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’.
As election day approaches, many of us are overwhelmed by the tension amongst voters. We offer today's prayer as a way to give our election fears and anxiety over to God. May we focus on the gratitude for the opportunity to vote, a common ground that we can all find comfort in. Let us pray... Prayer for the Election Year of a President God of mercy, our nation is in a time of great transition. With all of the injustice…
Today we are highlighting a video from YouTube. It is a meditative video with soft music and reassuring scripture. After seven long months of the pandemic, many of us are weary and anxious. Our faith can ease this anxiety though. The Bible reminds us to turn our worries over to God in prayer. We hope that this video can provide some of the reassurance that you're seeking today. Let's take a deep breath...in...and out...and let go of our anxiety, turning…
Today's post comes from our friend Fr. Michael Schleupner. Fr. Mike will be with us again next summer for a directed retreat and it's not too early to sign up! Click here to learn more. In the meantime, let's learn more about how we can strengthen our personal encounters with Christ. Pope Francis - 1 Dear Friends, On October 4, our Catholic calendar celebrated the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi. This has led me to some reflections on…
Today's post is from author and retreat presenter Mary DeTurris Poust. She shares about an experience that she had recently, presenting a retreat during the pandemic. It resonates with us as we make safety accommodations for our guests of current retreats too. We are excited that she will be with us for a weekend retreat next summer. Click here to learn more about Mary and her "Broken, Beautiful, and Beloved" retreat. Let's take a few quiet moments to learn about…
Susan Boruff offers another reflection for our blog today. She speaks of the wisdom of the late Fr. Thomas Keating and how we can implement the silence and science of meditation into our daily lives. We've added a brief YouTube video about his life and prayer at the end of today's post. Take a deep breath. Breathe in. Breathe out. Please read along... Changes By: Susan Boruff "Your relationship with God, others, yourself, and all creation keeps changing for…
Today's post comes from a friend of the Retreat & Conference Center, Fr. Michael Schleupner. Fr. Mike has presented many retreats for our Center and we look forward to seeing him again soon! Let's take a few quiet moments to read his thoughts about the Rosary. The Rosary Dear Friends, Today I am thinking about mysteries. I do not mean a Sherlock Holmes mystery that a good detective can solve. Instead, I am referring to the great mysteries of life,…
Today's post was shared by Amy Kulesa, the Director of the Sisters of Bon Secours Associates. Amy is a frequent retreat presenter at our Center too and will be with us for a special Advent weekend retreat in December. You can learn more about it by clicking here. Now, let's take a few quiet moments to read these words from Henri Nouwen about God's love. Knowing God’s heart means consistently, radically, and very concretely to announce and reveal that God…
Today's post is the continuation of last week's blog from retreat presenter Susan Boruff. Susan shares insights from scripture about meditation and then provides a video at the bottom that can walk you through a 12 minute meditation. We hope that you'll join us. Cultivating Silence By: Susan Boruff As we learned in last week's post, the Desert Mothers and Fathers sought God in the solitude and silence of the deserts in Syria and Egypt. They escaped the busyness and…
After over six months of precautions and pressures from the pandemic, many of us are seeking a calming peace. We hope that you'll be able to pause for this prayer and meditation from the Catholic Health Association today, providing renewed strength and hope. For Peace in Anxiety During the Coronavirus Pandemic Loving God, we come to you full of anxiety about what may happen in the coming days and weeks. Shower us with the peace Jesus promised to his disciples,…
Today's post is a prayer from Joyce Rupp, OSM. Do you know someone who is in need of physical, emotional or spiritual healing? Why not reach out to them with this beautiful prayer for healing? Just reading it may spark a bit of strength and faith that they need today. A Blessing for Healing May the ever-present love of family and friends sustain and support you, especially in those times when you feel alone and lonely. May you accept your…
