The School of Discipleship began on 1st May 2019 with the theme:
“Lift up your eyes and see fields are ripe for the harvest” – John 4:35
It was a five-day in-house program at NBCLC, Bangalore attended by the Singles and Couples from Bangalore, Goa, Chennai, Mangalore, Pune and West Bengal. We were split into service groups for each day to do a particular task. This made us aware of how we are called to serve whenever and wherever we can.
DAY 1
The first talk was given by Kim Xavier about The Power of Silence. It broadened our understanding of how silence is more powerful than words when it comes to rest in the presence of God. We were told to keep silent for most of the retreat as this would increase our attentiveness to God’s voice.
Day 2
From the second day, we followed a ritual of saying the morning offering at 7 am followed by the Lectio Divina till 8 am. In the evening we would have Adoration, Confession and the Rosary. The Evangelical Apologetics was introduced to us by Kevin Coyne along with an activity, which we did in groups, to defend a particular topic related to our Catholic Church. This increased our confidence in how to deal with anyone who has questions about our faith and also how we can study our faith with more sincerity.
Day 3
The experience of this day was powerful as we were taught about the Charismatic Gifts of the Holy Spirit by Tita Ana. We were made to practice a few gifts by dividing us into groups of two and praying for each other in tongues. We experienced the presence of the Holy Spirit powerfully and some participants shared the visions they received. This session leads us to an internal awakening to go and proclaim the Word without fear and doubt.
Day 4
Now it was time to Face the Battle which was by Bro. Kelvin Santis. He made us understand that though the roadmap of being a disciple isn’t going to be easy, we have to keep in mind the Big 3: Integrity, Sobriety/Temperance and Excellence and Faithfulness. It’s all about building the kingdom of God here on earth by doing God’s work even when it is difficult and discouraging.
Day 5
The final day was more light-hearted as Jimmy Xavier spoke about Incarnational Evangelization and Spiritual Multiplication which showed us our final destination of why we work as disciples. In the end, it is one nation bowing down and praising One God, Our Father Almighty.
We came to this place as different individuals but it felt more like an extended family staying together. A family of Disciples of Christ, filled with the Holy Spirit guiding us in proclaiming the Word and using us as a channel to bring the Truth to everyone who does not know Our Lord, Jesus Christ. Everyone walked out with how in different ways they would bring the Good News to the non-believers and tell them what it is to be truly saved and have eternal life.
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