| Weekend
Retreats or One-Hour Talks
Weekend Retreats | One
Hour Talks | Speaking
Considerations
Retreat
Considerations | Purchase
Tapes | Calendar
Weekend Retreats
"A
New Look at Marriage, Marital Union, and the Eucharist: When the Two Become One
Body"
Presenter:
Katrina J. Zeno
Summary:
This
workshop is for everyone - married couples, DREs, youth ministers, catechists,
single people, Pre-Cana presenters, priests, and deacons. It only requires a half-day
(9 am -12:30 pm) or two evening (7-9 pm) making it a great way to involve the
entire parish or catechetical staff in an inspiring and enriching look at the
foundation of culture and the church - marriage.
Based
on Pope John Paul II's theology of the body, "A New Look at Marriage, Marital
Union, and the Eucharist" includes three talks accompanied by handouts and
Power Point presentations to make the content easier to absorb and apply.
Talk #1: A New Look at the Human Person
This foundational talk provides
an introduction to the theology of the body based on Genesis 1 and 2. The dignity
of the human person as made in the image and likeness of God is highlighted along
with our ability to make a sincere gift of self for the purpose of union and communion. Talk
#2: A New Look at Masculinity and Femininity
In an era when gender is considered
culturally imposed, this talk gives refreshing credence to masculinity and femininity
as part of God's intended design. After considering some of the biological and
physiological differences between men and women, the unique way men and women
make a gift of self is explored with particular emphasis on spiritual motherhood
and spiritual priesthood. Talk
#3: A New Look at Marriage, Marital Union, and the Eucharist
God designed
human persons to not only image the Trinity individually, but also as husband
and wife united in covenant love. This talk unpacks Ephesians 5:32-33 to look
at the "Great Mystery" of the Trinity and how that mystery is imaged
on earth through marriage and marital union. The intentional destruction of marriage
and marital union is also addressed along with a brief consideration of Natural
Family Planning. The
goals of this workshop are threefold:
1) To provide a foundational anthropology
of the human person as made in the image and likeness of God for union and communion
through a sincere gift of self.
2) To demonstrate God's intention behind gender
as the distinctive way a man or woman makes a sincere gift of self, and in doing
so, reveals God.
3) To demonstrate how marriage is a reflection of the inner
life of the Trinity, Christ's love for the Church, and the irrevocable gift of
God's presence in the Eucharist and how marital union reflects all three along
with a renewal of the marriage covenant. The
cost or this workshop is $600 plus travel and housing expenses and is presented
by Katrina J. Zeno. Make
the "Year of the Eucharist" an unforgettable part of your parish or
diocesan life by arranging to host this workshop in your area. For more information
or to book this workshop, contact Katrina Zeno directly at Katrina@wttm.org
or 740-282-9062 "Going
Deeper Into Prayer and the Eucharist"
Presenter:
Katrina J. Zeno
Summary:
In this one-day retreat, Katrina combines three of her most popular talks into
one theme - what is the purpose of prayer and how can we deepen our prayer life.
The retreat is composed of three talks plus a Holy Hour (preferably with the Sacrament
of Reconciliation available). It is suitable as a general parish or retreat experience
or as a woman's day of reflection. Talk
#1: When God Changes the Script
Ever notice that life doesn't go the way we
expect? Pain and suffering can be one of the greatest deterrents to prayer or
to drawing closer to God. In this talk, Katrina looks at how the script changes
of life can actually draw us closer to God and deeper into prayer. She especially
highlights Old Testament figures who experienced a script change (Abraham, Joseph,
Ruth, etc.) culminating in the greatest script change of all - the Incarnation
and Mary's fiat. Talk
#2: Living the Eucharistic Pattern
Pope John Paul II in his encyclical Ecclesia
de Eucharistia, exhorts all Catholics to make their lives "in a certain way
completely Eucharistic." How is this possible? Drawing from Fr. Henri Nowen's
book, Life of the Beloved, Katrina looks at how the Eucharistic pattern of being
chosen, blessed, broken, and given can be inscribed into each of our lives. She
builds on the theme of brokenness from Talk #1 to emphasize the connection between
the way we are broken and the unique way we are given. Jesus' words at the Last
Supper, "This is my body, given up for you," set the tone for this talk. Talk
#3: The Divine Marinade
Continuing in prayer and deepening our Christian life
means we have to persevere in spending time with God. We have to rest in the "divine
marinade" so that our hearts are softened and grow in receptivity. Katrina
looks at three components of this marinade: detachment, consecration, and spiritual
virginity as ways to spiritual growth and maturity. Ideally, a Holy Hour with
confessions follows this talk so that participants can "rest" in the
divine marinade in the Eucharistic presence of Christ.
