Greetings!
It has been such a busy few weeks for our Parish community and Campus Ministry. Beginning with Ash Wednesday a few weeks ago and running through the Parish Mission last week, oh and throw in the buzz of the Papal visit to the borderland…well, the energy and activity seems to be running on hyper speed. The Spirit is a movin’! That movement of the Spirit was evident this past weekend. A group of 20 retreatants made the trek up the mountain for a one day retreat just outside Ruidoso. We spent time rockwall climbing, ziplining, completing a team building challenge course, praying and reflecting. It was a great opportunity to get away from the stress, build community and reflect on the presence and movement of the Spirit in our daily living. One of our reflection activities was to look back on instances when God’s presence was felt/experienced/ known through our five senses. The individual responses and group discussion were rich and profound. Retreatants shared joyful sounds such as ‘a baby’s first cry’, ‘laughter’, and ‘cello/classical music’ that called their attention to God’s presence. They recognized God’s presence in the taste of ‘the Eucharist, the Body and Blood of Christ, and a simple meal lovingly made and shared’. The sobering sight of a homeless man, and the heart wrenching memory of a hug shared with a childhood friend who recently passed away were also graced moments. We all came down the mountain, renewed in our belief that while life may be full of ups and downs, God’s abiding presence accompanies us all on our journey.
Peace,
Sal
It has been such a busy few weeks for our Parish community and Campus Ministry. Beginning with Ash Wednesday a few weeks ago and running through the Parish Mission last week, oh and throw in the buzz of the Papal visit to the borderland…well, the energy and activity seems to be running on hyper speed. The Spirit is a movin’! That movement of the Spirit was evident this past weekend. A group of 20 retreatants made the trek up the mountain for a one day retreat just outside Ruidoso. We spent time rockwall climbing, ziplining, completing a team building challenge course, praying and reflecting. It was a great opportunity to get away from the stress, build community and reflect on the presence and movement of the Spirit in our daily living. One of our reflection activities was to look back on instances when God’s presence was felt/experienced/ known through our five senses. The individual responses and group discussion were rich and profound. Retreatants shared joyful sounds such as ‘a baby’s first cry’, ‘laughter’, and ‘cello/classical music’ that called their attention to God’s presence. They recognized God’s presence in the taste of ‘the Eucharist, the Body and Blood of Christ, and a simple meal lovingly made and shared’. The sobering sight of a homeless man, and the heart wrenching memory of a hug shared with a childhood friend who recently passed away were also graced moments. We all came down the mountain, renewed in our belief that while life may be full of ups and downs, God’s abiding presence accompanies us all on our journey.
Peace,
Sal
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