Hi! My name is Jerome Resurreccion. When I first heard about Stone to Flesh I was both skeptical and excited. I grew up Catholic Charismatic and had an ongoing conversion through my high school years. I learned about healing and used to follow many non-denominational and Catholic ministries that taught about prayer, Scriptures, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Because of my personal, moving encounters with God in high school, I decided to volunteer my time to teen and young adult ministry starting in 2010. During this phase in my life, I fell in love with the Sacraments of Confession and Holy Communion. I also began reading the writings of the saints and mystics, including Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, Faustina, and Padre Pio. Their personal writings and the Sacraments strengthened and helped me grow deeper in my faith and relationship with God.

However, over time as I continued to pursue ministry, I became weary and disheartened. I saw people pushing “ministry” in place of intimacy, “service” in place of rest, and “volunteerism” in place of discipleship and personal long-term growth. The contradictions I saw were disheartening including within myself. I was a great hype man for ministry but saw there was something missing in me. Through my personal testimonies, stories, and talks I was getting people excited for God, yet there were many places in my life where I felt stuck and unhappy. During my time in these ministries, I would see many teens and young adults healed physically and spiritually (yes physically!) yet I struggled with my own problems and weaknesses that I couldn’t overcome. Many times I would think: “How can one share the Gospel and not have its fruits?” or “How can I preach God’s power when I myself am feeling powerless?” How has the Gospel changed my life? Saint Paul says as we look at the Lord with unveiled faces we are transformed from “glory to glory”— I can attest that I did see a change in myself and others from vice to virtue, but not from glory to glory.

At the time I was connected to multiple people and spoke on many retreats, classes, and conferences. I led healing prayer and prophetic ministry, and although many peers and friends looked up to me, I felt something was missing. There was an emptiness. I wanted to encounter God in a deeper way, and learn what Jesus meant by “Seek first the Kingdom...”. I started looking for God everywhere, yet God was silent.

Cue Stone to Flesh.

When Stone to Flesh was created in Southern California I was happy, but also very tired of going from ministry to ministry. Why would Stone Flesh be any different from what I had seen before? For a while, I thought this will be just a flashier version of all the ministries I had been to, but in reality, there was so much more depth than I thought. We weren’t just learning about the gifts of the Holy Spirit, but we specifically had an emphasis on growing a deeper life of prayer. We learned about the depth of Lectio Divina, the Liturgy of the Hours, and the importance of cultivating a Rhythm of Life. Asides from the early Apostles, the Catechism, and Scripture, many of our primary sources came from the teachings of apostolic and prophetic reformers and leaders from early Church history. Teachings of many of the saints, mystics, Doctors of the Church were explored. This helped me revisit St. Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross in a deeper and profound way. I especially loved their use of the Desert Fathers and monastic traditions for our school’s view of the human person and soul. As I went through The School of the Heart, courses, and Gatherings, I saw that the question of “shallow” and complacent Christianity was always facing the Church and that each generation was learning with God how to take it on. Because of this, there was a constant push for our community and founders to go deeper. The call to emotional and spiritual maturity, to allow our blind spots to be called out was something I hadn’t found in many places and was absolutely needed! I truly appreciated seeing this and continuing to see this within our community from the top-up.

Lastly, on a personal level, Stone to Flesh has helped birth a profound peace within me and motivated me to cultivate an inner awareness of the indwelling Presence of God. I’ve learned through the community how to abide and stay in His Presence through his Word. Not just creating a to-do list in my relationship with God, but to focus my life in a rhythm of intimacy centered on Him— everything rose flowing from that. Without Stone to Flesh, I don’t think I would have found a place that both encouraged the gifts of the Holy Spirit, but also a truly contemplative lifestyle that cultivates a deep relationship with God. I‘m thankful for the support and lessons I’ve learned from the School of the Heart and STF Community which have truly been a blessing.

If you want to learn more about our School of Prayer click here.

Jerome is a graduate of the School of the Heart 2018.

From Power to Presence