A Lot Is Going On
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The Manner of Evangelization –
A Lot Is Going On
Missionary work of redemptorists’ is very dynamic. Our lay co-operators from Torun and Wrocław will tell us how Holy Spirit works in their life and lead them to the most abandoned and poor.
Eve’s testimony
Hi. My name is Eve. I’ve been the member of community operating at redemptorists’ for 5 years. I want to tell you how I’ve discovered that part of redemptorist’s vocation which is also my own vocation. This words: “go and proclaim Plentiful Redemption to the world” – I’ve experienced and taken them as my own. One of my favourite way of preaching, of evangelizing are retreats. I’ve learnt from redemptorists that lay people, that community can lead such retreats – for schools, for children, for youth. I’ve felt that is something for me! I remember my first retreats I participated in. I was praying for the people. I was just sitting in a church praying for youth. That was the beginning. And now I’m one of the group which is coordinating such retreats in my community. Last year, I led 7 rounds and tomorrow I’m starting next one. It is great opportunity to go to youth people, to children and using such way – retreats, Lenten retreats or parish mission – tell about God. If not the redemptorists if not the community I wouldn’t have this opportunity. I like this form. I like preaching the kerygma and evangelize is this way. Thanks to redemptorists I have such occasion. My community has such occasion.
Peter’s testimony
HI, I’m Peter, I’ve been the member of Academic Ministry “Redemptor” in Wrocław for about 4 years. I’ve joined this community by accident. I participated in Alpha Course during which I was touched by divine live. Nowadays, I’m the leader, the member of community which works at redemptorists’. As a community we organize Alpha Courses and also Faith Renewal Seminar. In fact we are in the middle of the Seminar. It was second meeting today.
Faith Renewal Seminar is series of 7 meetings. Each one starts with Holy Mass, afterwards our father has a conference. Members of our community give testimonies how God works in their life, how he has touched them by his love, how he has showed that he cares of them. Those testimonies show how members of our community changed their lives and found the way to God. What do we – students – do during Faith Renewal Seminar? First of all we are leaders of small groups. We are responsible of organisation of whole this event, we take care of advertising, church lighting, we read the Scripture and sing Psalms… What Faith Renewal Seminar gives to me – leader? It gives me a lot of joy due to preaching the Good News and joy when I can see members of my small groups growing in faith and approaching to God.
Natalie’s testimony
Hello, I’ Natalie. I’m in involved in youth group at redemptorists’ parish for 4 years. Our group has 25 or 30 people from 13 to 26 years old. We form ourselves in three communities: Oaza, the Team and some boys are in altar service group. We go together across Poland and evangelize. We lead specific evangelization course “Eureka” but we also preach Lenten retreats which we created and then go and tell about God. We are ministering not only in redemptorists’ churches but also in other parishes which ask as for help and service. It is truly great time for us all. For me, it is time for meeting my second family – the community. We are huge help for one another. We learn a lot from each other, we share out talents and abilities. Our common preaching of God, having the same values can help us improve ourselves and stay firm at God.
Victor’s testimony
Hello! My name is Victor and I am the member of Academic Ministry “Bacówka”. Recently, I’ve got involved in Alpha Course which is led in our parish in Toruń where redemptorists work. We – students form “Bacówka” – are involved in many ways: technical and organizations matters like arranging tables, preparation of solemn dinner which starts every edition. We are hosts and helpers in small groups. We give lectures and we form coordinating group for evert edition of Alpha Course.
Sylvia’s testimony
My name is Sylvia, I’ve been married for almost 30 years; I raised up or better – spent my student’s time with Academic Ministry “Redemptor” here in Wrocław at Wittig’s street. After graduating, I’ve joined the post-academic community “Dar” (the Gift). One of the form of our activity, except Faith Renewal Seminary, is new thing we’ve recently started: “Marriage Course”. It is a course intended to every marriage couple not only sacramental but also nonsacramental. It is a course dedicated to marriages which have short or long internship, to marriages which have quarrels and which have very good relations within. We invite everyone. Not only people who are in the Church, because it is very difficult to evangelize people who are in the outskirts of the Church.
The course last for 7 weeks. There are meetings evert week. Those meetings are in fact a date. They begin with dinner, each couple sit at a table and has an opportunity to dialog. Later on, main part begins – I mean the conference and some kind of workshops – marriage dialogs. During this course we focus on fundamental causes: how to communicate with one another, how to resolve conflicts, how to forgive… He learn how much influence family upbringing has on us and our spouse. We talk about good sex and how to express our love to be understood. As you can see this course doesn’t seem to be evangelization. In fact, it is a kind of pre-evangelization, because we want to present that there are beautiful rules and if we life according to them our marriages become full of love and we can share this love, we can fulfil our desires and become the best testimony for other marriage couples and our children. God is the creator of this rules. God who is full of love and tender, who always takes care of us and even if the whole world collapses, his love will survive.
Julie’s testimony
Hi! I’m Julie and I’m the member of Academic Ministry “Bacówka”, which works at our parish of Saint Joseph in Toruń, where redemptorists work. I want to tell you about a specific form of evangelization – “the Jezualia”, which is led by us – students. “The Jezualia” take place during juwenalia – the biggest party for students in academic year. It is an alternative form of entertainment created by us. We show other students that you can have fun with God, with Jesus, that in fact our faith isn’t boring, isn’t a brake or some kind of limitation. “The Jezualia” is time of 3 or 4 days of evangelization through our lives, our testimony. We set up a scene where take place a lot of events: concerts, Zumba, dances. There is a common barbecue… And there is word of God everywhere during all this events. Additionally, at night we go to evangelize other people. So, during the day, we have a lot of fun with people, we are just with them, showing that faith isn’t boring, that life with God isn’t boring and at night all together we go in pairs or in threes with boards with inscriptions, such as: “Do you believe that God loves you?” or “Do you believe that God is pure love?”. We talk with people, with students who are playing during juwenalia. We talk about our lives, sheering our lives and our faith. Meanwhile, there is an adoration and there are priests – martyrs of confessionals – who are ready to hear confessions of students who we want to bring to them. So, this is what we do, how we work, how we show that life with God is not boring and in fact, is the best adventure we can have.
Authors: Ewa Łuczak, Piotr Żółtaniecki,
Natalia Bożejewicz, Wiktor Szymański,
Sylwia Olczyk, Julia Pokaczajło
Translation: Dariusz Dudek CSsR
Street Art by AlekSound
Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/5906-street-art
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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