The Mother of God Community will sponsor a Life in the Spirit retreat for families Feb. 19-20 in Mater Dei High School, New Monmouth.

Presenters will include Father Jeffrey Kegley, pastor of St. RaphaelHoly Angels Parish, Hamilton, and spiritual director of the community; Father John Jakub, administrator of Holy Innocents Parish, Neptune; Father Michael Figler, pastor of St. Agnes Parish, Atlantic Highlands, and Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish, Highlands; Father Joseph Meagher, director of the Respect Life Office in the Archdiocese of Newark; Deacon Bob Scharen from St. Mary Parish, New Monmouth, and Sharon Santos, director of religious education in St. Mary Parish, New Monmouth.

The Mother of God Community is a Catholic Charismatic Covenant Community in Monmouth County. Inspired by the Acts of the Apostles, the members respond to God’s invitation to live each day as brothers and sisters in Christ. The community consists of married couples, single men and women, clergy, and religious who worship in various parishes. The Community celebrates and encourages the evangelizing influence of families.

Father Kegley explained that the goal of the retreat is to “help participants realize the fire, the breath, the gifts, fruits and the charisms of the Spirit.”

“Although we receive the life of the Spirit through the Sacraments of Initiation – Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist – many of us need to fan this spark of life into flames.

This retreat invites us to gather and prepare for a very personal ‘Pentecost,’ a new release or revitalization of the Spirit’s presence. It offers us the opportunity to live our baptismal promises in the fullness of the Spirit.”

Father Kegley added that the Life in the Spirit retreat weekend serves to establish or deepen the relationship between the participants and Jesus Christ and to lead them to experience an awakening of the sacramental power of Baptism and Confirmation.

“The retreat is most effective when approached with a personal posture of faith, expectancy and openness,” he said. The retreat will include teachings, personal testimonies from members of the Mother of God Community, Eucharistic Adoration and faith sharing groups, he said.

Topics that will be covered during the retreat include: God’s Love; Salvation in Jesus Christ; Receiving God’s Gifts and New Life in the Holy Spirit. There will also be special prayer time when participants will pray for the “Baptism in the Holy Spirit.”

In addition to celebrating Eucharistic liturgy together, community life includes First Friday Healing Masses, Life in the Spirit seminars, Marriage in the Holy Spirit retreats, Men’s & Women’s prayer meetings and retreats, and youth outreaches.

The weekend will conclude with a charismatic Mass Feb. 21 at 3 p.m. in Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, Highlands.

For more information or to register for the retreat, call Father Kegley at 609-585-7049.