My Communio Experience
By: Jennifer Prather, MATS
More than two years ago I was in prayer before our Eucharistic Lord. I had finished the Christian Anthropology course and was teaching it to multiple audiences. I was happy and comfortable. Then, here it came, the nudge. First, I ignored it as I always did in the past hoping it would go away. It didn’t. As the nudge invaded more and more of my prayer time, I finally agreed to acknowledge it and that is always when a new adventure begins. All I could figure out at the time was that there was something else I was supposed to do. Maybe another course, I thought, or maybe present in another Diocese? I really had no idea.
It was before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament that each movement of the Communio retreat unfolded before me. In my prayer time I was seeing the Living Lectios and understanding the structure of the schedule. In my time outside of prayer I was meeting with potential volunteers to staff the retreat and viewing possible locations.
For a solid year nothing panned out. I was exhausted and angry. I began to doubt Jesus was asking for the retreat to take place since every door I tried led to nowhere. I wanted to quit.
In His mercy, Jesus shared with me an unmistakable confirmation that He indeed wanted Communio to happen and also that I needed more preparation. With the help of my spiritual director, I began the task of trying to develop the virtues I would most need to facilitate something like this retreat.
As another year passed, all the doors began to open. I encountered people that would be committed to staff. A location was booked. Materials got made. Supplies were bought. Finally, registration opened. Soon after, the retreat weekend arrived.
During the entire retreat weekend I knew I was to refrain from sharing so I could be attentive to those making the retreat. Taking this disposition was such a tremendous gift to me. I watched as each grace I received in my private prayer over the previous two years unfolded in the hearts of the participants right in front of me.
The experience was profound. Every grace that existed only in my heart and head became enfleshed before my eyes. Every desire Jesus showed me became real in time before me. There was and can be no doubt, this retreat belongs to the Holy Spirit. Only God could do what I saw unfold over the weekend.
As I look forward, I pray God’s will be done regarding Communio. It is a gift to the Church and I am so grateful to be a part of it.
