Sacred Story Retreat
Theme
Our Sacred Story retreat is an alternative Ignatian retreat which is not based on the entire Spiritual Exercises, but primarily on learning the practice of the Examen Prayer as exposed by Fr Bill Watson SJ in his book “Forty weeks: An Ignatian path to Christ through Sacred Story Prayer.”
There are three principle steps: reconciling our past to Christ, living in the present through examen prayer, and forming a discerning heart through the Ignatius’ Rules of Discernment. You will be given helpful resources that teach you a daily 15-minute prayer practice called Examen Prayer.
This retreat offers 2 tracks:
Track 1
For those who are new to Sacred Story Prayer (no exposure to it or weeks 1-20), you will walk through a condensed version of the first part of the book.
Track 2
For those already using Sacred Story Prayer (weeks 20 and beyond), you will have the opportunity to deepen your Examen Prayer experience.
Preparing for the Retreat
For this retreat, please pre-purchase the book found on Amazon: Forty Weeks Book
You will not need to pre-read the book; we will cover the initial material together.
Practicals
We will have the Celebration of the Eucharist each day and in the evenings the Blessed Sacrament will be exposed for adoration. The Sacrament of Reconciliation will be offered as well as an opportunity for personal dialogue with a spiritual director where you can discuss your experience.
Silence
Silence alone powerfully opens the soul to the movements of God. We ask that retreatants keep exterior silence for their own benefit and to respect others. We also encourage retreatants to keep interior silence by disconnecting from the noise of the world and unplugging from electronic devices for the duration of the retreat. Keeping silence may sound daunting, but you will be engaged in conversation with the Lord.
Meals
Healthy and balanced meals will be provided, and coffee, tea, fruit and snacks will be available throughout the retreat. With the exception of the initial dinner and the concluding lunch, meals will be in silence. Typically we listen to an audio book on themes correlated to the Spiritual Exercises or on the life of a saint.
Schedule
Arrival is on Friday at 5:00 pm. We will begin with the Celebration of the Eucharist at 5:30 to invoke the presence of the Holy Spirit. Dinner follows where retreatants can get a chance to meet each other. After dinner silence begins and we will have an introductory talk followed by a time of adoration to begin our prayer. On Sunday we will conclude with the Celebration of Eucharist at 11:45 am, followed by lunch at 12:30 pm and departure by 1:30 pm.
Amenities
You will have a private bedroom with an ensuite bathroom. Linens, towels, hair dryers, as well as basic toiletries such as soap, shampoo, conditioner, and moisturizer are provided. You will want to bring other personal toiletries & medications, comfortable clothes, and footwear for walking if you desire. Notebooks and pens will be provided; bring your bible and rosary.