"In
the Divine Image"
Presenter: Katrina J. Zeno
Summary:
A
One-Day Workshop on John Paul II's Theology of the Body consisting of seven, half-hour
talks: - Before
Orginal Sin Surfaced
-
Why the Fig Leaves?
- What's
the Spirit Got to Do With It?
-
Why on Earth Is There Heaven?
- Reclaiming
Virginity
- Marriage
and the Eucharist
- Humanae
Vitae and Birth Control
This
workshop is for you or your parish if: - you
know nothing about the theology of the body.
- you've
tried to read theology of the body and can't figure it out.
- you're
excited about theology of the body and want to share it with others.
Most
importantly, participants will learn how to work with the actual writings of Pope
John Paul II so as to unpack their profound and life-changing concepts for themselves.
For more information on this *new* workshop, contact Katrina
at katrina@wttm.org. "The
Genius of Woman:
Our Dignity, Vocation and Mission"
Our most popular
retreat!
Presenter:
Katrina J. Zeno
Summary:
This retreat is designed for women of all ages and states in
life. It is also helpful for deacons, deacon's wives, and priests to aid them
in their ministry to women. It works well as a parish event or when offered by
an annual retreat ministry. There
are four talks for a one-day retreat and five talks for a weekend retreat followed
by times of reflection and/or discussion. Audio and video tapes of each talk are
available from Our Father's Will Communications at ofwc@theologyofthebody.net
or 866-333-6392 (toll free). Talk
1: First a Daughter, Then a Bride
This introductory talk (45 minutes)
invites the women to think about their relationship with God. Katrina shares about
the re-founding of her identity in God after the painful break-up of her marriage.
She finishes with a time of prayer focusing on our relationship with God as Father.
Talk
2: The Genius of Woman, Part 1
Talk 2 (40 min.) draws from the Pope John
Paul II's writings on Genesis 2 and 3. Katrina speak about the nature of woman
as it's been discussed for 2500 years to show how John Paul II is making an original
contribution to the dignity of woman. Particular emphasis is placed on the nuptial
meaning of the body, which allows us to make a sincere gift of self to God and
others. This talk concludes by looking at a woman's ability to make a sincere
gift of self through motherhood. The
Genius of Woman, Part 2
The second part of this talk (45 minutes) looks
at original sin and how it affects our ability to make a sincere gift of self
to God and others. Katrina briefly reviews the "discussion" between
Eve and Satan to see how sin is always reductionistic. She then looks at four
ways sin has affected women in their bodies. If time permits, a time of prayer
for healing follows along with reflection time and journaling. Talk
3: Weaving a Tapestry of Life
This talk (50 minutes) discusses the struggles
involved in creating a coherent identity from all of life's pieces. The images
of a seamless garment, patchwork quilt, and colorful tapestry are used to trace
different stages in life. Two key ideas are the "three levels of vocation"
(from St. Edith Stein) and the "coincidence of opposites" (from St.
Bonaventure). The concept of mission is also included. A time of reflection and
sharing among the women follows. Talk
4: Spouse of the Spirit
This talk can be presented in a 20-minute format
for a one-day retreat and a 60-minute version for a weekend format. Everything
presented so far is applied to deeper union with God. Katrina shows how each person
is called to spousal union with God and gives eight practical ways to live this
union. The Blessed Mother is presented as the most perfect (human) example of
the spousal life and the Eucharist as Jesus' nuptial gift to us. A time of reflection
and sharing among the women follows along with open sharing by the whole group. "The
Single Life: Mistake or Mission?"
