Yom Kippur retreat for young people

On the occasion of Yom Kippur, a group of 11 young people from the Desert Flower group, gathered for the first time for a day and a half of retreat and prayer. The meeting took place in Jerusalem, between the Vicariate and the Saint Rachel Center.

Written spiritual exercises, adoration, a meeting with the Poor Clare nuns and two talks on the prayer of Our Father (one by Benny and one by Father Rafic) provided the skeleton for the experience. Most of the young people gave up the use of their mobile telephones for the duration of the retreat, which was not a condition to participate but which certainly helped to enter the depths due to the silence established, both exterior and interior. The mystical atmosphere of the city on this great and sacred day also helped to focus and concentrate.

Two reactions of the youth were:

- a unique experience during which I rested from everything that surrounds me on a day to day basis. We discovered special and unique for each one of us is the daily prayer we take for granted, the Our Father and in addition we learned how to receive silence as an element that calms but that is powerful and evokes questions.

- not a routine experience. We use silence to know our sins and our lives and with the desire to strengthen the link between ourselves and God. Deepening our knowledge of the Our Father prayer showed me how wonderful God is.