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Source: (consider it)
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Thread: Retreat
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Hezekiah
Apprentice
# 17157
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Posted
Hmm, I think Purgatory is the right place for this - apologies if it's not.
Do you go on retreat? What attracts you to a particular place? The location? The history? The charism of the religious order/group that runs it? What do you do there? Read? Work? Ignatian exercises?
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2 Kings 3:27
Posts: 36 | Registered: Jun 2012
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Felafool
Shipmate
# 270
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Posted
Definitions required here - your post suggests a retreat where you go away from home for some time. But retreat can be an hour of silence, a day walking. These are forms of retreat I try to build into my life on a fairly regular basis and work to varied dergrees depending on a host of factors.
If you mean a retreat where you go away, I have been on one 5 day retreat and wish I had the time to repeat it at least once a year. I decided I wanted to go somehwere that offered guided retreats, which does tend to select a sprituality which may include an Ignatian approach. I also had a limited window of opportunity, so limited vacancy was a factor. I also wanted to be sufficiently away from home and in a rural setting (I live in a city).
In the end I went to a small retreat centre in Wales (found on t'internet). I was quite anxious about what I would find, and what I would do. The centre was run by 2 people from the Church of Wales, and I was introduced to one of them as my retreat director. There was only one other person on retreat (a stranger to me) and as we had our first meal together in the evening he informed me that he was starting a silent retreat, so we wouldn't be conversing again until we left!
I needn't have worried about what to do. The morning began with a joint prayer in the chapel, then after breakfast I had 30 minutes with my director. We spoke about what I felt I needed from the retreat, and then a suggestion was made that I look at a passage of scripture for the day. The only guidelines were to rest...if I wanted to sleep that was fine, walk outside and explore, read a book OK, but just open myself to allowing Jesus to be there in whatever activity I decided on. It was suggested that it would help to avoid radio or tv. Oh, and mealtimes were the only time-based activities for the day.
As an activist, I found the first day was very difficult. I kept thinking I had to be doing something constructive. On day two, the morning started as before - breakfast followed by direction. Here we shared what had happened the day before, and another scripture was suggested. But as time wore on I realised what a driven person I had become, and a number of personal issues were coming tot he surface. By day 3 I was deeply mellow, peaceful, with a real sense of the presence of Jesus. Day 4 was similar, and looking back I would say I had a life-changing encounter with Jesus by Lake Bala in the evening rain. By day 5 I was beginning to look forward to going home to family and back to work.
I guess what I'm saying is that the key factor for me was to have a guided retreat. I was given permission to do nothing or anything, and worry about nothing or anything, along with just enough steer to help me look for Jesus in the experience, and a bit of wise discernment to work through some of the stuff that came to the surface.
As I say, I wish I could do it every year.
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I don't care if the glass is half full or half empty - I ordered a cheeseburger.
Posts: 265 | Registered: May 2001
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Circuit Rider
Ship's Itinerant
# 13088
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Posted
I like to go on personal retreat, alone, four times a year, although it usually winds up being twice a year. I take books with me, do some planning and thinking, and have down time.
I've done this various ways. Our conference has secluded a camp and retreat center where I can get a room cheap, and I have used that often. I am fortunate to have a Benedictine monastery about 50 miles away, where I can stay in the cloister, go to prayer and mass, and read, pray, and plan in between. That is a great experience. My family rented a lake home a couple of months ago and I went a week early to have my retreat, alone, before the family joined me. That was wonderful too.
As an introvert (INTJ) I have discovered I can't do without my retreats.
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I felt my heart strangely warmed ... and realised I had spilt hot coffee all over myself.
Posts: 715 | From: Somewhere in the Heart of Dixie | Registered: Oct 2007
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Felafool
Shipmate
# 270
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Posted
You could even go on a retreat during your 'normal' daily life.
E.g. See this resource:
online retreat
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I don't care if the glass is half full or half empty - I ordered a cheeseburger.
Posts: 265 | Registered: May 2001
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Yorick
Infinite Jester
# 12169
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Posted
I went on a retreat earlier this year. It was an exceptionally moving and practically helpful way to spend some time, even for an atheist like me. I would expect most people to benefit in very profound ways from such an experience, be they held close in the bosom of their God or lost.
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این نیز بگذرد
Posts: 7574 | From: Natural Sources | Registered: Dec 2006
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Chorister
Completely Frocked
# 473
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Posted
I have managed to make my own retreat where I find myself on holiday - usually a Cathedral city - as Mr. C. visits several of them to sing when the regular choirs are on their break. Cathedrals are particularly conducive to this as they have areas where you can sit or wander quietly, with the promise of Choral Evensong at the end of every day to look forward to.
