Gifted with the Holy Spirit

Notes Gifted with the Holy Spirit Grade 10 At-Home Retreat Parent-Facilitator s Guide 16

A note for parents This 10th Grade Retreat focuses on the gifts of the Holy Spirit. This guide will take you and your 10th grader through a series of activities and discussions that explore these gifts and their application in your lives. A retreat invites us to leave our regular routine in order to explore our relationship with God from a new angle. For it to be effective, it requires someone to set things up, keep it moving and get discussion going. For the purposes of this retreat, that s you. Just as you help your kids with their homework without giving them the answers, you can help them do this. The activities in this guide are designed for at least two people. Because sponsors were invited to the Good Shepherd retreat, you might want to invite your child s sponsor to participate if possible. Set aside about two hours for this experience. You might not need all this time but there s no need to rush through it. The goal here is to create an environment that helps your child (and you as well) to grow in faith. To prepare for this retreat, read through the entire guide to familiarize yourself with the flow of the retreat. It will require gathering a few materials ahead of time. Try the exercises out yourself so that you are comfortable with them. Jot down some of your own thoughts and ideas to share. You can get a lot out of this experience as well. Please participate in the activities with your child, including the journaling and the discussions. 2 Wrapping it up Invite everyone to return to the central space and turn to page 11 of their journals. Discuss: How did this experience of quiet breathing and contemplation go for you? How would you describe it? Would you like to describe any insights you experienced? It s OK if participants don t want to share, as the experience might involve very personal stuff. Facilitator: Today we explored the driving nature of the Holy Spirit, how it is not held back by our doubts and fears. We looked at its gifts in our lives and explored the ones we still need. We acknowledged in our prayer beads that the Spirit might know us even better than we do, and we created a visible reminder of that fact. Consider all we discussed and did today. What insight will you be taking with you from today s experience? Closing Prayer Invite everyone to hold up their string of prayer beads. Facilitator: Gracious God, even though we can t see the things rolled up deep inside us, You do. You remember. And your Spirit dwells there, with our prayer. So bless these beads. Let them be a reminder of the mystery that we are and be an invitation to pray in thanksgiving, in doubt, in whatever state we re in. In the name of your spirit, we again pray: All: Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and enkindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your spirit and they shall be created and shall renew the face of the earth. O God, you have instructed the hearts of your faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit. Grant that through the same Spirit we may be truly wise and rejoice in his consolation. Through Christ our Lord. Amen 15

3. Choose one of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit that you feel you need more fully in your life right now. As with question two, name the Gift as you slowly breathe in and out. Imagine yourself using this gift in the situations in your life that most need it. After: What thoughts or images came to mind? Write a brief prayer to the Holy Spirit about your need for this gift. How to wear your prayer... Roll the prayers you just wrote (and any others you might want to add) into some prayer beads using the strips of paper and glue and stuff you brought with you. Directions: Write one prayer on the blank side of one of the long triangular strips. To make the beads, use glue stick to cover the side of the paper that has the prayer on it. Then role the paper up (glue side in) starting at the end opposite the point of the triangle. It helps to wrap it around a thin straw, so that the bead has room for a string to pass through it. Slide your bead off the straw. String your beads on your twine. Make the string the length you desire. Once you wrap the bead, you won t be able to unwrap it to read the prayer, but you can look up what you wrote in this journal. A Bible Preparations Journals for all (please contact the Faith Formation Office if you need more, 231-0649). Or download from the religious ed web page www.shepherded.pbworks.com (see box below) Pens for all Handouts: Parish Programs and Activities. Included with this packet. (Also on the web page) (Optional) Power Point slides to accompany Meet the Spirit reading on page 5and 6 of this guide. Available online see box below. Materials for the Prayer Bead exercise: including at least three 9 strips of paper per person, a glue stick for everyone, pen and twine or cord for stringing. See page 12 of this guide for details. A prayer space to create a space that reminds the participants of the theme and prayerful nature of the retreat, designate a small table in your discussion space that will hold items for prayer. Include a bible, with passages that will be used in the prayer sections of the retreat clearly marked. Include a candle that can be lit your child s baptismal candle can be a nice addition here. Add any other items that will help in prayer and reflection a cross, or pictures. Materials available online on the Religious Ed Web Page Additional copies of many of the materials and resources above are on the parish s religious ed web page: www.shepherded.pbworks.com. There is no need for a username or password. Click on Make-Up retreats in the right sidebar. 14 3

