My Lifelong "Yes": A Journey of Remaining

A Sharing by Faye Borbon

Hello, sisters! I am happy to be here sharing with you about the last three years of my lifelong commitment and how I prepared for it and where ha

s the Lord has taken me til now.

I am Faye Borbon, I just turned 39 last January and living with my mother and sister at Batangas City, that is a couple of hours bus ride from Manila. I’m a covenanted member of Ang Ligaya ng Panginoon, but currently I and several other brothers and sisters, are building a community here called, Ang Bukal ng Buhay Community (The Fountain of Life). 

I mention this because, in the context of my journey, this community played an important role in helping me settle into the state of life God called me to. It was here that I began to learn a word that would eventually define my life: “Manatili.” At first, I didn’t know what it fully meant to remain—I only knew I was being called to stay put while the rest of the world felt like it was shifting.

The Desert: Testing the Commitment

I began joining Bethany in 2017, right after my state of life discernment in 2016 where the Lord led my heart to investigate living single for the Lord in the context of community. I was one of the discerners when I went to Scotland with Bethany Philippines and met other Bethany sisters from different parts of the world. From then, Jhola prayed with me and guided me, along with my pastoral leader to further discern if the Lord wants me to pursue this on a more serious commitment, under the guidance of Bethany sisters. 

My initial commitment lasted two years which was mainly helping me realize how the Lord has been pursuing me ever since my younger years in college, with great tangible love that was so personal and formative to me, when I was just figuring out who I am, where I do I go, how do I live my life and what will give me fullness of joy. All those questions bring me to the Lord closer and deeper, and made me decide to have my full commitment for a year to live single for the Lord. Back then, I did it with Ligaya in my university district, that was 2019. 

On that same year, I was able to also join Bethany Conference in Costa Rica, where my relationship with Bethany sisters grew and I discovered more about our vocation in ways I never knew before, and in different ways it is lived among my sisters. I remember the joy of going to Scotland and Costa Rica, meeting sisters from all over the world. My initial commitment in 2019 felt like a honeymoon period.

But then, 2020 happened.

Few months after my full commitment, the pandemic hit. How can you discern consecrated life while stuck at home? How do you live single for the Lord in isolation, with the uncertainty of the future crashing around you?

As you can imagine, God led me into the desert. Like in Hosea 2:14: “Therefore, look, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her.” I felt the lockdown was both a test to enter and a comforting proof of His presence. It was the first time I was truly forced to manatili—to remain faithful when the external "excitement" of mission was stripped away.

The Pillars of Preparation: Establishing Life Patterns

My spiritual and practical preparations towards lifelong commitment included creating a holistic life pattern of prayer – work or mission– community life – simple living and self-care – balancing relationships and family life –looking into each of these in the lens of loving the Lord above all.

Prayer Life

My prayer life from 2020 until my lifelong ceremony was my deepest and most transparent season. I am forever grateful for the pandemic lockdown—not for the crisis, but for the 'sacred space' it provided to simply be with the Lord. I see now that He is sovereign over the timing of our circumstances.

During those years, I met online monthly with Mae Legaspi to go through the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. These were a powerful tool that helped me see how God has been present in my life from my youth until now. Through the Scriptures, I discovered a love so tangible that I began to spend hours reflecting through contemplation and art.

What started as bible journaling once a week increased to three times, and now, I find myself meditating through art five or more times a week. I just can’t get enough of Him. These artistic encounters give me a sense of peace and a tangible 'place' I can return to—whether in good times or bad—to remember that He is always there in His Word."

Career

During the pandemic, my mission as a dentist and teacher was put to a breaking point. It became a major question I brought before the Lord: 'How, O Lord, can I sustain myself and this lifelong commitment when my work requires me to be face-to-face, but the world is locked down?'

In that uncertainty, the Lord pushed me out of my comfort zone. He taught me new skills as a teacher and gave me fresh perseverance in caring for my students remotely. Even as the economy struggled, I felt His hand of protection over my livelihood. When the lockdown finally eased, He provided such a steady flow of patients that I was even able to upgrade my equipment—positioning me to better care for others and provide for my family.

There were certainly moments of scarcity, but in those gaps, the Lord gave me a peace that surpassed my bank account. He became my Source and my ultimate Provider, meeting every need—and even giving me blessings I never dared to ask for.

Community Life

In my community life, the Lord moved in a way I didn't expect. Ang Ligaya ng Panginoon sent me and several others back to our hometown as missionaries to build an SOS community. This was a significant shift for me as a consecrated woman, because my call is to live single for Him in the context of community—a place where I am cared for and where I can serve.

It would have been easy to stay in Manila where everything was already established and the pastoral support was abundant. But the Lord had different plans. He gave me a deep conviction to build community where He first planted the seed in me: right here in Batangas.

My lifelong ceremony in 2023 was a beautiful witness to this, as brothers and sisters from both Ligaya and Ang Bukal ng Buhay were present. Seeing the faithfulness of married couples, the passion of those living single for the Lord, and the devotion of the clergy showed me that I, too, can be faithful. Their support reminds me every day that even though my 'Yes' is personal, I never walk this path alone.

Simplicity 

Establishing habits of simple living and self-care is still a work in progress for me. I’ve realized that I am easily contented when it comes to my own needs, but I tend to be extravagant and generous toward others. Because of this, I often found it difficult to look after myself—neglecting sleep, diet, and rest.

Through the guidance of my pastoral leaders and the witness of my Bethany sisters, God taught me a vital lesson: I must create a simple lifestyle that sustains me so that I can properly care for those He has entrusted to me.

