Ana Luengo
España Centro-Sur
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Awareness of Presence of God: In spirit, take off our shoes. (Moccasins before Tabernacle)
Tape: Holy Ground
Introduction:
Retreat time — a time of transition; could speak of three ‘moments’
. a ‘remembering’ of God’s faithfulness in the past;
. a ‘being-with-God’ in the present;
. a ‘looking to the future’ with hope.
What do I want/desire, at this moment in my life?
The reading from Isaiah reminds us of God’s steadfast love. This is our hope.
And it says something about the future too — how God is always creating something new.
After the reading, silence; praise God for his fidelity; ask Him for greater trust and faith.
Read it, pray with it, several times before the retreat.
Scripture: Isaiah 46:3-4; 43:18-19
Listen to me, House of Jacob,
all you who remain of the House of Israel,
You who have been carried since birth,
whom I have carried since the time you were born.
In your old age I shall be still the same;
When your hair is grey I shall still support you.
I have already done so, I have carried you,
I shall still support and deliver you....
No need to recall the past,
no need to think about what was done before.
See, I am doing a new deed,
even now it comes to light; can you not see it?
Offer some IMAGES to help us identify where our feet are now.
Might help us to become aware of the ‘grace’ we want at the present moment.
‘Present moment’-- meaning this moment...
Seasons of Your Heart (Macrina Wiederkehr)
Which of the following SYMBOLS suggest the posture you might assume in order to live fully‘the present moment’?
Taking off my Shoes:
Like Moses do I feel called to strip away the unnecessary, in order to meet the Holy,so often hidden behind the clutter of my life? It is the stance of emptying, detachment, simplicity.
Am I to tell God’s story of emptying?
Standing on Tiptoe:
Standing on tiptoe is the beautiful prayer of balancing God’s promises with my faith.
It is the stance of hope, wonder, expectation, birth, for ‘the kingdom of God is near.’
Am I called to tell God’s story of hope?
Washing Feet:
Washing feet requires a great deal of bending, resulting in a great deal of healing.
It is the stance of service, loving, and conversion.
Am I called to tell God’s story of love, of conversion, of service?
Racing to the Tomb:
With Peter and John, am I racing to the tomb, looking for life? The secret is: I must lose my life to find Life. I must die to live. Am I called to take up the stance of dying and rising?
Am I to be God’s story of death and resurrection?
Walking with Strangers:
The power of the resurrection becomes visible as I come to trust in the strangers I meet along the way. I begin to know who they are, as did the Emmaus disciples. I respond in faith to other people’s needs. I live the Gospel. I believe in the power of the resurrection
in my own life and in that of others.
Am I called to the position of faith, to be God’s story of faith?
Closing Blessing:
May the God of the ‘present-moment’ be with you, slowing you down, revealing to you the sacred gift hidden in each moment of your day. And may you develop a reflective heart that can take the time to move beyond the visible, to touch the precious mystery of life and living. May the blessing of the ‘present-moment’ be upon you.
Maureen Currie rscj
Province of Canada
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