Society of Saints
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Links
  • Resources - Prayer
  • Resources - Prayer 2
  • Resources - Study Group
  • Resources - FBC Group
  • Resources - Listening to God
  • Resources - Other
  • Could God be real?
  • Could Catholicism be true?
  • Publications
  • About Us
  • Contact us

It is Summer Camp time: Get the most out of it

13/1/2017

0 Comments

 
In this hemisphere, at this time of year, lots of young people are off to faith based Summer Camps or Summer Schools for a week or two. For a good many of them this will be their first such experience. So here's some advice from a veteran of many such Summer Camps.
 
Sleep
If you don't get enough of this, you will miss out on the best bits. The temptation to talk well into the night is strong. Resist it. If you want to see the clock go round on the last night, go for it. But get your head on the pillow and the lights out as soon as you can each night. Even a week is a marathon for your mind, heart and body, and you need that sleep so that you can get up in time for the 8am Mass with the unforgettable homily and won't snooze during the best lecture on Deutero Isaiah (Chapters 40-54) that you are ever likely to hear.
 
Service Groups
Whether it is cleaning up after lunch, toilet cleaning, setting up afternoon tea, or being on rubbish patrol, these are not optional extras they are opportunities for extraordinary graces. Don't miss them! Firstly there's nothing like sharing elbow grease for getting to know people better. Secondly you have the chance to mediate God's love into someone else's life if you do it wholeheartedly, cheerfully and extravagantly. One year a service team got matching t-shirts that made them look like high class waiters, went out of their way to serve accordingly and transformed the clean-up after dinner chore into something uplifting that both ennobled them and made the rest of us feel like the daughters and sons of God that He wants us to realise that we are. Clean bathrooms with extra touches (flowers, scripture quotations etc) mediate love too. But you will never know the amazing joy that comes from serving your brothers and sisters in Christ if you shirk your part in the service groups.
 
Sharing Groups
The bigger the camp is, the more essential the sharing groups are. It is where you get enough time and space for friendships to form. They tend to be groups of around 6 people, often matched for age and gender with an experienced leader. In them you get a chance to talk about what you have been feeling and experiencing, and to listen to how the others are doing. Talking often clarifies ideas and brings new insights, as well as inspiring your group members to pray for you, and you for them. The way God has constructed things is that you can't get really close to Him unless you also get close to the people He loves. You will probably hear a lot of advice to 'open your heart to God'. What on earth does that mean? On one hand it is giving God permission to come into our hearts and to do whatever He wills for our good, and on the other hand it is opening up to God by opening up your thoughts and feelings to trusted others. Both are needed, and sharing group is a good way to do the latter.
 
Meal Queues
Are a fact of Summer Camp life. On average you are going to spend at least 5 minutes queuing up for major meals like lunch and dinner (or waiting for the doors of the refectory to open). Make the most of those 5 minutes. Talk to the person next to you while you wait. Why did they come to Summer School? What was the most memorable part of last night's rally/ this morning's lecture/ this afternoon's workshop for them? Do they belong to a parish or youth group?
 
Lectures and Workshops
These are the meat of the Summer Camp, everything else is the potatoes. They are about drinking in God's truth, so that it sets us free (John 8:32) and alters our behavior in ways pleasing to God (Romans 12: 2). You will listen better and retain more of that truth if you take notes. Take notes! Be like the wise young Samuel and don't any of God's words fall to the ground (1 Sam 3:19).
 
Quiet Time
You will be getting sooo much input, which you will need to be diligent about finding time to process it. For some that might be sitting in a chapel before the Blessed Sacrament and mentally reviewing all that you have heard and experienced in the previous 24 hours and recalling what touched you most and what God might be trying to say through that. For others it might be finding a quiet spot and writing in a journal for 20 minutes before going off to the pool or the basketball courts. Having some written notes, not only from lectures and workshops, but also from homilies, 'chance' conversations, and prophetic utterances and images, will really help that process. Think of it as giving all the input seeds you have received, an opportunity to move from the surface of your mind and to begin to sink into the soil of your heart.
 
