Ignatian Retreat
I will be participating in a 30-Day Silent Directed Retreat from Saturday, June 24 until Monday, July 24 at the Jesuit Retreat House in Sedalia, Colorado near Denver. I will be leaving Inverness on Friday, June 23 returning to the parish on or near Tuesday, August 1. The retreat is the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius Loyola. These exercises began with his notes in 1520 around his conversion experience culminating in the first published edition in 1548. Participating in the Exercises is the core of what it means to be a Jesuit, but being a Jesuit is not the goal, spiritual enrichment is.
A Director leads the retreatant with a 45-60 minute conversation each day, and in the spirit of Ignatius seeks to pass on the fundamentals of prayer, belief and reflections leading to action. The Eucharist is celebrated each day and that obviously involves singing and responding but the rest of each day, including meals, are in silence.
The retreat is divided into Four Weeks. In the mind of Ignatius, a “week” is not limited to seven days, rather spiritual experiences to be completed or fulfilled. The primary tool of prayer is silence. This fundamental tool brings about reflection, connecting one’s life with scripture and other spiritual reading and other forms of contemplation and meditation.
The Four Weeks are as follows:
Week 1…
Considers God’s great love for us and our sometimes flawed response to the gifts that God gives us. Then we pray for the grace to see ourselves as sinners yet loved by God.
Week 2…
Focuses on Christ’s mission to save and heal the world. We pray for the grace to discover more intimately Jesus’ compassion and fundamental love of all people AND a desire to join Jesus in his mission.
Week 3…
Focuses on the passion of Jesus. We pray for the grace to travel the way of the Cross WITH Jesus.
Week 4…
Explodes with the chaos, wonder, confusion and awareness of The Resurrection. We pray for the grace to embrace, be immersed in the intimate experience of God’s power of life over death AND that it will propel us on our mission post-retreat.
The following is an excerpt from a musical version of one of Ignatius’ prayers written by the Saint Louis Jesuits. It gives you a taste of Ignatian spirituality.
Take, Lord, receive, all my liberty.
My memory, understanding, my entire will.
Give me only your love and your grace,
that’s enough for me.
Your love and your grace are enough for me.
Take, Lord, receive all I have and possess.
You have given all to me, now I return it.
This will be the second time that I will participate in the 30-Day Silent Directed Retreat. The previous one was in 1994 in Los Altos, California. I do an annual 8-Day Silent Directed Retreat and strongly suggest that you begin with a 3 or 5 day version. Any Jesuit Retreat House including, the one in Barrington, has details.
Please focus more on how silent prayer can enrich you spiritually and less on not talking. Perhaps you have heard my one liner on these types of retreats:
“It is amazing how God can speak to you when you shut up.”
Give it a try.
End of April and May Events
• Our teens celebrated the Sacrament of Confirmation last Sunday, April 30
May Crownings
• Family Faith children celebrated May Crowing at all three sessions last Sunday, April 30
• This Saturday at 5:00pm Mass we will celebrate May Crowning with our parish community
• Tuesday, May 16 we will have May Crowning with Academy students at 9:00am Mass
First Communions
• This Saturday, May 6 and next Saturday, May 13 at 10:30am
Other May Events
• Holy Family Catholic Academy 8th Grade Graduation, Friday, May 26
• Sunday, May 14, Mother’s Day and a special FM at 9:00 am Mass
• Sunday, May 28 Pentecost Sunday – Remember Mass is at 10am. There will be no 9:00am or 11:00am Masses that day, but there will be 5:00pm on Saturday, May 27 and 7:30am Mass on Sunday morning.