Divine Retreat Centre (DRC) New Zealand is the Apostolate of the Bishop of Auckland.
Father Michael Payyapilly VC of the Divine Retreat Centre (Potta) India and Sydney conducted a Mission at Christ the King Church (Mt Roskill, Auckland) from October 10 to 12, 2014.
The Mission marked the commencement of the tenth year of service of the DRC and to pay obeisance to God.
More than 800 people participated in the Mission bringing comfort and solace to their hearts and minds, realising with piety the Grace and Love of the Almighty.
Auckland Bishop Patrick Dunn and many Priests in the Diocese supported the Mission with their presence and prayers, seeking God’s Blessings on the Movement, People, Auckland City, New Zealand and for the healing touch of God’s hand in the world.
Lord’s Wisdom
This was the first visit of Father Michael to New Zealand.
Following are an extract of his speeches at the Church:
“It is impossible to measure the depths of the Lord’s mercy. In the Scriptures, when people came to the Lord with their problems, they had run out of solutions. The woman with haemorrhage had run out of solutions when she came to Jesus. She was a person who was ostracised by the society because of her ailment. When she reached out to touch the hem of the Lord’s garment, she believed that she would be healed. She had no other options. She had run out of all her options. The Lord felt power go forth from Him. It was a difficult moment for the woman when the Lord asked, “Who touched me?” As a woman suffering with haemorrhage, the last place she was supposed to be seen was in public in the midst of the crowd. The last person she should have been touching was a rabbi. She would have made them ‘unclean’ according to the understanding of the time. But no one would have imagined the Lord’s response to the woman, when He said, “Your faith has made you well.” When the world would have condemned and found fault, He chose to pour out His mercy.
“In all our lives, when we run out of options and come to the Lord with our problems, we get to experience the depths of His mercy. When the world judges and condemns us for things that happen in our life, the Lord has only His mercy to offer us. We are called to the font of His mercy. We will never be disappointed there.”
Lord’s Mercy
During the retreat in Auckland, arranged by the DRC NZ, we realised Lord’s Mercy towards those who came to Him. The people came to experience His mercy and He filled them. The three-day Mission at the Christ the King Church saw many healed, comforted and filled with contentment. Our Lord will never disappoint us.
It was a wonderful experience for me, coming from just across the ‘ditch’ for the first time. The Retreat was a blessing to many.
The commitment to the Mission is so visible. With the support and blessing of Bishop Dunn, the Grace was evident. It was amazing to see the priests of the diocese supporting the mission with their presence and sitting for the sacrament of reconciliation.
The Mission was a blessing for the people and all of us.
The Mission is a time for all of us to see His faithfulness. It was a reminder to us that He is Emmanuel – God is with us.
Intimate Union
DRC NZ movement leads the people to an intimate union with God.
In this intimacy, the Love of God is “poured into their hearts through the Holy Spirit” (Rom 5:5). The Movement is actively involved through various ministries in Auckland and tries to reach out to people who suffer hurts and wounds.
This intense experience of Love heals wounds and soothes the strains in family relationships and many experience the process of healing.
Healing is understood not in the narrow sense of bodily well-being, but as the love of God flowing into the brokenness of man to make him whole.
DRC Spirituality is based on the sacraments of the Church, Word of God, Daily Prayer, Adoration, and Marian Devotion.
Wenceslaus Anthony is the Chairperson of the Divine Retreat Centre of New Zealand based in Auckland.
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2. A section of prayers at Christ the King Church
