts that transform us—paths of discipleship that challenge the values of the world and open us to the mystery of God’s transforming love.

In the final week, we entered into a Creation Spirituality Retreat, a time steeped in silence, art, and contemplation of nature. The life of St. Mary Euphrasia and the witness of our sisters who have gone before us were woven into the retreat’s rhythm, guiding us gently along the Four Paths of Creation Spirituality:

• Via Positiva — where we encountered the God of Beauty, who delights in Creation and fills our hearts with gratitude for the gift of life;
• Via Negativa — where we met the God of Mystery, who invites us to trust the dark, the silence, and the unknown;
• Via Creativa — where we discovered the God of Infinite Possibilities, birthing creativity and new life within us;
• Via Transformativa — where we were touched by the God of Compassion, who calls us to be co-creators of healing in a wounded world.

The retreat culminated in a Creation Ritual, where each sister offered her artwork as a symbol of her renewed heart—an offering to God’s ongoing Creation. As we ended with the Seed Dance, we felt a quiet joy and deep peace. The seed reminds us that the sacred journey does not end; it continues to unfold in the soil of our daily lives.

This time together was more than a program—it was a pilgrimage of the soul, a tender encounter with the God of the Universe, who shimmers in every particle of Creation and whispers in the depths of our being. It rekindled in us a sense of wonder, deep belonging, and loving responsibility for our world. We returned to our communities carrying new seeds of consciousness, compassion, and communion—trusting that the same God who called us into this journey will continue to make all things new!

Discover more about the life of the mission in the Philippines here.