The Sacrament of the Encounter
The Sacrament of the Encounter
Member of L’Arche for more than 40 years, former L’Arche community leader in Canada and in France; L’Arche regional coordinator in France and the Middle East; Formation coordinator for L’Arche International.
“But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” Luke 14:13-14
Meeting one another and entering into relationship are at the heart of the history of God and humanity, beginning with the story of Adam and Eve. Encounter and relationship are also at the heart of the experience of L’Arche.
In the Gospels Jesus tells us that when we sit down at table with the poor the crippled, the lame… when we welcome “the little ones” and “the stranger”, we are welcoming Him. An encounter with another person is a spiritual experience, but we do not always see it, or understand what is happening. We can feel vulnerable and afraid of difference, afraid of those who do not look and think as we do. And yet, an encounter is the first step toward unity rather than segregation, welcome rather than rejection, peace rather than conflict in our world.
During the retreat we will look at encounters in the Bible, in the life of Jesus and in our own lives; at how meeting one another is the path towards transformation, asking the Lord to show us where in our life He is asking us to encounter Him today.
During the retreat there will be daily Mass, talks, time for personal prayer and sharing in small groups. This is a silent retreat.
