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’.
Today's prayer is offered as we look forward to Rev. Joan Crawford's "Working in Solidarity: Anti-Racism Retreat for Faith Communities" that begins on Friday. Click here to learn more. If you cannot be with us, please take a moment to pray for justice and understanding in our world. A Prayer for Racial Justice Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be…
Retreat guests are going to enjoy the "To Practice Wonder - A Day of Contemplative Writing" retreat today, presented by Debra Donnelly-Barton. Some of those guests may find inspiration from the beautiful grounds around the Center, grounds that are bursting with new green leaves and blooms! We thought it was the perfect time to share these spring poems and offer gratitude to our Creator. For flowers that bloom about our feet; For tender grass, so fresh, so sweet; For song…
Continuing with our Howard Thurman series, today we offer this powerful reflection to help us focus by praying to hear God's voice so that we may feel that powerful peace we desire. (If you'd like to learn more about this spiritual teacher, click here for our Howard Thurman retreat that is coming up in May.) "How good it is to center down! To sit quietly and see one's self pass by! The streets of our minds seethe with endless traffic;…
One of our frequent retreat presenters and spiritual directors, Joanne Cahoon, recently suggested this beautiful song meditation. It's a reminder that we are all God's beloved creation! May you feel this sincere blessing today. Friends, it's time to own your belovedness... Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. ~Ephesians 5:1-3 For we know, brothers and sisters beloved by…
Today we begin a short series of posts that share the beautiful, inspiring words of Howard Thurman. We celebrate Thurman as we anticipate the "The Life & Legacy of Howard Thurman: African American Mystic, Teacher, and Prophet" retreat, presented by Rev. Joan Crawford on Monday, May 15. (Click here to read more about the retreat.) Howard Washington Thurman (November 18, 1899 – April 10, 1981) was an American author, philosopher, theologian, mystic, educator, and civil rights leader. As a prominent…
Have you been following Fr. Michael Schleupner's spiritual wellness series on our blog? Today, he concludes the series by summarizing his recipe for wholeness. These key points make it easy to locate the explanation of each within our blog too. Simply type the ingredient name into the search bar. We're so grateful that Fr. Michael will be with us for two week-long directed retreats this summer too. He still has a few openings in the August retreat and it's a…
Fr. Michael Schleupner shared the posts below with us as he entered Holy Week. They are insights that we can carry with us throughout the Easter season. These posts continue his series on Spiritual Wellness (check our blog for all of his previous posts in the series) and this component is essential to his philosophy. Let's learn more about the importance of the paschal mystery as we prayerfully read below. Spiritual Wellness - 14 Believe in the Mystery - part…
Happy Earth Day (tomorrow)! The first Earth Day was celebrated in 1970 and now, 53 years later, we still have much to do to save our planet. How are you marking this day? Why not spend part of your day outdoors, appreciating nature, or researching new ways that you can care for our earth? If you'd like to know more about the Sisters of Bon Secours' ecological actions, please visit their Justice, Peace & Integrity ministry's site here. Please write…
As we prepare for Earth Day on Saturday, we are highlighting a few quotes about trees from two inspiring authors. Take a moment to appreciate the trees around you today! Comment and share your favorite species or places to visit. “If a tree falls in the forest there are other trees listening. This is because a tree can be only as strong as the forest that surrounds it. Every tree, therefore, is valuable to the community and worth keeping…
At the beginning of April, Fr. Nicholas Amato presented "Our Journey from Darkness to Light" retreat and shared this beautiful prayer. May you be blessed with hope and light today! When the Road Seems Closed - A Prayer By David Long-Higgins Loving God, Grant me a vision Greater than any barricade Daring me to despair At signs screaming out “No possible way forward, This road is closed.” Yes, lift up my eyes To Your emerging light Stretching…