Opening Prayer Facilitator: Triune God, we live our lives in your name. We create and we covenant in the name of the Father. We bring good news to the lost in the name of the Son. We breathe love and life into the world, in the name of the Spirit. And so we ask you to bless our efforts today. Bless our doubts. Send your gifts. We ll do our best to put them to good use. In Your name. Amen. Scripture John 20:19-29 Have those gathered each read a line of the following prayer (also on page 2 of their journals.) If there are two of you, just alternate lines Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and enkindle in them the fire of your love. Individual prayer time: In your own upper room God knows what s buried deep inside us better than our friends and family do, often even better than we ourselves do. In prayer we can ask God to help us know ourselves better and to help us understand our deepest needs and our deepest hopes this is one of the jobs of the Holy Spirit. Read each question below. Then sit quietly, breathing slowly and deeply as you consider it. Pay attention to any images or feelings that come to mind as you do this. After a few minutes, write down any thoughts or feelings that came to you, and complete the prayer prompts. 1. What areas in my life do I have the most doubt about? Write a one-line prayer to the Holy Spirit to help you with this doubt. Send forth your spirit and they shall be created and shall renew the face of the earth. O God, you have instructed the hearts of your faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit. Grant that through the same Spirit we may be truly wise and rejoice in his consolation. 2. Choose one of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit that you already recognize in your own life. Each time you breathe in, say the name of the gift quietly to yourself, then slowly breath out. Repeat this slowly several times, imagining the ways that this gift is present in your life. After: What thoughts or images came to mind? Through Christ our Lord. Amen Write a brief prayer of thanksgiving about this gift: 4 13

Facilitator directions for prayer beads You ll need to set out Several precut strips of wrapping paper or scrap book paper something that is patterned on one side and blank on the other. The strips should be about 8 or 9 inches long and about an inch wide. Long triangles work especially well (see diagram). A glue stick for each person A pen for each person Thin straw, coffee stirrer or pencil for each person (optional) A 13 inch length of string, twine or cord for each person. The beads will be strung on this it does not have to be worn as a necklace, and can be shortened to a small string of hand beads as people like. Directions Following the instructions on page 10 of their journals, participants write a short prayer on the blank side of each paper strip. They can use as many strips as they want. To make the beads, use glue stick to cover the side of the paper that has the prayer written on it. Then role the paper up (glue side in) starting at the end opposite the point of the triangle. It can help to wrap it around a thin straw, so that the bead has room for a string to pass through it. Slide your bead off the straw. String your beads on the twine. Make the string the length you desire. Once you wrap the bead, you won t be able to unwrap it to read the prayer, so you might want to write your prayers in your journal as well. 12 Meet the Spirit Facilitator: In the sign of the cross, we invoke the God in whose name we live and move and have our being. But it can be such a familiar gesture that sometimes we barely notice our own touch upon our head, our heart, our shoulders. Who is behind these names that we invoke? Our scriptures provide us rich images of the Father who creates our world and makes covenant with us. And the Gospels recount the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. But who is this Holy Spirit, who was present at the start of creation and who is the life breath of the church? On page 3 of your journal, take a moment to write three words or phrases that describe who the Holy Spirit is to you. Jot down a time when you encountered the Spirit in this way, if you have. Afterward, invite the group to share what they have written. Then, read the Meet the Spirit narrative below (also on page 3 of the participants guide. You can alternate reading or have one person read it. Use the power point on the religious ed web page to illustrate it if you like (download info on page 2 of this guide). Meet the Spirit Slide 1: In the beginning the earth was a formless void. And the Spirit hovered over the waters. The force of the Spirit formed all that the Creator fashioned. The breath of the Spirit entered all that the Creator brought to life. Slide 2: The Spirit filled the hearts of God s people and the lungs of God s prophets. It played upon David s harp strings and imbued him with righteousness and courage. And it drove him from pride into penance. Slide 3: The Spirit birthed the generations that God promised a holy nation, a people set apart. Until it hovered over a young girl of Nazareth, named Mary. It overshadowed her. Planted within her 5

