In September, the sun rises in Sepang at around 7am over dragonfruit farms as far as the eye can see, with occasional steel towers and power lines marring the landscape. A big tourist bus carrying 11 young people and five adults braved the bumpy dirt road and dropped everyone off at My Nature Leisure Farm to spend four days immersed in an ecospiritual retreat. Spearheaded by the Jesuit parish of St Francis Xavier in Petaling Jaya in collaboration with JCAP’s flagship project Caring for Communities and Creation, this was the second run of the ecospiritual retreat for youth. Combining Ignatian spirituality, grounded action, and immersion in nature, the retreat’s goal is to foster ecological conversion—or at least to plant a seed.
Gathering in the parish compound before the road trip to Sepang, introductions were made among participants. Fr Francis Lim SJ, superior of the Jesuits in Malaysia and Singapore, gave the group a blessing in the warm sunshine and balmy breeze, a first moment of grace during a weekend of many graces. If it takes a village to raise a child, in this case it takes a parish. It takes a dynamic parish priest, in this case Fr Alvin Ng SJ, and committed parish volunteers working in Care for Creation, including Kelvin Boey, Veronica Lourdes, Monica Yeoh, Francis Lai, and Irene Heng, to put great effort and care into creating a special space for young people—from 14 to 31, from all backgrounds and different cultures—to come together for four days of prayer and spiritual conversation, also dragon fruit farming, and also lots of fun.
Where else would the participants be asked to befriend a tree? Or find God in a leaf? The exercise demands one to go out into nature, to attune with its energy and life, to focus on the small details, and to find God in all things. Refreshed by the activity, sharing afterwards was rich and insightful. The Ignatian examen was introduced by Fr Gabby Lamug-Nañawa SJ, explaining the basics of the classic Ignatian prayer to a group of Catholics and non-Christians in an accessible way no matter what faith background. Fr Jomari Manzano SJ, from the Philippine Province, delivered on video some points for reflection on the first night of the retreat. He spoke eloquently on God’s love in all creation, which means that God created everything with a heart. “Nature is brimming with manifestations of God’s love,” he said.
The second day opened with Fr Gabby’s talk on our alienation with creation, which resonated with many participants. Spiritual conversation was introduced as a way of sharing the fruit of their personal prayer and reflection. These spiritual conversations would become the core of this retreat, the preferred way of communicating, deep listening, and holding space for each other. In the afternoon, Mrs Alexis Lim, farmer and owner of My Nature Leisure Farm, gave an introduction to her organic farming practices. There was a practical session on making fruit peel enzymes, which can be used as organic plant fertiliser. Then she led the group down to the farm, herself giving out thick gloves to all before the walk. At the farm, wheelbarrows were waiting to be filled with dead leaves hacked off the healthy plants. The boys made their own team, so the girls made theirs, and a frenzy of field work with much running around and laughing began. The final part of the day was a new kind of examen, an ecological examen, which Fr Gabby led. In the evening, a candle service was held in a circle on the front lawn. While the sky was too cloudy for stars, there was light from the candles lit to symbolise a change of heart, a commitment to an ecological conversion.
A silent nature walk led by Monica Yeoh started the third day of the retreat. A quick round of sharing revealed a deeper appreciation for the environment, just through cultivating a connection. Fr Edward Quinnan SJ, coordinator of the Ignatian Spirituality Network of JCAP, shared on video his own experience of ecological conversion over the years and his personal response to it, giving the participants a lot to reflect on in their own lives and lifestyles. The final input came from Fr Jojo Fung, a Malaysian Jesuit, who spoke on integral ecology, our interconnection with all nature. Even the games in the evening brilliantly demonstrated our inherent connection, our role to play in our ecosystems, and our shared responsibility to care for our common home.
The final session on the last day of the retreat was hopeful and lively, filled with ideas for projects that can be done through collaboration. After certificates and thank yous, the retreat concluded on a positive note. Consoled by the morning Mass celebrated by Fr Alvin, there was a palpable current of energy coming from the youth—from the parish of St Francis Xavier and beyond—who are well aware of the enormous crisis we all face and yet move forward with courage and hope.