Presenter: Katrina J. Zeno
Summary:
This retreat
was designed at the request of the bishop of the Diocese of Wichita, Kansas. He
wanted to reach out to the professional singles in his diocese, but discovered
nothing was available in the United States to meet this need. To create this retreat,
Katrina combined the theology of the body with reflections on the nature of men
and women, virginity, Vatican II's call to the laity, and John Paul II's writings
on mission. What resulted was a powerful and new way for single people to look
at themselves and their purpose and mission in the world and the church. The goal
of this retreat is for singles to see themselves as indispensable to society and
the church instead of as a "nonentity" during this seemingly invisible
"waiting" period.
This retreat can be geared for a college-age
audience or for those who find themselves still single (or single again) in their
late 20s, 30s, 40s, etc. It is generally best not to mix these two audiences,
as their needs are different. Talk
1: In the Beginning: What Are We Created For?
This talk sets the groundwork
for the retreat by looking at mission - what are we created for? Katrina uses
Genesis 2 to define this mission in terms of being made in the image and likeness
of God. This leads to our ability for union, even as single people. She expands
this understanding of union to include God, others, nature, and within ourselves.
She ends by showing how original sin destroyed this ability for union. Talk
2: In the Middle: The Genius of Woman and the Splendor of Man
This talk
is packed from beginning to end with insights about the nature of woman and man.
Katrina focuses particularly on the unique way that women and men make a gift
of self that is different. For women, it is through spiritual motherhood while
for men it is through spiritual priesthood. Key insights are drawn from Dr. Larry
Crabb's book, The Silence of Adam, as well as Jesus' priestly gift of self.
Talk 3: In the End: Eucharist, Marriage, and Virginity
Talk 3
looks at heaven and how it illuminates the purpose of our life and mission her
on earth. The Eucharist is seen as the temporal fulfillment of heaven - union
with Christ. Marriage is then considered as the way God prepared us to understand
the spiritual depths of the Eucharist. Virginity is presented not only as a physical
quality but as a spiritual quality, which, Pope John Paul II says, is ultimately
fulfilled in heaven. Talk
4: On Earth: Still Single - Mistake or Mission?
This final talk describes
the single person's mission as a reflection of Christ's mission and the Church's
mission. Katrina synthesizes Pope John Paul II's Mission of the Redeemer, Christifidelis
Laici, and Vita Consecrata with Vatican II's writings on the laity in order to
inspire singles to embrace their indispensable mission in the world. Talk
5: (Optional) To Date or Not to Date: That is the Question!
While single
people need to be embued with a sense of mission, many come to the retreat more
focused on findin a mate. This optional talk (if time permits) addresses this
keenly felt issue by giving a different approach to recreational dating - chaste
dating with a purpose. The primary principles of this talk are drawn from Joshua
Harris' book Boy Meets Girl, which provides a healthy and chaste framework for
relating to the opposite sex before and during dating.
"Marriage
and the Eucharist: The Two Become One Body"
Presenter: Katrina J. Zeno
Summary:
This retreat is geared
for married couples or married individuals, although single people are welcome
to participate. It is a primer on the theology of the body for married couples
and a wonderful way to introduce them to Pope John Paul II's concepts without
overwhelming them. It echoes many of the themes in the singles' retreat (above)
but applies them to marriage instead of the single state. This retreat can be
expanded into a weekend retreat by adding a 5th talk on Vatican II's call to the
laity combined with Pope John Paul II's call to families (Familiaris Consortio).
