AUXILIUM KURSEONG: All the Animators of INC Kolkata and Provincial council made their annual Spiritual retreat from 3-11 March 2018 at Auxilium Kurseong. The retreat was directed by Dr. Fr. Jose Parappully SDB, Director of Sumedha centre for Psychology and Spirituality at Jeolikote, Uttarkhand. The director of the retreat led each participant to make a desert sojourn – an inner journey through praying the scriptures, challenging and substantial talks with analytical questionnaire and diagnostic probing survey of conscience. We commenced this journey placing the footprints with the inscribed grace of the retreat in the symbolic desert in front of the altar seeking his blessing. The first day’s journey was in the company of Jesus in the desert, Abraham, Moses, Nehemia confronting inner demons and experiencing the presence of ministering angels. On the second day the trek became so dangerous with desert storms to decipher helplessness and powerlessness that each one gave up the baggage of pride and self-sufficiency and surrendered themselves to God and there was calm.On the third and fourth day was a trip on the road of religious life and the sand dunes of infidelities and short falls made trail not traceable and the destination not visible.

Half way through there stood the mountain of enlightenment ‘Religious life is journeying together to God in the radical following of Jesus of Nazareth’ in creative fidelity to the charism of the founder and religious are to be passionate pilgrims of the absolute. On the fifth day there was a stopover at the desert shelter to watch the movie justice that heals. Movie made the pilgrims feel the need for forgiveness, reconciliation and healing and three ministering angels garbed in priestly attire made themselves available for the sacrament of reconciliation and the healing service helped to prepare the travelers for the last stage of their journey. On the last day the guide gave us a great surprise, the meeting with Jesus of Nazareth engaged in his ministry of preaching and healing to the poor desert dwellers. That Jesus of Nazareth was the most perfect teacher and healer, compassionate, caring, who spent himself for the others, who in the midst of busy life felt the need to turn to his Father in prayer and who humbled himself to be servant and slave. The enlightened guide made us to do a review of our pilgrimage before they can set off to the green meadows through mind provoking questions to make them derive and arrive at the insights, prayer experience, significant graces received, shift in relationship with God, interior movements of the desert journey. And they were ready to set off strengthened by the thanksgiving Eucharist and strong will power to live with resoluteness the promise they made to be passionate seekers of God giving primacy to Him, journeying together in community communion following radically the footsteps of Jesus of Nazareth and imbibing the virtues of Mary of Nazareth. The participants want to sing the Magnificat like Mary for this energizing experience and praise him again and again for the architect of this experience, Fr. P.O Jose. As our token of our gratitude we implore the Lord to bless him abundantly and make his dream of having a psychological and spirituality centre at Jeolikote become a reality very soon. Sr. Stella P.