10
SPECIAL REPORT
A vacation with the Lord
By Sister Wendy Ooi, fsp
ALL OF US are on a journey. It
is a journey towards wholeness, a
fuller life and union with God.
Amidst our hectic schedules and
mundane activities, it is beneficial
to stop at certain points along the
way to reflect over God’s action in
our lives and to see how far we
have progressed on life’s journey.
A retreat gives us the
opportunity to do that. It can also
be a time when we stand back and
view things from a different
perspective, especially when an
important decision is to be made,
like a career change or when we
need to discern over God’s will
and our vocation. A retreat is
basically a grace-filled time to
deepen our relationship with God.
Today, there are different types
of retreats – from group retreats
(one director to a group of
retreatants), to fully directed retreats
(one director to one retreatant), to
semi-directed retreats (one director
to a small group with opportunities
for individual meetings), and even
private retreats (without any
director).
How retreats began
About 500 years ago, most
religious lived in monastic or
semi-monastic communities. Life
for them, and for those who opted
to be hermits, was a total “retreat”
from the distractions of the world.
They opted to “retreat” from the
secular life to be one with God.
Soon, however, apostolic (i.e.
non-monastic) communities
sprouted as pastoral activities
required them to be among people
and in the world. The need to heed
the call of Jesus to “come aside and
rest awhile,” so as to take a break
and to be recharged and renewed
in his Spirit, was soon recognised.
St. Ignatius of Loyola (1491-
1556), the founder of the Jesuits,
was inspired to introduce the
Spiritual Exercises (a series of
meditations). These catered to
active apostles who took time away
from their apostolic activities to
intentionally “retreat” for a
period of time.
The original retreat movement
based on the Ignatian Spiritual
Exercises began as a one-to-one
experience, one director guiding
one retreatant. However as the
movement became more popular
and with the making of church
laws requiring religious and
priests to make annual retreats, it
became impractical for everyone
to make a one-to-one retreat. This
led to the development of group
retreats with one director
directing a group of retreatants.
Over time, the input or
conferences of the director
became the focus of a retreat
rather than the interpretation of
one’s prayer experience and
relationship with God (which
would have been guided by the
director in a one-to-one retreat).
The retreat director thus became
more of a lecturer and less of a co-
discerner, and the retreatant would
be left to face the Lord alone.
Today, although group retreats
remain popular, more and more
individuals – both religious and
lay – feel the need to return to the
original reason for a retreat and
for the one-to-one directed type.
Nevertheless, there have also
been great conversion experiences
for those who have gone through
group retreats (“Sabah retreat
changed their lives” on page 11),
proving that the Spirit works
wherever we are, in whatever
situation we find ourselves in, as
long as we are open to it.
A vacation with the Lord
Whether a retreat is an individual
or a group type, it should not be
just a collection of talks and
reflections or an extended
examination of conscience. Rather,
as Father Thomas Green, SJ,
coined it, a retreat is a vacation
“Come aside and rest awhile”
Try this 34-week retreat
Sundays December 5 and December 12, 2004 ■ CatholicNews
RETREAT HOUSES
If you are ready to take a
vacation with the Lord, you
will most likely find something
that suits you at one of these
retreat houses. Costs of food,
with the Lord. It should be a joyous retreat, the reflection given by the
speaker); a personal journal (to lodging and spiritual direction
time which we look forward to.
record our prayer experience or are mostly nominal.
As in any normal vacation, we
simply to write to the Lord); and a SINGAPORE
ought to be free from other
concerns, only that on this vacation retreat director (who acts as a co- Cenacle
we are to be free for the Lord. discerner in our prayer experiences 47 Jurong West, St 42
Thus a necessary disposition to in a one-to-one retreat). Tel: 65652895
But, as Blessed James Email: cenacle@singnet.com.sg
have in a retreat is to unburden and
Sr Hazel Suarez, r.c.,
surrender ourselves to the Spirit. Alberione (founder of the Pauline
Sr Francisca Tan, r.c.
