AGAPE ORDER OF EVENTS 1. Team members have been given their Agape entry pins and ribbons and have them pinned to their nametags prior to rosary walk. These pins will be worn during Rosary, Footwashing and Candlelight by team members only. 2. Upon completion of Candlelight, the team members will accompany the retreatants out of the Candlelight chapel. At the end of the chapel, someone will have all of the remaining Agape pins and will give these pins to the accompanying team members. These team members will then place a pin on each retreatant s name tag and inform the retreatants that the pins will allow them entrance into Agape. 3. Team members will guide retreatants down the lighted path from Candlelight to Agape. 4. At the entrance to Agape, Aquila will say Welcome, Brother, to the House of Aquila and hug each retreatant and team member. 5. Each retreatant will then be escorted alternately to the tables on Aquila s right and left where each retreatant will have his hand washed by one of the robed Agape team members. 6. After the handwashing, the retreatants hands will be dried and the retreatant will be escorted to his seat if assigned seating is deemed necessary, or the retreatant will be advised by a robed Agape team member to sit wherever he wishes. 7. This will continue until all retreatants and team members have completed this ritual. There should be one robed Agape team member to be the last individual from Candlelight to ensure that all participants have made it to Agape. This individual will inform Aquila that all are present. 8. After completion of the handwashing ritual, Aquila and Apollos will assume their seats at the table. The other Agape team members will go to the food tables and begin to prepare the food to be served. 9. The Agape begins after everyone is given some time to settle down and relax: about 5 to 10 minutes. AGAPE EVENTS AND AGENDA Page 1 of 6
AGAPE AGENDA INVITATION At the completion of the Candlelight Ceremony: (The dialogue shown below in BOLD TYPE is the message which you are to transmit. Use your own words; Do NOT try to memorize.) Assigned team members invite two or three retreatants. Each retreatant is given a symbol to identify him as Christian so that he will be welcomed at Aquila s house. This symbol will be a cross with a ribbon attached to it. These symbols will be available in a bowl just before leaving the Candlelight ceremony. Team members lead their two or three retreatants to Aquila s house. Please try to inform the retreatant of the upcoming Agape with the following short explanation: Here, wear this FISH PIN just like mine, so that you will be welcomed as a follower of Jesus Christ when we get to Aquila s house. You must wear this pin to be admitted to Aquila s house. When you arrive at the conference room, there will be a bowl and towels for a handwashing as you enter on either side of the doorway. Agape will be better explained inside by Agape team members. WELCOME Taped music is playing at Aquila s house. (Music will be supplied by the Music Ministry.) All are welcomed individually, by Aquila, as they enter. A ritual hand washing will take place as they enter. All are asked to be seated around the table with team members distributed among the retreatants. Please note that there will be no place mats with their individual names. However, try to have an even mix of team members and retreatants. There will be a break of about 5-10 minutes to allow everyone to gather themselves and relax after Candlelight. (BREAK) Music is softened as Apollos speaks. AGAPE EVENTS AND AGENDA Page 2 of 6
APOLLOS: Welcome my Brothers, my Friends! I am Apollos from Alexandria. I am a slave of Jesus Christ, a Brother to Aquila and to those who are called beloved in God the Father. May you be kept safe this night for Jesus Christ. May mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance. For my Brothers who are here for the first time, I warmly welcome you. Each of you was given a small pin and ribbon to show that you are also a follower, a believer in Christ. But we must gather under the guise of night as many of us continue to be persecuted because we are followers of Christ. We gather in the House of Aquila, a Brother, supporter and employer of Paul the Apostle. We gather to celebrate our Agape love and unity for our Savior, Jesus Christ. Paul continues his journey spreading the Word of our Lord to the people. Several Brothers here have heard from Paul and will share his words with us this evening. We share our food and drink with each other as a sign of love, as a sign of Agape. As our Father has loved us, so we must love each other. We come together to share our love and our stories, our beliefs as followers, and our thoughts of the teaching of Christ, as instructed by Paul. Enjoy this evening, my Brothers, and let yourselves feel the spirit of Christ come among us. And now, I have the great honor and privilege to introduce to you the host of our Agape, our esteemed Brother, Aquila. Music remains softened as Aquila welcomes the whole group and invites all who have brought food to share to bring it forth so that all may share. The servers will take the break to the middle tables and start to divide it. We will not cut the bread, please tear it. All are welcome to my home. The Lord has blessed me in many ways; and out of gratefulness to Him, I am happy to share with you what He has given me. There are those who have brought food and drink to share with their brothers tonight. Would they distribute what they have brought, that we might all share in the Lord s blessings. But first, we must bless this food and our brotherhood. PRAYER: Wondrous God, you guide us always in the ways of love. You gently care for us and encourage us to follow your Son, Jesus. Bless those who gather around our table. Help each one of us to hear your voice and to follow you. Help us too, to hear your voice in the hungry people of our community and world, and to reach out to them in love and service. Bring us all to new life. Amen. (From Holy Spirit Catholic Church Parish Bulletin, April 24. 1999 Fr. Anthony Pesek) (SERVERS TO BEGIN SERVING) AGAPE EVENTS AND AGENDA Page 3 of 6
We have gathered tonight for Agape as a community. We are here not only to share in this food, but to hear from one another how our lives have been going since we began to follow Jesus the Christ. Some of you may know of Paul. He was employed by me as a tent maker. As already stated, he has been journeying far to spread the Good News about Jesus the Christ. Tonight, we have a special treat. Some from our company have had word from Paul, who has written from his journey. Who has heard from Paul? Taped music continues softly, as one-by-one, each of the following Agape team members will be called upon by Aquila to share from the letters of Paul, IN THEIR OWN WORDS, what they have read. READING (IN OWN WORDS) I Corinthians 13: 1-3... If I speak in human and angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing. Romans 8:38-39... For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Galatians 5:22-23... In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. AGAPE EVENTS AND AGENDA Page 4 of 6
Philippians 2: 1-4... If there is any encouragement in Christ, any solace in love, any participation in the Spirit, any compassion and mercy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, with the same love, united in heart, thinking one thing. Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out not for his own interests, but (also) everyone for those of others. Colossians 3:12-14... Put on then, as God s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do. And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection. (MUSIC AND SHARING OF FOOD AND DRINK) Let us pause now, and as we continue to share in these gifts of food, consider some of these thoughts that Paul has passed on to us. Increase music volume. After about five minutes of reflecting time, the music volume is again softened and Aquila speaks. We have each journeyed for a number of years to be here tonight, and we have now heard something of Paul s journeys. Some of you have been with us here for only three days. Could you please share some of your experiences knowing Jesus the Christ? How has your life been touched in this time? Please tell us how the Lord has touched your life. At least two team members should be prepared to speak about the Lord in their lives in a contemporary vein to set the mood back to our time. Agape team leader will request two specific AGAPE EVENTS AND AGENDA Page 5 of 6
team members to do this prior to the retreat, but sharing by anyone will be welcomed. After sharing has stopped speaks: The peace of the Lord is with you! (and with your spirit!) My brothers, as we depart this space, let us take the time to share the peace of Jesus with one another. Increase the volume on the taped music. As the hugging slows, begin singing the theme song for the weekend. AGAPE EVENTS AND AGENDA Page 6 of 6