“Patient and regular practice is the whole secret of spiritual realization. Do not be in a hurry in spiritual life. Do your utmost, and leave the rest to God.” ~ Anonymous
The Catholic Church, in its infinite wisdom, requires that all brothers, sisters, deacons, priests, bishops, and popes go on retreat once a year.
The reason is quite simple. We often get so involved at our assignments that we forget to take time for ourselves. We suffer when we do not get the time that we need for rest and reflection and when we suffer, our people suffer as well because we are not as able to meet their needs as we should.
That is why I left for retreat yesterday. I am taking the time necessary to clear my head (and soul) of any “cobwebs” that may have formed.
While this is a mandate for all clergy and religious, it is definitely something that can help all people. We need to take the time necessary to be with God. If we do not make time for Him, we will find ourselves veering farther and farther off course. At one moment, we could be on the path to the Kingdom. At the next moment, we could be totally lost because we had strayed from the path and we did not know when, where, or how.
There are many things in the world that demand our time and our attention. Some of them are necessary. Most of them are merely distractions. We need to learn to filter out the distractions so that we can see the Lord more clearly.
FAITH ACTION: While you might not be able to go away on a retreat, try to carve out a good amount of time for a few days in a row so that you can meditate, read scripture or other spiritual readings, pray, or somehow focus on the Lord rather than on yourself.