An Unexpected Retreat

               Thursday night, as I was waiting for my son to finish football practice, I felt beat.  It had a very busy week filled with a variety of activities that had drained my body and my mind.  I was try to figure out where I was going to mass the next day, as I had to drop my son off such that it conflicted with my usual churches for daily mass.  St. Dominic’s came to mind. 

               St. Dominic’s church building is nearly 100 years old and it is located in SW DC near a variety of office buildings and it has a mid-day mass geared to working people.  The inside is so different than the “modern” churches built in the mid-20^th century in the suburbs.  I didn’t think twice about where I would go, but had to determine whether to drive or metro.

               While I was dropping my son off at school on Friday morning, I had the sudden urge to find a quiet place to pray.  I realized that St. Jerome’s church was just a few blocks away.  I parked and entered the church lobby, only to stop and smell – incense!  Well, that could mean a funeral, although the parking lot was pretty empty, or adoration!

               Yes, as it happens, they have adoration every Friday morning.  I knelt in reverence to our Lord and was just kneeling in the pew when the priest came into the sanctuary and kneeled.  As it happens, they pray the Litany of the Sacred Heart and the Miraculous Medal prayers at the time I arrived.  And I happily joined the dozen or so who were gathered.

               It got even better, at the end of the prayer time, we had the opportunity to venerate a relic of St. Rose of Lima, who feast was celebrated that day.  After all of the activity, I was able to settle into the quiet and spend time with our Lord in contemplation.

               Getting into my car, I decided to drive to the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, park and walk to the Brookland Metro Station.  That would allow me to stop in the Shrine on the way back to my car.  The mass at St. Dominic’s was so peaceful.  It was attended by at least 50 people.  I love the way the cross, with Mary on one side and John on the other, is hung so close to the pews.  After mass, I was able to venerate a relic of St. Jude’s!  And then went to his chapel to pray.

               Walking back from the Metro, I ran into a friend who is a Dominican Brother and was able to catch up on this summer activities.  I spent time in the chapels in the upper church and then drove home.

               What a beautifully, unexpected retreat!  I don’t think it could have been better if I planned it.  Well, perhaps it was planned by our Lord. After all, He was waiting for me in all of those places!  

Fruits of a Retreat

As I begin this Sunday morning, I am peaceful and joyful.  I am enjoying just the beginning fruits of a retreat.  It has been a tumultuous week.  It began with a packed schedule, included a surprising opportunity to significantly expand my business, important work for my clients, and all of the various family activities that comprise a week at the end of the summer. 

Only because of God’s Providence, my retreat took place on the lush, green grounds of a rural Franciscan monastery, the property of a contemplative order of sisters. I lived in a hermitage, walked a half mile or so to the Motherhouse for prayer three times a day, cooked my own simple meals on the hot plate and I read and prayed and walked and prayed and went to mass and sat on the swing and prayed. Mascara did not touch my lashes or color my lips. Birds and grasshoppers composed my music for the week. For a short time, I had a back and white jumping spider as a room mate (and neither of us is worse for the experience)!

For five days, I indulged myself in the extravagance silence of a retreat. The days rolled from on to the other without a “to do list”.  Since my watch battery died, I listened to the chapel bells for the time of day.  I worshiped in the chapel, in various pray gardens outside and as I walked the acreage both in the fields and in the forest. 

I prayed before the Blessed Sacrament for hours, joined the sisters for Mass and prayed the Liturgy of the Hours each day.  I was delighted to participate in the Franciscan Feast of the Portiuncula on August 2^nd.  This is the chapel that was used by St. Francis in the city of Assisi.  On that day, the sisters drove into Steubenville to worship at a model of the Portiuncula, leaving me 2 hours to pray alone in the chapel.  I had Him all to myself!

I meandered through portions of St. Catherine’s Dialogue.  I had time to read and re-read sentences and then to ponder over them. Sometimes it seemed as if God’s words to cascade over me as I read.  I explored using some of St. Dominic’s pray positions and found that the strange physical positions helped me focus on praying.

I prepared simple meals and ate them on the swing that hung outside my cabin.  I walked to the Mother house at 5:30 in the morning without a flashlight – the full moon lit my way.  I didn’t look in a mirror all week.  It may not sound like luxury to you, but the days tumbled upon each other.

Friday came before I knew it. It was time to enter back into the world. Unlike the last silent retreat, there were no great revelations.  Yet I have confidence that this time spent with our Lord will have more benefits than I will notice.  I attended the final prayer time with the Sisters, realizing that I will fondly remember the graceful way that they float through their days in their grey habits with white veils.

As I rise on this Sunday morning, I know that the first fruits of this retreat are the peace and joy that I feel.  I fondly remember the graceful way that the sisters floated through their days in their grey habits with while veils.  Lord, may I float through praising and worshiping you!