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’.
It was such a pleasure to have Fr. Michael Schleupner and Fr. Phil Cover with us last week for the directed retreat. They took turns celebrating Mass each day and Fr. Michael shared today's post on Friday for the Feast of St. Mary Magdalene. Let's see what we can learn about this amazing woman from scripture. On the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark, and saw…
During our staff planning meeting this week, Rainey Taylor, Sales Manager, shared this beautiful reflection from Joyce Rupp's "Anchors for the Soul". As our July Directed Retreat finishes up tomorrow, we hope that this has been a special week of Sabbath Time for the guests. Maybe this reflection will inspire your quiet time at home, work or outdoors too? Sabbath Time The only sounds breaking the immense quiet are crickets humming and the first yawns of robins and cardinals. My…
Today's post is a repeat from 2020, but we wanted to re-share this relaxing music video that showcases beautiful images of God's creation. You'll notice that the images repeat after the first sequence. What can you notice within the same image when viewing it a second or third time? Taking a few moments to relax and connect with nature, even via technology, can provide a calming effect that lasts throughout our day. Be still. “Who covers the heaven with clouds,…
Grace The torrential rains drenching our earth Pelting from the shrouded sky Enfolding our days in sorrowful grays We could weep, but for the flourish of life revealed Grace The fierce winds gusting our earth Churning wide from the swirling air Shaking our days in fearful frays We could tremble, but for the sweep of fresh air imbued Grace The fiery sun bearing down on our earth Blasting hot light from its blazing sphere Scorching our days with merciless rays…
Many of our guests return to the Center each summer for an annual silent retreat. We currently have 16 guests for our 8-Day Ignatian Retreat and another group of 21 guests will check in on Sunday for their Directed Retreat. There are individuals who are dedicated to this practice of setting aside a week each year to disconnect from their daily norm and to reconnect to what lies under the surface, tuning into God's voice by 'listening with the ear…
Today, we continue on the Good Samaritan theme from Sunday, sharing Fr. Michael Schleupner's homily. Let's read about a modern day example that can inspire each of us to do our part in the world. NODA Last December, the Washington Post Magazine carried an article that I find very inspiring: One night several years ago, nurse Sandra Clarke was making her rounds at Sacred Heart Medical Center in Eugene, Oregon. An elderly, frail patient made a request. His organs were…
Today's Gospel lesson comes from Luke 10:25-37, the familiar lesson of the Good Samaritan. What can you draw from the modern poem that we're sharing, based on this passage from Scripture? Where have you seen injustice? How are you helping those in need? How does the poem paint a picture of Jesus as the Good Samaritan for you? Share with us! We'd love to learn more from you. The Good Samaritan How kind the good Samaritan To him who fell…
Our 8-day Ignatian Directed Retreat guests will arrive tomorrow, so we're sharing a few of our favorite quotes by St. Ignatius today. Please keep these retreat guests in your prayers as they seek to hear God's voice in the stillness over the next week. “Try to keep your soul always in peace and quiet, always ready for whatever our Lord may wish to work in you. It is certainly a higher virtue of the soul, and a greater grace, to…
As we look forward to welcoming our 8-Day Ignatian Directed Retreat guests on Saturday, we thought it would be nice to share some of the gifts from St. Ignatius with you over the next few blogs. We found this beautiful video to accompany The Daily Examen Prayer. Let's unwind and focus on words that St. Ignatius shared so long ago. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVItxNMrNnw
As we celebrate the 4th of July tomorrow, we hope that you will take a quiet moment away from backyard barbeques and fireworks to pray with us. Let us lift our gratitude for this beautiful country and also pray for God's guidance as we take responsibility and care for the land and the people who call America home, as well as those who seek refuge here. May God bless the United States of America. God, source of all freedom, this…
