MSC Parish Formation Weekend, Moonah.

Report by Dominic Gleeson MSC. Members: Narita Perotta, South Australia, Marian England, Kippax ACT, Michael Hangan, Deacon Moonah.

The weekend began on Friday evening with approximately 40 participants from the parish of Moonah-Lutana, and there was an equal representation of men and women, from all age groups and varied cultural backgrounds.  There were even a number of children accompanying their parents who in fact led the way for us all to enjoy the place, full of youth-filled, lightness and peace. 

We began on Friday evening with a theme from Hosea, "I will lead you into the wilderness and speak to your heart" (Hosea 2:14).  We invited participants to allow themselves to be led into the wilderness so that God's heart can speak with their heart.  We ritualised this with an experience of a 'well'.  We meditated on the story in the Gospel about the "Woman at the Well" and how Jesus invited the Samaritan woman to welcome the life giving waters that he saw in her  - flowing within both of them during their encounter.  We enhanced this story by explaining to those gathered that Jesus talks about coming to the living well within.  It has the potential to bubble up to the living well within.  It has the potential to bubble up and produce the words and thoughts that we may not have come to by ourselves.  The challenge that we face is that we dare to go there; to go down into the well; that we are empowered from a deeper place within our hearts.

When we descend into the depths of our own interior well it is there, we have the opportunity to encounter the heart of Christ.  This is the place of deep interior listening to our hearts journey.  The well-being the symbol of the way God is holding us.  Through this experience of being together for the weekend we ask God to bring to our minds the moments in our personal lives where we have stood at the edge of this blessing and to know that each of us are a gift of God - as the woman at the well discovered.

During the course of the weekend the team invited those gathered to 'stay with their heart'.   Our desire was to allow them to be true to their lived experience, now! and for participants to grow from that place - to grow into their own places of the heart, the dwelling place of God.  The team were encouraged by parishioners' strong sense of 'quiet' and their desire to be still, silent and to allow the spirit to flow through each one, knowing that we are loved and cherished by God.  The team led those gathered through different aspects of the Spirituality of the Heart of Jesus.  During the varied prayer experiences, we invited participants to ground their own desire in Jesus' desire for them - first.   We had sessions which appealed to the intellect and were rich in content. We invited those gathered into further sessions which were of profound silence and contemplation, reflective journaling - and we gave them some time of gazing into their own graced, gifted nature, creation, and focussing on a specific icon of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

We were extremely grateful for the welcome and receptiveness of the St Therese, Moonah-Lutana parish community.   The team thought it would be beneficial to include some of the responses we have received from those parishioners who attended the weekend.

One gentleman mentioned that, before this retreat, he had been 'drinking from a dry well' and now (halfway through the retreat), his 'well' has some 'living/life-giving water' in it.

Krish Mathavan adds: I attended the 'Retreat into the heart of Jesus' with the 20-25 others we had on each day, and loved it. I was inspired to share some of that learning in a homily on the vine and branches during the weekend masses! The team (Narita, Marian and Dom) led us gently. The meditation on the woman at the well set the tone and allowed us to enter more deeply into our hearts to encounter the heart of Jesus. 

A spirituality of the heart can never take on a one-size/template fits all approach but needed to be open to where people were at. i was impressed with how the three interacted and got to know the parishioners who attended, and brought their own unique styles and stories to their presentation. Many found themselves refreshed by both the input and challenged in learning a new way of praying.

While some tweaking is still needed in the presentations, it was a good beginning for a new team, and the authenticity they bring to the material quite inspiring and welcome. I hope they will get to share their wisdom in other communities from here on.