In order to best orient the students to maximise the final year of schooling it is recommended that Year 12 begins with a retreat experience in its first days, which provides the opportunity for the seeking student to explore the question which Jesus puts to them: “What are you looking for?” (John 1:38).
This retreat would be oriented towards directly inviting the students to embrace the kerygmatic message that Jesus Christ is the Lord and Saviour of their own personal lives (cf. Rom. 10:10), bathing the student in the Light who is Christ (John 8:12), and encouraging each one subsequently to be the “Light for the world” (Matt. 5:14-16), sharing in word and action the love encountered in him.
The retreat would also enable the students to focus on their new responsibility as leaders, to be a good example, to provide pastoral support to their peers and juniors. It would encourage them to give their all for the year, to allow the Holy Spirit to give them the power they need for the year ahead, and to step up in confidence that God will lead them in the path ahead. As well as inspiring input, the students would be provided with an opportunity for the experience of silence, of the Mass, of the Sacrament of Reconciliation and reflection on the Word of God, as well as times of fun, meaningful interaction, sharing and discussion.
In anticipation of participating in Modules 5 and 6, students will be led to ask Jesus to come into the centre of their future professional work life and relationships, especially marriage. They will do this in an activity using the Scripture passage of Luke 5:1-11 in which they invite Jesus to come into the ‘boat’ of their life, of their work, of their Sacramental marriage, so that they can actively surrender their lives to Jesus, who makes work and marriage fruitful and fulfilling.