General Outline of the Spiritual Retreat February 26

Objective: To offer a spiritual retreat for all the groups that serve in the parish in order to
to strengthen their faith process and renew their personal encounter with Christ.

7:45 a.m. arrival at the White House

8:00 a.m. Moment of prayer and reflection

9:00 a.m.

9:45 a.m. Personal Reflection (Questions suggested by the speaker)

10:00 a.m. Break and snack

10:30 a.m. Second Talk: A Meeting with Myself (Space for the Desert;
personal reflection - Guide

11:45 a.m.

12:15 pm. A space to share the experience lived in the morning.

12:30 p.m. Lunch and break

2:00 p.m. Praise and encouragement moment

2:30 p.m.

3:15 p.m.

3:45 p.m. Space to share experiences and evaluate the day

4:00 p.m. Return home (Holy Mass at 5:00 p.m. in the temple)
Proposal of topics for the Retreat, Possible reflections (This is just a suggestion)

For Topic 1: The joy of serving...

Introduction: We have all experienced wonderful moments within the service we provide in the
parish, some perhaps happier than others, we have made great friends who are now
Our brothers, we also learned new and surprising things, shared stories and
we coincide despite having so much world and space, those strange coincidences that we call 'God'
coincidences", which have filled us and allowed us to continue on this journey, we believe in Jesus and we know

who never abandons us, that if He chose us it was for a reason, for He has told us: "You did not choose me
you to me, but I chose you, and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit,
and your fruit will remain; so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.
John 15:16

And that's the only thing He asks of us, to go and carry His word to all those who do not know Him, and
that we proclaim the wonders of his love, so that this fruit may prevail and our hearts may
preserve with love and joy, always remembering to serve others with dedication; and that our faith
it is grounded in Him, so that when the tribulations of life come, we do not perish, nor
let us fall; and may the enemy not catch us off guard. Let us place our trust in God, and
let us allow Him to guide us in this long and rocky walk, and may He, with His help, admit us to follow Him
with love.

Let's Share the Topic...

Dedicate a broad smile to Jesus every time your own will terrifies you. May joy
May Jesus be your strength. Be happy and live in peace, and accept with a broad smile everything that He requires of you.

It doesn't matter so much what we 'have' to give, but rather with what attitude we are going to give it, whether it's a lot or

little of what we believe we are giving will always serve as a grain of sand for
to form an immense desert.

Joy is prayer, joy is strength, joy is love. Joy is a net of love with
the one who can attract souls. No one gives as much as the one who gives with joy. The best way to show
Our gratitude to God and to others is to accept everything with joy, to accept the things that He gives us.
and share that same joy with others.

Joy is a sign of generosity. When you are filled with joy, you move more quickly and
you are willing to do good to everyone. Joy is a sign of unity with God, of the
presence of God.
The Christian is a happy man or woman. This is taught to us by Jesus, the Church teaches us this,
this time in a special way. Happiness, if we want to experience it at all times, in the end it
it transforms into lightness, superficiality and this leads us to a state of lacking wisdom
Cristiana, it makes us a little foolish, doesn't it? Everything is joy... no. Joy is something else. Joy is
a gift from the Lord. It fills us inwardly. It is like an anointing of the Holy Spirit. And this joy
it is in the certainty that Jesus is with us and with the Father. Sometimes these Christians
melancholics have more of a sour pickle face than cheerful people who have a life.
beautiful. Joy cannot remain still: it must walk. Joy is a wandering virtue. It is a
one who walks, who walks the paths of life, walks with Jesus, to preach, to announce to
Jesus, joy, lengthens the path, expands it. It is a virtue of the great, of the great who are
above trivialities, above human trivialities, that do not allow themselves to become involved in
the small internal things of the community, of the Church: they always look to the horizon. It is a virtue
of the path, even more than a virtue, is a gift: a gift that leads us to the virtue of the
magnanimity.

The Christian is magnanimous, he cannot be timid: he is magnanimous. It is characteristic of magnanimity.

the virtue of breathing is the virtue of always moving forward but with the spirit filled with the Holy Spirit.
It is a grace that we must ask of the Lord. Joy. Especially in these days, because the
The church invites us to ask for joy and also for desire. What drives life forward
Cristiano is the desire.

