Why Go on Retreat

Where has the time gone? Summer is racing to an end and Fall is peeking around the corner. Before you know it, school will be starting, the Giants and Jets will be dreaming of their Super Bowl run and we will be having our Annual Fall retreat.

After going on retreats for the last 50 or so years, you would think that I wouldn’t need to go any longer; you might think I have enough residual grace to just coast. “You’ve done enough Dave, you know enough, you’re holy enough, sit back and relax”. Hmmmm, it seems few things work that way….. “stop working out, stop eating your vegetables, stop having your prayer time, and you’re suddenly in big trouble”.

Back in 1998 a good friend made his last retreat. He didn’t know it was going to be his last retreat, but it was. My friend Dave had a great retreat. He was deeply touched by the Lord. A musician, he wrote a beautiful song in the days following and had some special moments with his wife and kids. A couple of months after the retreat, he suddenly died. I believe God used this last retreat to prepare Dave to meet the Lord. You never know when it’s going to be your last retreat.

What is a retreat? A retreat is a time set apart where we can step away from daily life and focus on our relationship with the Lord, a time to take “spiritual inventory”. It typically includes prayer, reflection, Mass, Adoration, confession, some great spiritual talks, and time for good fellowship. Spending time away with the Lord on retreat is very important to our spiritual health. It’s like getting a spiritual tune-up.

There have been times when I staggered into the retreat on Friday night…. tired and wondering whether I should have even come …. really needing a dose of God’s love. Yet by the time Sunday rolled around, I was happy I came. I have always experienced God’s kindness, tenderness & refreshment, and God shining light on areas that I needed to improve. I may have arrived with a frown, but left with a smile.

So I encourage all of us to sign up for this year’s retreat. Whether it’s our first or our 50th, the Lord will be there to greet us and prepare us for the next chapter of our life.

-Dave Touhill, People of Hope Member