21 August 2023 · 2023-08 newsletter
“My peace I give to You..” (John 14:27)
Every year we hold a Midyear Reflection Day for Coordinators and Members of the Pilgrim Mother Apostolate. This year it took place on Saturday 8 July, and we were blessed with a really beautiful day. We had thirty-six people taking part in the day.
The day began with a talk by Father Paul (Father Pawel) Barszczewski OP unfolding the theme: “My peace I give to you…” (John 14:27). Fr. Paul began by explaining Lectio Divina (Divine Reading) and the four steps that it entails:
- Lectio (reading)
- Oratio (praying)
- Meditatio (meditation)
- Contemplatio (contemplation)
Father then looked at the situation in today’s world where we can experience fear, anxiety, depression, conflict, brokenness, war, etc. which all make us restless. Peace (Shalom) is not only the absence of war, but it means to make good, to make full restitution and restoration. This does not refer only to practical restoration of things but an overall sense of fullness and completeness in mind and body. When we say to someone ‘peace be with you’ it means we wish the other person well. We wish the person good health in body and soul; we wish the person inner peace.
Father continued by saying that peace and rest belong together as Shabbat and Shalom. Shabbat means in Hebrew to stop and to sit. God created the world and rested on the seventh day. God has given us Sunday to honour him and to slow down, to rest and to stop from our daily activities. “How appropriate! Our lives are on the move, especially today. There are always places to go and things to do. If we continue our lifestyle, things become stressful, priorities begin to shift and our focus on God can easily fade. The Lord knew that we would need to stop and to sit on a weekly basis. Not for His sake but for ours!”
Father Paul added that “for those of us who like to ‘get things done’, this can be a challenging decision. If we are honest, it’s often not a decision about taking a day off, but it’s about trusting God. Do we trust that God will do for us in 6 days what would take us 7 days to complete? Do we trust Him enough to help us prioritize our lives and live the best life He designed for us? When we try to do everything by ourselves, we are really struggling with trust issues. We often just work harder trying to make up for the things in our life that we have lost or that we are afraid to lose. In the long run, this rarely works.” These words from Father Paul challenged us. We not only want to achieve inner peace but to radiate peace in our surroundings, to be peacemakers for others as Jesus was.
Morning Tea was followed by Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament with the Opportunity for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. This time of silence was a beautiful opportunity for the participants to reflect on what they heard during Father’s Talk.
Holy Mass was a Marian Votive Mass “Mary Queen of peace”. Father Paul gave an inspiring homily reflecting on the Annunciation. He encouraged the participants to imitate Mary who always said yes to the will of God. Our yes can bring us peace in all circumstances in life.
The Team had prepared lunch for us and this was a good opportunity to catch up with friends.
In the afternoon Sr M. Rebecca gave a workshop on how to bring the Pilgrim Mother to more people. The coordinators and members enjoyed this and with enthusiasm the group shared the initiatives they had found during their discussions. We then prayed the Rosary in front of lit candles in the form of a rosary. The day ended with a Closing prayer and Benediction in the shrine.
Here are some echoes from the participants:
“This is my first time attending a retreat. What I experienced was beyond my expectations. Father’s talk taught me to slow down and prioritise my prayer life. Thank you for the day.”
“Everything was fantastic! That was my first retreat in a Sydney Church. I would say the retreat event went very well and was very well organized no doubt. Honestly, I was impressed by all the Team members who were very helpful. I was especially impressed by Father’s talk explaining to us how to keep our faith alive. Fr Paul chose the theme of the retreat perfectly as it reflected what the world really needs today. “My peace I give to you” refers to many things we need to practice in daily life: politeness, love, and peace with one another. In this modern world, everyone becomes very busy and selfish. Not many people share their love with each other. So, through peace, our spiritual life would grow. Praise the Lord.” (Participant from Melbourne).
“Thank you for organising the retreat. Father is a real teacher. The talk made me feel at peace despite the challenges in my life. God should be the priority”.
Thank you for all who attended the retreat and for all who contributed to make this day a blessing for all. Thank you to the PMA Team and especially to Agnes who is responsible for the PMA Midyear Reflection Day.
May God grant us peace!
Sr Luisa Maria
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