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’.
Our guests are often drawn to our retreat programs that explore different prayer methods. How wonderful to have so many ways to communicate with God and feel the Spirit around us! Mary DeTurris Poust presented a wonderful weekend retreat at our Center in June and now she is sharing the following blog with us about her new appreciation for the rosary. Confessions of a rosary convert by Mary DeTurris Poust on July 1, 2021 Rosary-challenged. That’s how I’ve described myself…
Fr. Michael continues his series on the Ignatian Examen today. Let's read about Examen's practice of gratitude. How can you incorporate this important task into your life? What are you thankful for today? Ignatian Examen Step 2 – Giving Thanks Dear Friends, After beginning the Examen by Seeking Light, we move to Giving Thanks. Ignatius saw gratitude as central to the spiritual life. He felt this so strongly that he said: “Ingratitude is the cause, beginning, and origin of all…
Today's reflection comes from Fr. Michael Schleupner. As we anticipate our upcoming 8-Day Ignatian Directed Retreat (click here to read more) we thought the timing of Fr. Michael's series on the Examen is perfect! Let's begin to read his insights about this powerful prayer practice. Ignatian Examen – Introduction 1 Dear Friends, My previous reflections were focused on Saint Ignatius of Loyola – his life, his writings, and the spiritual tradition that he started. I did this as background for…
For Courage to Do Justice O Lord, open my eyes that I may see the needs of others Open my ears that I may hear their cries; Open my heart so that they need not be without succor; Let me not be afraid to defend the weak because of the anger of the strong, Nor afraid to defend the poor because of the anger of the rich. Show me where love and hope and faith are needed, And use me…
Today is a special day for the Retreat & Conference Center, a day for us to reflect and celebrate! Read this heartfelt reflection from Tessa Newton, our Marketing Manager/Sales Associate to learn about its significance. One year ago today, the Retreat and Conference Center reopened its doors after our temporary pandemic closure. If you are a regular reader, you know that we initially closed for eight weeks but those eight weeks gradually drifted into four months. I remember, clearly, getting…
Fr. Michael Schleupner offers today’s reflection and he shares a great lesson from the pandemic. Fr. Michael will be with us for our August Directed Retreat soon. We have one reservation available for this retreat and you can read more about it by clicking here. Now, let's take a quiet moment to read and reflect. Meeting Others in a Pandemic There is a columnist for Time magazine named Belinda Luscombe. About a year ago, in the midst of the first…
Today we are sharing another reflection by Sisters of Bon Secours novice, Sr. Ji Choi. Beginning this Friday, Sr. Ji will be hosting a weekly time for Lectio Divina or Bible Mediation, prior to Mass. If you're not familiar with Lectio Divina, read below to learn more. Sr. Ji will guide this free group mini-retreat and we hope to see you at the Center for a session soon! What is Lectio Divina? It must be one of the most historic…
Today's reflection is from Sr. Ji Choi, a novice with the Sisters of Bon Secours. Inspired by the direction of the Archdiocese, she has organized a weekly time of Eucharistic Adoration in our Chapel, beginning next Monday. Let's read her to reflection to learn more. We hope to see you soon! According to Archbishop Lori of Baltimore, the Spring General Assembly of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops concluded by drafting a pastoral document to affirm the meaning, importance…
Fr. Michael Schleupner offers today's reflection. It is from a homily given during Mass a few weeks ago and shares a powerful example. It begs to ask, "how am I being inclusive within my everyday life?" Let's take a few quiet moments to learn from scripture. Readings: Genesis 17:1, 9-10, 15-22 ; Matthew 8:1-4 Jesus has just finished speaking – the rather long Sermon on the Mount. Now, according to Saint Matthew’s gospel, he immediately puts into practice what he…
Joy Aker, another spiritual director on this week's Directed Retreat, shared a beautiful opening reflection and prayer with the retreat group last Sunday. We're including a portion of it here for you to use during your personal meditation time too. Maybe it can serve as a mini-retreat for you today? As We Begin our Retreat We Quiet Ourselves & Pray Into the quiet God calls you Calls you each by name Into the quiet God calls you Enter God's dwelling…