Communal Prayer
Apart from Compline (Night Prayer), and daily Mass, the other opportunities for communal prayer will largely be optional eg Morning and Evening prayer of the Church, the rosary, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, Stations of the Cross etc. Get to as many of them as you can. Opportunities to participate in these things with a large group of enthusiastic people are few and far between, and they are precious. They are also opportunities to think with and pray with the mind of the Church universal, and that strength and solidarity is invaluable. Should you have got beyond the early heady days of conversion, they are the rays of hope and light when personal prayer is dry and arid.
 
Evening Rallies
These tend to have a pattern, God's love, Repentance, Healing, Seeking God's Gifts and Commitment – loosely following an Ignatian retreat model. Each rally is the crown and seal of the day, an opportunity to respond in song, action, and prayer and praise to all God has been doing in the interior of hearts and minds. Don't miss them. Sometimes the Holy Spirit takes over and the rally goes for a lot longer than the timetable predicted. If these evening rallies seem a bit daunting and strange to begin with, persevere with them. It will be worth it, far beyond the music and exuberance.
 
Hijinks
There will always be some who get up to hijinks: midnight snack raids, sloping off down to the pub, etc. Don't join them. Firstly they make you lose precious sleep. Secondly they disrupt the work God is doing in your soul. Reserve any wholesome hijinks to the last night.
 
Merchandise
Don't go overboard. If you must, get an official t-shirt. For the rest spend money on things that will give you long term spiritual benefit, for example a good quality bible, bible index tabs, books to pray the liturgy of the hours with, icons, writings of saints and popes, rosary beads.
 
Discernment
On occasion at one of these Summer Camps you might find someone who claims to have a personal word of prophecy for you. Very few people have a genuine gifting in this area. If something like this happens, go to those in authority and tell them about it immediately. Pay very little attention to any message like this unless it gets clearly confirmed by a reputable independent source, and preferably more than one. If God is truly speaking to you about a major life decision, then that message will be coming in consistently from several sources. Be alert to the quality of both the message and the messenger. There's lots of well-meaning folk who see a young man or woman who prays and decide to do their bit for the cause and ask them whether they have a priestly or religious vocation. That's very different to someone who has taken the time to get to know you and your particular strengths and talents and says, 'I've been praying about this for a long time, and these qualities you have……, ………….., and………. are the kind of raw material that good priests/religious are made of. This is a path you should give serious consideration to.'
 
Romance
People can and do meet their future spouse at Summer Camps. But it should not be your primary focus to 'meet the One'. This week or so is precious time to work on your relationship with God. That should be your primary focus. Growth in holiness is the best preparation to become a spouse. If there is a very distracting someone at the Summer Camp, notice and mentally acknowledge the attraction, but don't go seeking them out until the last night of the Camp. Do the most loving thing and give him or her space to grow in their relationship with God too.
 
The Return Home
The spiritual highs of being at Summer School can be wonderful indeed. Going from being surrounded by truly happy people who take God seriously to the local shopping centre at home where almost nobody smiles can be a weird experience. All that joy, peace and love you brought home from Summer School is likely to leak out of you over the week or two afterwards. That's rather normal. The best way to make a soft landing is to get a regular daily prayer life going, and to share with holy people close to you the changes you resolved to make in your life and ask for their help and support in making them happen. 

