Jesus says, “Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence. This is the most important, the first on the list. But there is a second to set alongside it: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ These two commands are pegs; everything in God’s law and the Prophets hangs from them.” ~Matthew 22:34-40 (The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language)
Praying with the greatest commandments, we often focus on the love of God and neighbor. Despite our best intentions, we can easily overlook that Jesus includes us in this equation of love. Loving ourselves requires that we remember that we are the beloved children of God. In his classic book, Life of the Beloved: Spiritual Living in a Secular World, Henri Nouwen — Catholic priest, professor, psychologist, and prolific writer — says, “As long as ‘being the Beloved’ is little more than a beautiful thought or a lofty idea that hangs above my life to keep me from becoming depressed, nothing really changes. … Becoming the Beloved is pulling the truth revealed to me from above down into the ordinariness of what I am thinking of, talking about, and doing from hour to hour.”
In this retreat, we will reconsider self-care as an act of love that can transform our relationships in all domains of life. The retreat will include time for silent rest and reflection, heart-enriching conversation, and mindful prayer and movement. You will take home practices that will inspire you to live each day more fully into your one, precious life. Guided by Linda Mastro.
Check-in begins at 4pm. There will be a brief welcome session at 5:30pm, followed by dinner at 6pm. The retreat begins after dinner at 7pm on Friday and concludes before lunch on Sunday. Mass will be available Sunday morning for those who wish to attend.
Linda Mastro is a graduate of the Bon Secours Spiritual Direction Institute in Marriottsville, MD, where she now serves as a faculty member. In addition to being an Associate of Bon Secours, Linda is a spiritual companion for individuals and groups and brings a spirit of compassion and light-heartedness to her work as a women’s retreat facilitator, pilgrimage leader, and workshop guide. Linda is co-author of the book Petite Retreats: Renewing Body, Mind, and Spirit Without Leaving Home. Learn more about Linda and her ministry at LivingPilgrimage.com.