Meeting 1. - “Three-dimensional” development¶
Goal of the meeting + introduction for the animator¶
This is our first meeting in a small group during this retreat, so inevitably we must first of all get to know each other. However, this does not mean that we cannot use this time to discuss certain concrete contents already at this stage. The goals of this meeting are:
Getting to know each other, forming the community of the small group
Introduction of the figure of St. Peter into the retreat; analysis of the scene of his calling by Jesus
Showing that we should not divide our life into secular and spiritual, that God wants to be with us in our everyday life
Partial preparation for the evening prayer
Note
cards for participants (plain or post-it) will be needed!
As always at the beginning of the first meeting, it is worth building mutual trust in the group, emphasizing: that all our personal sharing remains in the space of our group, that there are no “wrong answers”, and that we always answer honestly, not “according to the key”
Always keep in mind that your participants may have very different experiences and what comes easily to some, may come with great difficulty to others. Constantly maintain vigilance and sensitivity to everything with which everyone comes to this retreat!
Important
Watch the time! It flows quickly, and there are many questions. Depending on how the meeting goes, choose from them so as to extract key conclusions. E.g., we do not have to dwell too much on the text about Peter’s calling. It is not about an extensive theological interpretation, but entering into the situation described in this fragment. The most important thing is to relate all this to one’s life at the end and go with it to the evening prayer.
Prayer + introduction and getting to know each other¶
First let us pray, and then let us try to know each other, simultaneously looking initially at what everyone is like, what everyone does, what is close to whom. You can use e.g. such questions:
Who are you?
Where do you come from?
What do you do?
What animates you? (fascinates? stimulates to action?)
If you hadn’t come to the retreat, what would you most likely be doing now/this weekend?
If you could do one thing, having unlimited means (not only monetary); what would it be and why?
Concrete examples of development¶
Referring to the introductory conference (man is “three-dimensional”), let us look for concrete examples of development in each of the 3 dimensions in our life.
We propose the following exercise for this purpose:
Together we mark out a triangle on the table/wall/floor. We don’t have to draw it, rather “let’s agree that it is there”. The point is to have three separate points where we can stick notes, which connected together would give a triangle.
Note
it is worth that the points are relatively far from each other (i.e. it is about a large triangle, e.g. on the whole table at which we sit).
Each of these points is responsible for one of the 3 dimensions of man: bodily/physical, intellectual/mental and spiritual (“soma”, “psyche” and “pneuma”).
How do we take care of individual spaces, how do we use them?
Everyone gives at least 1 thing in each dimension that they did for their development in the last week/month - let’s write down these examples on cards right away and stick/arrange them in the appropriate “dimension”.
Then let’s try to reflect and tell about it:
In what way do these spaces intertwine?
In what way, the given examples of development in one of the spheres of my life, had an impact on one (or both) of the others? As we clarify these dependencies, we move/stick the notes with examples to places between our three extreme points (from the vertices of the triangle, to its sides, or even to its very center, if we decide that something concerns all 3 spheres of our life simultaneously).
Note
There is a probability that in some groups dividing the exercise into these two parts will not be necessary, because from the beginning during writing and sticking people will start to notice that “after all, this is connected!” Then of course it will all connect very smoothly for us.
Note
(Optional) The opposite situation may also happen - the examples given by us, for various reasons, will not clearly show how our “dimensions” permeate and stimulate each other’s development. In such a case, one can change the strategy and using the “emergency list” below, ask participants, on the principle of brainstorming or just loose exchange of comments, which “dimensions” of man a given example concerns. One can additionally ask that first everyone chooses from this list those examples with which they identify in some way.
Emergency list:
When I am overtired and sleep-deprived, I usually doze off at mass and get little out of it, no matter how captivating the sermon was.
Getting to know Creation opens to the experience of the Creator.
“The Lord God has given me the tongue of those who are taught, that I may know how to sustain with a word him that is weary” (Is 50:4)
I need vocal cords to say “I love.”
One thinks better after physical effort.
“Idleness is the enemy of the soul” (St. Benedict)
“How extremely precious is our health which we enjoy. I think we should give it in the service of those who do not have it.” (Bl. Pier-Giorgio Frassati)
It happens that a prudent confessor will advise the penitent to seek psychological advice.
The goal of the above exercises is to notice on concrete examples that this “three-dimensionality” of ours is very subtle and essentially we are one person! Development in these three dimensions must also take place relatively in parallel. One cannot deal only with one dimension, neglecting the others.
However, let’s go a step further now:
How does this relate to our spirituality?
How do I treat my life and spiritual development? In isolation from the rest or in symbiosis with the other elements of my life?
How in ordinary, “secular” (and thus referring rather to psyche and soma) situations does it manifest that I am a Christian (and thus in a certain characteristic way I try to take care of pneuma)?
Also the division between what is secular in me and what is spiritual in me is only apparent. There is no “secular” me and “spiritual” me. We all succumb to the temptation of such a division, however God absolutely does not act in this way and does not look at man in this way. Let us look at the scene of Peter’s calling described in the Gospel according to St. Luke.
Fisherman becoming Pope¶
Let’s read:
On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.
—Lk 5:1-11
Let’s try to outline together in imagination the described scene.
In what circumstances does Simon meet Jesus?
Notice: not in the temple! but in his place of work, in the very middle of his everyday life - that’s exactly where Jesus comes to him!
What is unusual/strange in Jesus’ behavior?
In what way does Jesus “hit on Simon”?
The guy together with partners is washing nets, is busy with work. Out of nowhere, a rabbi comes to him, gets into his boat and asks him to put out from the land.
How could Peter react?
Peter could have refused after all. Said that he is busy/tired/whatever. Or at least demand payment for “renting the boat”.
