We began our retreat on October 5th and were gently and powerfully guided by Fr. Brendan Callaghan SJ. The setting is beautiful and the surroundings make going out for a walk a real insertion in nature. Apart from Fr Brendan’s input, he preached at the daily Eucharist. We had the opportunity of individual spiritual direction and also shared in small groups at the end of the day. The final hour of our day was given to silent Eucharistic adoration.
The first day Fr. Brendan invited us to bring everything to God; to let God unbind us and set us free. He quoted from Meister Eckhart
You must bring him everything!
Your dreams, your successes, your rejoicing.
And if you have little to rejoice over, bring him that little.
…
And if you have only empty hands, bring him your empty hands
Shattered hopes are his material; in his hands all is made good.
On Day 2, Fr. Brendan talked of the Principle and Foundation. He quoted from an English Jesuit, Rob Marsh, Everything and each human being is God’s work of art, created and sustained by the passionate love of God so that each one of us, in their own way, might live life to the full, appreciating life’s richness, aware of life’s origins in the Gifting God, and overflowing in love to all other creatures. Julian of Norwich wrote: God ‘loves us and enjoys us, and so he wills that we should love him, and enjoy him, and firmly trust him. And all shall be well.’
Day 3 brought deepened the Principle and Foundation and talk of ‘indifference’. To ‘grow in indifference doesn’t require us to stop being interested in the people or the things or the causes around us. Jesus in his living never fails to be interested in those he meets, but he chooses how he relates to people, according to his relationship with his Father. The heart of indifference: recognising that I am called to order all the aspects of my life within the context of God’s relationship with me.’
On Day 4, the invitation was ‘to pray so as to be renewed in our experience of being called – called and sent… the focus on the call to be with Jesus … All those who want to come with me will have to labour with me, so that by following me in my suffering they may also follow me into glory.’
Day 5 was a graced day of reflection on “I thirst” which you can read in a separate post.
The theme of Day 6 was ‘Resurrection’. Fr. Brendan pointed out: ‘It’s a theme running through the Hebrew Bible – God’s delight in God’s creation, God’s tender joy over God’s people, as a people and as individuals, God’s delight and tenderness and joy finding expression in God’s covenant of utter commitment.’
Day 7, this morning, we prayed with ‘The Contemplation to Attain Love’. We were invited to ‘finish where we began’, pausing only to remind ourselves that the only ‘correct’ way to pray the Contemplatio is the way that best opens me up to God’s loving presence and action. We must ‘bring him everything! And we must let God bring us everything … in his hands all is made good.’
The Retreat closed with the Mass of the Holy Spirit which moves us to Chapter.
Find out more about what a General Chapter is or the preparations for our FCJ General Chapter. Follow the Chapter news on the News of our General Chapter page.
