The unexamined life is not worth living (Socrates).
The opportunity to attend a four-day residential retreat recently brought forth a lot of opportunities for me examine my life from the spiritual perspective.
This was a retreat based on Catholic principles and conducted by a preacher from the Vincentian congregation, renowned for their ministry of preaching.
Attending a retreat calls for one to set aside one’s normal routine and stay in the retreat center for the duration of the retreat. Among the essential items that we are told to bring are a Bible, notebook and pen.
The days are structured around Daily Mass, Rosary and Adoration. We have an opportunity to make a good confession too.
The various talks given are in various aspects such as on forgiveness, not being a minimalistic disciple, prayer, not longing for the blessings that others have but being content with what you have been blessed with by Him, building a spiritual legacy etc.
During these days, slowly but surely the import of the sessions seep in, my notebook fills up, just like my mind.
I am disturbed by some aspects of my life when I start attending the retreat. The answer to that comes during the retreat itself. It shakes me to the core. Something that I am proud of, a special ability I thought was mine, I need to let go off, to surrender back to Him as it came from Him only.
As the retreat ends and we leave the retreat center, the feeling of being shaken or disturbed from the status quo continues. I have to take the following steps, in order to act on the promptings received during the retreat, “Tom, humble yourself into God’s heart and when you do that God will pour His blessings on you in a special way.”
- Resolve to patch up with an estranged family member.
- Strengthen the family prayer time together. It has been a challenge to get everyone in one place as the schedules of each family member vary so much.
- Forgive: the person who has wronged me. Especially the one who has taken a large sum of money from me and not returned as promised.
- Personal prayer: strengthen the time in personal prayer by spending at least 15 minutes in adoration before or after the daily Mass.
- Confession: More frequent confessions, ideally twice a month.
- Word of God: time to be allocated in reading the Word of God and listening to Him at least fifteen minutes a day.
- Spiritual advisor: Making it a point to meet with my spiritual advisor (in my case it is an elderly Priest), once a month.
- Love: to treat all who I come across with love and respect, especially the poor. I have to radiate His love and presence in me by my actions.
- Spiritual legacy: to work on leaving a spiritual legacy for my children as my parents left me with. The most important thing to pass on to the children, over property, business etc- the gift of absolute Faith in Him, and the need for us to think of eternal life also.
- Central focus: Reduce those activities that can take away the focus from Him and the Mission, he has given me. I think I will play less golf!
I wish to visit these points regularly and benchmark myself as to how I am doing. Otherwise, there would have been no use in attending this retreat, if there is no change.
Why do I share these points with you? To encourage you to go for a retreat too when you have the opportunity. Stepping back from the circle of life and focusing on Him periodically is important. The religious follow this practise of an annual retreat regularly and we should emulate them.
It could result in some radical changes in the way we approach life, as it has done for me.
There will certainly be Catholic retreat centres in your city that you can reach out to, find out their schedule of retreats and attend.
It will be worth the while to try it out. And even if you have gone for a retreat some time back, to take another retreat.
He is waiting for you.
Come to me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28).
The way forward towards Him becomes clearer for me with this retreat experience, the following words echo within:
My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following Your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please You does in fact please You. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that, if I do this, You will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore, I will trust You always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for You are ever with me, and You will never leave me to face my perils alone. Amen (Thomas Merton, Thoughts in Solitude, page 79).
1 thought on “He Is Waiting For You”
Thank you for the encouragement. I haven’t been on a retreat for quite some time, even though the last retreat was greatly beneficial.