In a recent break from this tradition, however, we headed to Gladstone's Library (formerly St. Deiniol's), in N.E. Wales - which I can recommend to anyone who would like to combine their retreat with many hours of peaceful reading.
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Retired, sitting back and watching others for a change.
Posts: 34626 | From: Cream Tealand | Registered: Jun 2001
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Ariel
Shipmate
# 58
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Posted
I've done some of the online retreats at home - Creighton Ministry and Sacred Space, and found them very worthwhile. They give you readings and a suggested minimum time for each (with breaks), which is something I found quite useful; I wouldn't normally have given each of the readings as long as they suggested and some of it was surprisingly productive. It does give you a chance to really consider something from all angles. I like the Ignatian approach very much.
I also try to build silence into each day at some point, not always successfully, but being able to get out at lunchtime for a solitary walk can be very useful, as can an early evening. Both do take a bit of conscious intention though, you have to determine to do it.
I've found silence can usually also be fitted into the morning commute for a bit - though that depends on your circumstances, obviously. (The early trains are usually blessed with not-quite-awake commuters who don't welcome any noise.)
Posts: 25445 | Registered: May 2001
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daisymay
St Elmo's Fire
# 1480
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Posted
I've done quite a lot of retreats in various places and they are really useful to be silent and pray and read the Bible. I like having a long time to go, and it feels special.
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London
Flickr fotos
Posts: 11224 | From: London - originally Dundee, Blairgowrie etc... | Registered: Oct 2001
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Hezekiah
Apprentice
# 17157
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Posted
I'm just back from three days in a rather traditionalist Benedictine monastery. I find the silence and the regular communal prayer ideal for meditating upon God, but I do always come away wondering about my own vocation...
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2 Kings 3:27
Posts: 36 | Registered: Jun 2012
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argona
Shipmate
# 14037
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Chorister:
I have managed to make my own retreat where I find myself on holiday - usually a Cathedral city - as Mr. C. visits several of them to sing when the regular choirs are on their break. Cathedrals are particularly conducive to this as they have areas where you can sit or wander quietly, with the promise of Choral Evensong at the end of every day to look forward to.
I love the peace of the retrochoir at Southwark Cathedral, despite - paradoxically - its history as a venue for heresy trials, after which the unlucky were taken off to the stake.
As for 'proper' retreats I prefer a community where I can take part in the offices. An Anglican myself, I've experienced wonderful weekends at Worth (RC) and St Mary's Wantage (Anglican). Worth has the advantage of rural quiet but Wantage has a stillness that remained with me, even when I walked in their garden with a busy dual carriageway just beyond a hedge. Which teaches a lesson... peace within.
Posts: 327 | From: Oriental dill patch? (4,7) | Registered: Aug 2008
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HCH
Shipmate
# 14313
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Posted
To some extent I think of some of my vacation trips as being retreats. I like to hike in wilderness settings by myself. The isolation and the somewhat other-than-usual exercise can be an aid to introspection.
Other trips are less retreat-like.
Posts: 1540 | From: Illinois, USA | Registered: Nov 2008
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daisymay
St Elmo's Fire
# 1480
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Posted
It's been good at Franciscans, where they take care of us and feed us and meet with us individually or all together, once the day we retreat, to discuss, and also we go to their sessions - all through the day till Compline.
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London
Flickr fotos
Posts: 11224 | From: London - originally Dundee, Blairgowrie etc... | Registered: Oct 2001
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Rosa Winkel
Saint Anger round my neck
# 11424
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Posted
Hezekiah, was just reading about you. Glad you're feeling better ![[Biased]](wink.gif)
Taize is the main place I've done retreats in. For me it gave me both peace through the services, bible reflections, silences and nature, as well as exitement through meeting people from across the world. It was going there that made me want to leave GB, and now I'm living in Poland and working in Germany, Poland and Georgia ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
I had a four-month retreat once as well in a Franciscan Friary in Dorset. I also went to the Benadictine Abbey in Ampleforth once for five days.
In each places the key thing was the Divine Office, time for reflection, guidance and walking. One thing though, it's not an easy thing, and I've had some miserable times in retreat due to having to think about various issues.
