Retreats and Recollections

Retreats
Retreats are days that are taken for the sake of focusing on
the Christian life and evaluating where we are in our spiritual
journey. Retreats vary in their themes and in the number of
days involved. Usually, given our modern-day setting,
retreats take place during the weekend - many starting on
Friday afternoon and ending on Sunday afternoon. Those who
have more time on their hands can be able to take retreats that
span for maybe about a week or even as long as one month. It
all depends on the time factor that one has control of.

There is no doubt that retreats truly help us in our Christian
life. Retreats help us to be set apart from our working lives, our
businesses and all our worldly concerns; it then helps us refocus
on what is truly essential in life. Many of the saints in
our Catholic history took a prolonged retreat before they
embarked on lifelong missions or a lifelong work of charity.
We need only to mention Benedict and his retreat at Subiaco.
And not to mention Ignatius of Loyola and his retreat at
Manresa. Also not to forget Francis and his retreat to the chapel
of Portiuncula. And should we forget the name of Anthony of
the desert who took a 20-year retreat into a castle in the
desert?! After his retreat, he emerged looking as young as
when he withdrew to the desert, and without being disturbed
or agitated by the commotion of the people around him. He
had such equanimity, tranquillity and peace that only a 20-year
retreat into the desert can give.

We need not be like Ignatius, or Benedict, or Francis, or even
Anthony of the Desert, to improve and strengthen our relationship
with God. In these days of urban life and city-dwelling,
we need only to take some days off from our working lives and
enter a retreat program that will help us ground ourselves
back into the basics of our Christian existence. If we undertake
these retreats, our spirit will not only be renewed and we
will feel a fresh new start in our Christian life, but we
will also be recharged with an energy that comes from the Spirit
of God and not the anxious, tense and nervous energy that comes
from being immersed in the rat race. Our energy will be spiritual
rather than one sourced from the influential powers of the world.

Recollections
Recollections are mini-retreats. They can be as short as one
day or even just three-fourths of a day - with the spiritual
inputs given in the morning and then the confession and spiritual
direction given in the afternoon. Finally, if time permits,
the recollection is ended with the celebration of the Eucharist
- and with the presider integrating all the themes and elements
taken up in the inputs of the recollection.

For those in the business world and those whose professional
working life coupled with being a parent and managing a family
and a household, the recollection seems to be the best spiritual
solution for one truly overstressed from the demands of daily
living. Just a day with the Lord will truly refresh anyone
from being engaged for a long time in the rough, tug-of-war,
and hectic schedules and deadlines that this modern world
can give. When the focus of our attention is only on making
a living, or earning our keep, or in fulfilling one's obligations
in the family and in the society, we lose touch of what is
truly important in our life. We become superficial. We become
shallow. We are easily swayed by the influences of the world.
We easily get tempted to go with the crowd. And most of all,
we forget that we are Christian and we forget our vocation
to follow Christ. This being the case, recollections can help
us re-focus our attention on God and His word and the call to
serve His Church through our particular state of life and
personal vocation. So, whenever you may have the opportunity
to take a recollection, take it and don't hesitate to sign
up or to pay anything that needs paying. If we are able to
take care of the state of our soul then we will be able to
take care of others as well. We shall be as Christ wants
us to be: "as a light to others", as "men and women
of service to others", and "as branches bearing fruit
in His name."

Dennis-Emmanuel Cabrera
December 26, 2004

Articles and Blogs
Praying the Rosary
Lectio Divina
Eucharistic Adoration
Retreats and Recollections
Spiritual Reading
Praying Novenas
Confession
Devotions
Communion

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