We now come to the end of our retreat.
We have seen that the Risen Lord’s presence,
while real and powerful, is a quiet one.
And our lives in Easter require that we do our part of the work.
Listen to the words of this song from “Godspell.”
It’s called “Beautiful City”–
a fitting closing song about working slowly but surely
to build not an unrealistic heavenly “city of angel”
but a “city of man,”
not instantaneously, but gradually:
“brick by brick, heart by heart.”
It is indeed what our Risen Lord invites us to do
through our lives in his Easter…
BEAUTIFUL CITY
OUT OF THE RUINS AND RUBBLE
OUT OF THE SMOKE
OUT OF OUR NIGHT OF STRUGGLE
CAN WE SEE A RAY OF HOPE?
ONE PALE THIN RAY REACHING FOR THE DAY
WE CAN BUILD A BEAUTIFUL CITY
YES, WE CAN; YES, WE CAN
WE CAN BUILD A BEAUTIFUL CITY
NOT A CITY OF ANGELS BUT WE CAN BUILD A CITY OF MAN
WE MAY NOT REACH THE ENDING
BUT WE CAN START
SLOWLY BUT TRULY MENDING
BRICK BY BRICK, HEART BY HEART
NOW, MAYBE NOW
WE START LEARNING HOW
WE CAN BUILD A BEAUTIFUL CITY
YES, WE CAN; YES, WE CAN
WE CAN BUILD A BEAUTIFUL CITY
NOT A CITY OF ANGELS
BUT WE CAN BUILD A CITY OF MAN
WHEN YOUR TRUST IS ALL BUT SHATTERED
WHEN YOUR FAITH IS ALL BUT KILLED
YOU CAN GIVE UP, BITTER AND BATTERED
OR YOU CAN SLOWLY START TO BUILD
A BEAUTIFUL CITY
YES, WE CAN; YES, WE CAN
WE CAN BUILD A BEAUTIFUL CITY
NOT A CITY OF ANGELS
BUT FINALLY A CITY OF MAN.
After going through this retreat,
learning what you have learned,
experiencing what you have experienced,
it is time to look ahead to the rest of your life.
How will you live it more for the Lord?
Let us end with this “Prayer for Generosity.”
Play this instrumental music
to create a more prayerful atmosphere.
[scribd id=219042224 key=key-24jkd7z4ciljot9e54u2 mode=scroll]
Song: Stephen Schwartz “Beautiful City” from “Godspell” (Vocalist – Hunter Parrish)
Music: Arnel Aquino SJ “Hide Not Your Face”