Last weekend was our umpteenth-annual spring retreat, which
was aptly called "It's A Spring Thing!", and it was definitely a great success!
The turn-out was relatively small, only 22 teens and adults, but the smaller size of the
group actually created a much more safe, intimate atmosphere for the weekend.Due to the relatively short amount of time that we had in which to
prepare, we decided against doing a "theme" retreat. Instead, we chose to use a
retreat model which I used twelve years ago, when I worked at the Jesuit Renewal Center,
which is just outside of Cincinnati, Ohio. This retreat model was designed for
Juniors and Seniors, but our mixed group of Freshman through Seniors did an incredible
job, and showed a very high level of maturity and understanding.
It was very apparent that Christ was with us in the old
house. Throughout the weekend we saw people reaching out to each other, not only through
the giving and receiving of support, but also through constructive confrontation. As a
group, we came a step closer to realizing the importance of caring enough to confront
others. Those of you who were on the weekend know the details, but that is no longer
important. What is important is that we must not avoid confrontation... we must embrace
it. We must take ownership of our feelings, identify specific negative behaviors in
others, and ask for very specific changes to be made.
"I feel... when you... and what I need you to do
is...".
After the retreatants arrived and had a chance to settle-in,
the beautiful, vibrant, multi-talented Laura Murphy led the group through a rowdy session
of ice-breaking activities. I'm not sure who had more fun... the group that was
participating or the handful of adults who were watching! Even as sick as I was (did
I mention that yet?), I could feel the energy pulsating in the room. By the end of
that session, everyone there knew that this was going to be an excellent retreat!
Our first main session was on Self-Knowledge. We had
the pleasure of listening to Rod Hetherton talk about the different stages of his life,
the understanding he gained upon reflecting back. It really emphasized the
importance of trying to understand who we really are, while realizing that we are
constantly growing and changing. Humans are beings in transition... always changing
and growing, and hopefully becoming closer to God in the process.
Much of the afternoon was spent with our small groups,
sharing life stories with each other. Through this exercise the retreatants were
able to learn more about each other, become more comfortable "opening up" to
people, and gain some insight into themselves through both receiving feedback from other
group members and simply reflecting on the stories being told by others.
In the first evening session, Jim Corder shared a very
personal story with us... one that he had apparently not shared with people before.
It was amazing to hear how Jim's life was changed, in both bad ways and good, by
the people close to him. Jesus was definitely by his side when Jim suffered, a part
of his life died, and he was born anew. Having someone share the story of such a
pivotal time in there life is a very powerful thing. And what truly drove home the
idea that the Paschal Mystery is a complete process was this: if Jim had made the
wrong choice... if he had decided to remain in the 'suffering' phase... the chances are
very good that he would have ended up in some very bad situations; and very far from the
Lord.
Mass was a very unique experience on this retreat.
Keeping with the idea of suffering and sacrifice, we decided to celebrate mass the
way that many of the early Christians had been forced to... in the catacombs.
Quietly, we all processed down into the basement, and continued on to the old
"Michigan basement" section. Illuminated only by candles, we celebrated
mass surrounded by the stone foundation of the old retreat house. By recreating a
bit of our history, I found myself reflecting on the fact that I take mass for granted.
I can go to whatever church I want, whenever I feel like it, and no one would even
consider trying to stop me. And yet there are places in the world right now
where people are not allowed to practice the religion of their choosing. In our
world, today, there are people celebrating mass in basements and other hidden
areas, because their governments will not allow them to openly practice their religion.
In that basement of the old retreat house, God gave me a little nudge and made me
appreciate our freedom a whole lot more.
After mass, we did another thing that many people in the
world cannot do... we openly expressed our opinions! Jim led us in the Voices
program which is being put on around the diocese. Our basic goal was to brainstorm
about where we think the Catholic Church should be ten years from now. Obviously,
there was so much discussed that we cannot even scratch the surface here. Let me
just say that there were many excellent ideas generated... and there was an almost
universal emphasis on making mass (or at least one mass a weekend) more appealing to young
people.
The final session of the day was dealing with hurt and loss.
Having spent time understanding the Paschal Mystery as a total process or cycle, we
focused on one piece of that cycle... suffering. I shared a time in my life when I
was betrayed by a friend... something with which, unfortunately, many people can identify.
The goal was to open up the arena of hurt and suffering and really reflect on those
things in a constructive way. For until we understand and accept our suffering, it
is almost impossible to let it go... let it die... and move on.
All of Sunday morning was spent on the subject of
Affirmation. Laura started us out with a personal sharing and a discussion on the
power of affirming others. The retreatants eventually went back into their small
groups and did an exercise that allowed everyone to both give and receive affirmations.
The amount of power that we have is absolutely amazing. You and I have the
power to tear people down... to crush their spirits and hurt their very souls. But
we also have the power to do just the opposite. We have the power to build people
up... to lift their spirits and heal their souls! Unfortunately, the latter is not a
power that we seem to practice very often. Which is why we love to do it on
retreats. The key is to find a way to carry that home with us, and change the
world...!
The closing session, Sunday afternoon, actually offered the
retreatants one of two options. The majority of the teens opted to stay with Rod and
Jim and have a 'rap session', where the adults helped moderate a relatively open forum for
discussion. The rest of the teens went with Laura and me to learn a little bit about
practical goal-setting (which is a topic that may find its way into the Archives at some point in the future).
All-in-all, the retreat was a great success. The food
was good and everyone there seemed to really put themselves into the weekend. It is
so very true that the more you put yourself into the reteat, the more you will get out of
it. On a weekend like this, it is clear that almost everyone took at least a little
step towards God. And when we take a little step towards God, He takes a God-step
towards us. There is no doubt that the Holy Spirit was at work!
God Bless,
Brandon Jubar
