"Reach out and touch faith..."

The Bellarmine Jesuit Retreat House was the scene of The Jesus Retreat, a very deep and profound retreat experience led by Charis. Through witness talks, personal reflection and group reflection, a group of fifty four retreatants walked down the road of truth toward a more intimate relationship with Jesus.

When I reflect on my favorite moments throughout the weekend, I think of all the “ah-ha” moments in my mind. I journeyed through the weekend hearing women and men reveal their very personal and deep relationship with God through struggle and triumph; receiving the sacrament of reconciliation with Eucharistic adoration; participating in Lexio Devina; personal spiritual reading; walking the stations of the Cross; and the many great conversations. I walked away Sunday a more grounded person in the Lord.

As the band Depeche Mode had so eloquently bantered, “Your own Personal Jesus. Someone to hear your prayers, someone who cares. Someone who’s there…Reach out and touch Faith.” A very Personal Jesus was present and alive throughout this deeply spiritual weekend!

-Brian M.

For the Least: We Mean Business

If you are like me, you fear retreats. It's not a deep fear. Just a little part of you scared stiff that your weekend might entail sitting around the campfire singing "Kumbaya."

Fear not. The social justice...err, I mean For the Least retreat just might be for you.

Like any retreat, the weekend revolved around a number of talks. These aren't Catholics speculating about the meaning of their faith; they are living it. A professor of Ecology building green spaces on the tops of roofs and making diesel fuel out of french fry grease(!); A woman working to overturn destructive laws that target refugees and immigrants; Catholics lending a helping hand overseas (or in their own country) who are victims of war, genocide or grueling working conditions.

This retreat could have just as easily been called For the Least: We Mean Business. I found myself challenged to think about my own actions on the grandest scale: how my tiny behaviors, when multiplied, contributed to the burden of social injustice in the world. If your idea of focusing on your faith means "thinking about your faith in action," then you've found your place.

I wasn't sure what to expect over this past weekend, but what I got were: 1) A lot of questions and 2) A lot of inspiration. The issues of social justice will always be difficult. The gray areas are many, and the solutions are never easy to come by. But there is empowerment in education and the hope that one small difference, when multiplied, fulfills the will of God.

- Vincent L.

Were You There ... ?

Many of us commenced our Lenten journey on Saturday at the Catholic Theological Union during Charis Ministries’ annual Lenten Day of Reflection. Fr. Joseph Brown, SJ, expert theologian specializing in African-American spirituality, history, and culture, guided us through a day of challenging and consoling grace. Paralleling the suffering of Christ to that of slavery in this country, Fr. Brown’s spirited and animated presentations challenged us to answer the Gospel’s call to work for justice in a country and world riddled with discrimination, inequality, and suffering.

The day was centered around powerful live-performances of African American spirituals, ranging from a moving solo of “Motherless Child” to an upbeat version “This Little Light of Mine." Fr. Brown reflected that these spirituals characterize the dignity and faith upheld by the slaves, despite the cruel oppression and abuse to which they were subjected. The music and reflections encouraged us to be moved and humbled by this dignity as we are by the dignity of Christ’s life, suffering, and death.

As Fr. Brown reminded us, Jesus’ persecution and sacrifice resulted from his commitment to overturning the social order and liberating the oppressed. Lent calls us to bear witness to the love and commitment to social justice personified in Jesus’ life, suffering, and death. May this witness move us to recognize our responsibility to follow Christ’s example of liberating the oppressed and marginalized in our world today in the hope of creating the Kingdom of God here on Earth.

Many thanks to Fr. Brown, the awe-inspiring musicians, and our co-hosts Catholics on Call and The Tolton Scholars Program, without whom the day would not have been possible!

-Mary Ellen M.