Another Countdown :) Upcoming 30 Day Retreat

[cmaD2006]

Hiya everyone ... thanks for the prayers and the jokes(via the make cma laugh thead) :). I'm back for the next 35 days. Then it begins ... THE THIRTY DAY RETREAT. No phone, no tv, no internet, no talking, no texting, no cable, no distractions. Nothing but me and God.

I'm nervous. The last two months have been very difficult. I definitely have left ministry at the parish and will in all likelihood leave the parish altogether for my sanity sake.

I do sense that the retreat will be a time to grow in love with Him. I'm also posing the question "what the heck do you want from me." For over a year I've been walking in a sort of limbo ... with no commitment other than to follow Him wherever He leads. Now I need to have a better idea of what He wants from me, be it marriage, perpetual singleness, etc. I've been seeking my vocation for over 15 years, and I'm praying that the exercises will finally define everything. And if it doesn't? I guess He will have a purpose for it.

Please pray for the upcoming retreat. I wasn't sure where to post this but it seemed more at home in vocation station.

[nikita92]

May I ask where you will be retreating to for your retreat?;)

[inperpetuity]

Oh, a 30-day Ignatian retreat!  Good for you, prayers!  You'll definitely come out of that with something for sure.

[HopefulBride]

CMA,

Great to hear from you. You are on my prayers and I will definitely be praying and thinking of you during your retreat.

[Kateri89]

I just bought a book in the Spiritual Exercises and am planning to do them for the exact same reason you are!  I hope you have a very fruitful retreat!

[OnlySunshine]

Hiya everyone ... thanks for the prayers and the jokes(via the make cma laugh thead) :). I'm back for the next 35 days. Then it begins ... THE THIRTY DAY RETREAT. No phone, no tv, no internet, no talking, no texting, no cable, no distractions. Nothing but me and God.

I'm nervous. The last two months have been very difficult. I definitely have left ministry at the parish and will in all likelihood leave the parish altogether for my sanity sake.

I do sense that the retreat will be a time to grow in love with Him. I'm also posing the question "what the heck do you want from me." For over a year I've been walking in a sort of limbo ... with no commitment other than to follow Him wherever He leads. Now I need to have a better idea of what He wants from me, be it marriage, perpetual singleness, etc. I've been seeking my vocation for over 15 years, and I'm praying that the exercises will finally define everything. And if it doesn't? I guess He will have a purpose for it.

Please pray for the upcoming retreat. I wasn't sure where to post this but it seemed more at home in vocation station.

 

I'm praying you get a lot out of the retreat!  I wish I could do a 30-day retreat on Ignatian Exercises but I am so busy with school right now (plus, I can't afford it).  Please let us know how it goes when you return.  Where are you going for the retreat?  The Institute of the Incarnate Word (IVE)?  :)

[TheresaThoma]

I'm praying you get a lot out of the retreat!  I wish I could do a 30-day retreat on Ignatian Exercises but I am so busy with school right now (plus, I can't afford it).  Please let us know how it goes when you return.  Where are you going for the retreat?  The Institute of the Incarnate Word (IVE)?  :)

 

Quick hijack

 

Something you might want to look into is see if a Camino retreat is offered near you. The Jesuits have started offering these three day silent retreats specifically for students and young adults who can't take the time off to do a traditional retreat. Instead of cramming all four weeks of the exercises into three days is they spread them out over 4 retreats, typically done over 4 years. So you go on one three day retreat each year, this means that there are different "years" on the same retreat. A very interesting experience as those who have gone on the retreat before will also take time to pray for the others who are just starting out. I know there are some offered in CO, TX and LA, if there are Jesuits near you inquire if they offer this type of retreat. In my experience it is mostly spread by word of mouth.

 

End Hijack

[OnlySunshine]

Quick hijack

 

Something you might want to look into is see if a Camino retreat is offered near you. The Jesuits have started offering these three day silent retreats specifically for students and young adults who can't take the time off to do a traditional retreat. Instead of cramming all four weeks of the exercises into three days is they spread them out over 4 retreats, typically done over 4 years. So you go on one three day retreat each year, this means that there are different "years" on the same retreat. A very interesting experience as those who have gone on the retreat before will also take time to pray for the others who are just starting out. I know there are some offered in CO, TX and LA, if there are Jesuits near you inquire if they offer this type of retreat. In my experience it is mostly spread by word of mouth.

