Jesus said to them, ‘Come away with me. Let us go alone to a quiet place and rest for a while’ – Mark 6:31
On Friday, 26 October 2018, 13 young men and women, accompanied by Fr Dominic Tan, made their way to the IJ Retreat Centre in Port Dickson to attend a retreat organised by the Single Working Adults Group (SWAG) of the Church of Jesus Caritas (JCC) and the Chapel of Kristus Aman (KA).
Despite the heavy downpour along the way, everyone arrived in good spirits, eager to temporarily let go of the hustle and bustle of working life for a weekend of rest and reflection.
The first half of the retreat was one of quiet contemplation, where participants were invited to enter into an atmosphere of silence. For many of us, it was our first taste of a silent retreat. Through Fr Dominic’s guidance, the participants learned about the connection between silence and prayer, and how God often speaks to us in the silence of our hearts. Fr Dominic also shared two useful methods which participants could put into practice during their personal prayer time.
And so they did—Whether it was by the beach, in front of the Blessed Sacrament, or in the comfort of their own room, each participant found their own silent space to pray and meditate on the Word of God. In their time of quietude, participants were also encouraged to do a review of their life and to reflect on the question of “Who do others say I am?” versus “Who does Jesus say I am?” Breakout sessions were held thereafter, where participants had the opportunity to share their takeaways from their time with the Lord.
Holy Hour in front of the Blessed Sacrament
For the second half of the retreat, silence was traded in for fellowship as participants bonded over beach games, barbecue, and not to forget, a rousing game of water pong that had everybody in stitches.
The retreat wrapped up on Sunday with mass and one last stop in Seremban for the famed beef noodles. All participants returned home safely, refreshed from their encounter with God and determined to incorporate the silence in their everyday prayer lives.
Handcrafted souvenir given to all participants
Photos
