Going on the silent retreat at the Cenacle was an awesome experience for me. If you've never been to The Cenacle, I recommend that you go for a visit or at least visit Terry Hershey Park , they are both very beautiful and peaceful places. And, for all of us living in Houston, it's not a very far drive. I only spoke to three people the whole weekend,and for someone who likes to talk, it was a really interesting change of pace for me. Sister Roselle was my spiritual director for the weekend and she asked me to ponder on a few things and spend an afternoon in silence.
:: Be thankful and blessed that you decided to take a time out.
:: Retreats are no just for myself, but for the relationship between me and God
:: I forget that spirituality is a two-way street sometimes -- God is involved in the process. I may have chosen to take a time out, but God motivated me to come.
:: Why?
:: Who is God? What image do I see when I think of him?
:: What would God think of me?
The amazing thing about taking away life's so-called "distractions" is that it helps purify your perspective and you start to feel more present and in the moment. I get so caught up with this multi-tasking mentality that I end up doing a bunch of stuff at a mediocre level.
That afternoon I started to notice things:
:: quiet
:: spending time outside on a swing with real sunshine
:: noticing where I come up short and where I should grow
:: slowing things down and having the courage to be mindful and intentional
:: listening, listening, listening
:: growing gratitude for my relationships with family, friends and bf
:: having what I need
The crazy thing about silent retreats is that during meals you don't talk to anyone. I was partially relieved and partially weirded out by it. On one hand, I was glad that I didn't have to come up with my upbeat persona and tell people who I am, what I do for a living, why I was here. Nobody had to hear it. But on the other hand, I almost felt like I was a patient at a mental facility. I mean, we are humans. God made us to interact. We were all separated at our own tables and forced to face different directions. Yeah, the meals were the weirdest thing.
But, for the purpose of silent retreating, taking away the conversations and creating silence really forces you back to thinking about you and God; your flaws; what your bring to the life God gave you. It was an interesting exercise. You also notice more details in nature, in your environment, in the sounds, and in how things taste and smell.
How can you and I bring retreat elements into our lives each day? We are always on sacred ground because God is within us and in everything even when we are not conscious of it. That's an amazing thing to think about.
