THE BLOG OF THE BON SECOURS RETREAT & CONFERENCE CENTER
Retreat with Us
Welcome to the Bon Secours Retreat & Conference Center’s blog! This blog will extend our retreat ministry by bringing prayers and reflections into your home ‘retreat’. Many of our presenters and staff share their homilies, favorite prayers and reflections through this medium. We encourage you to comment, pass it along to friends or simply take a moment to pray with us. We hope that this will serve as a moment during your day when you can ‘retreat with us’.
This week at the Center, our 5th group of participants in the Bon Secours Spiritual Direction Institute is working through the last of three week-long sessions within their certification program. These individuals have felt a calling to serve as a spiritual director to those in need or to deepen their own spirituality in new ways and we pray that they are inspired by the training that they are receiving. Just as the need for professional counseling has increased in recent…
Our annual Women's Wellness retreat is this weekend and it is sold out with women who are eager to relax, have fun and be renewed! The theme of our retreat this year is "Your Presence Matters!" and the gifted Dr. Heather Alexander will provide the feature presentations full of information to help our guests evaluate their priorities, relish each moment and then leave with new mindfulness practices to help them to slow down and to see God in their lives.…
Did you know that yesterday was National Encouragement Day? It's never too late to offer a word of encouragement to someone though, right? Sometimes simply being present with someone who is struggling can lift them up. If you, or someone you know, needs encouragement, we offer these prayers to share. Why not say each prayer, pause to meditate on the presence of the Spirit and then move into the next prayer? If you would like us to include you in…
Tomorrow marks the 22st anniversary of the tragic events of 9/11. Can you remember where you were on that day of utter shock and sorrow? It is a day that is etched into our memory with fear and sadness, a day that changed our world forever. As we remember all of the lives lost and those who were deeply affected by the events of September 11, 2001, let's take a moment to join together, taking our sorrow to God in…
Have you noticed the beautiful sunrises and sunsets in your corner of the world lately? It often makes you just stop in your tracks to stare above, right? Let's take a few quiet moments to offer a Native American prayer of gratitude for God's gift of beautiful nature around us today. Oh, Great Spirit, whose voice I hear in the winds and whose breath gives life to all the world, hear me. I am small and weak. I need…
Many overnight visitors of our retreats enjoy spending their early morning hours with views of the sunrise as they wake up to the day. The next time that you are up at that hour, wherever you are, and have a clear view of the sunrise, you may want to use this prayer. We've also included a beautiful morning meditation video below that could be used at any time of the morning. Let's pause, breathe and let God know that we're…
As Labor Day approaches, let's take a moment in gratitude for the jobs that many of us hold and to pray for those less fortunate who are seeking a way to afford life's necessities. We lift up prayers of justice for all those seeking employment. Pray with us... Loving God, on this weekend, when we rest from our usual labors, we pray for all who shoulder the tasks of human labor— in the marketplace, in factories and offices, in the…
Author and retreat presenter, Mary DeTurris Poust, shares another thought-provoking reflection with us as she anticipated her youngest child leaving home for college. Are you transforming with life changes or ending up as collateral damage? Share with us. Catching up to the curve of our own transformation The poet David Whyte says that most people are “living four or five years behind the curve of their own transformation,” refusing to accept a new season of life or a change that is occurring…
It is the beginning of a new school year in most areas of our country. Let's take a few moments to hold students in prayer for a peaceful and successful school year, full of growth and support. A Prayer for Our Students I pray for: Strength - that God gives them the strength to do what they need to do each day. Courage - that they will be brave as they face the challenges that are before them. Peace -…
Fr. Michael Schleupner, a favorite spiritual director for retreats here at the Center, recently shared this inspiring reflection so we thought you may enjoy it too! Take a few quiet moments to pray on this message of keeping our sights on Jesus. Physical Balance Five years ago, I participated in a strength and balance class at a fitness center. One of the balance exercises was to stand on one foot. We were to concentrate on placing all of our weight…
