On the weekend of 11 to 13 July, a group of Lay Paulists, friends and associates, attended a spiritual retreat organised at St Paul’s Retreat Cente, Wantirna South.
Here are some of their reflections on this occasion.
In the stillness that followed the retreat, I found myself slowly letting go of the “to-do” list not just the literal one, but the inner striving and beginning instead to move from trusting God to entrusting Him with all the broken and scattered pieces of my heart.
Perhaps the retreat came as a timely intervention, a divine correction reminding me again that God is in control, and all He asks of me is faith. I am not sure how much I consciously participated in the retreat’s structure, as from the moment I allowed myself to sit in stillness, I became deeply aware of my sister’s presence. It was as though in pausing the noise, I opened the door to grief I had long deflected and thoughts I had long avoided. It was painful and not something I am equipped to handle.
Since returning home, I have made more intentional time to be still, to sit with my thoughts, to return to meaningful prayer, and to let the silence do its gentle work. Though I didn’t engage with the retreat in the usual way, I feel I was where I needed to be. For that, I am deeply grateful. I now begin to understand what it means to “go gently.”
As I write this, I am enjoying a quiet hour alone at home, with the rest of the family at Sunday Mass which is a rare luxury in my life. And in this peace, I am once again reminded of the gift of stillness, and how necessary it is to take a deep breathe shed a tear and feel God’s love and mercy as undeserving I may feel, its is truly healing.
A wise priest advised me during the retreat to write down what I am holding on to and then burn it and I have taken that to heart. It is a simple act, but a deeply spiritual one and reminds me of the Botafumeiro at the Santiago Cathedral.
I look forward to the next retreat with anticipation and openness, and again, thank youfor your presence, your gentleness, and your guidance on my faith journey.
God bless you.
With gratitude and prayer,
Beatrice
From beginning to end the Retreat was an amazing experience for me and it was the best thing I had done for myself in a long time and just what the doctor had ordered.
Despite my anxiety about the silence, I really enjoyed the quiet and peacefulness and was surprised at how easy it was to actually BE QUIET! The few days gave me time to reflect on my current situation and allowed me to make some decisions. I felt closer to God and I felt Spiritually fed and nourished, many emotions surfaced unexpectedly, I was overwhelmed at times, I felt gratitude for this opportunity to look deeper into myself in a comfortable and safe environment.
Thank you for your time and effort.
God Bless.
Judy
When, my wife mentioned about this retreat l was curious but exited too to explore how we can spend some quiet time in our busy lives in conversation with God. What l didn’t expect was spending quiet with God will reveal my inner self, the little child in me that wants to be good and live life to the fullest.
I felt the various meditation techniques helped me to connect with God. Meditating with scripture felt like they were revealing themselves to me and guiding me to be a better person who is happy and content in life. It amazes me how a simple parable from Jesus can provide different perspectives to every listener if we can spend some quiet time reflecting on it.
I used to go after various motivational speakers found the best motivational speaker that should be around me was Jesus.
Thanks for organising this session that allowed me to get more closer to God and feel his presence around me and helping me to be a better person.
Life may throw many challenges but knowing you have lived it to the fullest with our human weakness but in conversation and listening to God is a great feeling and an amazing strength.
God bless
Sujee
Attending the spiritual silent retreat was a deeply grounding experience that allowed me to step away from the noise of daily life and reconnect with God in stillness. In the quiet, I became more aware of my inner thoughts and the gentle movements of grace in my heart. The silence created space for deeper prayer, reflection, and a renewed sense of peace. I return with a clearer mind and a spirit more open to listening. I feel I’ve gained a lot more knowledge and understanding of the word of God.
Thanks,
Azeline
I was unsure what to expect ‘on a silent retreat, being my first one’.
l settled myself to become aware, of my surroundings, people, and the sessions we had together. I had to continuously remind myself to be silent, which was a challenge at times.
I enjoyed, the guided meditation and my walk afterwards on the property.
Being mindful of the beautiful trees, vegetation, plants, horses in nearby properties and the chirping birds, added to my reflection on God’s nature and goodness.
Writing down on paper, what l was leaving behind, gave me permission to relax a little, and Surrender to the moment.
Our sessions together, very well presented, together with beautiful music, and our discussions, made me go inside myself, awaken my spiritual being, learnt from you and other members there, felt safe to share. Having the Holy Sacrament accessible 24hrs was also a gift. It’s an experience that would appeal to me next time it is offered. God bless you.
Rena
I found the weekend to be a welcome “retreat” from the restraints and busyness of everyday life, a time out to really hear what the Lord was saying to me, a time to reflect on how I currently live out the message of the Gospel and how I can continue to do so. I feel I am re-energised and can focus with some more clarity on living life to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. In some ways, I feel I have more questions, but also more answers to why and how to serve. Thank you very much for your planning and implementation of the weekend, your encouragement, support and guidance throughout.
Claire
A memorable and spiritual experience. Very good interaction within the group and the leaders. Would highly recommend
Colin
I am aware of the importance of nurturing a relationship in order for it to flourish. Our relationship with God also needs to be nourished in order for it to flourish. I went to this retreat feeling that my relationship with God was in need of quality time. Nurturing my relationship with God demands quality time in prayer and reflection; just spending time alone with God is so important. Through nurturing my relationship with God I am enabled to the live the Gospel in my life and work.
The retreat provided time and space, free from distractions, to reflect on several parables seeking a greater understanding of their meaning. Thus, gaining a closer relationship with God through quiet prayer and reflection.
The shared life stories, faith journeys, of the participants led to a greater appreciation of the importance of developing, fostering my relationship with God.
The shared Eucharist on Saturday night was empowering and enabled a close connection with God and all those present.
Peter