Allowing Jesus to Come Close; a Reflection on an Upcoming New Retreat

October 24, 2018

By Heather Makowicz, Retreat Director for Malvern Retreat House

With an invitation to accompany one of Jesus’ closest companions, the apostle Peter, in Matthew’s Gospel, I take  retreatants  on a journey to explore what it might have been like to step into Peter’s shoes, from when he was invited by Jesus to “Drop his net and follow Him” until he answered the question from Jesus, “Who do you say that I am?”

By allowing himself to stay close to Jesus, Peter experienced, first hand, Jesus in both His humanity and in His divinity. I share how I have been challenged and privileged to journey close with Jesus, perhaps much like Peter, leading others to consider their experiences as well.

When Peter was invited to follow Jesus, Peter gave a response. This invitation wasn’t only for Peter, but for us all! In this second part of the evening, I introduce some practical ways we can respond to this invitation through prayer. More specifically, we all  share  some ways we can begin to ALLOW Him to draw close to us and to recognize His active presence in our daily lives.

During the evening of reflection, we will break up the evening by offering some things to consider, then allowing for a time of silent individual reflection, and finally, a time to optionally share with others.

Allow Jesus to come close to you this Advent by participating in one of our new spiritual outreaches!