Taking time out to stand before God humbly and courageously

More and more Christians are seeking a longer time for deepening and spiritual rest. As Christians we need to return to the source: to be rooted in God (ad intra – going inside) so that we can again be sent out by God (ad extra – going outside). The Cenacle-retreat directs us toward the Pentecost experience. Following the Lord’s instructions, the Apostles, after Ascension, returned to Jerusalem to the Cenacle: “….John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized by the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 1:5)

The Holy Spirit came upon them and made the anxious and uncertain apostles into dauntless witnesses for Christ. This outpouring of the Spirit is not just a distant event from the past. In continually new ways the Holy Spirit renews individuals, groups, and communities in the Church. This experience can take many forms, from a session of spiritual formation to a few days of silence – with or without direction. At all times we are courageously asking the question: “Am I truly living the way that God expects of me.”

This question is the main question: our joy and our happiness depend on it. It demands a special attentiveness. This is way we direct our prayer to the Holy Spirit.

Sometimes this calls for a radical conversion in our lives. We can be certain, however, that even if God asks difficult things of us, God never asks the impossible. Nor does God ever ask us to make decisions that go against our state in life, as, for example, our family responsibilities.

This big step in our lives means giving an answer to the question: “Who is Jesus Christ really for me? Is he the way, the truth, and the life?” Our answer depends on the orientation and commitment expressed in our lives.