 

End Hijack

 

Unfortunately, there are no Jesuit orders in my area.  I live in an area that has barely any religious orders at all.  We just recently started getting new orders to move here.  :(

[nikita92]

same here Mater!i I read a lot of comments about Sisters going to universities/colleges as talk to the young folks!!i have never heard or seen that happening around here! I have been on silent women's retreats offer by the archdiocese of Seattle..but no 30 day retreats. Please forgive my ignorance and Hijack

[cmaD2006]

:) for now I will keep the location private but I will give a hint ... I've spoken highly of a particular retreat house before. It's not Jesuit, and IVE doesn't do 30 days in the states.

I think the countdown is at 34/33?

I've got more to post but I'm on my cell and coverage is spotty at best. I will say that I've wanted to do the 30 days for at least 10 years.

[Chiquitunga]

this is so awesome cmaria!!! :clap: I'm excited for you!! I remember once we were talking about this when I was asking you about your 8 day retreat a couple years ago ... so wonderful you're doing the 30 days now!!  :pray:

[AnneLine]

Will pray hard for you CMaria.

 

For ALL of you, don't ever ever think about doing the Exercises 'on your own' by using the Spiritual Exercises without a director.  They are very intense and you need someone watching over you.

 

Spoken as someone who has done them & has trained to give them. :)

 

There are a number of shorter retreats based on Ignatian Spirituality that can be a good starting place if you can't afaford the full 30 days or 19th Annotation retreat (30 weeks vs 30 days, lived in concert with your usual life).  I have done 3 and 5 and 8 day Ignatian retreats (and seen people's lives transformed during those) and have done the 30 week version of the long retreat.  Powerful, powerful, powerful... but you have to be ready.

 

 BOTH of those are really, really intense, and not something to just do on a lark.  (Not that I think any of you would.... but it always bears repeating....)

 

 

[TheresaThoma]

^this

 

They are intense but well worth doing under a good director.

[To Jesus Through Mary]

:) for now I will keep the location private but I will give a hint ... I've spoken highly of a particular retreat house before. It's not Jesuit, and IVE doesn't do 30 days in the states.

I think the countdown is at 34/33?

I've got more to post but I'm on my cell and coverage is spotty at best. I will say that I've wanted to do the 30 days for at least 10 years.

 

Well regardless you got my prayers chica! Way cool! It will be incredible hard, but I am sure very fruitful!! Many prayers for that, and as you prepare!!

 

The IVE does do 30 in the states (Upstate NY) it alternates men to women each year in July... it is mainly for the religious but I have heard them allowing very few lay people to also go. 

[cmaD2006]

I just bought a book in the Spiritual Exercises and am planning to do them for the exact same reason you are!  I hope you have a very fruitful retreat!

 

 I think AnneLine beat me to it (I was on a phone at the time when I read this).  Firstly -- the Spiritual Exercises are *not* to be read.  They're to be prayed (trust me -- I tried this as a newbie about 10 years ago; it's very dry reading).  Secondly, the book itself is really meant for a spiritual director to help guide you with.  The Exercises are meant to be done with a director -- not on your own.

 

 

Will pray hard for you CMaria.

 

For ALL of you, don't ever ever think about doing the Exercises 'on your own' by using the Spiritual Exercises without a director.  They are very intense and you need someone watching over you.

 

Spoken as someone who has done them & has trained to give them. :)

 

There are a number of shorter retreats based on Ignatian Spirituality that can be a good starting place if you can't afaford the full 30 days or 19th Annotation retreat (30 weeks vs 30 days, lived in concert with your usual life).  I have done 3 and 5 and 8 day Ignatian retreats (and seen people's lives transformed during those) and have done the 30 week version of the long retreat.  Powerful, powerful, powerful... but you have to be ready.

 

 BOTH of those are really, really intense, and not something to just do on a lark.  (Not that I think any of you would.... but it always bears repeating....)

 

I've been praying for years to see when it would be the right time to do the Exercises.  And you know what?  I know now, that I don't think spiritually I was ready for the 30 days 5 years ago, let alone maybe 2.  I'm not 100% sure that I'm ready now -- but my director thinks I can handle them now so away we go.

 

AnneLine PMing you privately ... curiousity kills the cat :).

 

Anyway -- I guess I'm down to 33/32 days? 

 

Oh and I guess I should mention -- ha.  Ya know, I just remembered.  I attempted to do the 19th annotation way back when, like I think in 1996 or 1997.  Oh how naieve I was.  But -- the Lord Himself protected me.  How?

