Batavia Retreat Focuses on Real Meaning of Revelations
By Pat Szpekowski
November 23, 2017
BATAVIA—“My first intention is to help you discover the Book of Revelation,” said Father Dominique Faure.
Father Faure presented a one-day retreat, “Apocalypse: Light of Hope for the Church,” at Holy Cross Parish, here, on Nov. 18.
Born and raised in Paris, France, Father Faure is a speaker and retreat master. He is a member of the religious community Verbum Spei (Word of Hope) and lives in New Zealand where he serves as the chaplain of Catholic Discipleship College.
He has also held two retreats regarding the 12 chapters of the Revelation on the island of Patmos, now Greece, the site where St. John the Apostle wrote the Book of Revelation about the apocalypse while he was exiled. It was here, where at the age of 95, St. John chronicled to the seven Christian churches what he had seen in a vision of the end times.
The topic enticed several hundred people to hear and understand the teaching of the apocalypse. Each person received a booklet that included the 22 chapters of Revelations.
Father Faure read from the chapters as he explained, “It is the last book of the Bible that is difficult for others to interpret as it is full of symbolisms and metaphors.”
He spoke of the overall meaning of the chapters as they described the dimensions of the Church — its vision, authority, truth, glory, mystery, and government.
A significant feature of Revleations is the use of symbolic colors, metals and numbers.
“The Book of Revelation, it is not a source of fear, but one of hope, and the return of Christ,” he said.
“We must look at it in a historical way and realize that even when the Church is in trials, Christ is constantly present and victorious,” he said.
Father Faure briefly gave the symbolic references of numbers in the book.
“Number three symbolizes God; number 12 is for man and the 12 tribes of Israel; and number seven is for the totality of perfection — the seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit and the seven sacraments,” he said.
While interpreting the symbolisms in Revelation 4:6, Father Faure said the “sea of glass like crystal is Our Lady and the four living creatures covered with eyes in front and in back is Jesus, the man and the spirit.”
As he reviewed the chapters, Father Faure more than once said the book continually repeats that “our own constant battlefields are everywhere throughout our lives. When we sin, we’re choosing not to be like Christ. We have one eye on God and one eye on the world, ourselves.
“We must look at ourselves in a different way,” he said. “We must be rid from a culture of despair and false insecurities of the world, as we only will find security in God Himself.
“Despite all of our unfaithfulness,” he continued, “God is always there. As in the church of Laodicea, we cannot become lukewarm. We must be like the saints, who are always joyful. We must be silent and in prayer to bring Jesus into our life.”
Retreatants were moved by Father Faure’s hopeful interpretation of the apocalypse.
“Each of us is different and how we interpret the Book of the Revelation,” said Jocelyn Solomon of St. Patrick Parish in St. Charles. “This is about what is in you.
“I feel the Holy Spirit here,” she added, “and what we must think about is that Jesus is merciful.”
Gabriel Jude Kolbe Tudor, who came from Peoria to hear Father Faure, said, “What he says resonates with me. By hearing him, I’ve never been more alive or fulfilled. He knows the truth.”
Tudor has attended one of Father Faure’s retreats in Patmos, Greece and added that it was “very enlightening.”
In addition to the one-day retreat, Father Faure remained at Holy Cross parish through Nov. 22, where he celebrated Mass with Father James Parker, pastor, and Father Jared Twenty, parochial vicar.
Other parish events included a youth gathering about what it means to have a friendship with Jesus, a couples’ evening, and a retreat for Holy Cross School teachers and staff.