Reflection on our Parish Advent Retreat
On this past Saturday, the 28th of November 2015, Father Aquilin and Father Phillip held a retreat for our parishioners in their Residence in Botnang. To mark the beginning of this season of Advent, we gathered to pray together and reflect on the preparation of the coming of Christ. While the adults took part in the retreat, our children also learned about the important themes of Advent and made Advent Wreaths led by Rachel Emmerson.
Advent Retreat- Botnang
Introduction:
It had been an unusually busy week with meetings scheduled at school with teachers and at work with auditors. Time seemed simply insufficient in our generally happy yet busy household.
The joys and challenges of family life seems to swing towards more challenges than joys for the last few weeks.
Preparation:
The preparation for the retreat for me begun 48hours before, when by sheer Godcidence I connected with another mother (Ceciliana) from school and within an hour, realized we were both committed catholics as we listened attentively to Sister Madonna Buder the 85 year old winner of the 'Iron Man'.
Uplifted by her talk, we went and had a coffee and shared our personal faith( pre-Stuttgart ) journeys. We felt drawn to pray so ended up leaving school to my home to pray the rosary within an hour of meeting. What a blessing!
For me this was a moving experience of how the holy spirit directs our paths. The power of God's love was confirmed and our Lady's intercession for us felt concrete. Something in me quickened as we prayed the Rosary and sang the Salve Regina to finish off.
Although the next day was exceptionally difficult, I learnt that it was the feast of Our lady of the Miraculous Medal whose 'icon' has been with us since we met in University in 1992. The day ended much better than it had began.
Food preparation for our shared lunch, before the Retreat was done with love and haste plus a strong yet quiet inner enthusiasm to hear what our lord had prepared for us.
Content:
What struck me in the first half of the retreat was the call to examine who I place my hope in when life gets tough. Fr Philip shared a personal testimony after making references to seemingly current hopeless situations (the message of the man who lost his wife in the Paris attacks and is left with a 17month old son on CNN and his priest brother kidnapped in Nigeria by Boko Haram whilst working to help destitutes) which held hope in God as the way forward. They were both moving and thought-provoking.
The second half was a time of much learning from Fr. Aquilin and what touched me most was the explanation of what Advent meant to our historic brethren of the Old Testament. Drawing reference from scripture (Exodus 32: 1-6) he made the connection between what Advent means to those OT folk and us, New Testament folk, living in Stuttgart in 2015.
It quickly became evident that the same distractions that lead the people of the Old Testament to carve a golden calf and worship idols whilst waiting for the return of Moses with the commandments are very similar to the contemporary distractions we face in our day. The silence and 'dead' consciences of Christians in light of the many persecutions (direct and indirect) needs awakening during this season of Advent.
Conclusion
Advent is a time where the church encourages us without forcing u, to prepare examine our conscience and do that which is necessary over the 4 week period, to prepare ourselves to meet Jesus Christ who comes to us, as Emmanuel-God with us.
All in all a very convivial and fruitful retreat lead by our most generous Father's Aquilin and Philip, giving us much to ponder and reflect on.
May our good Lord bless them, their ministry and personal faith journeys.
Shalom and happy Advent.
Aba Shields
