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Jesus’ Invitation to Us
Watch session I
To talk about at the end of the session:
- What did you hear?
- What impressed you?
- What surprised you?
- What challenged you?
- At the beginning of the session, Bishop Clark gives some of the reasons why Spiritual Renewal is important. What do you say?
Questions for personal reflection
- How much time do you devote daily to building your relationship with Jesus?
- What are the biggest challenges you face?
- What skills do you need to develop to be more comfortable in working at your relationship with Jesus?
Questions Bishop Clark poses at the end of the session:
- What is restless in your heart?
- How do you ask the Lord to touch your heart? How do you express your desire for the Lord’s company?
- Return to Sacred Scripture, especially to places where Jesus has spoken to you in the past, and ask the Lord to deepen your understanding of these important words. What new insights do these words hold for you today?
For Further Reflection
Bishop Clark says that the key for Nicodemus was that he wanted to know the Lord. (Jn 3)
- How would you describe your current relationship with the Lord?
- How would you like your relationship to grow? What do you need to do to foster your relationship with Jesus?
- Jesus says “Who do you say I am?” Who do you say Jesus is? By what name do you call Him? How do you describe Him to yourself? To others?
Bishop Clark reminds us that Jesus said to Zacchaeus “I want to stay at your house.” (Lk 19:1-10)
- Whom do you invite to your home? What is your relationship to those people? What was Jesus telling Zacchaeus when He said this?
Bishop Clark also reminds us that Jesus calls us friend.
- Who do you call friend? What are the characteristics of that relationship?
- How do you deepen your relationship with those you call friend?
- What insights can you draw from this about your relationship with Jesus as friend?
Finally, Bishop Clark asks us to think about people who cause us to say “This person reminds me of Jesus.”
- Who fits that description for you? Why?
- What can you learn from that person?
- What qualities of Jesus do you most want to carry with you into the world?
If your relationship with Jesus is dynamic, moving, deepening, expanding how is it different today than it was a year ago? Two years ago? Five years ago? What helped you grow in that relationship?
Spirit Alive!
Eucharist
To begin this session, pray together and then share some of the insights you experienced as you worked through what you heard in the last session.
Watch session II
To talk about at the end of the session:
- What did you hear?
- What impressed you?
- What surprised you?
- What challenged you?
- At the beginning of the session, Bishop Clark speaks about the necessity of “interior work” for a disciple. What is interior work? Why is it important?
Questions for personal reflection
- How much time do you devote to preparing to celebrate Eucharist? What do you do? What can you do better?
- What are the biggest challenges you face?
- Why is Eucharist important to you? What words can you use to describe the impact of Eucharist in your life?
Questions Bishop Clark poses at the end of the session
- What does participation at Sunday Eucharist mean to you?
- If you do not participate regularly in Eucharist, what keeps you from doing so? If you participate regularly, what keeps you “at the table”?
- What can our communities do to make our Eucharistic celebrations more attractive and rewarding for those who are present? What can each of us do?
For Further Reflection
Bishop Clark begins his reflections on the Eucharist by talking about the “work” of developing a committed spiritual relationship with the Lord, a relationship that requires us to consider how the Lord moves in our lives, calls us, refreshes us, challenges us.
- What does a committed, prayerful relationship with the Lord mean to you?
- How does such a relationship call, refresh and challenge you?
- What do you need to continue to pursue this very special relationship?
- We are reminded that the work of relationship with Jesus is not just our private, personal work, it is the work of the whole Church. In fact, Bishop Clark prompts us to remember that we speak of the liturgy as the work of the people.
- What does this phrase mean to you?
- What qualities of good work can we bring to liturgy?
Bishop Clark speaks eloquently of the way Eucharist nourishes, feeds, heals, and brings solace to us and he reminds us that Eucharist is the source and summit of our life in Christ. He reminds us that the Eucharistic liturgy is “the indispensable source …of true Christian spirit.” (Sacrosactorum 14)
- What is your experience of Eucharist? Do the phrases quoted above describe your experience?
- Eucharist is a commissioning for us to carry forth the Gospel into the world. How do you do that? Where do you do that? What does it mean to you at work, at home, in your community, in your neighborhood?
Pope Benedict XVI says that he hopes that we all will experience Eucharist as an inner urge, a thirst, a desire.
- Is that true for you? For others you know? Why or why not?
- When have you experienced Eucharist where the Spirit is fully alive for you? What did you bring to that celebration?
Spirit Alive!
Making Jesus Part of Everyday Life
To begin this session, pray together and then share some of the insights you experienced as you worked through what you heard in the last session.
Watch session III
To talk about at the end of the session:
- What did you hear?
- What impressed you?
- What surprised you?
- What challenged you?
- How do you foster your relationship with Jesus Christ?
Ten things…
- Begin the day by affirming God’s presence
- Say a blessing prayer aloud before every meal
- Use commuting time to pray quietly.
- Read Sacred Scripture every day and carry the message with you.
- In moments of transition, ask the Lord to help you meet Him in the next person or experience.
- Prepare for Sunday Eucharist and spend time in reflection on the experience afterwards.
- Use websites and other resources to support your prayer and reflection.
- Revisit the prayers you learned as a child.
- Be willing to share your faith with others.
- Reflect on the events of the day at the end of the day.
For Further Reflection
- The bishop suggested ten ways to spend more time with Jesus
Do they help you? With whom might you share this list? Which of these is most difficult for you? Which is easiest?
- Develop a list of ten simple things you can do to foster your relationship with the Lord.
- Which prayers from childhood do you remember? Why?
- How can your household make Jesus part of everyday life?
- How can such simple things help you become a better follower of Jesus (disciple)
Spirit Alive!
Committing Yourself to Life in the Spirit
To begin this session, pray together and then share some of the insights you experienced as you worked through what you heard in the last session.
Watch session IV
To talk about at the end of the session:
- What did you hear?
- What impressed you?
- What surprised you?
- What challenged you?How has what you have experienced during this retreat helped you commit to life in the Spirit?
The Bishop Lists Five Things to Keep in Mind to assist us in our journey as followers of Jesus
- The Lord wants us to have life and to have it to the full. He wants us to be His voice, His hands and His heart for the transformation of the world.
- The Lord knows us better than we know ourselves.
- The journey does not happen all at once.
- Remember the “prize” Life to the full
- We are God’s children now and forever.
For further reflection
- What does it mean to have life to the full? How does the opportunity for spiritual renewal help you experience life in the full?
- How does Eucharist foster that life in the full?
- What steps do you need to take now to accept the fullness of discipleship (response to the Gospel)?
- What gifts have been given you for the Life of the community?
- What does it mean to be one of God’s children?
- What is your next step on this journey? What commitment will you make?
