Meeting 3. - Birth of an Animator ********************************* .. tags:: content|mission|Mission, content|service|Service, content|responsibility|Responsibility, content|time|Time, method|text-work|Text work, method|group-work|Group work, method|discussion|Discussion, type|formative|Formative Goal of the Meeting =================== Realization of how important a role each of us has to play in the world and how great a responsibility rests on us. We are the ones who, ignited, have the task to go into the world and ignite others. The consequence of this (but not the overriding goal of the meeting) is engagement in the organization of the spring retreat. Introduction for the animator ============================= The meeting has a summarizing character. New content should not appear in it, but it should be a synthesis of everything that was conveyed during the retreat. Very important in it is the animator's testimony about his own path to animatorship, about people who trusted him so that he could gift others with this trust. Materials needed to conduct the meeting: 1. small blank slips of paper (5 for each participant) 2. cut slips with 20 values written on them (1 "set" per group) 3. text of the prayer of St. Francis for each participant Prayer ====== Spontaneous to the Holy Spirit for kindling in us desire and zeal to undertake service. Introduction to the meeting =========================== The time of the retreat is slowly coming to an end. We are convinced that no one ended up in this place by chance. So we want to answer a few summarizing questions for ourselves. * What prompted me to come to the retreat? * What hopes did I associate with the theme of the retreat? * Did and how did these hopes find reflection in reality? * Which moments from this time were most valuable to me? Why? * How did I experience yesterday's evening prayer? Let's return for a moment to the topic of values, which was mentioned already on the first day of the retreat. Let's write down on slips of paper 5 values that we know we possess. .. warning:: It is very possible that there will be a participant who will find it difficult to write down these 5 values (although on the 3rd day of the retreat theoretically we should be aware of the value we have). In such a case, it is worth explaining that there are universal values - those that each of us possesses, that value is a very broad concept and it is good to look deep into oneself and widely around oneself. When everyone does this, the animator places before the participants a pile of slips with the values listed below. .. hlist:: :columns: 5 * honesty * safety * material goods * intelligence * fulfillment * dignity * truth * friendship * family * life * creativity * goodness * freedom * empathy * strength * health * beauty * sight * time * language * Do you think that all this is a value? * Have these values been given to you to a lesser or greater extent? * Which ones can you definitely say are yours? Then point to the slip with the word "time" starting from the fact that time is a universal value - it is given to every human being. Time is a gift ============== * What value does time have for you? * In your feeling, is 2-3h in the perspective of half a year a lot or a little? * Are you able to dedicate these 2-3h to something valuable? * What actually can be done in such time? Can we give some examples? .. note:: In case participants have difficulties giving examples, they should be guided. This is such an important element of the meeting that it cannot be shallowed just because "nothing comes to mind". Let's try to visualize the following situations: .. warning:: This part of the meeting should be done on the principle of interaction - the animator gives a task, and the group indicates how much time it takes to complete it. It is worth writing down these answers to count it later 1. Going to the cinema: * How long does it take to buy tickets (assuming optimistically that there are no queues at the checkout)? **5 min** * How long do commercials last? **35 min** * How long does the movie last? **2 h** * How long does the return home take (assuming we don't live on the other end of the city)? **20 min** * How much time does all this give us in total? **3 h** 2. This time can also be used in the following way: (By assumption, this is about the situation of shooting a YouToo video, where a cake was baked.) * How long does it take to hang two strings between two beams over the table, on which a tablet can be safely placed? **15 min** * How long does it take to gather items and ingredients needed to prepare the cake: baking tray, bowl, large spoon, apples, cinnamon, sugar, flour, baking powder, raisins, margarine? **15 min** * How long does it take to discuss the project of shooting a video documenting cake baking? **30 min** * How long does it take to make the cake: peeling and cutting apples, mixing them with all ingredients and putting on the tray? **30 min** * Baking doesn't count, because you can do something else constructive during this time :) * How long does video editing take? **60 min** * How much time does this give us in total? **2 h 30 min** The above project is simple to carry out because it is done by a group of people enthusiastic about this idea. What could this situation look like if we encountered a group of skeptics? What could be their reaction? | -What for? | -Nobody will watch it anyway. | -And what if the cake burns? So much work for nothing. | -And what if it doesn't rise? | -We don't have good equipment. | -Someone else might do it better. | -Probably nobody will get involved anyway. | -I have so much work... etc. * What distinguishes these two groups of people? * What helps us to create similar projects, take part in them? * Did you watch the video in question? What was your reception of this project? * Is the Church for you a space where you can realize yourselves in this way? This is our action in the Church - in a community of people having dreams, ideals, goals and faith that together they are able to achieve them. * What stops us from doing this type of thing? Often what determines our action in life (or lack thereof) is fear. We are afraid to step out of line, do something crazy, something that people will judge. However, Jesus has a recipe for this. Let's read: Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, and you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. -- Mt 10:16-23 .. note:: Questions about our fears, anxieties, about everything that in any way stops us from acting are extremely important. Sharing this does not come easily, but facing these difficulties is liberating and cleansing. * What am I most afraid of when I engage in something? * How do I deal with this fear? * am I aware that in everything I do, I have Jesus on my side? * How does this awareness change my perspective and action? When we do something important for the world, there is always a risk of greater or lesser failure inscribed in it - something will always go wrong (during shooting the video with the cake a lot of things went wrong, as those who took part in it can testify). It is important that our fears do not inhibit our action. Because God is the one who will deal with them. The fight of good against evil is happening here and now ======================================================== * When we hear about the fight of good against evil, what images do we have before our eyes? * Is it something distant for us, or do we have such a feeling (or experience) that it happens close to us? * What examples of such a fight come to our minds? Let's read a fragment of the pastoral constitution "Gaudium et spes" - one of the most important documents of the Second Vatican Council: The whole of man's history has been the story of dour combat with the powers of evil, stretching, so our Lord tells us, from the very dawn of history until the last day. Finding himself in the midst of the battlefield man has to struggle to do what is right, and it is at great cost to himself, and aided by God's grace, that he succeeds in achieving his own inner integrity. -- Gaudium et spes, no. 37 * Do I look at my life as a fight? * Am I aware that here and now a fight for life or death is taking place (not only mine, but also of those whom God puts on my path)? The fight of good against evil is not only great events full of "special effects". It is not something that does not concern us, with which we do not have to deal, because after all in our life "it is not so bad". How we go through this life determines how the world will function here and now and whether in the future we will achieve life or death. Summary: my life is participation ================================= * Since going through life I am responsible also for the life of others, how can I undertake this responsibility? * What do the words "gift is given and assigned" mean to me? Using and passing on gifts that we receive is not a luxury for us, but a duty. We cannot be a "granary" of values - if we only accumulate them, they will simply be wasted (in an old and abandoned granary, where one only accumulates, it is dirty, damp and there is a high probability of theft). As people, as Christians, we are to be transmitters of values. Every value is a gift, grace, which does not come from us. So we cannot keep it for ourselves - our task is to share it with others. Jesus' message is unambiguous: Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. -- Mt 7:15-20 Let's look at the figure of John the Baptist - a person who is one of those who most fully knew and realized the essence of passing on grace, who placed the realization of God's mission at the center of all their action, brought disciples to Jesus and that's where their role ended: The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God!" The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, "What are you seeking?" And they said to him, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are you staying?" He said to them, "Come and you will see." So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which means Christ). He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas" (which means Peter). -- Jn 1:35-42 * What are the relationships between the persons appearing in this fragment of the Gospel? John the Baptist - his disciples (including Andrew) - Simon Peter * What did the relationships between these persons lead to? John the Baptist showed his disciples Jesus and (symbolically) brought them to Him (here his role ended, because the disciples stayed with Jesus). One of them - Andrew went to his brother and brought him to Jesus. On him Jesus some time later built the Church. Exactly the same is what Jesus calls us to. He wants to do great things in us, but also through us (Cf. Jn 14:12: Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father). If the apostles did not feel responsible for attracting others to Jesus, history could have gone completely differently. No one will do this for us - we are the ones who, ignited, are to go and ignite others. **We want to invite you to this now. Since during this meeting we were able to list various projects that require us to sacrifice 2-3h once every half year, imagine how many fantastic things will arise if over 60 people participating in this retreat actually dedicate this time and energy. At the turn of February and March we organize a retreat where a lot of young people will meet Jesus. We need your time and your energy. We ask you for help with full awareness that this is your time. We want to go with you shoulder to shoulder and together do great and good things.** Application =========== The application from this meeting will be concrete engagement in the preparation of the spring retreat. Everyone can do this of course in freedom. It is not that the retreat will remain lost time without engagement in the spring. However, we want to give participants a clear signal that we believe in them, that we count on them and we are convinced that going shoulder to shoulder we can do a lot. Prayer ====== At the end, let us pray with the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi asking that we always - regardless of what we do - be those who "possess themselves in giving themselves". | Lord, make me an instrument of your peace: | where there is hatred, let me sow love; | where there is injury, pardon; | where there is doubt, faith; | where there is despair, hope; | where there is darkness, light; | where there is sadness, joy. | **O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek** | **to be consoled as to console,** | **to be understood as to understand,** | **to be loved as to love.** | **For it is in giving that we receive,** | it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, | and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. | | Through Christ our Lord. | Amen.