Our world promotes the need to be happy. In TV and magazine ads, billboards and social media feeds, award shows and shop windows, everything is geared toward the same goal: convincing us that if only we had this thing, looked this way, owned this (fill-in-the-blank), we would finally have the happiness we’ve been seeking. But we all know that’s a fool’s errand. Because once we get the thing or go to the place, there is always another thing, another goal…
Tree Speak: Learning and Reverencing the Life, Language, and Lessons of Trees “But we shouldn't be concerned about trees purely for material reasons, we should also care about them because of the little puzzles and wonders they present us with. Under the canopy of the trees, daily dramas and moving love stories are played out. Here is the last remaining piece of Nature, right on our doorstep, where adventures are to be experienced and secrets discovered. And who knows, perhaps…
During this Thanksgiving season, we want to take a moment to share our gratitude for all of our friends of the Center. Your support is appreciated so much! Your words of gratitude for our presence, your gifts and your prayers mean so much to the Sisters of Bon Secours and the staff of the Retreat & Conference Center. We hope that you are able to spend the next few days counting your many blessings too! Please take a few moments…
The Sacrament of Letting Go Slowly She celebrated the sacrament of Letting Go… First she surrendered her Green Then the Orange, yellow, and Red… Finally she let go of her Brown… Shedding her last leaf She stood empty and silent, stripped bare Leaning against the sky she began her vigil of trust… Shedding her last leaf She watched its journey to the ground… She stood in silence, Wearing the color of emptiness Her branches wondering: How do you give shade,…
Last weekend, during the "Be Here Now" retreat led by Mary DeTurris Poust, one of our creative guests composed the poem below and shared it on her blog. Thank you, Christina Delaney, for sharing it with us (click here to check out her blog)! How does nature around you inspire you this season? I stood in the Peace garden, just to “be” on this last day of September. A small autumn leaf let gravity take over, after a life…
With autumn officially beginning this weekend, we are anticipating the beautiful strokes from God's paintbrush all around us. Although probably not a favorite season for our groundskeepers ;), many of us really treasure this colorful season at the Center. As we begin to watch the changes of the season it can often lead to thoughts of change within too. Let's pray for time to slow down to appreciate nature during this Fall season. Let us listen for God's voice in…
While observing the transformation that nature has begun to make around us, it can often prompt a self-reflection about a transformation within us and within our world. Many of our retreats stimulate this conversation and process here at the Center too. So, today, we are sharing this powerful prayer that will likely resonate with everyone in some way. Share your thoughts in the comments after you pray with us! Prayer for Transformation Lord, transform us – not for our benefit,…
As the trees around us begin their transformation, it is also the perfect time for us to slow down, take a moment to just breathe and enjoy the change before us. Around the Retreat & Conference Center, it's as if we're watching God's paint strokes beginning a masterpiece. Do you have a favorite tree near your home that you appreciate each year as its colors change? Do you enjoy the fall decorations displayed by neighbors? Do you make time to…
We are enjoying glimpses of autumn amongst the trees on the beautiful grounds of the Retreat & Conference Center. Are you seeing signs of God's brushstrokes around you? Remember, our grounds are always open to visitors. You could spend a quiet afternoon reflecting by our pond, in the Peace Garden or at the labyrinth soon. Why not read this poetic prayer outdoors today? Autumn Months O God of Creation, you have blessed us with the changing of the seasons. As…
The last of the beautiful fall leaves seem to be falling from the trees around us. Poets often reflect that the leaves are not simply falling, but letting go, using it as a metaphor for many lessons in our lives. As we near the end of the month of November and begin to prepare for the season of Advent, let's take a quiet moment to reflect on letting go with this beautiful poem by Nelson Mandela. Letting go To let…
