Meeting 1 — Illusion vs. Truth ****************************** .. tags:: content|freedom|Freedom, content|truth|Truth, content|discernment|Discernment, content|holy-spirit|Holy Spirit, method|text-work|Text work, method|discussion|Discussion, type|integrative|Integrative Goal of the meeting and introduction for the facilitator ======================================================== This meeting has an introductory character, it is an introduction to the further part of the retreat, where starting from freedom we will focus on our choices and their consequences. The most important thing here is understanding what true freedom is. The participant after the meeting understands what freedom is, can define it and distinguish the concept of true freedom from the illusion of freedom. Can indicate its planes in their life. Today's meeting is an introduction to evening prayer, the main goal of which will be to point to Christ as the one who brings freedom. Due to the limited time, try to maintain the dynamic fluidity of this meeting. .. note:: Discussions about "freedom" in abortion, black protests etc. may appear here. One must reckon with this and be prepared for it. Remember, the sample answers to questions given are only a suggestion of the authors, we do not require giving a keyword at any moment. You have a great influence on the people who stand before You now. During this time you are especially responsible for them. You are in Brenna, at this retreat, not without reason. Spend every possible free time with your group. Be with the participants in the room, ask them questions, be present not only at group meetings, but throughout their retreat time. One of the reasons is the prose of life and the necessity to maintain discipline at a retreat for 100 people. A more important reason is establishing a relationship without which everything we say will have by definition 10 times less power. Inspire, ignite, teach, if necessary destroy and show how to build anew. Let this be a time of the Holy Spirit's action. Good luck! * establishing a community, getting to know each other * immediately in the context of freedom - how do we understand it, what takes it away from us, how do we react to it? * showing how erroneously freedom can be understood and showing what freedom really is * showing the value of freedom, but also freedom as a condition for something to be valuable (because without freedom there is no raison d'être - e.g. love, morality…) * introduction to evening prayer (freedom is not easy, often for various reasons we ourselves cannot fully achieve it) Getting to know the group ========================= The goal of this point is getting to know each other, creating an internal community. It is worth, especially in younger groups, emphasizing that they can feel free, that we create a closed group. Any form (as long as not too long). You can ask a few questions about passions, favorite movie etc. and smoothly pass to the introduction asking a question like: "when do you feel free?", "what makes you happiest?" * Any form of prayer for openness, the action of the Holy Spirit, request for strength so that we know how to use this time. * Introduction, e.g.: Your favorite movie, dreams, describe yourself in a few adjectives-why such and not others? * You can ask everyone to ask themselves a question (which we will not answer): What do I intend to do with this time. I have to make a decision: I enter this 100%, I try, because I can gain something, because actually what do I have to lose or not. * When do you feel happy? * When do you feel free? Introduction-defining freedom ============================= Here we move on to the actual content of the meeting. We propose a loose brainstorming on the definition of freedom itself, which we will then confront with reality. The conciliar constitution (Gaudium et spes (from Lat. Joy and Hope) – Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World announced by Pope Paul VI on December 7, 1965. (GS17)) understands freedom as: lack of external coercion and internal independence from evil. It combines two concepts of freedom in this way: choice and autonomy of action. Brainstorming: What is freedom, what images do you associate it with? In what spheres of my life does it occur? (Associations can be written on a piece of paper in the form of a "sun" with the word "freedom" in the center. E.g. lack of ext. coercion, internal independence from evil, free choice of good, freedom in law, freedom from sin, freedom of speech, I do not go under the influence of blind drive, freedom from death) We can help ourselves and see what Scripture directly says about freedom. .. note:: You can choose one fragment each. Let's read: **Freedom in knowing God:** Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are not you my workmanship in the Lord? -- 1 Cor 9:1 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. -- 2 Cor 3:17 **Freedom from sin:** and having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. -- Rom 6:18 He has delivered us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. -- Col 1:13-14 **Freedom from death:** for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the glorious liberty of the children of God. -- Rom 8:20-21 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do: sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. -- Rom 8:1-4 Let's ask: * Is it possible to live without freedom? Why yes, why not? * Is freedom a permanent state? Am I always free? * In what moments do I take away my own freedom? * How do you react when someone takes away/limits Your freedom? * What is Your motivation to do something when you decide on it yourself, and what when it is imposed on You? (E.g. choice of middle school was rather not only my choice, but choice of extracurricular activities/organization/studies yes (although not always)) * What is my attitude towards these choices? Which give me more satisfaction and fulfillment? * What value do actions performed under coercion have? What effects do they have? * You can confront the same situations, under the influence of coercion/in insincerity and in freedom: * Telling someone "I love You" in insincerity and freedom * Helping grandma/mom, because I want to help vs because I have to * Learning or practicing on an instrument - when parents force me, or when I want to myself * Meeting with friends/family - forced vs chosen in freedom * Why is freedom a condition for something to be valuable? * Does freedom have any limitations? With the last question we move to the next point of the meeting. Illusion of freedom =================== At this moment one must strongly emphasize and find the difference between true freedom, which gives happiness, and apparent "pseudo-freedom", which enslaves. We come to the conclusion that freedom cannot be a justification for evil. **Vision of full freedom** We present several examples of a vision of maximum, exaggerated freedom. * What would a society of maximum freedom look like? (Lack of criminal responsibility, maximum freedom of speech.) * What would a male-female relationship look like? (I can have many partners, do what I want because after all I am free.) * What threats do we see in these situations? **Illusion of freedom** * Referring to the presented examples, can we state that freedom is synonymous with everything being allowed to me? Is it the possibility of doing what one feels like? Why yes, why not? * Is freedom a lack of any limitations (what kind)? * Can we measure freedom by the amount of possibilities we have to choose from? (Then we would be free only at the moment of choice and it would be best if we never chose anything, because every choice causes us to reduce the range of possibilities, and thus following this path - we limit our freedom) * Can freedom enslave then - in what way? (True freedom does not enslave, but its illusion - yes.) * What illusions of freedom exist? (One can enslave oneself with the idea of freedom - i.e. want to be free so much that for freedom alone (to prove that I can) I choose something I don't want. For example: a child who runs away from home just to spite mom, and then cries because he is sad without mom; simple - "to spite grandma I'll freeze my ears off"; more serious, regarding consequences in life: I go to such or such studies just to prove something to someone (e.g. parents), to manifest my freedom, even though basically it is not what I would like to do...) Let's read: Live as free men, yet without using your freedom as a pretext for evil; but live as servants of God. -- 1 Pet 2:16 * What does it mean that for some freedom is a justification for evil? Is such freedom true freedom? (Conclusion) Let's read: “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be enslaved by anything. -- 1 Cor 6:12 * How could this sentence sound in another way? How do I understand these words? Summary and application ======================= * If you had to describe the content of the meeting in two sentences, what would they look like? We come to the conclusion that each of us is in some way sensitive about freedom. Its requirements are not easy at all. Sensitivity, intuition, listening to God are needed to be able to distinguish what really leads me to the Fullness of Freedom. As an introduction to evening prayer, it would be beautiful to give a testimony here about the freedom that Christ gives me. I will choose such a space in my life where I lack freedom and in a moment at evening prayer I will try to entrust it to God. Prayer ====== Prayer for a good experience of this time. As part of responsibility, everyone can pray for another person from their group. We thank for the time of the meeting and ask for graces for the time of the retreat, for Gifts of the Holy Spirit in discerning what in my life is true freedom.