Women gather to be with Jesus at deanery forum

Friday, Jul. 18, 2014

SANDY  —  On Saturday July 12, dozens of Catholic women gathered at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church for a half-day retreat.

“Come to Me: Resting in the Heart of Jesus” was the title of the retreat, which was organized  by the Wasatch Deanery Council of Catholic Women. The retreat leader was Mary Gesicki, a certified lay ecclesial minister with the Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City.

Gesicki also holds a certificate in Spiritual Direction from the Mercy Center in Burlingame, Calif. She is a parishioner of Saint Mary of the Assumption in Park City. Formerly she was a parishioner of Blessed Sacrament.

“I used to come here before we moved so everything here is so familiar,” said Gesicki.

During the retreat Gesicki shared thoughts from the Blessed Mother Teresa of Kolkata, Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque and Saint Faustina Kowalska “as they share their experiences of Jesus with the world.”

“We pray this morning, we invite Jesus and the Holy Spirit in teaching us, encouraging us and leading us. … Jesus brings us such a great joy; we have so much to share,” said Gesicki to the attendees at the retreat.

Each participant received questions to reflect on. Among these questions were “What brought you to the retreat today?” “Do you realize that Jesus called you to be here today?”, “What is your relationship with Jesus right now?,” and “What heartfelt prayer or desire arises from your heart this morning?”

“Take a moment. Reflect on them, answer them, think about your journey,” Gesicki said. “When you look deep inside, you understand how much Jesus loves you. In the midst of the busyness of our lives, we are called into silence to be alone with Jesus, to strengthen our relationship with him, and to reflect on our lives as Catholic women.”

Gesicki also directed some words to the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus that had been set next to the altar in the church, where the retreat was held: “You have called each one of us to be here and listen to you.”

One by one, the participants reflected on the questions and when they were ready they lit a candle and set it next to the image of the Sacred Heart.

Gesicki asked them what were they feeling as they lit the candle. 

The responses included peacefulness, community, calmness, spirituality and joy. Gesicki responded by saying that that’s what praying is about.

“Jesus wants us to pay attention to him. He talks to us through the prayer,” she said, adding that when people have burdens in their lives, they have the need to pray more. 

“That is Jesus calling us, but if takes you away from prayer, what happens?” she asked. “Sometimes there are frustrations that pull you away from praying, but that is the wrong direction.”

The retreat, which was filled with moments of silent reflection, “gave us moments of quiet personal reflection that gave us an opportunity to open our hearts to hear what Jesus is asking each of us to do for him,” said Gesicki.