The bigger your desire, the greater the joy will be. The Christian is a man, a woman of
desire: always desire more on the path of life. Let us ask the Lord for this grace, this gift of
Spirit: Christian joy. Far from sadness, far from simple joy.... It is something else. It is a
"grace that must be asked for". (Pope Francis, Homily 10-5-13).
Guide for personal reflection: Getting to know ourselves. (Guide for the desert)

The importance of self-knowledge in order to come to know God from our

person and above all for that love we find in God is what drives us to continue
working for His Glory.

Read some of the following biblical texts: Matthew 19:14; Mark 9:35; Mark 12:31; Luke 6,
43; John 15:16; John 15:15.

Now I invite you to follow these questions for personal reflection...

WHO AM I? Life is worth living, but only those who fight truly live; those who know who they are, what
They want to be... I invite you to seriously reflect on the following questions and answer them in...
the sheet that has been provided to you. The following questions are given for personal work:

Who am I?: write how you think you are; list all your values, qualities, and skills, and
your anti-values and defects.
What do I want to be?: write what you intend to do in life, what your goals, your dreams, your objectives are.

How do I act to become what I want to be?: indicates how you act and how you behave in: a) The
home, b) the apostolic group to which they belong, c) at work, d) with friends, e) at parties and
free time. Once the personal reflection and the filling out of the questions are complete, they are invited to
Observe the responses, and anyone who wishes to share, now is the time to do so.

Now let's take our personal exam considering the following questions:

1. Do I realize that I am a child of God, I have confidence in Him and I accept the contradictions? What
Do I pray every day? Am I interested in relating to God? Do I do the bare minimum? Am I consistent? Do I remember?
to make the offering of works when I get up? And when starting work or study? Do I renew with
How frequently is the intention to do things for God?
2. Do I have affection for the Virgin Mary? Do I show it? Do I pray the Angelus? Do I wear the scapular? Do I pray
three Hail Marys at night?

3. Do I think God is in the Tabernacle? Do I treat Him well? How often do I attend Holy Mass? With
How often do I receive Him in communion? Do I prepare well to receive Him, or do I commune with a certain lightness?
Do I seek to please Christ when I receive Him? Do I dedicate a few minutes to thanksgiving after Mass; or
Am I leaving and forgetting that Jesus is still within me? Do I visit the Blessed Sacrament every day?

4. How often do I confess? Do I take a long time to do it if I am not in God's grace? Do I confess with
depth, teaching the wounds in depth?

5. Do I pray for a while every day? Do I struggle against sleep, imagination, distractions and
I try to talk to the Lord? Do I write down the intentions?

Do I have a friendship and frequent interaction with my Guardian Angel?

7. Do I make small sacrifices? Do I offer them to the Lord?

8. Do I do an examination of conscience before going to bed? Every day? Do I give thanks for things?
Hello? Do I ask for forgiveness for my faults and sins? Do I pray with devotion the evening prayers?
Suggested Reflection for the Third Talk in the Afternoon:

A REUNION WITH GOD.

For this third part of the retreat, it is necessary to have a place prepared that is free from noise.
outdoors, in the center of the space a table will be placed with a candle in the middle and a candle with it
name of each participant around the candle, the candles will have a distinctive label attached to the base.
These, like the candle, will be lit and the light off. The activity begins, instead
outside the place, (hall) that has been prepared, asking them to choose two from the whole group
people, who are the ones they trust the most, the ones they consider
more responsible and willing to help. Once those two people are chosen, they are listed as
the rest of the participants from one to two, the ones will place themselves behind one of the chosen ones and

the two behind the other will distance themselves from the one in front and will hold on to the
hand with the one from the other row; with the handkerchief or shawl, which they have been asked to bring, they cover themselves

the eyes, except for the two participants in front, as they will be the ones guiding the group.
They are asked not to let go of each other's hands or shoulders. Those in charge of the
The activity will indicate the route you will need to follow; you should look for places that...
make their walking difficult but do not harm the integrity of the participants (small obstacles)
that the organizers have already arranged). Once they arrive at the location that is prepared for
the activity involves blindfolding the two who led the group and taking them by the hands
they enter the place placing them in front of the table and putting a badge in their right hand
those who are tied to the candles (a piece of ribbon, it could be). That's how it is done with each
one of the participants, until everyone has entered and has the badge in their hand.