 

Here's the story.  So -- I was interested in the 19th annotation.  Ha -- I don't think I had even done an 8 day (yet), and maybe I had done a silent retreat weekend (that almost drove me insane).  So -- I'm trying to remember.  Some insane way shape form or how, I called over to a Jesuit retreat house that was maybe 20-25 minutes from my apartment.  I met with an older Jesuit.  We made an agreement that I would meet with him once a week.  We met twice -- then he got sick.  And we never picked up from there.  I was still trying to grasp the "Principle and Foundation."

 

Needless to say now I know how Wise the Lord was in making sure I didn't get very far then!  Shoot -- back then I had even less of a prayer life than I do now!  In fact the main reason why I decided against trying the 19th annotation is that in order to get through them, you need to have some sort of stable prayer life (since for 30 weeks or so, or possibly more, you need to commit to pray daily).

 

-- Cma

[cmaD2006]

this is so awesome cmaria!!! :clap: I'm excited for you!! I remember once we were talking about this when I was asking you about your 8 day retreat a couple years ago ... so wonderful you're doing the 30 days now!!  :pray:

 

:) I've done two more 8 day retreats since :).  Up to last October I was averaging an 8 day retreat every 6 months.  I had to cut back due to a class I'm taking, plus I was saving up vacation time for the 30 day.

 

BTW -- I broke down this weekend and was sort of on retreat ... (yes ... I posted on PM during that time).  One thing I did prove this past weekend -- I have no self discipline to keep the smartphone off!  Let's see -- I prayed, ordered something from Amazon, played Candy Crush Saga, read and posted on facebook, read and posted on Phatmass.

 

Every time I wanted to avoid praying ... yup.  I went to the Smartphone.   Eh -- praying won out (loud and clear did He come across in spite of my avoidance tactics).

 

Ha -- rule #13.  I probably need to let my director know. :)  I'll let him know when I get to the retreat, by giving him the Smartphone.

[Guest Allie]

amesome news!  I'll be praying for you.  It was during an 8 day Ignatian retreat that I received the grace to accept  my vocation.  May all the pain of these days bear great fruit in you for His Holy Church.

 

 

edited for my atrocious spelling.

Edited May 28, 2013 by Allie

[cmaD2006]

I decided it's probably time to post once again ....  the countdown is now:

 

14 days

 

In all honesty -- I am freaking out.  Really.  I mean -- really freaking out about the retreat.

 

Why?

 

a) my struggles in prayer.  I've been trying (trying) to pray daily. It's been really, really hard

b) during most of my 8-9-10 day retreats, I never ran into a sustained period of desolation.  I figure during the 30 day there will probably be at least a bit of that.  That really scares me.

c) I *know* that it will be life changing.  Am I ready for that?

d) I've been through a tough few months.  If the Lord permitted that, possibly as a purification/preparation before this retreat, I can only imagine during.  I've been coming face-to-face with the reality of me for the last few months.  And this retreat is probably more of that -- but more intense (since I can escape from facing it during "regular life", but during a 30 day silent retreat I doubt that I can escape it for any real length of time)

e) I am facing a vocational decision during that time -- and I don't know, but do I really, really want to hear what God wants?

Anyway -- I know you all will be praying :).  I have to figure out how to pack (I need to call the house and find out if I have access to a washing machine :) ).  Also I'm trying to decide what to take for reading material.

 

LOL -- the last time I was on retreat (averaging 4 hrs of prayer)  I must have read somewhere between 10-15 books, and I'm being asked to take only 6.  That's HARD! :)  I can get through 6 in a week if I'm not careful.  

[cmaD2006]

Ok pham ... I am down to

 

TWO DAYS

(Well really three, but I travel in two...)

 

I'm trying (trying) to pack, etc.  I did learn that there are a number of retreatants, so pray for all of us.  I am a bit stressed, but looking forward to arriving. 

 

Ha ... someone at work actually said "are you sure you want to come back to work straight from the retreat?"  rotfl

The good news is that it looks like things are winding down so it will be relatively quiet at work.  That is great -- to come back to a somewhat calm environment instead of the mad house that has been the last 3-4 weeks.  Priceless.

 

I do ask everyone to keep me in your prayers.  I'll probably not post again until I return (my time is really limited right now).

 

Edited June 26, 2013 by cmariadiaz

[AnneLine]

Praying for you and your fellow exercitants, C-Maria!