Meet the Spirit, continued Slide 4: When the boy became a man, his Spirit took wing and like a dove descended to rest upon him, a sign that God was well pleased. The Spirit drove Jesus into the desert and out again. It drove him to rejoice and to weep, to heal and teach. It drove him to distractions like lilies of the field and birds of the air that neither toil nor spin. The truth of it burned within him, and drove him finally to Gethsemane and to Golgotha. Slide 5: The Spirit cringed beneath the sting of the whip, the bitter bite of metal pounded into flesh, the splinters of wood in a raw back. It fled from suffocating lungs, and gasped a last Word of forgiveness before Jesus gave his Spirit up. Slide 6: And on the third day the Spirit found him again, like new wine poured into a new wineskin. It found his disciples, huddled in a locked room... and it blew down the door. It struck like wind and burned like fire, until doubts were blown away and fear went up in smoke. Slide 7: The Spirit spoke in languages that were once the consequence of Babel s pride. It leapt from lip to lip, from fingertip to fingertip, sparks on ready wood. The Spirit birthed the generations that Jesus promised, a holy church, a people set to bring others home. Slide 8: Until it hovered over this place. Whispering invitations. Gently sinking its gifts in human hearts. Waiting, always waiting for the hi-sign -- permission to blow the lid off the place. Afterward discuss questions on page 4 of participant journals: What struck you from this description of the Spirit? How does this image of the Holy Spirit compare with our descriptions? 6 The Spirit intercedes with our spirit Place the supplies for prayer beads in the area where you are gathering (See directions on page 12.) Have someone read the following Scripture (also on page 8 of the journals): Romans 8:26-27 In the same way, the Spirit too comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit itself intercedes And the one who searches hearts knows what is the intention of the Spirit, because it intercedes for the holy ones according to God's will. We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. Facilitator: After his resurrection, Jesus sent his Spirit to empower his followers to carry on his work. But we know that things did not go perfectly even after the Spirit arrived. The disciples still doubted and hid at times. They founded Christian communities that quarreled and fought. The church that began with the breath of the Spirit at Pentecost has often failed to live up to its ideal. And that s why as Christians we turn again and again to God in prayer because we know we can t do it alone, we don t always work well together and we need a steady supply of forgiveness and grace to keep going. Sometimes we need something tangible to remind us to pray, like a wall cross, rosary beads, incense or a prayer card. We re going to spend a little time alone paying attention to the prayers and needs within us and making something to remind us what they are, in the form of prayer beads. Pick up some materials and take them with you to a place where you can reflect quietly and work alone, using the questions in your journal on pages 9 and 10. We ll return to this spot in 20 minutes or so. The directions for the prayer beads are on page 10 of your journal (and on next 11

