Category: Intensive Retreat

What Discernment Means to Me

9/11/2019

By Michael Kassner
Re-posted with permission from www.benedictinecenter.org

Two questions have plagued me over the years: How does one bring God into the process of making decisions, and how does one know if a thought is appropriate?

As a Benedictine Oblate, I knew of the Benedictine Center’s School of Discernment but did not immediately make the connection that the school, conducted by Dr. Kathleen Cahalan of St. John’s School of Theology Seminary, was exactly what I needed. Cahalan defines discernment as, “Following the inclination of Grace, those personal, subtle promptings of the Holy Spirit,” and adds that, “Decisions become sacraments of grace when we yield to ‘Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.’”

It took about two seconds for me to check my schedule and sign up for the class. During the retreat, Cahalan introduced what she called afflicted thoughts, offered tools to recognize and eliminate them, and finally, suggested practical ways to bring God into the process of making decisions.

Not long after the school ended, I was able to apply what I learned, in particular, how to bring God into my decision-making. I was asked to join my parish’s sacristan team—truly an honor. However, I did not answer right away. The position required a significant time commitment, and I was unsure if I could make it work.

Cahalan, during one of the classroom sessions, talked at length about “how to imagine the possibilities and live into each one of them.” That seemed perfect for my situation. I imagined saying yes, as well as saying no. Several interesting scheduling options surfaced that I would not have foreseen any other way. After juggling my commitments, I found the time. Several weeks later, I am proud to say the decision seems right, and as sacristan, I have all sorts of new and exciting decisions to discern.

Michael is a freelance writer and editing professional with a particular interest in the field of cyber-technology. He is also an Oblate and volunteer of St. Paul’s Monastery and has attended both the School of Lectio Divina and the School of Discernment.

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A Week on the Journey

8/1/2014

By Mark Rodel

I always treasure the time I spend on retreats and place a high value on being able to step from my “worldly” responsibilities to spend lengths of time focused on prayer, spiritual enrichment and emptying. As many of you know, it is very difficult to put into words the experience of a retreat and the subtle and sometimes dramatic growth and insights that one experiences during (and after) a period away to a special place with the sole intention of being present to and deepening one’s relationship with Divinity. That being said, I wish to take a few moments to share a little of my most recent retreat experience.

At the end of July, with the assistance of Minnesota Contemplative Outreach and our grant from the Trust for the Meditation Process, I was able to attend a week-long conference/formation/ retreat event held at the Marianist Retreat and Conference Center in Eureka, Missouri entitled “Deepening the Contemplative Dimension of Servant Leadership- Fostering the Integrity of Loving Service and Its Transition into Contemplative Service”.

It was a week of reflection and sharing by both the retreat staff and participants. Together we explored how to be more fully present to the movements of the Spirit within ourselves and within our prayer groups and/or chapters, which like all things associated with contemplation, it is very simple and straightforward, yet can be very difficult to do while we continue to react to circumstances from our false-self energy centers.

Some of the topics which were presented and discussed over the course of our 6 and a half days together included a fascinating presentation on the evolution of consciousness, archetypes and the Enneagram, ten dispositions of a servant-leader and how self-directed servant-leadership differs from other-directed, God-dependent spiritual servant-leadership, the differences between helping and service, humility and listening in relation to group leadership and Centering Prayer, following Christ’s example of contemplative service and the process of transformation as presented in scripture.

On the last full day of the retreat there was a presentation on the spiritual journey and on embodying empty-ness by making space for God within ourselves and how Centering Prayer enables this process. This talk was followed by a conference on thoughts. A key point from the “thoughts” talk which has stuck with me was the reminder that thoughts do not appear fully formed in our consciousness, they start out as an intention, and then develop into a thought form before becoming an actual thought which we then become engaged with. At any stage of this process we can return our intention to be present to Divinity.

The rhythms of the day were very conducive to formation and contemplation. There were 3 thirty minute prayer sessions each day, at 7 am, 11:30 am and 5:15 pm with silence from 8 pm to 9:30 am and also during lunch. Discussion during the conferences and presentations in addition to daily small group time and conversation over the evening meal provided ample opportunity for sharing and connecting with the 33 other participants and the four wonderful retreat leaders.

The retreat attendees came from all walks of life and ranged in age from the early 20’s into the 80’s. Individuals came from Canada, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, California, Colorado, Missouri, Minnesota, Florida, Illinois, Alabama, Ohio, New Mexico, North Carolina, Texas, Mississippi, Washington and Iowa. Our religious affiliations included Baptists, Disciples of Christ, Lutherans, Methodists, Episcopalians, Roman Catholics and others with no denominational affiliation. It was truly wonderful to be in the presence of so many people from such diverse social, economic, experiential and religious backgrounds who are on a similar journey and to be able to share and to do Centering Prayer and to eat and converse together.

Christian theology teaches us that Divinity is relationship and I was reminded this past week that the spiritual journey is a movement from separation to unity. Since beginning the practice of Centering Prayer in 2009, I have experienced a movement from fear and isolation to faith and community and am aware of an ever-deepening sense of my relationship with Divinity, with others and with our world. For this gift I will always be grateful.

Mark Rodel is a facilitating member of several Twin Cities Centering Prayer groups, and is a volunteer board member of Minnesota Contemplative Outreach.

Ten Days of Renewal & Discovery

11/11/2013

By Jim Babin

This past August, I attended a Ten Day Intensive Centering Prayer Retreat in the Spirituality Center at St. Benedict’s Monastery and College in St. Joseph, Minnesota.

While the word 'Intensive' could be scary, it was really about deepening our relationship with God. This deepening was supported through multiple Centering Prayer sits, silence, and a daily DVD viewing with a discussion about an aspect of Centering Prayer or a related subject.