We do that best by leaving our Family) would say, the most
“baggage” and the mentality of essential element in a retreat is Centre For Ignatian Spirituality
“business as usual” behind us. being “interiorly active to bring and Counselling
about an integral renewal in the 8 Victoria Park Road
Only when we allow ourselves that Tel: 64676072
freedom to surrender, with humility practice of faith and to sanctify Email: cisc6492@singnet.com.sg
and honesty, will we allow the Spirit the whole person, mind, will and Sharon Ng
to transform us. We also need heart.” He adds that we can make
a retreat “without sermons, and CHOICE Retreat House
solitude and silence to listen to the 47 Jurong West Street 42
Lord who speaks loudest in the even without readings, but we Tel: 65679771
stillness of our hearts (1 Kings 19). cannot make a retreat without this Terence & Stephanie Ho
To remove tensions, the rule work of ours which is the interior Victor & Annabelle Ong
in any retreat is E-S-P – Eat well, recollection, and focusing our
Infant Jesus Retreat and Youth
Sleep well, and Pray the rest of spiritual and physical strength
Centre
the time. God is the host on this toward the purpose of the retreat 4A, Chestnut Drive
vacation and we are not sure of – to direct ourselves to God in Tel: 67602461
his plans so there will be some order to live a holier life and Sr Irene Pang
uncertainty in any retreat. But it attain the joy of heaven.” ■
Life Direction Team
is important for us to relax and c/o Good Shepherd Oasis
trust our host. (Sources: A Vacation With the Lord by 790 Thomson Road
Important tools of a retreat (our Father Thomas Green, SJ and class Tel: 63534809
“vacation gear”) include the Word notes from Father Green’s course on
LifeSprings Canossian
of God (the Bible, a good spiritual Retreat Giving, Loyola School of Spirituality Centre
book or, in the case of a group Theology, Ateneo de Manila University) 100 Jalan Merbok
Tel: 64662178
Email: lifsprng@singnet.com.sg
Sr Priscilla
Montfort Centre (wheelchair
friendly)
622 Upper Bukit Timah Road
Tel: 98470763, Br Jean-Dennis
Tel: 91915046, Br Roger
SFX Retreat Centre (St Francis
Xavier Minor Seminary)
1261 Upper Serangoon Road
YOU can make a 34-week retreat at Tel: 62887901
times, places and circumstances of your Email: sfxrc@singnet.com.sg
Website: http://
choosing – with the help of your
www.catholic.org.sg/SFX
computer and Jesuit-run Creighton
University. Go to www.creighton.edu The Sojourners’ Companions
and click “Jesuits/Ministry” then Tel: 98273875
Email: sojourners@catholic.org.sg
“Online Ministry Home Page”and
“Online Retreat.” SABAH
There you will find materials for
each week, complete with introduction, Catholic Pastoral Centre
Lorong Hiburan 3
Scripture readings, suggested prayers
Taman Hiburan
and a commentary on the week’s theme. Jalan Penampang
We used to think of “retreats” only P.O. Box 10225, 88802
in terms of going away to a monastery Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
or retreat centre for a weekend or Tel: 088-712297, 088-715017
longer. Today, retreats have evolved to
fit into demanding schedules. How THAILAND
wonderful to be able to choose our own Seven Fountains, Chiang Mai,
time online. Thailand
Although it is best to join in 97 Huay Kaew Road, Chiang Mai,
September (and end with the Easter Thailand
Tel: 053 – 211 076 or 892 545
season), you may join Creighton’s
E-mail: jesuits@chiangmai.a-
retreat at any time. net.net.th
You can also join a sharing group
facilitated by Creighton and enjoy the
rewarding experience of faith sharing Brigid Chan had this to say
of her retreat in Chiang Mai:
with people from different parts of the
world, via email. “On the last day of the retreat...
I wept uncontrollably because
Try it. It’s free. Who knows, it
might change your life. ■ the retreat had come to an end.
I so enjoyed the incessant
communication with the Lord
A man praying on the shore is one of
that I didn’t seem to want to
several photos accompanying the
leave this “holiday”. It’s like I
spiritual exercises in the online
wasn’t willing to leave Mt
Ignatian retreat available through the
Tabor and get back to the
Creighton University website. CNS photo
world.”