After an exhilarating community bonding experience at Kristus Aman Family Day 2019, the SWAG RETREATS team and participants were whisked away to the hidden confines of the Gethsamani Formation Centre at the Church of St. Francis of Assisi, Cheras accompanied by our very own Fr. Esmond Chua, OFM as spiritual director for the weekend retreat (26-28 October 2019).

It was a weekend that introduced the group to Franciscan hospitality, simplicity and spirituality through the presence of Fr. Esmond and through our Capuchin venue and surroundings, thus inviting the working adults to reflect on the many elements of how we have chosen to live our lives.

Participants were introduced to each other through a series of icebreaker sessions and were invited to also take things easy for the weekend, bearing in mind that God wants to be encountered and He shows up in our rising and our resting. Fr. Esmond took us through a series of talks relating to the overarching topic of GIFTS:

What is GIFT?
I am MADE as GIFT
I am GIFT and,
BEING a GIFT to Others.

He made a gift of himself to us by celebrating the Eucharist, inviting us to BE with Jesus through the Holy Hour, listening to our confessions and one-on-one sharings. The SWAG team made the weekend equally special with various gifts through beautifully decorated welcome gifts from recycled material, ensured tummies were constantly filled, games and group challenges for some healthy competition, simple decor around the venue, conversations, sharing of life and unending laughter from all sides.

Everyone present shared that they took something home for the year ahead. They are taking home the joy, community meals together, being taken care off, seeing the gift in themselves and gifts around them, need for self-awareness, affirmation of each other as gifts and above all, the time away with our loving God who is merciful (takes our wretchedness into His heart) and invites us to co-work with Him to make this world a better place.

As a priest sanctifies the bread and wine on the altar to make them Holy (sanctify), where is our table of sacrifice in this broken world as lay people? How are we sanctifying the world?

Our wonderful weekend ended with a lovely long desert debrief at Miru Cafe and we parted with heavy hearts but assured that the community of faith is present to journey along the way, the porch light of our heavenly home is constantly switched on waiting for us to come home. Below is a poem summed up by a member of team SWAG.

Twenty-sixth to twenty-eighth October,
In tranquil Gethsemani Formation Centre,
Thirteen participants, One Franciscan Friar,
Were called to aspire a little higher:

To live for more than themselves,
To leave pride and envy on the shelves,
To recognise that they were gifts
to glofiry God, no buts, no ifs.

Quiet invitations gently unfolding,
The potter’s hands secretly moulding.
Hearts were stirred, thoughts stimulated,
Questions were answered, desires activated.

There was also rest, games, and laughter,
Stronger bonds of friendship after.

Peace 😊