Church of the Home for Saturday, April 29

Make a Retreat

Last week, Resurrection staff members had the opportunity to make a personal retreat at the New Melleray Abbey. During their four days with the Trappist Monks, they were able to follow the monastic schedule with its emphasis on prayer, study, and reflection.

Retreats are a time away from our normal activities to get reacquainted with God, examine life's priorities, and make concrete and practical resolutions for improvement. Retreats can be a powerful step toward personal conversion. Whether they are a few hours to months, retreat refreshes and revitalizes, gives the opportunity for more time spent in prayer and contemplation, and rekindles and deepens one’s relationship with God.

One may take this opportunity to more clearly hear God’s call and to seek God’s healing grace and thereby attain a degree of spiritual renewal. The purpose of a spiritual retreat, as an addition to daily spiritual activities, is to temporarily leave behind the usual distractions we all face for a time long enough to allow relaxation and for an inner change to occur: the ongoing conversion of heart that is critical to deepening faith.

The Gospels mention times when Jesus went off by himself to pray:

“In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed.”

Mark 1:35

“Now during those days he went out to the mountain to pray; and he spent the night in prayer to God.”

Luke 6:12

“And after he dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray.”

Matthew 14:23.

Jesus wasn’t simply going off by himself to get away from the crowds and take a break. He knew that solitude can lead to a deeper encounter with God. By retreating, Jesus was able to return refreshed and empowered to face his busy and growing ministry. If the Lord needed to go on retreat, then don't you and I need to do the same?

Here are a few options to help your Church of the Home make a retreat:

Make Time for an at Home Retreat

Virtual Retreats

10 Reasons you Need to go on a Retreat This Year

Catholic Retreat Centers Map

My Path to Heaven Family Retreat

One type of retreat many from Resurrection have participated in is the Cursillo.

Cursillo (pronounced kur-see-yo) is a Spanish word meaning "little" or "short course". It begins on a Thursday evening and ends the following Sunday night. During those three days, those attending live and work together listening to talks given by priests, religious, and laity. They share the Eucharist and pray together.

The titles of the talks indicate their content: Ideal, Habitual Grace, Layperson in the Church, Actual Grace, Piety, Study, Sacraments, Action, Obstacles to a Life of Grace, Leaders, Study of the Environment, Life in Grace, Christianity in Action, Total Security and Fourth Day. Each talk is followed by a discussion period.

Learn more about the Cursillo Movement of Green Bay

Join us for Mass this weekend in person at 4:00 PM on Saturday, 8:30 or 10:30 AM on Sunday, on www.gbres.org/live, our YouTube channel, and our Facebook page.

READINGS FOR THIS WEEKEND’S MASSES

Sunday Readings

Scripture Reflection by Roger Vanden Busch

Sunday Connection from Loyola Press

VIRTUALLY SUNDAY REFLECTION

Sometimes when we hear or read familiar scripture verses, we don't take the time to reflect and learn the meaning behind every word. We take the scripture's translation at face value and assume the definition of words in scripture are the same definitions we are familiar with. However, when we take time to find the intended definition of words the writers and translators used, the message of the scripture verse takes on a new and deeper meaning. Join Bridget as she reflects on this weekend's scripture readings.