P.S. These tips are just as applicable for World Youth Day pilgrims.
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    Archives

    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    February 2014
    October 2013
    September 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013

    Categories

    All
    10 Commandments
    1st Rite Of Reconciliation
    24 Hours For The Lord
    2nd Rite Of Reconciliation
    3rd Rite Of Reconciliation
    Abortion
    Active Participation
    Act Of Contrition
    Adoration Of The Blessed Sacrament
    Adultery
    Advent
    Agony Of Jesus In The Garden
    Anniversaries
    Apologetics
    Apostolic Nuncio
    Apparitions Of Our Lady
    Archbishop Porteous
    Archbishop Prowse
    Ark And Dove Week 2019
    Asking The Vocation Question
    Aussie Pilgrims
    Australian Prophetic Summit
    Baptism
    Be Prepared
    Berthe Petit
    Betty Cavanagh
    Book Review
    Broken Bay Diocese
    Building The Kingdom
    Burnout
    Cardinal Pell
    Caroline Chisholm
    Catechumenate
    Catholic Charismatic Renewal
    Catholic Church
    Catholic Newcomers
    Catholics Returning Home
    Catholic Tertiary Education
    Catholic Universities & Colleges
    Cautionary Tale
    CCR
    Central Coast Diocese
    Charisms
    Christian Book Publishing
    Christian Unity
    Church Fees
    Clean Vs Unclean
    Clericalism
    Comensoli Homily
    Commitment
    Communication
    Conference Design
    Conference/Summer School
    Confession
    Confession Of Sins
    Confirmation
    Consecration Prayer
    Consequences Of Rejecting God
    Conversation Answers
    Corruption
    Covenant Communities
    Creative Lectio Divina
    Culture
    Death
    Decision Making
    Decision Time
    Deliverance From Evil
    Denominations
    Desperate Situations
    Devotion
    Diaconate
    Diocesan Plan
    Disabilities
    Discernment
    Divine Mercy Sunday
    Divine Office
    Divine Renovation Conference DR16
    Divine Renovation Conference DR18
    Doctor Of The Church
    Dying
    Dying Process
    Easter
    Eastern Rite Liturgy
    Ecumenical
    Ecumenism
    Ehlers Danlos Syndrome
    Elder Technology
    Employment
    Encounter Jesus
    End Of Life Stories
    Engagement
    Eternal Perspective
    Eucharist
    Eucharistic Adoration
    Evangelii Gaudium
    Evangelisation
    Ewtn
    Exodus 90
    Expectant Faith
    Facilitating Connections
    Faith
    Families In Sorrow
    Family
    Fatima
    Federal Plebiscite
    Feminism
    First Communion
    First Line Welcomers
    First Nations
    First Nations Seminary
    Forgiveness
    Four Last Things
    Fr Bill Meacham
    Free Speech
    Fr George Kosicki
    Fr Hugh Thomas CSsR
    Friendship
    Gerald Coates
    Gift Of Tongues
    G.K.Chesterton
    Glorious Mysteries
    God's Decrees
    God's Love
    God's Modus Operandi
    God's Plan
    God's Reset
    Golden Jubilee
    Gospel Reflection
    Guest Blog
    Happy Meetings
    Hashtags
    Healing
    Helping Young People
    Holiness / Character
    Holy Communion
    Holy Door
    Holy Spirit
    Holy Thursday
    Holy Water
    Holy Wounds
    Homelessness
    Hospitality
    Hour Of Grace
    Human Traditions
    Human Vs Divine Solutions
    Hypocrisy
    ICCRS Charism School
    Ideas
    Immaculate Heart
    Inclusion
    Inclusive Language
    Inculturation
    Indigenous Peoples
    Indulgence
    Integrating Newcomers Into Parish Life
    Intercession
    Intercessory Prayer
    Interpretation
    Interpreting These Times
    Jennifer Eivaz
    Jesus
    Jim Murphy
    Joseph Chircop
    Joyful Mysteries
    Katherine Ruonala
    Kerygma
