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HONG KONG
FROM THE HEART
    Christian Meditation Silent Retreat
    Hong Kong: August 18-20, 2006

    JESUS OUR TEACHER FROM WITHIN

    Never would I realize that the grace of mediation pours like rain, sieving to
    the inner depth of all of the retreatants.  Indeed, hearts are burning with the
    fire of the Spirit!

    In the Spirit we are one
     It is only the work of the Spirit that this can be made possible.  So glad that
    this gathering is really `ecumenical’.  We have in total 126 retreatants
    including priests, nuns, religions, Franciscan, Dominicans as Christian
    Ministers, faithful from 3 different Christian Churches, Catholics from
    various parishes and non-believers. The silent retreat from August 18-20,
    2006 which took place in the quietness of the Salesian House in Cheung
    Chau was led by Father Laurence Freeman OSB.  Father Laurence is a
    Benedictine monk who goes teaching and promoting Christian mediation
    worldwide is the Director of the World Community of Christian Meditation,
    celebrating its Silver Anniversary in 2007.

    Way of Love
    How beautiful it is when Fr Laurence reminds us that` Prayer is a way of
    love and love as an understanding of God.  We cannot know God by thinking
    of God, but by love.’ By entering into the Pilgrimage of the Heart, giving up all
    images, words, but using a prayer phrase, Ma-ra-na-tha continuously and
    quietly in our heart, we are open to the spirit that unites us. When such a
    discipline of prayer is integrated into our lives twice daily, each period for
    twenty minutes, our life will turn a new leaf and be entirely transformed.
    Then the Lord becomes the centre of our soul. In one of his conferences in
    the retreat, Fr Laurence cites what is recorded in St John’s Gospel (1:38-39)
    when Jesus asked the disciples, `What are you looking for?’ Then they
    asked Jesus, `Teacher, where are you staying? Jesus answered, `Come
    and see’.  It is important to respond to Jesus’ invitation to: come and see
    him, to establish an intimate relationship with Jesus by daily acts of love
    when our teacher and mentor, Jesus, prays from within us.  (Romans 8:26).
    We believe we are meditating together with Father John Main, OSB who re-
    discovered the contemplative dimensions of the Christian tradition. It is the
    Spirit that has rekindled our faith and love through the Prayer of the Heart!
    Praise to the Lord our God!

    A great retreat master
    We are indeed blessed to have such a great and inspiring retreat master to
    be with us, teaching us `stillness, silence and simplicity’ – One of the
    retreatants writes: You can practically feel the energy flowing between him
    and his audience’, and another shares ` Very clear, focused, knowledgeable
    and interesting presentation of our universal journey right into the core of
    being in God. “Thank you so much, Father Laurence!

    Sharing from parishioners at St Margaret’s
    At the retreat, there are so many parishioners from St. Margaret’s and are
    eager to start a weekly meditation group in the parish!, (Perhaps I should
    talk to Fr. Gabriel, our Parish Priest, again.). Would you like to listen to some
    of their sharing?

    “Feeling of Eureka, stumbling in something beyond expectation and
    immense feelings of gratitude that Jesus does try to show me the way to
    find Him.”

    “For a self-centered and egoistic person like, this is a very useful prayer
    format, helping me to empty myself and accept God.  I‘ve been praying but
    not hearing, because my mind is either too busy or too strong/arrogant to
    hear God’s word.  May this retreat help me to get closer to God.”

    “This is not an ordinary retreat; this is a retreat which brings to me peace,
    joy, awakening. Internal peace is what I could experience - something that
    Christian Meditation could help me attain under His Mercy, Grace and Love.”

    “I have been practicing Christian Meditation for sometime.  I get so closer to
    Jesus, especially at Sacraments. I pray fervently that we could have a
    meditation group at St. Margaret’s so that I do not have to travel to St. Jude’
    s or the Cathedral.’

    WCCM(HK) is born!
    After all the hard work and meditation put up by Mrs. Elizabeth King from
    Michigan, USA, our dear and respectable adviser and mentor, we came to
    know Fr Laurence Freeman OSB. Right now we have six mediation groups
    in Hong Kong.  We feel the need to be linked up with the rest of the
    meditation groups from over 60 countries worldwide. As a result, at the
    Open Talk at Rosary Church on 20th August, 2006 when Fr Laurence so
    generously inspired us of the need to open up to Jesus, the teacher from
    within, the congregation of about 120 witnessed the birth of WCCM (Hong
    Kong).  Our Spiritual Adviser is Fr Sean P Burke, MM.   We can be reached
    by our official email: wccm.hongkong@gmail.com, Tel: 2813035. Our official
    registered address is Maryknoll House, 44, Stanley Village Road, Stanley,
    Hong Kong.   Do browse at the internet `www.wccm.org’ and click at the
    News for more details. We have also filed our application with the Chancery
    Office to be registered under the Association of the Faithful as well as with
    the Societies Office of the HKSAR.

    Encouragement from the Most Rev Bishop John Tong Hon
    "I come here today for 2 purposes. Firstly, I was informed by Mrs. Elizabeth
    King that the Hong Kong branch of The World Community for Christian
    Mediation is established officially today. Therefore, on behalf of the diocese,
    I would like to convey my sincerest congratulations to you. By my presence,
    I would like to show my moral support. Secondly, I would like to thank Fr
    Laurence for his great efforts these years to come to Hong Kong to teach
    us the practice and tradition of Christian meditation. So thank you very
    much, Fr Laurence.  I appreciate very much your coming as well as your
    presence. So, finally, I would like to offer my hope to the members of your
    community that they may continue to increase in number and in zeal so that
    more people will be benefited by Christian meditation. Thank you."

    Address by the Most Rev. Bishop John Tong  on 20 August, 2006 at Rosary
    Church, TST, Hong Kong

    `Praying is not to get benefits from God.  It is to become like God.’
     Father Laurence Freeman OSB