Break Review

Scripture

As they continued their journey Jesus entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary (who) sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me." The Lord said to her in reply, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her." (Luke 10:38-42)

Mk 6:31 “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.”

Luke 5:1-6 “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.”

Note: This meeting is meant to be the first meeting after Christmas break.

Introduction & Welcome (1 min.)

Welcome members back to their second quarter as a CLC group. Thank them for coming.

I. Opening Prayer (5 min.)

Grace: To find God in all things

Use the grace or a suggested scripture above to create your own prayer, perhaps encouraging each person to voice their own petitions out loud.

II. Check-In (5 min.)

What were some of your high and low points of the week?

III. Focus Exercise (40 min.)

Materials Needed: CLC Journal booklet, soft instrumental music, Break Review Questions handout

Introduction

This meeting will center around looking back at the past few months and the break in order to help the group process all that has happened and changed. It will help deepen the group’s practice of finding God in all aspects of our lives and learning to be more attentive to God’s movements in our everyday experiences as well as more momentous times, particularly in change.

Exercise 1: Break Review Questions (30 min.)

Allow everyone to spend some time in prayer and reflection for 5-7 minutes on the following questions and then have an open and honest discussion about them (remind everyone about confidentiality ). The Break Review Questions can also be found in their Journal booklets. Play some instrumental music in the background.

What changes, if any, have you noticed in your relationships with friends, significant others, family, the Church, and/or God in the past quarter or over the break?
What are your feelings about coming back to school? What are your hopes for this quarter?
How do you feel about renewing your commitment to CLC for the rest of the year? ? In what concrete ways or habits are you going to commit yourself in order for you to receive the grace you hope for? (See CLC habits for suggestions)
Are there any meeting topics you would like to discuss this quarter?

Exercise 2: Meeting Topics

Preview the meeting topics for the rest of the quarter. Check in and discuss with your group.

NOTE:

Look ahead to meeting #5 (“My Hands, God’s Hands”): Perhaps start asking the group to think about what they would like to do for this meeting focused on service (i.e. When would everyone be able to go? Where would they like to go? The CLC service site or somewhere else? Would they like to team-up with another group?)

Listening Deeper

What has struck you as you have been listening to others share? Do you notice any patterns or commonalities?
How have you been feeling throughout the meeting? Comfortable? Anxious? Curious?
Is there anything you would like to share after listening to another person share?

IV. Moving Forward (5 min.)

Wrap-Up: Thank members for their openness and participation. Emphasize that God is with us at all times and in all aspects of our lives, such as in whatever changes or transitions might be taking place for us now as well as more commonplace moments of each day.
Action: Pray, “How would you describe your experiences of God from birth up to now?” Share with your prayer partner
Announcements:
- Topic for next meeting and upcoming CLC events
- *Make sure to confirm the group is still in agreement on the meeting day and time for this quarter.*

V. Closing Prayer (5 min.)

Invite members to lift up their hopes for the quarter before or after reading the poem/prayer.

Patient Trust

Above all, trust in the slow work of God.

We are quite naturally impatient in everything

to reach the end without delay.

We would like to skip the intermediate stages.

We are impatient of being on the way

to something unknown, something new.

And yet, it is the law of all progress that it is made

by passing through some stages of instability -

and that it may take a very long time.

And so I think it is with you;

your ideas mature gradually - let them grow,

let them shape themselves, without undue haste.

Don't try to force them on,

as though you could be today what time,

(that is to say, grace and circumstances acting on your own good will)

will make of you tomorrow.

Only God could say what this new spirit

gradually forming in you will be.

Give our Lord the benefit of believing

that his hand is leading you,

and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself

in suspense and incomplete.

-Father Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, SJ

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