Add in a quiet, restful atmosphere; wonderful hospitality; great, tasty, plentiful food (including fresh vegetables from the Sisters’ huge gardens); a well-ordered and beautiful campus and monastery grounds; plus optional religious prayer and worship. All these ingredients worked together for a successful retreat.

The Centering Prayer sessions and the DVD viewings were well spaced so that those making the retreat had plenty of personal time. Some read a lot, some caught up on much needed rest, some sat in their spacious rooms or the comfy lounge facing a grove of pine trees and just “let it be.” Stepping outside the lounge, one smelled the pleasant odor of the pines. Nestled in it was a screened gazebo, lounging chairs and the company of twittering birds and busy squirrels feeding off the bird feeder. Next to the grove was an open area with a labyrinth ready to be prayed upon.

Another choice one could make was to hike the wilderness area on the back part of the property. It included some open prairie areas loaded with wild flowers. There were numerous trails, short and long, at various elevations throughout the wooded and open areas. Each day at midmorning I hiked one of the trails. This kept me physically tuned up and helped burn up some calories from consuming the many varied meals that were served. At the end of one of the trails was a lake named Sarah . It was small and intimate, surrounded by forest and filled with floating water lilies. There was a bench covered by a roof where one could rest and take in the beauty of it all. This was my favorite resting spot and I managed to visit it twice.

Each evening after dinner I strolled the monastery and campus grounds taking in the beautiful areas of flowers and trees that framed various sites. A large fountain served one area and was fun to gaze upon. I also had a nightly chat with St. Joseph at his statue which stood near the entrance to the chapel. One evening I happened upon the cemetery which was sectioned off for different groups. One section was for those sisters who had died in the 1800’s. A number of the sisters in that early period had short lives and must have had tough living. It made me appreciate the sacrifices that they made.

A wonder for the eye to take in was the Sacred Heart Chapel. I understood why they called it a chapel, but it was actually much larger than many churches. It had a huge dome towering over its sanctuary with an interior that had been refinished and was awesome to see and pray in.

These retreats are designed to serve our mind, body, and spirit, which they do very well. As I departed, the only question in my mind was what graces would flow in the days to come from this dedicated time. I have no doubt that they surely will.

Jim Babin is a facilitating member of several Twin Cities Centering Prayer groups, and is a longtime treasurer and board member of Minnesota Contemplative Outreach.

Reflection on a 10-Day Intensive Retreat

3/31/2009

By Bob Delastrada

This past March I went on a 10 day intensive retreat with Father Thomas Keating and David Frenette at the Garrison Institute in New York. David has been with Father Thomas since the beginning of Contemplative Outreach, and co-founded the earliest retreat community where people could learn Centering Prayer. He was at the monastery here a few years ago, giving a 5-day retreat on the growth of contemplative attitudes in the Spiritual Journey. He is currently developing curriculum to assist long time practicioners to deepen and move beyond common obstacles in prayer, so that it moves more easily into contemplation. There was also an emphasis on methods that help integrate the fruits of Centering Prayer into everyday living. Our day started at 6:30 A.M. and often went until almost 9pm with prayer, teaching and guided meditation. Father Thomas came for the final weekend as did Gail Fitzpatrick-Hopler.

The Institute is located on the Hudson River about one hour north of New York City. The building and grounds are a monastery that had been vacated since Vatican II. The Institute's mission is to bring together the wisdom of various contemplative traditions, and apply the knowledge to pressing social issues. Father Thomas is one of the Institute's founding spiritual advisors. To be with him is always wonderful. He talked about unity and oneness as being the purpose of life. He said it's stupid and a mistake to believe that God doesn't love us! He spoke of the cross as witness to the infinite goodness of God who goes to any length to make us divine. There are layers of reality and to our own identity, and that Ultimate Reality is in fact God's own Self. As we move toward unity consciousness, our understanding is that God is the Ground of every experience and not separate from the content of our life. Our task is to be willing to become God, to receive the totality of the Divine nature through our consent. God's love has no limits and has the goal of making us equal to God. By identifying with the cross and moving through the process of transformation, the myth of the separate self is relinquished. The greatness of human-kind is revealed in the Paschal Mystery, as everyone is invited to the fullness of divine/human life.

David Frenette has a web-site called Incarnational Contemplation. He does contemplative spiritual direction and will be giving several retreats each year that focus on deepening our consent in Centering Prayer. Much of what he focused on involved images of receptivity. Even with many years of practice, we can get stuck in an effort of trying to make prayer happen rather than surrendering. Deepening receptivity means being still or "just to be," rather than forcing the issue. Prayer is like helping a flower grow by cultivating the best conditions for growth to happen. But the growing process itself is out of our hands and our consent is simply saying yes to an invitation that allows prayer to unfold. How must we act to acquire what is freely given and always present? David stressed renewal in the basics of the Centering Prayer method. The guidelines provide a solid foundation for when were struggling. His presentation was very helpful and I hope he can visit us. He has many good stories about the early days of Contemplative Outreach. At present he is only funded for several retreats a year, but my guess is that he will be very much in demand before long. I'd say we should be open to any possibility that might arise for his availability. We would all benefit through his extensive experience. Meanwhile, we can all visit his web-site and read his new book!

After this retreat, I'm left with a profound sense of gratitude for Centering Prayer and people like Sisters Virginia and Mary, as well others who started the ministry in Minnesota. Let's continue to consent to God's invitation and share in the work of transforming the world.

What Discernment Means to Me

A Week on the Journey

Ten Days of Renewal & Discovery

Reflection on a 10-Day Intensive Retreat

Presence & Action Blog

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