Talk
1: Beyond Venus and Mars
Are men really from Mars? Are women really from
Venus? Talk 1 shows the danger of this "modern heresy" by looking at
God's original design from the beginning for male and female. It looks at both
the unity and diversity of male and female and how both are necessary to image
God. This talk introduces concepts such as the theology of the body, nuptial meaning
of the body, sincere gift of self, divine vision, and most importantly, a sacramental
view of reality. It also looks at the effects of original sin on the male/female
relationship and God's answer through the Incarnation. Talk
2: The Genius of Woman
This talk illuminates the unique way a women makes
a sincere gift of self through motherhood, and expands it to include all women
through spiritual motherhood. Four ways in which Satan undermines a woman's dignity
and the value of her body are also discussed. Mary is presented as the most grace-filled
example of the genius of woman. Talk
3: The Splendor of Man
What is a man's particular charism? While many
may be tempted to think it is fatherhood, Katrina expands this idea to include
spiritual priesthood. She looks how Satan's plan has been to tempt men to retreat
into passivity or use domination in their relationships with women. Focusing instead
on a third path - spiritual priesthood - she looks at how a man is called to lay
down his body and blood for the sanctification of the world. Christ's priestly
act upon the cross and in the Eucharist is considered as a man's ultimate calling.
Talk
4: Marital Love and the Eucharist
While men and women individually image
God, marriage images God's love for us in a particular way. This talk looks at
how marital love (i.e., sexual union) and the Eucharist provide a double-illumination
- sexual union was created by God as a sign of the Eucharist and the Eucharist
reveals a deeper meaning and purpose to sexual union.
Talk 5: (Optional)
A Call to Families!
Marital love is meant to blossom forth into the world
as family. This talk considers how the family is meant to be a "communion
of persons" and so bring God's presence into the world. Some factors in the
modern culture that undermine this call are detailed and ways to counteract these
factors are suggested so that families can become what they are - an icon of the
Trinity in the world!
"Mary and the Eucharist"
Presenter: Katrina J. Zeno
Summary:
John Paul II's theology
of the body has particularly rich implications for the life of Mary and our understanding
of the Eucharist. This retreat applies these insights to four dimensions of Mary's
life along with digging into the brilliant writings of Blessed Peter Eymard and
others on the Eucharist. These insights are then personalized to help each participate
live a more Eucharistically centered life by imitating Mary.
Talk
1: The Four Glories of Mary, Parts 1 and 2
Does it really matter that
Mary was conceived without sin? The answer must be "yes" if this dogma
of the church is to be firmly believed by all, but why? This talk answer this
question based on the rupture of our ability for union that resulted from original
sin. Katrina then goes on to look at Mary as the Ark of the Covenant in the Annunciation
scene and the Visitation. Mary's final glory is the Assumption, which is an icon
of every Christian's vocation in heaven. Talk
2: The Eucharist: Jesus' Total Gift of Self
This talk plumbs the profound
depths of Jesus' words: "This is my body given up for you." Katrina
looks at the importance of the Christ's human body in God's plan for salvation
and how his body becomes the source of Christ's conjugal act of love. The Mass
as Jesus' perpetual gift of self is meditated upon using insights from Dr. Scott
Hahn's book, The Lamb's Supper. Each person's participation in the Mass is emphasized
as well as the Eucharistic virtues according to the writings of Blessed Peter
Eymard. Talk
3: Mary and the Eucharistic Life
The grace that suffused Mary's life is
the same grace God offers us. This talk looks at how each of us is called to be
overshadowed by the Holy Spirit so that we can imitate Mary as Christ-bearers.
Our call to be living tabernacles in the world is emphasized rather than placing
our value on productivity. Mary's acts of adoration, gratitude, and contemplation
before the tabernacle, as described by St. Peter Eymard, is presented as the example
of the Eucharistic life.
"Bursting
Your Baptismal Graces"
Presenter: Katrina J. Zeno
Summary:
This is a one-day retreat
for Confirmation Candidates that Katrina designed for the confirmation classes
she teaches. It is built around three talks on priest, prophet, and king and includes
handouts and fun activities for the kids. It is geared for candidates ages 13
and older.
