Kumustahan Session

November 8, 2026

Kumusta is a Filipino (Tagalog) word that means “How are you?” in English. Yet, beyond its use as a polite greeting or conversational expression, kumusta carries a deeper emotional and communal meaning in Filipino culture.

It is an invitation to connect, to listen, and to care. A sincere kumusta is another way of saying, “I see you, I care about your well-being, and you are not alone.” It opens a space for the other person to share what is happening in their life, whether they are carrying heavy burdens or celebrating small joys and victories.

When people share and exchange stories in this way, it becomes kumustahan. More than simply a conversation, it becomes a sacred and safe space for encounter — one marked by respectful listening, openness, and generosity of heart. It is a space where each person is welcomed and seen with love and understanding.

This was the spirit of the Kumustahan session of nine (9) FI sisters — Helen, Leoly, Meng, Rachel, Lhai, Malou, Lillian, Judith, and Jeck — held on November 8, 2026, and facilitated by Sr. Catherine Cheong, FI.

Sr. Cathy beautifully captured the spirit of this encounter in her reflection:

“The sharing of each one has been truly humbling for me. It is a joyful group, a group who despite the difficulties in mission, fall more and more in love with God, and want to be better Hijas de Jesus. It’s a group that spans 50 to 65 years old, with diverse apostolates – a PhD student, some in rural apostolates, some in more ‘sophisticated’ apostolates, a lot in the batch are missionaries. Yet none have lost the awe and wonder that comes from seeing the hand of God in their realities and situations. It is a group that no longer looks at life with expectations and what they want, but a group that has come to terms with God in their reality, ready to let go. If in the earlier half of their lives they wanted to serve God, it is now the time where they allow God to take hold of their hand, and lead, and tell Him to go ahead and bring them to wherever He wants them to go. It is a lovely group. The prayer is no longer spent in long hours of meditation, but of enjoying the silence, of embracing the sometimes dryness in prayer, of being consoled and above all of relishing His presence.”

Indeed, the beauty of this Kumustahan was not only in the stories shared, but in the grace of journeying together — listening to one another, recognizing God’s faithful presence in each one’s life, and allowing ourselves to be led by Him, wherever He may take us.

Perhaps this, too, is the grace of Kumustahan: we discover that we are not alone in the journey, and that God continues to walk with us through one another.

By: Sr. Jeck Silorio, FI