Retreat for confirmation students

Jun 14, 2016

NILAI : The Confirmation Retreat, the final preparation for the confirmands from the Church of St Joseph was held from May 2729 at the Church of St Theresa.

Doing a retreat is often a big step for a confirmation candidate. It is an occasion where they take their faith outside of its normal environment and express it in another forum.

The retreat experience allows the candidates a time and space ‘set apart’ from normal life to be intentionally with God and with each other. Specifically, a confirmation retreat is meant to nurture the personal integration of what is taught in a catechetical programme. It is often through a retreat process — in a space free of distractions — that the young person is able to have a personal encounter with the Lord Jesus and to discover a personal connection to the love of God and His Church. The retreat is, thus, an opportunity for them to listen, to contemplate what God is calling them to and to respond to God speaking into their heart.

The presenters of the retreat were Marcus Peter and his team. The catechists who journeyed with them were the class teachers, Richard Ganesh and Priscilla Gregory, assisted by Muriel and Michell.


Some of the topics this retreat focused on were:

-- The life of the Trinity and how this helps lead us into participation in our own communities.

-- Their commitment to their parish community and awareness that they are part of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.

-- The personal nature of God’s individual love and God’s desire for relationship with each of us.

-- To turn away from sin and be renewed by experiencing God’s love and mercy through the inner healing session.

-- An opportunity to reflect on what it means for them to make a personal response to Jesus’ call to discipleship — to follow Him in today’s world.

-- That each one of them have been called ‘by name’ and called ‘for a purpose.’  Their individual giftedness that God has given them through the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit.

-- The significance of the sacraments and, particularly, the sacrament of Confirmation, is considered the great gift of being anointed and sealed with the Spirit.

-- How the grace of the sacraments can transform and empower them to live as disciples of Jesus Christ.

-- Through their testimonies, we witnessed that the retreat have helped our young people to pray and open themselves to the Holy Spirit, for we know ‘it is the Spirit of Truth who “unveils” Christ to us’ (CCC 687).

-- It is hoped that this retreat has allowed the candidates to develop a deeper love for all the sacraments  and become true witnesses of our One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.

Last, but not least, one of the best things these young ones accomplished was to put away their hand phones for three days and two nights! Something we must applaud them for because they agreed that it was indeed a blessing.--stjosephsentul.org