‘In Celtic wisdom the sacred is as present on earth as it is in heaven, as imminent as it is transcendent, as human as it is divine, as physical as it is spiritual.’ ~Dr. John Philip Newell, Sacred Earth Sacred Soul In 2016 John Philip Newell began a teaching initiative of annual retreats to help reawaken awareness of the sacred in all things through the recovery of Celtic wisdom for today and to help translate this awareness into compassionate action…
In anticipation of tomorrow's holiday, we are offering a few prayers that you may find helpful in your celebration. The first prayer can be used if you are gathering with loved ones and another that can be used even if you are marking the occasion alone. No matter what the holiday looks like, God has given us abundant blessings! May you be able to focus on those gifts today and always. Crowded With Gratitude Lord God, Our hearts are crowded…
One way to honor the Earth is to pay attention, to listen, to see the Earth and all of Creation, and to come humbly. Poet-theologian and fellow pilgrim Annie Dillard describes two ways of experiencing life: Walking as if taking a picture with your camera, from shot to shot, setting up and analyzing and framing. Or, “when I walk without a camera, my own shutter opens, and the moment's light prints on my own silver gut.” This Earth Day retreat invites us…
Today's post comes from Jen Murphy, Manager of Marketing & Events at the Center. In addition to general marketing duties, Jen prepares the schedule of retreats that are open to the public and she invites you to browse through our current offerings here! Let's read about how Jen was inspired by this poem below. As swimmers dare to lie face to the sky and water bears them, as hawks rest upon air and air sustains them, so would I learn…
We recently received a request from a guest who hoped to have a pondside lodging room during her stay so that she could hear the frogs/toads in the evening. The "song" of these animals are soothing to her and she really enjoys this part of her retreat experience! Do you enjoy the sounds of nature in the summer? What soothes you? Earth mother teach me of my kin, Of Hawk and dove and flower, Of blinding sunlight, shady knoll,…
As we welcome our guests of the "Images of God in Teilhard & Merton" retreat today, we leave this beautiful piece by Thomas Merton. It's a bit longer than our usual posts, but so poignant and certainly not meant to be abbreviated. We pray that these 'strangers' on retreat come together as a community of love during their week together. Merton’s Epiphany at Fourth & Walnut In Louisville, at the corner of Fourth and Walnut, in the center of the…
We have had a severe drought in Maryland over the last month or so. The rain this week has been such a blessing! We're thankful for how it is nourishing our dry grass, flowers, shrubs and trees. Our pond is in need of replenishment from the rainfall too, so we're hopeful that it will make an impact this week. The animals are sheltering, but we know that they are also grateful for the water resources that they need. Let's take…
We have been enjoying the recent sunny days in Marriottsville! We hope that you have also been enjoying this late spring source of brightness and warmth. It is easy to cast our eyes downward as we count the blessings of beautiful blooms and green grass during this time of year, but we cannot forget the sun, and thank the SON for this amazing gift too! “May the sun bring you new energy by day, may the moon softly restore you…
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…
Tessa Newton, Sisters of Bon Secours Program Manager of Fundraising (and former Sales & Marketing Manager for the Retreat & Conference Center), attended the sister's blessing of trees around our labyrinth last week. She shares about this circle of life on today's blog... When you have 313 acres of mostly wooded land, it comes as no surprise when a tree or two needs to be cut down. We have regular site visits from a local tree company to inspect, prune,…
