KUANG : A day-long retreat focusing on Spirituality of Communion, with Mission being the target was held at MBS Recreation & Training Centre for 195 parishioners of the Cathedral of St John (SJC) on Oct 31.

Msgr Sebastian Francis, the Vicar- General from the Melaka-Johor Diocese was the Retreat Master.

After breakfast and Praise & Worship, Msgr Sebastian spoke on what Spirituality of Communion meant; adding we needed to thank Pope John Paul II for expanding the meaning and elaborating on these words to help us to deeper understand our spiritual lives.

Msgr Sebastian said that there is no spirituality without the Holy Spirit and our prayers will never be answered by God without the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is leading us towards the Spirituality of Communion. He explained in detail about the Holy Trinity — Father, Son and Holy Spirit, saying God is about relationship. He quoted several scripture verses concerning the relationship between Jesus and the Father... ‘This is My Son, My Beloved, listen to Him’.. when the Father sent the Holy Spirit onto Jesus at His baptism in the Jordan River. Msgr Sebastian said the Spirituality of Communion is composed by Harmony, Equality and Dignity. Therefore the mission of a Christian should also emphasize these qualities and be the example of harmony, equality and dignity to others.

“Jesus called us using six words — Friend, Disciple, Labourer, Worker, Child and Bride.” Msgr Sebastian explained in detail the meaning of each and why Jesus chose to call us these, with reference to the sacred texts. In the spirit of communion, we are all called to be Jesus’ true disciples to live with Him, to follow Him, to do His will. It is all about love, intimacy and relationship.We must be in communion with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ and with others.

Msgr Sebastian said while waiting patiently for the ‘Bridegroom’ (Jesus) to come, we should be preparing for the coming of the Lord. We are all called into the mission — sending us, forming us, calling us and trusting us, to go to spread Jesus’ love and salvation. He said the Church is the ‘Bride’ — which consists of us believers.

The Blessed Sacrament was briefly exposed in the hall for a Prayer of Healing by Msgr Sebastian. Later it was transferred to another smaller room for the participants to go for their personal prayers and reflection.

After lunch, Msgr Sebastian touched on the 10 things in the heart of Pope Benedict XVI, namely ‘God is Love’, ‘Jesus is the Lord’, ‘Truth and freedom are two faces of the same medal’, ‘Faith and reason need each other’, ‘The Eucharist is the heart of Christian life’, ‘Christianity is a positive message’, ‘The Church forms consciences but is outside politics’, ‘The importance of Catholic identity’, ‘Christ and the Church are inseparable’, and ‘The virtue of patience’. These are the things that every believer must also have at heart. Msgr Sebastian explained what all these mean to the participants. The Pope is trying to reintroduce the basic elements of the proclamation of the Gospel and the Christian tradition in the heart of today’s world, trying to show their coherence with the most profound truths of human existence and to lead people to see the teachings of the Church with a renewed vision.

The retreat concluded with Mass. Msgr Sebastian in his homily touched on the Beatitudes, especially “Blessed are the pure in heart...” and talked about the saints, many of whom were persecuted or suffered for the Gospel of Christ. He also talked about Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

This is the fourth and final formation of a series of formations for the parish for the year 2009 that focused on Deepening Our Discipleship, Towards A Spirituality of Communion that centred on Discovery, Relationship, Discipleship and Mission. — By Bernard Anthony