Benedictine prayer is communal and is meant to bind us to one another and to broaden our vision of the needs of the world. —Joan Chittister
Meanwhile, Jesus would often slip away to deserted places and pray. (Luke 5:16)
Primarily, this is a moment for you to rest and encounter the Divine.
In silence we listen for inner wisdom, the still small voice of God, which is present in the deepest parts of ourselves. The world is loud. Our lives are noisy. There are constant clamors for our attention from our phones, our families, from work, school, and so on. Engaging in the news cycle, and social action is exhausting. In silence the chaos of our life settles, and Truth comes to the surface. We may experience the unveiling of a new question, or a conclusion. We may experience something profound, or something profoundly simple. We may simply find rest. We make space for what is pushed aside on a daily basis. You are invited to say yes to a soul-restoring weekend.
The retreat will guide participants into the practice of extended contemplative silence with a brief introduction to the history of monastic tradition. For those familiar with silent retreats, this is an opportunity to deepen your practice. We will lean into what we are learning through the Lenten book group (Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Time, by Katherine May), but it is not required to participate in the retreat. There will be a variety of guided contemplative practices available, including optional time at Presque Isle State Park, praying the hours with the community, solitude, Lectio/Visio Divina, individual Spiritual Direction, etc.
If nothing that can be seen can either be God or represent Him to us as He is, then to find God we must pass beyond everything that can be seen and enter into darkness. Since nothing that can be heard is God, to find Him we must enter into silence. -Thomas Merton (New Seeds of Contemplation)