How could simple fishermen feel when this debuting teacher from the synagogue suddenly appears among them, when they are busy at their best with their craft?
Note
For the animator: It may be helpful to realize that fishermen then fished at night. So at the moment when Jesus asks Simon to put out from the land, they are probably after a hard night, in addition they caught nothing. Now they are washing and repairing nets which is tedious work and very important for their “business”. It is also worth bearing in mind that Jesus most likely was not completely foreign to Simon and his companions at this stage. He had already taught a bit in the area, so at least they heard about him.
Jesus repays for the help shown to him, as well as trust, with a catch abundant beyond measure, despite all logical premises of the fishing art. We don’t even know what exactly he taught from the boat, but apparently he “spoke wisely”, since he intrigued Peter enough that he decided to take a risk and cast the nets against all logic.
Note
They caught nothing all night, in addition they already have partially washed nets, probably now everyone wants to go take a nap, to try again in the evening to catch something, after all their earthly existence depends on it…
Exactly, Simon takes a considerable risk and casts the nets as Jesus advises him:
How do we understand this situation?
What surprises us in Peter’s behavior?
By the way, it is even possible that at the beginning Peter treated it on the principle: “okay, this guy talks interestingly. Since he is so smart then let’s cast these nets - even though we just washed them!. We’ll see if anything comes of this talk…”. Another matter to which we can pay attention is that Peter on the pages of the Gospel often acts on impulse. And here it could have been similar.
What do Simon’s words testify to, surprised by the abundant catch?
Did he doubt himself? Did he get scared of this “amazing master”? Uncertainty, fear in the face of a challenge; before own weakness before making a mistake (”… for I am a sinful man”)! Inner transformation in relation to Jesus! - earlier he addressed him “master/teacher”, as to every rabbi, now he says “Lord”!
What does Jesus answer to this? What does it testify to?
What impact could this have on Simon Peter? What does this meeting change in the life of Simon Peter and his companions?
“They left everything and followed Him.”, so they undertake a certain path, set off into the unknown after this strange master
Who is Simon after this meeting?
“Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” He will continue to catch, only more ambitiously! He does not suddenly stop being an impulsive fisherman from Galilee, he will continue to be himself, but over time Jesus will shape him, “mold” his character, so that he understands the Master’s teaching to the depths and so that he serves brothers in the best possible way! Simon does not lose himself, still remains himself. However, he gains a lot, because he can already look at himself not only with his own eyes (“depart, for I am a sinner”), but also the possibility opens before him to know himself as God sees him (“you will be catching men”).
What similar moments could I point out in my life?
Simon in a sense gets a challenge that changes him, but ultimately does not make him lost. What favors this? Thanks to what does this happen?
It seems that of considerable importance in this scene is the fact that Jesus comes to Peter during fishing. He does not suddenly jump out of a cloud and say to the fisherman: “Hey, you! Leave these fish and stand at the head of the Church community. You will get a ring and a robe, you will walk around the world and teach” - such a call would rather not captivate him…
Jesus uses language understandable to Simon. He does not speak about “speaking to people”, about “converting”, teaching - nothing of these things. Jesus says: “you will be catching”. All the time Peter’s relationship with Jesus is built in a way that is consistent and compatible with who and what Peter is.
God comes to man in the very heart of our everyday life - where we are, to such as we are. Therefore we should not divide our life into secular and spiritual. On the one hand, everywhere we are ourselves: in everything we do every day but also in the Church! On the other hand, the temptation to divide one’s life into: “Church me” and “worldly me” constitutes an obstacle in the development of faith. We all probably experience such a temptation, meanwhile God is interested not only in what is “spiritual”! He wants our development - i.e. integrated and holistic.
One can even recall here the words of a medieval mystic of the Church:
If you have less of God in you at work than in church, then you do not truly have Him. – Meister Eckhart
What is more, God entering our everyday life, transforms it, gives it a deeper dimension. Jesus not only comes to us where we are, to such as we are, but also transforms us and expands our everyday life with the perspective of eternity, includes my “five minutes” in his universal plan of salvation!
Important: Let’s try now to relate to our life what we took from the story of Peter’s meeting with Jesus:
Secular → spiritual
To Simon Jesus said “You will be catching”.
What could He, analogously, say to me if He came to me in the middle of the day, just like then to Simon?
“You will be translating”?, “You will be playing”?, “You will be coding”?, “You will be sewing”?, “You will be cooking”?, etc. etc.
In what way in what I do can I find and deepen my bond with God?
How do I perceive my school/profession/studies? In what way are they for me an opportunity for service to the Kingdom of God? (Both now and in the further perspective)
Spiritual → secular
What does my prayer look like? To what extent do I include in it also my “mundane matters”?
Do I entrust to Christ the fact that: “this boss annoys me so much”, “I have no idea for this project at all”, “I like that girl so much”, “we have such a challenge for this month”, “I don’t understand my parents at all”, “I don’t understand math”, “the client cheated me”, “I did a great translation”, “I got an A in biology”, “I am in deep… with my master’s thesis!”, “we toiled all night and took nothing…” ?
Summary and application¶
We want to take the application from this meeting with us to the evening prayer. Let’s write down a short prayer in the notebook:
“Lord God let me hear Your voice directed to me especially in the space of ……….., in which I know that You also want to be with me”
Let’s fill in the dotted gap at the evening prayer, writing in it that space which we find as ours, and in which, just like in Simon’s fishing boat, God wants to be present.
At the end, let us pray for each other, entrusting one another to God for the whole time of this retreat. A beautiful and meaningful gesture is e.g. placing a hand on the shoulder of the person on my right during such prayer.