Consoling the Heart of Jesus
Weekly Meeting Format

Consoling the Heart of Jesus is a 10-Week Group Retreat

Just like the 33 Days to Morning Glory Group Retreat, the participants of the Consoling the Heart of Jesus Group Retreat should meet once a week for 90 minutes.

The Meeting Format

As you can see below, the CHJ Retreat format differs slightly from that of the 33 Days to Morning Glory Retreat. Instead of having the discussion prior to watching the DVD talk, in the CHJ Retreat, the discussion follows the DVD talk. This is because the intention of the DVD talk for CHJ is to unpack the reading material and aid the discussion, while the intention of the DVD talk for 33 Days to Morning Glory was simply to help the retreatants apply the material to their lives.

General Overview:

About 90 minutes (11⁄2 hours) total time:

  • 2 to 5-minute Large-group Opening for prayer and announcements
  • 35-minute Large-group Viewing (watching DVD talks).
  • 45-minute Small-group Discussion (drawing from the daily reflections in the Retreat Companion and the DVD talk).
  • 2 to 5-min Large-group Closing for prayer and announcements

Large-group — Opening (2 to 5 Minutes)

You’ll begin each session by coming together in a large group. Within that large group, you’ll begin with a prayer and the Retreat Coordinator will make any necessary announcements.

Large-group — DVD (35 Minutes)

Following the prayer and any necessary announcements, the Retreat Coordinator will play the DVD talk for the group to watch. In this Retreat Companion, we’ve provided a “DVD Notes” section in each week so you have a place to jot down your ideas or impressions during the talk.

Small-group — Discussion (45 Minutes)

Small groups (about 6-12 people, depending on your group and available space) meet for a 45-minute discussion time that follows the guidelines laid out in the Retreat Companion. The small-group dynamic is an important aspect of the retreat, because it fosters a true spirit of fellowship and friendship in Christ. By friendships in Christ, the members of his Mystical Body are connected in holiness to Christ and to one another in prayer and so are able to better receive his divine power (see Mt 18:20). The friendships that you discover and nourish in your small group are important sources of support and encouragement on your journey to a deeper relationship with Christ.

Small-group Leaders: Be sure to read the Small-group Session Outline at the end of each week in this Retreat Companion before each gathering. The Small-group Session Outline lists the questions for each week and outlines the small-group format, which is summarized as follows:

A. PRAYER: This is the Our Father; Hail Mary; Come, Holy Spirit; or other brief prayer.
B. PERSONAL RESPONSE: Particular questions selected from the week will be used for small-group sharing.
C. CLOSING PRAYER: The group closes by praying the Glory Be or some other, suitable prayer.

*You will also want to register as a Small-group Leader here on our website to receive helpful tips and ideas that will help you make the most of your small-group experience.

Large-group — Closing (2 to 5 Minutes)

You’ll end each session by coming back together in a large group. Together, you’ll conclude with a prayer and the Retreat Coordinator will make any necessary announcements.