Meeting 4 — “That they may be one”¶
Introduction for the Animator¶
Today’s meeting is inspired by the Renewal in the Holy Spirit Community. Reading their intentions we recognized such elements: courage to ask simple questions, creative approach to reading Scripture, strong attempt to reach the essence of Jesus’ desire. We tried to capture this in this outline, but an important element will be your role as an animator: courage to leave a longer moment after asking a seemingly simple question and allowing the group to face the answer.
The most important moment of the meeting is its application - an attempt to really build unity “here and now” between members of the small group. Unity on such a scale and depth as each of the participants is now ready for. Directly before this we must confront the question of what unity is for me and to what extent it affects me in everyday Christian life.
Prayer¶
Prayer before the meeting as to content - we leave it to the discernment of the group animator. We started previous meetings by lighting a candle. At today’s meeting we do not introduce this element. The candle is a sign of the presence of the Holy Spirit among us. Today such a role will be played by the Holy Scripture.
Starting the prayer let’s read the fragment Jn 17:20-26, and then let’s put the Holy Scripture in the middle of the table (similarly as we would do with a candle).
“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”
—Jn 17:20-26
“These know that you have sent me”¶
The animator takes out a sheet with the text of the Gospel and places it in front of the Holy Scripture on the table. The entire meeting today will be based on the text from Jn 17:20-26, with which we just started our meeting. Let this text accompany us as a sign of Jesus’ presence at the meeting.
We want today for this text to be for us a source and tool of unity between us. Everything we do and say at the meeting, let it flow from it and refer to it. Each of us has our highlighter/marker of different colors. After each statement, sharing at this meeting let’s consider to what fragment of the Gospel we referred and highlight it with our color. We start from now.
Note
Yes, there will be many same colors around the same word. One can also mark the same thing oneself many times - everything is fine. That’s the point. Let this sheet become a peculiar heat map showing which fragments we “exploit” most often. This method of “reading Scripture” is inspired by the unconventional approach from the Renewal in the Holy Spirit.
What moved me in the content of the retreat so far?
What is working in me during this retreat?
Which sentence of the read fragment seems most important to me now? Why?
“Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me”¶
Many religious events end with a dismissal. At our retreat the dismissal was in the middle of the retreat on Saturday evening. Why? Because we cared about being able to talk about the dismissal today - to add weight to it, to value it. Perhaps too often it escapes our eyes what consequences being sent has.
Note
The animator passes the printed text of the prayer to their group. For everyone individually.
So let’s return to the text of our dismissal!
Minor Exorcism over Catechumens(dismissal of the retreat “We are from prayer”)Truly you are Holy, King of ages and source of unity, who have united various nations in the confession of Your name; Holy is your only begotten Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ; Holy is also Your Spirit, through whom you wanted to call and gather the people of the new covenant in the unity of faith, hope and love. We ask You therefore, Lord, lover of men, pour out on these catechumens today a new and fuller grace of Your Spirit, that they may walk according to the vocation to which you called them: bearing with one another in love with patience, humility and gentleness and striving to keep the unity of the Spirit thanks to the bond, which is peace. Drive away from them all influences of the evil spirit and the adversary of unity. Hear therefore Lord and show over them the abundance of Your ancient mercy, in the power of Your coming Spirit remove the division of the Church, renew the beauty of the Bride of Christ, grant more abundantly Your peace and love, that the Church may shine more as a sign raised above the nations, and the world – enlightened by Your Spirit – may begin to believe in Christ, whom you sent to us all, to make us sons of light and peace. Grant that we foreseeing future things with one mouth and one heart may praise Your unsearchable Name: of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit Now and always, and forever and ever. Amen.
Where in this dismissal do I find myself?
What does the awareness of being sent to Unity give me?
The dismissal does not focus around intellectual investigation, or transmitting knowledge. It clearly calls to something and enables. Crucial here is the experience - real touching of unity, seeing in oneself an apostle of peace, being unifying.
Where am I unifying? What do I connect with myself? What do I connect in myself?
Note
E.g. I connect in myself a love for life with pious enduring before the Most Holy. I connect quarreling siblings with myself. This is probably the second most important question of the outline.
Jesus’ desire is unity. Unity on a scale and depth exceeding our comprehension. It constitutes a reference point for us. That is why we did not ask yesterday “do you want us to send you to make unity?” - this is not optional in Christianity. Unity is inscribed in the essence of our faith.
What in Unity is attractive to me?
What in Unity is difficult for me?
Crucial for us is the word “desire”. Jesus in such a human way is motivated by the desire for unity, he makes it, strives for it, prays for it, gives his life for it. It is His dream, which he leaves us in the testament. He secures means for us so that we have a chance to touch it - the Blessing of the Father and the presence of the Holy Spirit.
Where and when did I experience this unity that Jesus desires for me?
“So that the world may know that you sent me!”¶
Jesus praying says “that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me”. Christ seems to suggest that faith in the authenticity of His mission is dependent on our unification. This is a serious responsibility.
What can we do to make unity more important to us?
Unity wants to be causative. The ultimate fruit of unity is to be the recognition of Jesus by humanity. We need verification to what extent the desire/dream of unity “changes things”. Unity “will not make itself”. Care for it requires verifying, a certain view of the world, reflection on it, tenderness, awareness and sensitivity. With one person I will build unity sitting in listening to their story, with another I will start with an apology for the evil done, with yet another I will pray. Unity is not a craft and never will be. It is a constant search, a state of spirit, a motivation.
What has the experience of unity changed in me?
In what way does Jesus help me look for paths of unity?
“That the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them”¶
Usually at the end of the meeting we determine the application for implementation at a later time, for example after we have returned from the retreat. Today we want the content we talked about to bear fruit in us right now. During this retreat we focused on the fragment that spoke about Jesus’ desires towards the disciples, towards the Church, towards us. Finally, wanting to deepen unity between us, let’s share our desires among ourselves.
Note
In these questions it is crucial that each of the participants find the appropriate level for themselves of “revealing themselves” before others. We do not encourage in any degree to cross one’s comfort boundaries. From the point of view of the retreat, the very presence of such questions between us is an achievement.
What do I currently pray for most often?
What do I dream of?
What Church do I desire?