Cultivating Peace: A Day of Reflection and Renewal
This special retreat day invites you to pause, breathe, and reconnect with the peace that already lives within you. Through gentle guidance, reflection, and shared practice, we will explore what it means to cultivate inner peace — and how that inner calm can become a source of strength, compassion, and clarity in daily life. Participants will leave not only refreshed, but also equipped with accessible tools to continue growing in peace beyond the retreat.
Come as you are. Leave grounded, connected, and renewed.
Morning Session – Peace Begins Within: Creating Inner Stillness
This session explores how cultivating peace starts from the inside out. Through reflection, breathwork, and simple practices, participants will be invited to quiet the noise of the outside world and listen inward. When we begin to connect with our true selves, we lay the foundation for deeper peace in our lives and our communities.
Afternoon Session – Living the Practice: Embodying Peace in Daily Life
Building on the morning’s inner work, this session turns toward practice. How do we carry peace with us into our relationships, routines, and responsibilities? Through experiential learning, journaling, and small-group conversation, we will explore ways to embody peace in everyday moments — and strengthen our commitment to living as instruments of peace in the world.
All are welcome to attend the Friends Day of Prayer retreats, held monthly on the first Wednesday of the month. It is not required to attend every month, so register for one or more sessions as your schedule allows. While the presenters and topics vary, each Friends Day of Prayer typically includes pastries and informal conversation at 9:30am, a morning presentation at 10am, an optional Mass, a delicious lunch, short periods of free time to enjoy the grounds or shop in the bookstore, and an afternoon presentation. Guided by MJ Park.
MJ Park is a respected peace educator, retreat facilitator, and co-founder of Little Friends for Peace (LFFP). For over 40 years, she has created transformative spaces where individuals of all ages can explore, experience, and practice peace — from classrooms and community centers to prisons and sacred retreats. Grounded in the belief that “peace begins with me,” MJ brings a unique blend of spiritual reflection, experiential learning, and restorative practices to her work. Her facilitation style is both gentle and empowering, guiding participants to connect inward, reflect honestly, and build the tools they need to foster peace in their daily lives. MJ’s approach is rooted in faith and animated by a lifelong commitment to justice, nonviolence, and human connection. Through her leadership at LFFP, she has impacted tens of thousands of lives across the US and internationally, partnering with schools, churches, universities, and organizations seeking to nurture more compassionate and resilient communities. Whether she is leading a peace circle with children or facilitating a contemplative retreat with adults, MJ creates spaces that are welcoming, healing, and deeply transformative.