While everyone is in front of the candles with the distinctive n in their hand, they are invited to take off the blindfold.

that covers your eyes and look at the light of the candle that attracts you the most; also to that
Remember that biblical quote you reflected on during the first talk of the morning and keep it in mind.

present during the activity.

Guided reflection: As you have come here walking with your eyes blindfolded, just like in your life,

In your service, you may have felt uncertainty, fear, desolation, and perhaps you have even...
experienced abandonment. Your steps were hesitant despite knowing that someone was guiding them,
however, you trusted the person you took by the hand, in that person who accompanied you
until here, and all those sensations manifest in the darkness, in the blindness of not being able to
appreciate the world as it is.
Now, I invite you to look at the light, that light that provides warmth... protection... security... That light

that today wants to reinforce in you the pulsing light that you have inside you... "I am the light of
world, says the Lord”, that light that today wants you to see it and discover it, but not to...
discover in someone else, if not in you, in your heart. Those qualities you have can be light
may it illuminate the path of many, but if they remain hidden, I doubt very much that it will be. Today

God wants to have a personal reunion with you, not to hold you accountable for how you have...
cover, it's not about what you have done or stopped doing, but to fill yourself with strength, renew your
spirit and fall in love with Him more and more. I want you to stretch the distinctive as much as you can,

trying not to detach from the table and not to knock over any candle; if you notice that
badge connects you to that light, now let's try to get as close as possible to the table, with
be very careful not to burn ourselves, and allow yourself to look into the face, into the eyes of those people who

you have around you, extend your arms towards the shoulders of your colleagues beside you and look
likewise your faces, realize that you are not alone in this journey that we have
started this year with this withdrawal...

There are many people who go against the tide, just like you, just like me... people who
They will always be willing to help you, to lend you their hands, and above all their love... God is
present in your heart and wants you to share it, so that its love can grow even more, because
He says in His Word, "There is more happiness in giving than in receiving," so share with your ...

brothers that gift of being able to give what God has given you, give a hug… a kiss… a
caress… a smile… give your time, give your best. Because it is when you give, when you discover
God, because it is the face of the other where God becomes present. Today I invite you to reconnect with
that face of God that we often forget, and in that embrace or gesture of love that you give,
refresh your heart, for that living water, which we find only in God, does so much good for it.

The Magic Water: Objective: To discover our priority values that God has bestowed upon us. Everyone
we form a circle. In the center we place a table and on it we put a pitcher with water and glasses
empty. The host says the following: we have here 'magic water'. Whoever drinks from this water will discover
inside three treasures that God has deposited in your heart. You are invited to pass some
volunteers to take the 'magic water'. They are reminded that after taking the water, they must say their three
qualities that have been discovered. After everyone has passed, they are invited to use those beautiful
treasures that God has given you to provide better service to our brothers in the community
parish of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Now I invite each of you to take the candle that is on the table and make a commitment.
with God, with that face of God that we find in our brother, in our sister.... When
go ahead and finish, extinguish your candle and place it on the table.

This moment concludes with an appropriate song.... (You have not chosen me)
Reflection Prayer to end the day:

Today we have experienced a great day, let us place in the hands of the Lord everything we have done and what is yet to come.

there's still a lot to do. I invite you to get as comfortable as possible, you are in front of your friend,
Jesus, for He told us, 'I do not call you servants, but friends...' feel close to the Lord; prepare your
heart, because today He wants to water it with that living water, with that restoring Spirit, today you are blessed
because God has called you and you heard his voice, because despite the adversities that many times
we are in service, God tells you not to give up, that you are his chosen one and that great things
It has for you.

It is a good time to ask the Lord for strength, to pour out His Holy Spirit upon you, Jesus
He said that the road would not be easy, that if we wanted to follow him it was necessary to take our cross on our shoulders,

but the fact of following Jesus is a guarantee that He will always be with us. Do not be discouraged if
In your life, there are gray and even black days, if others are usually an obstacle for you; always have the
certainty that the path you are following is the right one and that if you share that with others
said, God will wait for you in His Kingdom. Let nothing and no one lead you away from the paths of God, those paths
who go against the current, but fill our lives with happiness.