RETREAT MINISTRY
The great Saint Augustine of Hippo revealed: “Our hearts were made for You, O Lord, and they are restless until they rest in you.” Within every human person is placed a spiritual thirst to be in communion with the Maker. In seeking to quench this interior longing, the human person was led by the deceptive offers of this world and left with a deeper emptiness. Dissatisfaction and despair set in. However this was never meant to be the destiny of humankind.
God chose to become Emmanuel – a ‘God with us’ to be seen, heard and experienced. Jesus, the Son of God came into this world as the Good Shepherd to nourish, heal and revive the human soul. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim the good news to the poor” (Luke 4:18). This mission He entrusted to the Church to continue the spiritual feeding of the flock. As Vatican II clarified the mission of evangelization was the sole purpose of the existence of the Church. Through the centuries, religious congregations committed themselves for the spiritual renewal of the Church.
Divine Retreat Centre Colombo run by the Mary Matha Province of the Vincentian Congregation is at the service of the Church for this mission of the spiritual renewal of the people. It has been raised by God as the venue where the word of God is preached and the Sacraments are administered that people may experience the reality and liberating power of God.
FEATURES OF THE RETREAT
All are welcome to the Divine Retreat Centre irrespective of the nationality, culture, creed or walk of life, to spend a week in prayer.
Prayer here is firstly, an encounter with the love of God where God chooses to speak through the Word, and to touch and heal through His powerful presence in the Sacraments.
The deep experience of God leads to the healing of mind, body and soul and to the reconciliation in relationships and with the past. The return to God is not an isolated event. It sets the person on a trail of healing. Firstly, from the consequences of sin, where the spirit is freed from addictions. Secondly, the individual becomes a channel of peace and families are reunited. Thirdly, the person discovers the mission and purpose in life and radiates the healing received to those one encounters in the world.
This spiritual journey of healing and sanctification culminates in the experience of the anointing of the Holy Spirit, where they are empowered to go out into the world with the mission of peace, love and life.
The retreat based on the Catholic sacramental and charismatic spirituality, includes daily worship with the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, prayers with Eucharistic Adoration, preaching of the word of God, proclamation of faith through testimonies and praise and worship. Personally every person gets the opportunity of the sacrament of Confession and spiritual counseling with gifted elders.