The Great Story of Jesus Retreat
On Saturday 13th January, a group of 32 people from different places in the Diocese, gathered at St Peter’s, Winchester, for a day retreat led by Liza Nahajski and Sr Margarida Londral from the Verbum Dei Community. The retreat followed the Great Story of Jesus and the central proclamation of our faith (sometimes called the Kerygma). With videos, group sharing, adoration, prayerful dynamics, reflective stations and personal reflection, it was a great start of the year, filled with hope and promise. Please contact lnahajski@portsmouthdiocese.org.uk if you would like to know more for your parish or your school.
Some feedback from participants:
- How much I need to give time to the Lord. I need these kind of spaces so to know what the Lord wants of me; to pray before doing anything.
- It has been great to be together with likeminded people, it is powerful.
- Giving up what I think is important, letting God take over, like the fishermen… who left everything to be and follow Jesus.
- I’ve appreciated the opportunity to step out of my daily routine and meditate the Word. There is a lot of suffering in the world… the retreat enabled me to be able to offer prayers and it increased my zeal to share this to everyone, to my parish and pastoral area.
- What struck me the most was to meditate Matthew 8:1-4 (‘if you are willing, you can heal me…’). Jesus speaks to us individually, He spoke to me personally as he did to that leaper. Listening to Jesus is affirming, exciting and renewing.
- It was an experience of unity, fellowship, family, energy, renewal, welcome, hospitality… all this is fuel for my life.
- Jesus is my Lord and Saviour.
- It was so wonderful to bathe, as it were, in Jesus. How amazing it would be if all the parishes could do this.