This journey led me to embrace accountability. Since then I’ve been working within budget plans that include savings for the future and emergency needs. I’ve found a routine that balances my energy through the support of my women’s group and leaders. Every Thursday, I take a day off from the clinic and the university. It is my 'Sabbath'—a morning walk, a weekday Mass, spiritual reading, and those precious extra hours of meditative art. I’ve also committed to annual retreats during Lent or my birthday to review my life and offer thanks. I am learning that taking care of myself is part of my 'Yes' to the Master.

Family Life

In our Asian context, being the eldest child carries a deep sense of duty—to be the one who ensures the family is taken care of. For me, this meant navigating the weight of responsibility while discerning my lifelong call. When my father passed away from cancer in March 2020, we were in total lockdown. My siblings and I became his primary caregivers in his final days, and looking back, I see God’s gracious hand even in those painful circumstances.

After he passed, my siblings and I worked closely together to care for our mother. My 'Yes' to the Lord didn't mean withdrawing from these duties; it meant being more present. I dedicated time to household chores and even learned how to drive so I can serve them logistically. I was especially blessed to help care for my niece and nephews who were born during and after the pandemic.

I realized that my duty to my family and my call to live single for Him were not in competition. When I gave my heart wholly to Him, I wasn’t abandoning my home; I was bringing His peace into it.

It was during my solo sunset walks in late 2020 to 2021 that I felt the Lord’s presence most intimately. He assured me that I could trust His holy will with my family’s future. In those moments, I reaffirmed my commitment to live single for Him. I realized that when I lifted my heart for Him to take, He had kept it wholly for Himself all along—and in Him, my heart remained whole, full, and at peace.

Faye with her family during her lifelong commitment.

The "Yes" and the Perpetual Progression

So in 2023, I sealed my 'Yes' to the Lord. I belong to Him for the rest of my life. I’ll be honest: not everything was perfectly settled when I made that commitment, and I certainly wasn’t perfect. But I realized the Lord had fully consecrated Himself to me long before I ever said my 'Yes.'

In her book Kept for the Master’s Use, Frances Ridley Havergal says:

'Full consecration may be in one sense the act of a moment, and in another the work of a lifetime. It must be complete to be real, and yet if real, it is always incomplete; a point of rest, and yet a perpetual progression.'

Since 2023, my life has been exactly that—a point of rest and a perpetual progression. My heart is reclined to the heart of Christ. We are inseparable now. Even when I linger far, His love pulls me back.

The Deepening Years

In these past three years of living my lifelong commitment, my daily patterns have not changed much—they have simply deepened. I realized that the life pattern I began to establish back in 2017 was not just for discernment; it was the foundation for my forever.

My prayer life now carries an increasing thirst to know and love Him more. I find myself drawn to books on consecrated living, studying the Catechism, and diving into Catholic commentaries. My prayer time has naturally increased in both length and depth, and I’ve learned the holy necessity of saying 'no' to many things—even good things—just to protect those priceless, quiet moments I have with the Lord.

Last year, during the Jubilee Year, my Catholic life was deeply enriched. I was able to go on pilgrimages to various churches across the Philippines, and the Lord even allowed me a personal Sabbatical year—restful days spent sometimes in solitude, other times with my Bethany sisters or with sisters from our local community. Through the Jubilee, I found myself drawn even more powerfully to Christ’s Real Presence in the Eucharist.

My annual personal retreats have become longer and deliberate, too. I now spend at least three days in retreat during key moments: on my birthday—which is also my consecration anniversary—during the Holy Week Triduum, and again at the mid-year and year-end. These are not just breaks; they are my 'check-ins' with the Lord, where His passion, death, and resurrection become more personal to me, and where I keep asking Him for His continued direction in my life.

The Lord has also transitioned my mission. After ending my 15 years service as a youth worker with Christ’s Youth in Action, I’ve been led to build community more intentionally—serving as a pastoral worker for women and in the kids' ministry. It is a joy to share my 'love story' with other single women in discernment, whether one-on-one or in wider events like Kairos Conference last year.

And though we are often physically far apart, my connection with you, my Bethany sisters remains a deep well of grace. Our virtual meetings and worship times are where I find the encouragement to keep pressing forward.

Faye reading her commitment in front of her family, friends, and community.

Closing: The Call to Manatili

To end, sisters, I want to honor you for walking on this path of discernment—this path of radical discipleship with the Lord. I want to leave you with a Filipino word that has anchored me through every season before and after my lifelong commitment. That word is 'Manatili.' At its simplest, it means 'to remain.' But in our language, the layers of its meaning are much deeper.

Living single for the Lord is a call to manatili in Christ, as He remains in us. To manatili means:

• To stay behind even while others withdraw.

• To be left standing even after things have been removed or stripped away.

• To be the one who remains when the numbers are subtracted.

• To continue unchanged in form, undiminished in love—to abide, to endure, to last, and to await.

  
  

These past years have taught me that my vocation is a call to manatili. It is a call to remain with the Lord, loving Him with my all, while He slowly removes every hindrance and destroys every trace of my own selfishness. What is left is a love purified and refined for Love Himself.

It is a call to abide and stay with our Beloved, even if the world rejects Him, and even if the world does not fully understand our choice. We can be confident because to Him, whom we give our 'Yes,' He will keep it.

So let us endure and let us await our Beloved. Remain in Him, as He remains in us.

Manatili. 

Amen.