Meeting 1. - Eucharist as a meeting with man and God¶
Goal of the Meeting¶
Guide people to look at the Eucharist as a Meeting. Making participants aware of the value of the meeting itself. Reflection on our preparation for the meeting.
Introduction for the Animator¶
Such words for reflection - to realize what a meeting is. In older groups it might be worth reading them as an introduction.
Good has its name in the world, not a label. It is: Adam, Eve, Abraham (…)” — writes Father Tischner. But what exactly does this mean? If Good is something so radically non-objective, something that has no label, something that occurs only in the form of concrete people, then how can we measure it? How can we actually judge whether a given act is good, better, worse? Where is the measure to which we should relate the conduct of Adam, Abraham, Eve? And further: what connects Adam, Abraham, Eve? Seeing a man, Father Tischner seems to suggest to us, we should experience enlightenment that here before us appeared someone infinitely worthy of being loved.
This meeting will not focus on the word “Eucharist” after all. There will be much more about it on Saturday and Sunday. We want to prepare ourselves in this meeting. Reflect on the essence of the meeting itself (with God or with Man – generally a PERSON…..). The synthesis of this meeting will be: The Eucharist is a place of double meeting.
Prayer¶
Adapted to the possibilities of the group.
Reflection on “Meeting”¶
First let’s read such a sentence. Perhaps we will agree with it or not – it will be an introduction to our further conversation.
Undoubtedly, the vast majority of what is called conversation between people today should be more accurately, in the exact sense of the word, described as chatter. In general, people do not really speak to each other; everyone, although turned to the other, speaks in reality to a fictitious instance, whose existence is exhausted in listening to him.
—Martin Buber
It is worth asking ourselves a question about the quality of our meetings (all kinds). Try to find in your life such real conversations/meetings. It is worth writing them down on some piece of paper (everyone for themselves).
Do we have experiences of such a real meeting with another person?
Can we share in what circumstances it was?
A meeting is a gift. Something absolutely amazing. If we have few entries on our cards, we understand this perfectly because we probably “long” for a real conversation. If our cards are filled, we probably experienced this and value these moments.
Today, the aim is not only to “disenchant” interpersonal contacts – with which one could even agree – but also to radically de-mystify them. What is personal, constantly close to mystery, once the basis of the quietest elations, is being leveled.
—Martin Buber
Do we agree with this sentence? Do we “long” for such a real conversation/meeting? Can we miss it?
Have we thanked anyone for a meeting? Is it not so that we have not expressed our gratitude for conversation to many people?
Resolution: A great opportunity to “thank” the people who appeared in our life for this “miracle of meeting” is tomorrow’s Eucharist! Let this be the first fruit of this meeting (if anyone wants) – to offer tomorrow’s Eucharist in their intention.
Features of True Meeting¶
The question arises:
Why are there so few Conversations/Meetings in our life?
Why is it inconvenient for the world?
One would like to ask: what hinders us in the Meeting. We will consider what conditions are needed for a Meeting to take place.
The animator will show individual “requirements” (reads, and then puts the card in the middle! Points to be “cut with scissors” are on the last page of the outline) and participants will translate them into the language of everyday life and concrete life – they can give examples, explain in their own language (they should explain it to themselves). To better understand each point, let them present a situation in which we forget about a given thing in a Meeting (what sentences can be spoken then, what situations occur).
Participants can expand this list!!!
Features of True Meeting:
Turning to the partner in all truth. I say to the other as a person: “yes” - we confirm his person
Everyone must include themselves. Everyone always says what they think, however: “openness is the exact opposite of chatter.”
Not guided by the thought of own impact as a speaker of what should speak through him! When instead of what should be said, he wants to present his selfish “I”, he becomes a destroyer
Conversation by its nature is fruitful. Conversation bears fruit… creates someone else in us, we discover ourselves more in it…
The main condition for the existence of a real conversation is that everyone considers their partner as this, precisely this person. I perceive him, I perceive that he is different, essentially different from me, in this specific, only proper to him and unrepeatable way essentially different from me, and I accept this person whom I perceived, so that I can seriously direct my words to him, precisely to him.
In interpersonal contacts today, an analytical, reducing and deriving view dominates. It is analytical – or rather pseudo-analytical – because it treats the whole bodily-spiritual being as complex, and therefore decomposable;(…) The view is reductive because it wants to reduce the diversity of the person (…) to schematic and repeating structures everywhere.
These last TWO quotes the animator MUST change if he deems it appropriate for the group!!!
In search of Meeting¶
We know that we meet each other truly less and less often. We know what such meetings should be characterized by and what must be fulfilled for them to happen. However, is this enough for us to be able to experience them? Certainly it is helpful, maybe even necessary – so it was worth it. However, many of us still walk the world with a longing for a True Meeting.
Man is created this way. We search… The longer we live in the world, the more man experiences that these various kinds of meetings of his do not touch the fullness (or even do not touch the surface?). We are approaching at this moment the theme of our retreat… to the Eucharist…. God’s answer to these huge desires of ours for a True Meeting….
Have you ever looked at the Eucharist in this way?
When you felt this specific kind of “loneliness of the soul”, did you think that the Eucharist is exactly the answer? (I don’t know if it’s not too personal)
Actually at this moment maybe we should even stop the meeting. Not even answer these questions aloud. Stay in such amazement – there is something I feel and am looking for… God knows about what sits deep inside me…. He knew already before He created me and prepared the Plan of Salvation in such a way that He gave us the Eucharist… Simply Love.
Strengthening in discovery and application¶
Warning
This is not a part of the meeting “at the end” but a very important point for which an appropriate amount of time must be foreseen if the meeting is to have meaning greater than text exercises!
We know how it is - the Eucharist is difficult. Life goes on and it is not easy to think in such categories about the Holy Mass especially if something else is to be done at this moment. Sometimes we simply have many human doubts about what is happening on the Altar. This is normal. These retreats are an opportunity to try to make some effort to try to deepen one’s own experience and view of the Eucharist. We want the Holy Mass to be for us just such a desired Meeting. How will we strive for this?
We create a group….. a group that is just MEETING with each other. We can help each other. We will not list various tips “from textbooks” now! Let’s create such a list of things ourselves that will help us.
Each participant writes on one common card things (resolutions) to which they commit to help each other experience this time well in terms of discovering the Eucharist. (meeting with Man)
Each participant writes on their own card things (resolutions) to which they commit personally to experience this time well in terms of discovering the Eucharist. (meeting with God)
We hide the cards “for ourselves” in such a place to be always “at hand”…. we do not bury them where we will never look at them again!
We keep the card “towards the group” and spread it out before each meeting near the candle – so that we remind ourselves at least once a day of our resolutions.
Let’s remember the intention of tomorrow’s Mass!