Putting the gifts to work Provide everyone with a copy of the Parish Programs and Activities handout. The activity corresponds to page 7 of the journal. Facilitator: The Parish Programs and Activities handout lists several ways to put your faith in action at Good Shepherd. Next to each activity, jot down the Gifts of the Spirit that seems to go with the activity, if any. Afterward discuss: Did all the gifts of the spirit appear? Were there any that were missing or others that were in abundance? What does this say about our parish community? Now put a check next to any parish activities you are involved in. Refer back to the initial gifts of the Spirit on page 6, in which you starred gifts you had in abundance and circled those you could use more of. Discuss: How do the parish activities that you are involved in correspond to your list of gifts, both those you recognize in yourself and those you desire? Based on the Parish Programs list, how would you describe your involvement in your church community? Are there other ways that you put your spiritual gifts to work that are not listed here, either in the parish or in the wider community? Gifts? Did someone say gifts? Facilitator In the description of the Holy Spirit we just heard, it is suggested that the Holy Spirit is an active, powerful, driving force. Yet it also waits, ready with gifts we might need. The idea of the Holy Spirit as a bearer of gifts that allow us to do God s work is present in our Hebrew scriptures. Listen to how the Prophet Isaiah describes the Spirit s work: Have someone read : Isaiah 11: 1-11 Turn to page 5 of the participants journal. Discuss: Isaiah describes one who will rise like a shoot from the stump of Jesse. Who might this be? What gifts does the Spirit convey to this person? What is the world like in Isaiah s vision? What is our role in helping God to create such a world? Who will help us? Facilitator: The church recognizes seven official gifts of the Holy Spirit that flow from Isaiah 11. They are specifically mentioned in the sacramental celebration of Confirmation and are among the graces received in the sacrament. Yet they aren t gifts that are meant to be packed away with the program and the certificate. They are really meant for us to use or to lose. Take a few minutes to read through the list of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit to yourself on page 6 (also on the next page of this guide). Put a star by the gifts that you have already experienced in your life. Circle the gifts you could use more of. Be prepared to explain why you marked the list the way you did. After, we ll discuss what we wrote. 10 7

The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit (From Isaiah 11) WISDOM- Puts all things in relation to God and helps us know what to pray for and where to use the talents and resources God gives us. Wisdom gives the ability to get the whole picture and opens our eyes to see God s response to prayer. UNDERSTANDING-In the ordinary experiences of life, understanding reveals God s presence to us and enables us to grasp the meaning of faith in whatever circumstances in which we find ourselves. It is the ability to see from another s perspective, to feel the feelings of others and to put them before our own. RIGHT JUDGMENT (COUNSEL) Enables us to use Scripture and church tradition to guide our lives. It also guides our actions by helping us to see the world as God sees it and helps us advise one another according to the Spirit of Jesus. COURAGE/FORTITUDE- Gives the ability to act according to our beliefs and gives us the strength to seek peace and justice is all situations. KNOWLEDGE- Moves us beyond ourselves and enables us to realize that everything comes from God. It gives the gift of objectivity, of seeing the world around us as it is, rather than we would like it to be. REVERENCE (PIETY)- A profound love for God as the creator of all things. It builds a respect and dignity for all people and nature as works of God. WONDER AND AWE (FEAR OF THE LORD)- A sense of the greatness of God s love and power. This gift gives us the ability to be amazed by all things in life and to awaken to the realization that we are always in God s presence. Doubting Thomas meets the Spirit Facilitator: The gifts of the Spirit first entered our lives in Baptism, and they have been sinking in slowly ever since. In Confirmation these gifts enter our lives even more deeply. They come when we need them; they grow in strength as we use them. And if we believe what the scriptures teach us about the cross and about the challenges faced by the earliest Christians, the gifts of the spirit are bound to get us in trouble. The apostle Thomas knew this well. We heard his story proclaimed in our opening prayer service. Despite being remembered as doubting Thomas his nickname at the time was the twin. There are many theories as to why this might have been. The story we re about to tell asks: what if Thomas had a twin brother? What might his twin have thought of the crucifixion of Jesus? Have two participants read the attached Twins script out loud, each taking a part. You can act it out if you like, with Matthias sitting under the table and Thomas sitting next to it After, discuss: (questions are also on page 7 of the journals): Thomas and Matthias are twin brothers, but they ve reacted to the crucifixion of Jesus very differently: What doubts and fears keep Matthias in hiding? What has helped Thomas to get past his doubts and fears Which of these brothers are you more like, and why? What gifts of the spirit does each brother have, and which does he need? 8 9