Retreats

He brought me out into a spacious place;
He rescued me because He delighted in me.
Psalm 18:19

Come away and rest awhile.

Mark 6:31

“When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart, I will let you find me,” says the Lord.

Jeremiah 29:12-14

Retreat is a time of slowing down, waiting, openness, imagination, engagement with mystery, with God.

Retreat is stepping aside from the busy-ness and pressures of twenty-first century life – not escaping, but stepping off the road for a while. Picture Jesus and his followers lounging on the side of a field, watching the clouds floating overhead. Imagine being there, sharing the gift of deep quiet, listening to words that comfort, guide, challenge, and sometimes astound you.

The Celts speak of what they call “thin places,” those sacred places where God seems especially near. Imagine days and nights of stillness in such a place, deepening your relationship with God … spending time in contemplative prayer … reflecting on the relationships you have with others, and with yourself … discerning decisions for troubling situations … exploring how prayer fits in your life … and how your life fits in prayer … taking time to grieve, to heal … having the opportunity to share all this with a compassionate listener who accepts you as you are. Such are the gifts of being on retreat.

I would be delighted to accompany you as retreat director, as spiritual guide. Here are some retreat possibilities:

Directed retreats

These may be three, five, or eight days, at a retreat center. There are several such places where I direct, most often at Campion Renewal Center, a Jesuit retreat center in Weston, Massachusetts. On these retreats, you, the retreatant, meet daily with me, the director, to share matters of your heart about your prayer life, your relationship with God, challenges in your work or family life, and more. The remainder of your day is unstructured, for you to spend in silence, while praying, reading, attending liturgy, being outside, resting, or at meals with other retreatants.

Guided retreats

The setting is similar; the difference is that for a part of each day, I am presenting, to a group of retreatants, reflections on a particular topic, such as deepening your prayer life, living contemplatively in a busy world, or perhaps bereavement or discernment. When I lead a guided retreat, I also make it possible for individual retreatants to meet alone with me for discussion or direction.

If you are interested in any of these possibilities, and would like to know more, I would be glad to have a conversation with you.