Upcoming Beloved Retreat
Image by Victor Hughes on Unsplash
A retreat is a great opportunity to hit pause and to recover your balance, to reflect on your life and where you are headed, doing so in God’s presence. Whether you’ve done numerous retreats before or whether you’ll be attending your first one, it’s a good idea to prepare to make a good retreat. From November 18-20, we will be running the annual Beloved Retreat. And for those interested in attending, we’d like to share with you some resources and more details to help you make the most of it:
Resources
To Make a Good Retreat (pdf) - Scepter Publishers
Spiritual Retreats & the Interior Life Audio Talk - St Josemaria Institute, listen on Spotify, Apple Podcast, or Soundcloud
Treasury of Prayers (pdf) - Scepter Publishers
Who is this retreat for?
This retreat is for young women, college and young professionals (20/30s) who want to begin their journey in the faith or are already on the journey, are looking to meet other women who share their passions, values, and purpose and who are wanting to deepen in true friendship with Jesus Christ.
We have an introduction session at the beginning of the retreat to help you make the most of the weekend and answer any questions you might have. You can also DM or email us if you have any questions beforehand.
HOW DO I PREPARE TO MAKE A good RETREAT?
1. Make Time: Dedicate the weekend to your spiritual renewal. Try and focus on your interior life, some people like to put away their mobiles for a period of time during the retreat to minimise distraction.
2. Make a Plan: Some of the retreat is scheduled at specific times but other elements of the retreat are free. Make a plan of when you want to reflect or when you plan to get some fresh air and go for a walk!
3. Keep a Journal: Write down ideas from the talks and meditations that strike you, as well as the thoughts, inspirations, and resolutions that arise from your prayer and reflection.
4. Strive to Keep Silence: A retreat requires interior silence and exterior silence, which helps us maintain a lasting conversation with God.
5. Spiritual Practice: as well as the material offered for the retreat it is suggested each day to read and meditate on the Gospel, pray the Rosary, go to Confession if possible, etc.
HOW DO I GET THE MOST OUT OF THE MEDITATIONS?
Meditations are moments of guided prayer given a priest. The meditations help to offer points for reflection and conversation with God and to deepen the interior life.
1. Listen: Listen to the opening prayer and place yourself in the presence of God. As you listen, take notes. By taking notes, you will know the theme of the meditation, you will cut down on distractions, and you will stay on track.
2. Reflect: When the meditation ends, take about 10 – 15 minutes to look over your notes and think about what God is saying to you: Are there things you could work on to deepen your love for Him? Are there concrete things about which you can make a resolution? Jot those down.
3. Examine: At the end of the first day of the retreat do a brief Examination of Conscience to see how you have used the time, what resolutions you have made, and consider what you need to do to make even better use of the following day.
HOW SHOULD I CONCLUDE THE RETREAT?
Make two or three concrete resolutions that will help you deepen your relationship with Our Lord following the retreat. When you conclude the retreat, remember that the themes addressed should continue to offer inspiration as you progress in your spiritual life. Perhaps once a week or once a month, review your notes and resolutions from the retreat in your time of personal prayer.
We all need help in our journey to God so don’t feel shy about asking for help from a more experienced person who can help you along the way with spiritual guidance. The priest as well as organisers involved in this retreat are there to offer their support and guidance, so do ask.
For those interested in attending our upcoming retreat, you can sign up on our event page linked here.