The Ignatian Spirituality Centre in Glasgow is pleased to announce the theme for this year’s Lent Retreat (now in its 5th year): Journey Through Lent with St Ignatius of Loyola, the Spanish courtier-turned-priest whose adventures 500 years ago provide an example of how personal change and fulfilment is possible, even in the most challenging of circumstances.
Participants can follow the retreat online on their laptop, PC or mobile phone, using the onlineprayer.net website or the ISC app or by signing up to daily emails. They will be able to pray daily with Scripture, music, images and episodes from the life of Ignatius.
Participants can also deepen their experiences of the transformative power of Ignatius, by sharing the fruits of their prayer and their own faith experiences in weekly groups, either in person or online.
Many people have found joining these groups very helpful as part of their journey in faith. A previous participant said ‘I found each day very thought-provoking and a real encounter with Jesus. It really opened my eyes to how each of us can encounter Jesus directly in the scriptures and how art can help with this.’ Our group leaders have found the experience rewarding and many have returned to run a group in another year. You can choose to run a group in your local parish or community or be assigned participants.
If you are familiar with Ignatian spirituality and confident in facilitating small group sharing (with some guidance) then you can register to become a group leader. You will need to be able to hold groups weekly during Lent – though you will be able to hold groups online.
You do not need to be an expert in Ignatian spirituality although some familiarity with ways of praying (such as imaginative contemplation or lectio divina) would be helpful.
The ISC Glasgow will hold a familiarisation afternoon for group leaders in February to make sure you are comfortable with the retreat and how to lead group meetings. Information will be sent out if you have registered to lead a group.
Group leaders should try to register as soon as possible, or by Friday 2st January- this is to allow ISC Glasgow time to organise the groups. However, you can still register after this date.
If you plan to lead a group in person and would like the retreat material in books for them rather than online, then please let the ISC Glasgow know by emailing admin@iscglasgow.co.uk
Image credit: Ignatius the Pilgrim by Ignasi Flores. Copyright: The Society of Jesus.
