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New Year’s Resolution: Make a Retreat << Previous Next >>
Guest author: Liz Budd Ellmann, MDiv
Jean Vanier and Sister Elisabeth le Jariel, RSCJ
In the New Year, when will you make time for a personal retreat, to nourish your soul and practice compassion for yourself, which ripples out into our families, communities, and world?
Near the end of last year, I made a silent retreat at a retreat center located in a tiny village called Trosly in northern France. Jean Vanier directed the retreat. Jean is the founder of the international movement of L'Arche communities, where people who have developmental disabilities and the friends who assist them create homes and share life together. I am deeply grateful for Sister Elisabeth le Jariel, RSCJ, a spiritual director and chaplain in Paris, France, who invited me to join her on the retreat titled, “Community: A Place for Forgiveness and Celebration.” Jean and Elisabeth are pictured above.
Describing the value of silent retreats is difficult, especially to family and friends who cannot fathom choosing to fast from television, radio, newspapers, e-mail, social networking, and conversation for a week to enter deeply contemplative space and touch into kairos time. Even my dear husband, Steve, thinks I am nuts. Yet he admits he notices a difference when I return renewed and awake to life in new ways. Thank God for soul friends like Elisabeth who understand the need to be in silence and know just the place to be.
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The flow of the retreat included meals in silence, a morning and afternoon inspirational talk by Jean Vanier, and ample time for contemplative practices like walking meditation, praying, creating haikus and contemplative photographs, meeting with a spiritual director, and daily Mass with the local L’Arche community. People from all over the world, but mostly from France, participated in the retreat. While I cannot tell you much about their personal stories, a week in silence together built community amongst us. One of the most moving moments came near the end of the retreat when Jean invited us to wash each other’s feet. Tears of deep belonging flowed as we cared for each other with tenderness, in silence.
In his book, Becoming Human, Jean wrote, “My vision is that belonging should be at the heart of a fundamental discovery: that we all belong to a common humanity, the human race. We may be rooted in a specific family and culture but we come to this earth to open up to others, to serve them and receive the gifts they bring to us, as well as to all of humanity.”
You will do a world of good for yourself and for all of humanity by tending to your soul in 2011 by making a retreat. Moreover, perhaps it would be appropriate to start now, encouraging the people you companion to plan ahead for a retreat this year. Dream a little—where would you go? Retreat possibilities are numerous—including everyday life retreats, silent retreats, online retreats, and group retreats. If you need ideas about where to make a retreat, check out the listings in the back of Presence journal, look in Connections e-newsletter, or review the global resources in Listen. Consider this: in May join the silent retreat following the Spiritual Directors International conference in Atlanta, Georgia. Or go online to the Resources section of the Spiritual Directors International website—a global searchable listing shows retreat centers with spiritual directors on a world map. You will find retreat centers all over the world waiting for you to come home to your soul.
In the comments section on the blog, please share your stories about what happens to you on retreat.
Happy New Year!
01/07,2011, at 20:31
Thank you. I read Henri Nouwen's many books several are referenced to the L'Arch community; I appreciated a first hand experience. I was at the Dublin conference and Glendalough - and learned community there, if my husband had not been seriously ill, I would have gone to Jerusalem..this organization has lifted me where I could not have gone alone. We came to Florida for the winter, Bob's health is deteriorating and I looked online in the directory and found no one but six or eight SDI members listed in my area. I have an appointment on Monday . I bowed my head and said, Thank you God. And..... the last issue of Presence, an article about When the Spirit blows a Gale (Silf)about living with chaos....I am living with dying and now I can lift my eyes up and say...In the chaos is the Spirit and in time the mystery will be revealed. I am so grateful...I cannot begin to tell you..Ellen Leger
01/08,2011, at 07:32
Thank you for reminding me of the silent retreats I love so much. The Resource Center for Women in Ministry in the South offers silent writing retreats three times a year in the Pelican House at Salter Path, NC. The ones I have attended have been life giving. Attendees can share meals, or not, with the time between meals in silence. In the evenings our leader Jeannette Stokes gently and deftly leads us to share if we so chose. I love the self structured silence, and I am renewed, grounded and refreshed by the retreats.
01/11,2011, at 15:37
Just a quick note, Liz, to thank you for your message about retreats and their importance. They are a big part of my spiritual journey and have transformed my spiritual practice. With my Sangha we do a number of multi-day (5 or 10 days) residential silent meditation retreats each year, and I feel so incredibly fortunate to have the opportunity to drop out of day-to-day life commitments and tap into the spaciousness and depths of mindfulness and lovingkindness practice. I'm sure many directors already do this, but hope others will listen to your call. It must have been wonderful to do a retreat with Jean Vanier! All best wishes for a happy, healthy and fulfilling new year! John
02/05,2011, at 03:47
Its frequently excellent to view someone speaking his or her mind, and for that, a number of of us all will be thankful. Cheers for the insight and also the read.
07/02,2011, at 19:59
Have long wanted to make a 30 day Ignatian Retreat and finally rewarded myself with this following the SDI Conference in Atlanta. Had to go to the mountains for they sustain and enrich me - so chose Sacred Heart Jesuit Retreat House in Sedalia, Colorado. Started off examining my shadow side - its weaknesses and strenghts. Felt like Jacob wrestling with the angels when I had to meditate on allowing Jesus to wash my feet. When I surrended completely to Jesus this way, although I felt very vulnerable, was filled with peace and comfort. Another moving experience was when my meditation was on touching the wounds of Jesus. Although the wounds of loved ones immediately surfaced and re-experienced that grief, beyond that, as I not only touched but kissed those wounds, I felt Jesus's arms come around and encompass me with such loving warmth. By the end of the 30 days, I was not longing for conversation, but tearful at leaving such a place of grace and refreshment. I will return to my journal to review the graces received and to use the tools there to draw closer to know, love and serve the Creator who knit me in my mother's womb. My life's metaphor now is the Holy Spirit hovering over me as a midwife as I groan with birthing always the new life God creates in me if I just remember to remain open in prayer to the graces He abundantly bestows on me.
07/08,2011, at 19:36
Julett, your 30 day retreat sounds extraordinary. Thank you for sharing some images from your meditations and prayer. "The Holy Spirit hovering over me as a midwife." That is beautiful! Sweet summer blessings of new life to you... Liz