Sharing: Retreat at Girisonta

I went to “Pusat Spiritualitas Girisonta” (=Girisonta Spirituality Center http://puspitaprovindo.blogspot.com/)  for a retreat on July 8, 2015.  Before leaving for my come and see with Maryknoll Sisters Philippines in 2007, I wished to have a retreat with Fr. Darminto, SJ after the “come and see” with Maryknoll Sisters to discern which congregation should I apply as I visited several congregations in 2006. I decided  to apply  to Maryknoll Sisters during my “come and see” so I cancelled the planning to have retreat with him.  Since I am staying longer in Indonesia this year, I decided to ask Fr. Darminto to lead the retreat and he said he would be available.   

Fr. Darminto asked me to pray on Mat 28: 16-20, Ef 2: 11-12, Ef 4: 1-16, Kol 1: 3-23, Kol 2:6-15, Luk 1: 26-38, Luk 1: 39-56, Luk 2: 1-20, Mzm 33, II Kor, II Tes 3: 1-18 besides read the Declaration “Dominus Iesus” on the Unicity and Salvific Universality of Jesus Christ and the Church by Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20000806_dominus-iesus_en.html) and “Rejoice!” a letter from Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life to consecrated men and women from the teachings of Pope Francis (http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccscrlife/documents/rc_con_ccscrlife_doc_20140202_rallegratevi-lettera-consacrati_en.html)

I usually attended the daily Mass at Emmaus chapel with the retired community and attended Mass of the Novitiate and Emmaus Community on Thursday and adoration on Saturday evening at Primus Domus Chapel.

This year retreat helped me to be confirmed again in continueing my vocation journey with Maryknoll Sisters.  I was moved when I thought about the reason to stay.  It’s the memorial for Martyr Saints of China Leo Mangin, SJ, Paul Denn, SJ, Remy Isore, SJ and Modeste Andlauer, SJ for the Jesuits on July 9, 2015 (according to the liturgical calender, it’s an optional memorial of Saint Augustine Zhao Rong and his 119 companions, Martyr Saints of China) and the main theme of the readings were“being called and sent.”   I didn’t checked the liturgical calender before setting the date for the retreat, what a holy coincidence! 

It’s a blessing that I can fulfill my wish to have a retreat with Fr. Darminto since 8 years ago before applying for reflection phase, visiting Marian Shrine at Ambarawa with the 42m Marian statue (http://www.cnnindonesia.com/nasional/20150815214059-20-72411/di-semarang-patung-bunda-maria-tertinggi-se-asia-tenggara/), staying with Fransiscan sisters Ambarawa including going to a wake of a young Catholics, visiting Fransiscan sisters Salatiga, meeting Sr. Petra, SS.CC (whom I met in the Philippines in 2007), Fr. Cahyo, SJ, Fr. Nano, SJ, several JMJ sisters and three seminarians besides getting a blessing from Cardinal Julius Darmaatmadja.     

Jombang, July 31, 2015

Sr. Anastasia B. Lindawati, M.M.

Let’s do simple things with simple love to make God’s love visible