Hello Everyone!

Normally we would have had our final Catechist Formation together as a send off from this year. Due to the many circumstances infront of us, we won't be joining together for this formation. But this does not mean we don't have something for you....

Though we are not together, that does not mean we are not still growing. The purpose for these formation days are to encourage, inspire, and give you, the catechist, the opportunity to grow deeper in your personal faith so that your relationship with Christ shines bright in your ministry as a catechist.

Below you will find both videos and text that will guide you through a retreat that you can do at home at your own pace. You can do the retreat in a single day if you have it, or you can space it out as much as you need. This is not a race, but an opportunity for growth - your growth in Christ.

The structure of the retreat is:

1. Watch the video
2. Read the scripture passage
3. Spend time in Reflection

The Faith Formation team is praying alongside you and we hope to see you soon.

There is not a lot of preparation for this retreat. All you need is yourself, and an idea of how much time you want to spend on each section. As stated above you are more than welcome to go at your own pace. 

How to make a prayer space and do you need one:

You do not need a prayer space, though depending on the person they can be helpful. Since you are in your home, you might want to find a space away that is just meant for you and for this retreat. Here are a few items if you wish to have a small prayer altar:

• Table
• Bible
• Candle
• Picture or Icon
• Crucifix
• Other holy items

Luke 10:38-42

As they continued their journey he entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary [who] sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.” The Lord said to her in reply, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.”

Reflection Questions

We are in a time where we have to balance home life and work life like never before. How are you doing? Give yourself a check-in: are you struggling? Are you anxious? Are you doing ok? Is your prayer life more like Martha or Mary's?

Luke 10:25-37

There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test him and said, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus said to him, “What is written in the law? How do you read it?” He said in reply, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” He replied to him, “You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.”

But because he wished to justify himself, he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man fell victim to robbers as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho. They stripped and beat him and went off leaving him half-dead. A priest happened to be going down that road, but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. Likewise a Levite came to the place, and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him was moved with compassion at the sight. He approached the victim, poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them. Then he lifted him up on his own animal, took him to an inn and cared for him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper with the instruction, ‘Take care of him. If you spend more than what I have given you, I shall repay you on my way back.’ Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the robbers’ victim?” He answered, “The one who treated him with mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

Reflection Questions

What word do you have to do? Is it your job, chores, family life, personal life etc...? How can you make the mundane tasks of the day acts of love? When you are working - make the action a prayer: concentrate, stay focused, give it your best. Know that there is a time for work, for we are called to be good stewards, bu there is also a time for rest. How do you find rest? Have you found it?

Luke 11:1-4

He was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.” He said to them, “When you pray, say:

Father, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread
and forgive us our sins
for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us,
and do not subject us to the final test.”

Reflection Questions

What do you think about what the monks have said about interior silence? What does silence look like in your own home? Silence does not have to mean there is no noise, it is about the stillness in our heart when we are focused on Jesus in our life. When in your day can you find stillness, either alone or with your family? Do you already have time for this?

Domestic Monastery by Ronald Rolheirser, OMI
(Online Description)
What is a monastery? A monastery is a place set apart—a place to learn the blessings of powerlessness, and that time is not ours but God’s. Our home and our duties can, just like a monastery, teach us those things. The vocation of monastic men and women is to physically withdraw from the world. But the principle is equally valid for those of us who cannot go off to monasteries. Certain vocations offer the same kind of opportunity for contemplation, and provide a desert for reflection.

In ten brief and powerful chapters, Fr. Ron explores how monastery life can apply to those who don't live in a cloister:
• Monasticism and Family Life
• The Domestic Monastery
• Real Friendship
• Lessons from the Monastic Cell
• Ritual for Sustaining Prayer
• Tensions within Spirituality
• A Spirituality of Parenting
• Spirituality and the Seasons of Our Lives
• The Sacredness of Time
• Life’s Key Question

For more about this book, click the image above to be taken to the amazon link.