REVIVED IN GALILEE: A WEEKEND OF FAITH AND MISSION
A little over 700 members of Couples for Christ and it’s Family Ministries gathered from 27th to 29th June at St John XXIII Catholic College in New South Wales for the 2025 Theme Weekend Retreat (TWR). This deeply spiritual event centered on the community’s core calling—evangelization—and marked a
significant moment of renewal, reflection, and recommissioning as part of the global journey
towards the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope.
Prologue: To Galilee, Where It All Began
The retreat was solemnly opened by Bro. Denis Reyes, NSW Cluster Head, with a powerful Prologue titled “To Galilee! Where It All Began!” Grounded in Matthew 28:8,10, the Prologue called the community to “Return to Galilee”—a symbolic and spiritual return to the place of our calling, our mission, and our identity in Christ.
Bro. Denis reflected on the thoughtful discernment behind this year’s theme: “Rejoice, Take Courage, Return to Galilee,” and its scriptural foundations—Matthew 28:10 and Galatians 4:4: “God sent His Son, born of a woman.” Though seemingly distant in context, the two verses converge in Mary, Our Lady of Hope, who stands at the heart of evangelization and the Church’s mission. The Prologue urged
members to embrace their identity as Pilgrims of Hope, especially during the 2025 Jubilee Year declared by the Holy Father.
The Prologue positioned Mary as our companion and guide on this journey of faith and mission. “Returning to Galilee means returning to our roots, to Mary’s fiat, and to the task Jesus gave His first disciples: to cast the net in evangelization and to mend it in pastoral care.” Galilee, as emphasized, is not just geography—it is the birthplace of discipleship. From the Annunciation in Nazareth to the calling of the Apostles by the Sea of Galilee, it stands as a sacred place where God calls and sends. There is no Jesus of Nazareth without Mary of Galilee. Her unwavering “yes” echoes into our own call to mission.
WE ARE EASTER PEOPLE AND HALLELUJAH IS OUR SONG!
Talk 1: Rejoicing Beyond the Empty Tomb Delivered by NC Director Bro. Ronnie Bautista, this session reminded us that as Easter People, Hallelujah is our song. The joy of the Risen Christ compels us to be joyful missionaries, proclaiming the Gospel in every encounter—which is, at its core, a Christ encounter. Mary, the first witness to the Resurrection, is our model in leading others to the living Christ..
Talk 2: Remembering Our Love Story with Christ This session delivered by Bro Jun Capistrano, PFO National Council Member, invited participants to pause and reflect on their personal journey with Jesus—framing it as a love story marked by moments of grace, struggle, healing, and hope. Just as Mary’s life was deeply intertwined with her Son’s—from the Annunciation to the Cross and beyond—so too are our lives intimately connected to the saving love of Christ.
The session urged us not to remain trapped in our wounds, shame, or brokenness. These do not define the end of our story. Rather, we are called to return to our own Galilee—that sacred place in our hearts where we first encountered Jesus’ gaze of love and mercy. It is there that the Risen Lord waits to meet us again, not to condemn, but to remind us who we are: chosen, forgiven, and loved.
To remember our love story with Christ is to rekindle our joy, to recover our purpose, and to recommit to the path of discipleship. It is a call to move forward not by forgetting the past, but by allowing God to redeem it.
I FEEL AWAKENED! I FEEL BLESSED! I FEEL REJUVENATED!
Talk 3: Rejuvenation – Nurturing Intimacy with Christ:
Delivered by Bro Bong Bernardo, NC Director for Missions and Evangelisation, this session was a heartfelt call to reconnect with the Source of spiritual vitality—Jesus Christ. Bro Bong reminded the community that in moments of brokenness, weariness, or spiritual dryness, we are invited not to retreat in despair but to draw near to the fire of God’s love. He emphasized the importance of making contact with the Source of fire —the very heart of Jesus—through sincere prayer and the sacraments. Rather than merely reminiscing about past spiritual highs or moments of grace—our “Galilees”—we are urged to look within and rekindle those encounters in the present. Galilee is not just a memory; it is a living invitation to return to the place where our hearts first burned with love for Christ. In that sacred space of encounter, renewal begins.
Spiritual rejuvenation, Bro Bong explained, is cultivated through regular Eucharistic adoration, frequent reception of Holy Communion, and a disciplined life of prayer. In these practices, our hearts are softened, our vision is renewed, and our missionary zeal is reignited. In returning to Christ, we are not only healed—we are sent out again, ablaze with the fire of the Holy Spirit, ready to evangelize with joy and authenticity.
Talk 4: Recommissioning – From Galilee to the Nations
This talk powerfully framed the call to “Return to Galilee” as not only a moment of spiritual remembrance but a profound act of divine mercy. It is in Galilee—on familiar shores marked by past failures and denials —that Jesus forgave, restored, and recommissioned His disciples. It was there that He turned brokenness into mission and fear into purpose.
Jesus did not call only the faithful—He called everyone, including those who had failed Him. On the shores of Galilee, the Risen Christ did not turn away from Peter, who had denied Him three times. Instead, He went to him, forgave him, and recommissioned him with the words: “Feed my sheep.” This call to return to Galilee is indeed a call to God’s mercy!
In a beautiful and symbolic moment, everyone was encouraged to go around, approach brothers and sisters, embrace one another, and make amends and give gratitude. It was a tangible expression of grace—a reminder that we cannot carry the message of Christ to the nations if we are not first reconciled with one another. This act of unity was not just a gesture—it was a recommissioning. A sending forth to be peacemakers, to live out the Gospel, and to become instruments of healing and hope in a broken world. It reminded us that the mission starts with us—in our relationships, in our communities, and in our willingness to forgive and be forgiven.
“Look around and tell someone: ‘Thank you for your patience, Bro! Thank you for your love, Sis!’ Let grace flow through gratitude!”
Closing PraiseFest & Reflection – Led by Bro. Jay Agustin, NC Member for Finance and Mission Support
The weekend ended with a powerful PraiseFest led by Bro. Jay Agustin, reminding us that our journey doesn’t stop here—it begins again as we return to our daily lives. His reflection reminded the community that the journey doesn’t end with the retreat. We are called to walk back into the world, back into our Galilee, bringing with us renewed hope, bold faith, and deep love.
The Praisefest was not just a celebration, but a sending forth. We left not only recharged but recommissioned—to live our ordinary lives with extraordinary purpose, knowing that Jesus is already there, waiting for us in Galilee.
To cap it off, the community erupted in excitement as it was officially announced that Brisbane will host next year’s Theme Weekend Retreat.