    Kingdom Wishlist
    Larry Sparks
    Leadership
    Leadership Structure
    Learning From Other Churches
    Lent
    LetUsPray2017
    Life Regrets
    Linda's House Of Hope
    Listening To God
    Litany
    Liturgy
    Liturgy Of The Hours
    Love In Action
    Making Disciples
    Marriage
    Marriage Preparation
    Married Spirituality
    Mary Queen Of Apostles
    Mass
    Mass Homily
    McCarrick Report
    Mental Health
    Mercy
    Message / Homily
    Ministry To Divorced Catholics
    Miracles
    Misery
    Mission
    Missionary Disciples
    Monthly Recollection Day
    Movements Of Grace
    Music
    Napoleon
    National Church Life Survey
    New Evangelisation
    Novena
    Obedience
    Obituary
    Obscure Saints
    Open Letter
    Open To Conversion
    Open To Reform
    Open To Renewal
    Opposition To God's Work
    Ordination
    Our Lady
    Our Lady Help Of Christians
    Our Lady Star Of The Sea
    Palliative Care
    Pandemic
    Parables
    Parents
    Parish Life
    Parish Meetings
    Parish Ministries
    Participant Guide
    Paschal Candle
    Patron Saint For The New Year
    Pentecost
    Personal Log
    Pilgrimage
    Plenary Council
    Plenary Council 2020
    Plenary Council 2021
    Plenary Council 2022
    Plenary Council Agenda
    Plenary Council Motions
    Plenary Council Process
    Plenary Council Proposals
    Plenary Council Theme 6
    Political Leaders
    Pope Benedict XVI
    Pope Francis
    Praise And Worship
    Prayer For A New Bishop
    Prayer Groups
    Prayer Of The Heart
    Prayer Request
    Prayers
    Preaching
    Preparation For Holy Mass
    Pre-Synod Youth 2018
    Priests
    Proclaim 2014
    Proclaim 2014 Conference
    Proclaim 2016
    Proclaim 2016 Conference
    Prophecy
    Prophetic Intercession
    Providence
    RCIA Rite Of Christian Initiation For Adults
    Rebuilt
    Recommended
    Reddit
    Renewal And Reform
    Reparation
    Repentance
    Resources
    Responding To God
    Rest
    Retaining New Catholics
    Revival
    Rosary
    Rosary Meditations
    Sacramental Preparation
    Sacramentals
    Sacrament Of Penance
    Sacraments
    Sacred Heart
    Sacred Scripture
    Sacrifice
    Salvation
    Scientists
    Signs Of Hope
    Silence
    Sin
    Social Distancing
    Social Media
    Social Media Apostolate
    Soft Evangelisation
    Spiritual Communion
    Spiritual Life
    Sr Margaret Wall Rsj
    St Anicetus
    StartupAusCC
    Stations Of The Resurrection
    Statistics
    St Augustine Zhao Rong
    Stewardship
    St Faustina
    St Francis Of Assisi
    St Gregory Of Narek
    St John The Baptist
    St Joseph
    St Raphael
    Strengths
    StrengthsFinder
    Suffering
    Summer Camp
    Summer School
    Surrender
    Survival
    Synod On The Family
    Synod Process
    #TakeTheAdventChallenge
    Teaching
    Teams Of Our Lady
    Teamwork
    Tertiary Study
    Testimonies
    Thanksgiving
    The Body Of Christ
    The Fight Back Plan
    Topics Of Controversy
    Tradition
    Trauma
    Trinity
    True Reverence
    Trusting In God
    Tsunami Of Grace
    Unity
    Unity In Diversity
    Via Lucis
    Virtual Pilgrimage
    Vision Casting
    Vocation
    Waiting On God
    Welcomers
    Welcoming Via Websites
    What Ordinary Holiness Looks Like
    #WhyRemainCatholic
    Wisdom
    WNFIN Challenge
    Women
    World Youth Day
    Worthwhile Charity
    Writing Christian Non Fiction
    Writing Christian Non-Fiction
    WYD Krakow
    Year Of Mercy
    Young Men
    Young Parents
    Youth Group
    Youth Ministry
    Youth Synod 2018

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly