Last year in our house in Grabow (Warsaw) there was a series of quiet days for young adults. When, at the beginning of the community year, the two of us were thinking about what kind of topics for days of prayer we would like to suggest to the young people this year, we decided with one voice: it should be about the Heart of Jesus!
We hoped that people who come for the quiet days, for times of prayer, could go deeper into the Ignatian way of prayer and contemplate different attitudes of the Heart of Jesus. That’s why each time we proposed for contemplation a different attitude.
The young adults could pray with:
- Heart of Jesus Full of Love and Kindness
- Open Heart of Jesus
- Discerning and Obedient Heart of Jesus
- Heart of Jesus Wounded and Full of Forgiveness
The young people were very interested in the subject. Each time there were between 15 and 25 who came to pray and remain in silence for the whole day. There was time for one conference, three meditations, Adoration, Eucharist and also a meal together.
We also suggested meditating with clay or paints, which proved to be very important for the participants. The young people discovered new ways of prayer, through which they could meet with the Person of Jesus at a deeper level. And for us this kind of prayer offered the possibility of sharing our spirituality in a creative way.
At the end of the day we always had a celebration of the Eucharist and later a meal together. All of this helped us to create an atmosphere of joy, love and real community.
The feedback from the participants helped us to see how important for young people is the time of silence and the possibility of a peaceful time away from the daily rush of life. We also realised that all they need is a space and a place where they would be able to hear the voice of God and look for His presence in their lives.
This experience deepened our conviction that our spirituality, the spirituality of the Heart of Christ, has so much to offer to young people nowadays and is able to respond to people’s deep desire for God’s Love.
Province |Poland
Tags |Retreats|Young Adults
