Journey Retreat
Fourth Talk & Conclusion - Day Two, early evening

4:15 PM Fourth Talk: Discipleship

Opening song

There are a lot of definitions of the word “Christian.” For some people, being a Christian means going to Church on Sundays. For other people, being a Christian means following certain rules and regulations. Still others define a Christian as a person who is active in his or her parish or faith community. None of these definitions fully expresses what it means to be a Christian.

A Christian is someone who models his or her life after Christ’s. Jesus Christ’s life was an amazing journey in which He encountered all types of people and all kinds of situations. There were people who loved Him and people who hated Him – hated Him so much that they put Him to death. There were countless people who relied on Him for healing, for help, for guidance and for direction. He faced those who spread vicious rumors about Him and those who couldn’t stop talking about the amazing things He did and said. He brought joy to some and angered others. Many followed Him, but many rejected Him. He had one goal in mind – to serve His people – but the majority of His people rejected Him.

Relate a favorite scripture passage at this point. What does the story you’ve selected tell us about Jesus? How does it challenge you in your own life?

Through it all, however, Jesus never stopped loving or serving others – His enemies as well as His friends.

A Christian is someone who loves and serves others as Jesus loves and serves us. Jesus once told a large group of people that it is not enough to love only those who love us. “How can that help us?” Jesus asked. “Even those who are evil love those who love them. I tell you, love your enemies. Do good to those who hate and persecute you. Bless those who curse you.” This is the real test of being a Christian.

Give an example of how you felt someone was your enemy. Describe the conflicts you had with this person. Describe how you handled it and learned to get along with this person. How did you learn to love him or her? How did you discover that you were wrong in the situation?

As we journey through life, we face many challenges as Christians. Sometimes we feel doubt. We sometimes feel alone or lost, unsure of where we are going. We may sometimes doubt that we are doing the right thing. Jesus helps us to overcome our doubts.

Give an example of a time when you felt you wanted to give up on something – or everything – but relied on love to overcome the problem.

Love strengthens us to overcome any and all obstacles in life’s journey. Being a Christian means seeing the obstacles we face as opportunities to serve others. One of the things I find the most remarkable about Jesus Christ was His willingness to love and serve others even when He was hanging on the cross. People laughed at Him, mocked Him, and hurled every possible insult at Him. They even challenged Him to come down from the cross. How did He respond to those who put Him to death? He simply prayed: “Father, forgive them, because they don’t know what they’re doing.” Even in death Jesus Christ loves and serves us.

In closing, I’d like to ask you to close your eyes. As I read through the following words, think of how they might be applied to your own life as a Christian. How might you live these words at every point of your life’s journey?

If I speak with human and angelic words, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong, a clanging cymbal. If I have gifts which allow me to foretell the future, and if I have all knowledge, and if I have enough faith to move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.

If I give everything I have to feed the poor, and even hand my body over to be burned, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient; love is kind. Love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love is not selfish; it does not permit us to get angry, nor does it hold grudges. Love does not rejoice at wrongs but rejoices in that which is right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. So we need faith, hope, and love, but the greatest of these is love.

Closing song: The Rose

Small Group Session 4

Begin by reading the following scripture passage:

Jesus asked His disciples. “Who do people say that I am?” They answered, “Some say you are John the Baptist. Others say you are Elijah, and others say you are Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” Jesus said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”

Jesus asked his friends to tell Him who they thought he was. He asks us the same question.

Ask each candidate to give his or her definition of “being Christian.” Then ask the candidates to find quotes in their Bibles which express the meaning of discipleship. Allow ten minutes or so for this exercise. When they have finished, ask each candidate to share his or her reading and to explain why it has meaning. When all are finished, ask for one candidate to volunteer to share his or her reading and why it has meaning. When all are finished, ask for one candidate to volunteer to share his or her reading and reaction.

Finally, say:

Love is the key to being a disciple of Christ and to allowing Christ to guide us through our life’s journey. Think of a person who has helped you through a particularly difficult time of your life and who loved you without expecting anything in return. Write the person a letter of thanks, returning the love they first shared with you.

As before, collect the letters, making sure that the person’s name is on it, along with the candidate’s name.

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Retreat ends after Liturgy the next day

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