Spending Time Away

As I write this, I am almost done with some time off.  When I write “time off” I suspect the word “vacation” probably comes to mind for many of you. 

What is the purpose of a vacation?  When I think of “vacation”, I think of time spent travelling for fun or maybe getting a project done.  Well, the last few days for me have not been about getting a project done.  However, neither have my days away been to go someplace “fun”.  Well, sort of. 

I have been someplace people go for fun.  I have been at Letchworth State Park.  I rented a cabin and walked some trails with some great views. 

However, I did not come to Letchworth to have fun. 

I came for some retreat time.  I came to get away, rest, and find God.  It wasn’t that I lost God.  I’ve been busy and distracted.  I needed to get recentered and find peace.  The search for God is what made this time a retreat rather than a vacation.

People come on vacation to Letchworth State Park to have fun hiking and enjoying the scenery.  I enjoy the walks.  Even in the midst of a busy day at the parish, I try to walk, not simply for fun or physical exercise but because it is where I find peace.  Walks can be an encounter with God. 

At Letchworth State Park, the scenery is beautiful in its physical aspects. 

Yet, the beauty that I seek on retreat goes deeper than physical beauty.  When I look at the gorge and waterfalls, I see power that formed these that reveals God’s hand in nature.  It is beautiful because God made it this way. 

On retreat I also spend time a lot of time in prayer.  When one is on vacation, one should pray (as one should always pray) but on retreat, prayer is central.  On retreat, I spent more time than usual in prayer.

On vacation one travels.  The destination can be a holy site such as going to the Holy Land, Rome, or even a shrine that might be within driving distance.  Such vacations can (and should) have spiritual value but it may not be spiritual for everyone.  For instance, one can travel to Rome to see the beautiful art without putting God at the center.  One can travel to the Holy Land to study history rather than making a holy pilgrimage to the place where Jesus endured his Passion.  (I pray for those who go to such places for non-spiritual reasons, that their trip help open them to God’s presence in these places.)

Vacations can be educational.  As I already said, a trip to the Holy Land can teach us history.  A trip to Rome can be educational for students of art. 

Depending on where one goes on vacation, one may choose to read.  It might be reading a mystery novel for fun or it might be reading something educational.  On retreat, my reading focuses on spirituality.  Of course, as a priest who loves to learn, most of the reading I do is about faith.  On retreat, I look specifically for books that will help me improve my prayer life over knowledge.  For example, this week I started reading St. Francis De Sales’ Introduction to the Devout Life.  I’ll probably use it as material for future blog articles, presentations, and homilies to help others.  Reading it now helps me grow in my own spirituality.  This is why I see this week as a retreat, not simply a vacation. 

On retreat rest is an important item.  We need to be well-rested to rebuild our connection to God.  On vacation, one might seek physical rest.  On retreat, the rest goes deeper.  On retreat we ask God to take our burdens away so we can focus on him.

Retreats are not just for priests, deacons, and religious.  Holiness is something we are all called to, no matter our state in life.  The document, Lumen Gentium, from the Second Vatican Council speaks of the universal call to holiness.  How each person lives out holiness depends on their state in life but, again, we are all called to be holy.  A retreat can help us with this.

Retreats come in different forms.  During a preached retreat, there are speakers who give talks on topics of faith.  While a preached retreat may share commonalities with a conference, the focus is different.  A conference generally focuses on knowledge and understanding while a preached retreat is geared to improving our prayer life.  If you have never been on a retreat, a preached retreat can be a good place to start.  A preached retreat may or may not include silence.

One can also make a directed or private retreat.  Either are a time of silence with prayer and spiritual reading.  The difference between a directed retreat and a private retreat is that on a directed retreat the person meets each day with a spiritual director who serves as a guide to help them see where God is leading them. 

How long should a retreat be?  There is no set length.  If you have never been on retreat, you should begin with a single overnight or a weekend retreat.  Over time, you may lengthen it to 5-8 days. 

What about location?  As I said, I have spent the last few days at Letchworth State Park.  I would not suggest this for your first retreat.  Otherwise, it might be more of a vacation than a retreat.  For anyone who is making a retreat for the first time, I encourage you to do so at a place specifically setup for retreats.  Such places help set the proper environment (with less distractions).

We all need time away from busy lives.  We need time to unwind.  Do you need a vacation to unwind or a retreat to grow in faith?

Peace,

Fr. Jeff