Back
to the Top
One
Hour Talks
Many of the one-day retreats have
corresponding one-hour talks, but Katrina also offers a number of talks on other
subjects such as passing on the faith, romance, and the spirituality of Argentine
tango (complete with a free tango lesson!). Please see below for a complete listing
of one-hour talks: - Passing
on the Faith - Basketball Style (great keynote talk for a parish day of renewal;
can include the kids as well. Includes an extensive handout of prayers.)
- Teaching
Children to Pray the Mass (for parents; includes a handout)
- St.
Edith Stein: Hope and Promise For Our Time
- Men,
Women, and Romance: How to Survive in the Third Millennium (for singles)
- Wuzz
Up with Adam, Eve, and the Fig Leaves? (for teens)
- Bursting
Your Baptismal Graces: Living Everyday as Priest, Prophet, and King (for adults)
- Three
to Tango (the spirituality of Argentine tango; this can be combined with a
free tango lesson)
- When
God Changes the Script (how to deal with unexpected change and suffering)
- Male
and Female: Mistake or Glory?
- The
Genius of Woman (one-day retreat on women condensed into one hour)
- Mary
and the Eucharist (one-day retreat condensed into one hour)
- The
Jubilee Continues: Going Deeper Into the Heart of God (based on JPII's apostolic
letter: "At the Beginning of the New Millennium")
- In
Christ's Footsteps: The Spiritual Path for Men (talk on spiritual priesthood
for men; this can be offered the evening after the woman's retreat so the men
aren't left out!)
- Building
A Culture of Life
- Building
A Civilization of Love: Reflections on Parenting, Chastity, and True Love
(how to teach your children about chastity according to guidelines by the Pontifical
Council on the Family)
- Living
the Divine Design (an introduction to John Paul II's Theology of the Body)
- My
Cinderella Story (personal witness ideal for Magnificat meals, women's conferences,
etc.)
-
The Gift of Woman (ideal to talk and dessert night for women of all ages)
- The
Role of Women in the Third Millennium
- Living
the Eucharistic Pattern
(how to deal with unexpected change and suffering; can be adapted for Advent or
Lent)
- The
Single Life
(Pickle Juice or Champagne?)
- Mary
and Theology of the Body
-
The New Feminism
- Women
Priests: Why Not?
-
What Extinguishes Your Lamp?
- Keep
Your Lamp Burning
Back
to the Top
Speaking
Considerations
Speaking fee: Travel expenses plus a stipend of $500 per talk,
or $1000 for a one-day retreat, or $1500 for a weekend.
Transportation:
Airplane or travel costs are to be covered by the sponsoring organization, parish,
or diocese. Please make arrangement for local transportation during the speaker's
stay. Lodging:
Hotel accommodations are not necessary if a private home or rectory is available
that provides a restful and private environment, preferably without any dogs.
Audio/Video
tapes: If you plan to audio or video tape the retreat, a 10% royalty is requested. Specific
Audience or Concerns: If you have a specific audience or special concerns,
WTTM would be happy to work with you or a committee to tailor a conference, retreat,
or talk to your needs. Back
to the Top
Retreat
Considerations
Suggested
one-day retreat format: Begins at 9 am with Mass and Talks 1 and 2 in the
morning. The afternoon is comprised of lunch (either catered or brown bag) and
Talks 3 and 4, ending by 4:30 or 5:00 pm. Suggested
weekend retreat format: Begins Friday night with Talk 1. Saturday: Talks 2
& 3 in the morning and Talk 4 in the afternoon. Sunday: Talk 5 in the morning
followed by Mass. Reflection
and Discussion Time: This time is meant to provide the participants a chance
to assimilate, reflect upon, and share what God may be saying to them through
each talk and through each other. Experience shows that women usually prefer to
share their thoughts and insights with each other. If possible, journaling time
should also be included in order to give the participants something to refer back
to in the months to come. Prayer
Ministry Time: Retreats are different from conferences in that they allow
the opportunity for God to minister to the wounded and unmet needs of the participants.
In the ministry time, Katrina frequently uses Scripture passages that speak to
some of these wounds as well as prayers for healing. The organizers of the retreat
may also want to have prayer teams available for the participants to receive individual
prayer.
Back
to the Top | 
