WORKSHOP

DESCRIPTION

TIME

CAPACITY

Nature Talk

God speaks in many ways, like the Bible, through inspiring people and books. God may also speak to us through His creation, through nature. We sometimes forget that it is also in the simplest of things in which God is revealing His message. But the everyday noise of our daily lives prevents us from receiving His message. We are appealed by sight and sound of our surroundings, so God will also use that to speak to us.

1pm-5pm

80

WORD POWER

When we pray with the Scriptures in a slow and contemplative manner, the Bible, the Word of God, becomes a direct communion with God. We begin by cultivating the ability to listen deeply. It is important for us to open ourselves and to listen for the still, small voice of God, just like Elijah the prophet. (1 Kings 19:12) The “faint murmuring sound” is God’s voice, touching our hearts and giving us His message. The gentle listening is an “attunement” to God’s presence in that special part of His creation, which are the Scriptures.

1pm-3pm and 3pm-5pm

80

Director’s Cut: Spiritual Direction

“Spiritual direction? For me? But, I’m not a seminarian…” We may often think that there are enough people telling us what to do. Growing and serving in our community, there are times when we need more direction from someone who is more experienced, holy and grounded in his or her faith. Sometimes we need more in-depth one-to-one guidance. It helps when we talk to someone who does not know our background (until we share it). A spiritual director could be a good source in addressing deep issues or chronic weaknesses. A spiritual director can also be someone used by God to help us be in line with God’s messages for us.

1pm-3pm and 3pm-5pm

80

Take Me out of the Dark: “The Dark Night of the Senses”

Feeling abandoned by God? Helpless, pained, confused, it feels like the world has crashed down on us and we never felt more alone that we do right now. Many of us may have experienced it, or are presently going through it, and are unaware why we are feeling this sense of loss. However, we are not alone. Mystic saints like St. Theresa of Avila and St John of the Cross call this spiritual and emotional crisis, “the dark night of the senses.” It happens to people who take their relationship with God seriously. In this workshop, we learn to get through the “darkest of nights” and have hope that God will meet us there.

1pm-5pm

80

5 Decades, 15 Promises

Whatever Mary asks, she receives. When we pray the Rosary, we invite her to pray with us and for us. And, as we pray faithfully and devoutly the Rosary, we are assisted in fighting evil and temptation, as well as living in true peace. The Rosary is a treasure of graces. When we recite it, we obtain its promises of a grace-filled life. We need to understand and appreciate these promises so we know how to apply them in our daily lives and at the moment of death. We will receive these promises, because Jesus can never say no to whatever His Mother asks.

1pm-3pm and 3pm-5pm

500

Heaven on Earth

Everyone wants a taste of Heaven. We often do not realize that God offers that taste of Heaven daily through the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, the Holy Mass. It is truly a mystery of how Jesus can be truly present in the bread and wine. And, He is. Once we learn and value this great gift of Christ in the Holy Eucharist, we will never want to go a day without receiving Him, experiencing the gift of Heaven everyday in the Holy Mass. 

1pm-3pm and 3pm-5pm

800

Jesus: Up close and personal

Be intimate with Jesus. He is available to us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Let us accept His extended invitation to spend time with Him and have an intimate relationship with Him. Once we believe that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist, we will want to visit Him everyday. It is the very heart of our Catholic faith.

1pm-3pm and 3pm-5pm

500

In Need of Your Mercy

We need to reconcile ourselves with God. When we do not receive the sacrament of Reconciliation often, we are not aligned with God’s heart and mind. We are not receiving the fullness of His grace. As we seek for God’s mercy and forgiveness, He calls us to share that with others. A devotion to the “Divine Mercy” encourages us to seek God’s forgiveness and be merciful to others, as well as to completely trust in His mercy for us. Grace is poured out when we seek forgiveness and trust in Him. Reciting the “Divine Mercy” reminds us that we need forgiveness and that we need to forgive others. Reconciling with God helps us to remain in Him.

1pm-3pm and 3pm-5pm

80

I Will Survive!: Emotional Survival Skills

Often we feel weary with the same cycle of hurt, failure, frustration and depression. We do not understand why we continually feel this way. We want to feel complete and capable at work, in our service and with our relationships. But sometimes we do not know how to overcome these negative feelings. Using God’s frame of mind, this workshop is based on a new cutting-edge psycho-spiritual approach to dealing with and managing our mental and emotional states.

1pm-3pm and 3pm-5pm

80

Grace Anatomy: Growing in the Virtues

We experience good days and bad days. Some days we feel and act like saints. Some days we act like the baddest of the bad. God gave us free gifts. It is to be used daily so that it may become a habit of doing what is good, which is exactly what God intends them to be. In this workshop, we will find out how to concretely remain in Him – at the office, in the community, with our relationships – by discovering a secret, fortified armor called the Virtues. 

1pm-3pm and 3pm-5pm

80

Defenders of Faith: Apologetics

Catholics are often accused of not knowing their faith. It is not enough to just love God with all of our heart. He wants us to love Him with our entire mind too. It is important that we know our faith and why we believe in it. Non-believers are not only curious of how we come to know God, but truths and facts which brought us to that decision. Remaining in Him, St Peter said to “sanctify the Lord Christ in your hearts, being ready always to satisfy every one that asks you a reason of that hope which is in you.” (1 Peter 3:15)

1pm-5pm

200

"Give It All You Got!": Time, Talent, Treasure

"So blessed I can`t contain it! So much I wanna give it away!" Do you love this song? Do you find yourself singing it a lot? Join us in this workshop and learn how we can be more effective stewards with our time, talent and treasure. God`s blessings are falling upon us and He wants us to give it back! Because "God loves a cheerful giver." The more we give of ourselves to God, the more that we remain in Him and He remains in us.

1pm-3pm and 3pm-5pm

80

Nurture People, Nurture Life

One of the ways we remain in God’s grace is through acts of charity and growth in virtue. Our minds and hearts are purified and God’s plan starts to take shape for us. When we help others and strive for holiness, we learn more about ourselves and see how we can best offer ourselves to God and others. In this workshop, we will learn how we can do this through the “Feed My Sheep” program and the “Pro Life Ministry.”

1pm-3pm and 3pm-5pm

80

Theology of the Body

Silent Love

We may sometimes want to know more about the feelings and thoughts of God. We want to understand the mystery of God. We forget that all we need to do is take a look deep within ourselves, in the quietness of our souls. That is where God will speak and share with us. Through Contemplative Prayer, we will explore how we can come to know God and enjoy being in His Holy Presence. We will learn the art of contemplation and discover the very heart and mind of God. “Contemplative prayer in my opinion is nothing else than a close sharing between friends; it means taking time frequently to be alone with him who we know loves us.” (St. Teresa of Avila)