In the middle of our school gym, high up on the wall, there is a woman. She does not talk. She does not eat. She does not even breathe. She just looks. She looks without judgment and watches over us with care. And sometimes, when it is beginning to get dark and there are still activities going on, she lights up. She allows us to see her shining light. She inspires us to shine in our own little ways.

           A month ago, I graduated from Manresa School. As odd as it may seem, this memory is no longer vivid to me. It is now composed of a blur of togas, smiles and even some tears. What I remember even more clearly is the journey it took to get to that day. For ten years, I was a proud member of the Manresa Community. In many ways, I believe I still am. But this is beside the point. Allow me to share why this is a community I am proud I belong to.

           Schools will teach us to read, to write, to perform basic operations and maybe even some things about life. It will teach us that classes like Precalculus and Physics should not be placed consecutively in one’s schedule. It will teach us that late nights are necessary for survival. It will teach us so many things even during the times when we refuse to learn. However, somewhere along the way, somewhere in the middle of taking notes and chatting with our classmates and teachers, we learn about things that matter, things that matter in the formation of the heart. I know for a fact that I speak not only for myself when I say that  Manresa has taught me that life is more than books and friends; it is more than making money and doing well; sometimes, life is about reaching out and making a difference. And there is no better person to drive this point home than our Mother Foundress, Blessed (soon-to-be Saint) Candida Ma. De Jesus or Mo. Candida, as we fondly call her.

           In February 2010, during our Family Day Celebration in Manresa School, Sr. Emelinda C. Falsis, our RCA-Principal, took the stage and made one of the most important announcements. MO. CANDIDA WILL BE CANONIZED. Cheers echoed throughout the entire community; from the parents, to the teachers, to the students, to the staff. Everyone was there to witness and hear such a momentous occasion. On October 17, 2010, the story of Manresa School and the entire Hijas de Jesus community will change forever.

           An ARK. Some funds. And a lot of prayers. These are some of the things Manresa did in preparation for the “Big Event”. Hearing the word ark, the first thought that seems to float into our minds is the one Noah made.   An ark filled with good people and all kinds of animals; an ark of hope; an ark of change. And so, it may come as a shock to people who see it for the first time, but in our school canteen, there is a mini version of an ark plastered with multi-colored hearts from top to bottom. This ark, unlike Noah’s, was not created to fit the entire animal population. It was, however, created for the entire Manresa Community. ARK stands for Acts of Random Kindness. If one performs a good deed or a “random act of kindness”, he or she is entitled to plaster a heart on the ark. The heart contains a prayer lifted up to God through the ARK. As a witness to the heart-plastering, I was inspired and moved by how eager everyone seemed to contribute to the completion of the ARK. It started out as a plain wooden figure which seemed obscure and out of place in our canteen but only in a matter of days, it became a colorful, heart-covered beauty which seemed to belong perfectly where it was located. The ARK not only inspired us to be better people through our good deeds but it reminded us what being a Manresan is about. It taught us that no matter how little o irrelevant our good deeds may seem, they make a difference; they make someone’s day a little more colorful. We were told that canonization is a costly process. And so, beside the ARK one can find a place to put donations in to aid in Mo. Candida’s canonization. The Manresa School General Student Board (MSGSB) also donated some of the funds they earned through their booths during our Family Day. In conclusion to the school year, the FI Kids and FI Youth gathered as one with their families and teachers for an Overnight Pray-out for Mo. Candida. I am not sure what this gathering meant to everyone who was there that night. But to me, as a Senior, it meant I could finally put my mind at ease. Our Finals have just finished and the awards were yet to be said. It seemed like all the hard work, all the late nights, all of it would find its culmination in the awards we would be given on the day of Graduation. I was anxious. I was terrified. I was scared. I did not want an entire year of work to go to waste. And so on that night, I prayed. Until I realized that I was praying for the wrong thing. Instead of praying for an award, I prayed for acceptance. I prayed that no matter what I was given I would be able to accept it with an open heart and mind. And this prayer, I was granted. That night, I felt the stress and the worries slip away. I knew, I just knew it was going to be okay. And so, after ten years of a Manresan Education, after ten years of value formation, after ten years of making me who I am today, Mo. Candida had one more gift to give me. She gave me the gift of acceptance.

          In the middle of our school gym, high up on the wall, there is a woman. She does not talk. She does not eat. She does not even breathe. She just looks. She looks without judgment and watches over us with care. And sometimes, when it is beginning to get dark and there are still activities going on, she lights up. She allows us to see her shining light. She inspires us to shine in our own little ways. In the middle of our school gym, there is Mo. Candida