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The Disability and Jesus "Locked out for Lent" project
Posts: 3271 | From: Wrocław | Registered: May 2006
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Imersge Canfield
Shipmate
# 17431
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Yorick:
I went on a retreat earlier this year. It was an exceptionally moving and practically helpful way to spend some time, even for an atheist like me. I would expect most people to benefit in very profound ways from such an experience, be they held close in the bosom of their God or lost.
This is so moving. Thanks. They so human, caring and good.
Can anyone go and is it accessible ish ?
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'You must not attribute my yielding, to sinister appetites'
"Preach the gospel and only use jewellry if necessary." (The Midge)
Posts: 419 | From: Sun Ship over Grand Fenwick Duchy | Registered: Nov 2012
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Ariel
Shipmate
# 58
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Rosa Winkel:
In each places the key thing was the Divine Office, time for reflection, guidance and walking. One thing though, it's not an easy thing, and I've had some miserable times in retreat due to having to think about various issues.
I wasn't going to mention that aspect, but since you have, yes. Retreats aren't always peaceful. If I spend any time doing this kind of retreat thing I can be pretty sure that the next day will include a downer of some kind - all the peace, perspective and calm will have disappeared to be replaced by the opposite, and the worst aspects of my character come to the fore. This has at times driven me to despair and to postponing any attempt at spiritual exercises or prayer in order to avoid the emotional upheaval - and the "accidie" which this lapses into is not a good state to be in.
I don't want to give up on this and rationally know that there is no way around it but to go through it. I suppose it's a bit like antibiotics getting the muck off your chest, but muck it is and I'd be interested to hear from anyone else who's had similar experiences and how they handled it. PM me if you prefer.
Posts: 25445 | Registered: May 2001
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Angloid
Shipmate
# 159
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Posted
That's why IGRs (Individually Guided Retreats) are a good idea. Each day you have a meeting with your guide/companion/director who will help you to unpack each day's thoughts and emotions. St Ignatius knew very well that on the Christian journey there is no evading the Cross, but that it is not the end of the story.
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Brian: You're all individuals!
Crowd: We're all individuals!
Lone voice: I'm not!
Posts: 12927 | From: The Pool of Life | Registered: May 2001
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Hezekiah
Apprentice
# 17157
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Rosa Winkel:
Hezekiah, was just reading about you. Glad you're feeling better
I presume you mean the original Hezekiah? I've not been ill...
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2 Kings 3:27
Posts: 36 | Registered: Jun 2012
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chris stiles
Shipmate
# 12641
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Posted
I've spent time in various retreat settings - most frequently at L'Abri and with the Franciscans.
I agree with some of the sentiments above that point to the need for some form of individualised guidance throughout a retreat - and both at L'Abri and the Franciscans I've found this to be really helpful.
The other useful thing linked to this is the sense of the routine ordering of life that one experiences when attending these sorts of places for any length of time - a large part of the value is in stepping out of my own very busy routine into the quieter pace of the retreat home. To that extent I'm not sure that I'd find a purely freeform environment - apart from regular meal times - to be as helpful.
Regular times of serving the community through practical tasks can also be something that serves to heighten the value of ones times of study.
Posts: 4035 | From: Berkshire | Registered: May 2007
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Hezekiah
Apprentice
# 17157
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Posted
Yes, though personally I do find the regular communal offices to be the most useful thing. I was walking towards the Abbey church at 5.20am on Tuesday morning as the bell rang loudly for Vigils and I realised that I was actually grinning from excitement.
I know, I'm odd.
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2 Kings 3:27
Posts: 36 | Registered: Jun 2012
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Rosa Winkel
Saint Anger round my neck
# 11424
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Hezekiah:
quote:
Originally posted by Rosa Winkel:
Hezekiah, was just reading about you. Glad you're feeling better
I presume you mean the original Hezekiah? I've not been ill...
Indeed. He was in one of the readings from Isaiah (one of the many readings from the book during Advent) the other day.
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The Disability and Jesus "Locked out for Lent" project
Posts: 3271 | From: Wrocław | Registered: May 2006
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argona
Shipmate
# 14037
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Rosa Winkel:
One thing though, it's not an easy thing, and I've had some miserable times in retreat due to having to think about various issues.
Once I was on a silent retreat soon after bad health news about one of my children for which I was (unreasonably, but you do) blaming myself. It was an awful time but, thanks not least to a 1-1 with a wonderful Franciscan brother, it was good that I was there. My kid was fine in the end.
Posts: 327 | From: Oriental dill patch? (4,7) | Registered: Aug 2008
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