ACTS Retreat Revelations
Thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth…as it is in heaven.
This past weekend, 19 men attended the St. Rose ACTS retreat, and after mass a couple of the retreatants spoke from the ambo.
One young man spoke of his desire: his wanting to find God, or to more experience God; he just didn’t know it. A few months back he had come to mass just to support his father who was teaming on the retreat, but he had no plans to go; didn’t want to go. As mass ended, an elderly woman touched his arm, looked him in the eye and said, “You should go.” He knew then and there that the Holy Spirit was speaking through her, so he went. He signed up and went and he said he experienced the Holy Spirit like never before at the retreat.
The next gentleman also spoke of his desire to know God more. But he had a very different story. He shared with the congregation that, after 35 years and 1,000 bad decisions, he had finally made four good decisions in the past couple of years. His first decision – a couple years ago his wife said I’m going to mass at St. Rose…so after a heavy sigh, he came with her, understanding that what she was really saying was we are going to mass. His second decision: After listening to a homily by Deacon John, he felt he had to check out RCIA. He did and two years later was brought into the church. His third decision: He desired to keep working on his faith after RCIA, so he and his wife began Tuesday bible study classes here at St. Rose. And his fourth decision, as soon as he was invited on the ACTS retreat, he knew he had to go; said YES right away!
To mention one other man: A young man just graduated from High school. I actually met him Thursday at send-off before the retreat. He said, “I do not want to go to this retreat, but my mom wants me to go.” I visited with them awhile and ended the conversation by saying, “You’re good to listen to your mom, and trust me, you are going to have a great time.” Sunday morning after mass he tells me, “I had a GREAT time.” (You should have seen his face; his expression; his eyes!)
We are all hungry for God – all of us. A stranger at mass, a wife, a mother; all knew this, and they acted on it. An elderly lady said hello to a young man who she didn’t know and said you need to go on this retreat, a wife told their husband I’m going to church, (i.e., you’re going to church). And a mom said, “son you really need to go on this retreat.”
And what did the stranger, the wife and the mother receive?
What Jesus tells us in three of the beatitudes come to mind: Those who offer mercy, whose hearts are pure, who make peace are given a beautiful promise. They will receive mercy. They will see God. They will be called children of God. I imagine Jesus smiled when these three people invited others to a closer relationship with Him.
Jesus is not coming back to build the kingdom for us. He’s not. He’s calling us to build the kingdom right now. The second coming of Christ does not just happen on some future date. No, it is also happening here and now, through you and me, through all of us. So go out and be that stranger, be that wife, be that mother knowing that that person in front of you, no matter who it may be is searching for God, longing for God.
There is someone in your life that is longing for God. Invite them to dinner and talk about your faith. Or invite them to church. Or invite them to an ACTS retreat.
Our women’s ACTS retreat is coming up in October.
Thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth…as it is in heaven.
Deacon David