The annual retreat for priests working in North India was organized in Nav Sadhana from August 26 to 30, 2015. The Retreat Preacher and Master was Dr.Fr. Varghese Kottoor, CMI, Priest of Bijnor Province working as spiritual animator and guide in Masih Vidhyapeeth, St.Francis Xavier’s Seminary, Agra. He is a well experienced person in administrative field as he was provincial, Vicar General, Manager and Director and in spiritual field as he was formator, rector spiritual guide and master. He has been preaching retreat for priests, religious nuns and seminarians. He is a well known and well accepted priest of the region. He has been working among the diocesan priests the last forty years.
The theme of the Retreat was SENSE OF GOD IN MY LIFE AS PRIEST. It calls for inner journey in solitude and silence. Silence is the fruitful garden of interior spirit. He stressed the need of genuine smile, which is the sign of body, mind and spirit integration. He stated that
Smile is love energy;
Outer smile is a social virtue;
Inner smile is mysticism.
Cheerful disposition casts away negativism and tension.
His life reveals that he walks the talk. On the second day he focused on “Faith deepens my sense of God”. He spoke on how faith brings healing and forgiveness. On the third day he spoke on “The Word of God deepens my sense of God.” He emphasized on how to read the Bible in a reflective way. On the fourth day he gave importance for the Sacrament of Reconciliation and explained with examples “How call deepens my sense of God and how Priestly disposition deepens my sense of God”. He adumbrated two priestly dispositions important for the priestly life: gentleness and gratitude. On the final day he dealt on “Joy of Priesthood-the fruit of Sense of God”. He articulated that the joy is the infallible sign of God’s presence; Priesthood is a priceless treasure given to us by God. He exhorted all to be cheerful, which would bring difference in and around us. The method used was physical exercise, yoga and lecture. The retreat ended with the Eucharistic celebration and the vote of thanks was proposed by Fr.P.Victor. All returned to their respective places with the renewed energy to work as free and faithful priest with health of mind, body and soul. Thanks be to God.
