Fears and Tears

This past weekend I attended a silent retreat in a beautiful setting surrounded by tall trees, a serene lake, and beautiful grounds. The weather was still a little cold, so I only went outside one of the days for a walk down to the lake and sat awhile on a park bench with the sun warming my face.

A cool breeze could be felt and the air was crisp. The leafless branches swayed in the wind, and I felt God invite me to surrender as the trees were doing.

I imagine that they have weathered storms, droughts, or floods, and yet here they stand, with roots deep in the solid ground.

For this retreat, I was blessed to go with three wonderful women from my Parish and another dear friend. In total there were 38 women on retreat, all from various places, different ages, and states of life. Even though it was a silent retreat, it was comforting to have these faithful women at the retreat.

Several days before the retreat, I prepared by praying a novena for the intercession of St. Joseph, as it is the month of March. St. Joseph is a great model of silence, not one word from him is recorded in Holy Scripture.

The retreat was based on the spiritual exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, and was led by two holy and reverent priests. I am thankful to God for this special time away.

Reflecting on my time there, I can say that I experienced the love and mercy of God, the Father.

He was there to meet me in my sin, like the prodigal son. He ran to me, his daughter, and embraced me. The love and mercy of the Father blanketed me and I was home again.

I received a great grace to be aware of a particular sin which I was able to bring to the sacrament of confession. I felt free and give all glory to God for this great blessing.

The retreat contained many different kinds of prayers, and we attended Mass every day of the retreat. It was a very faith-filled experience that brought me into a state of quietness, stillness, and peace.

I am grateful that God the Father spoke to my heart with His tender and loving care. I felt and still feel Him as my Father. He is a good Father and will never abandon me.

Thank you, my God and my Lord, for all the gifts that you poured out on me, the women present, and the Holy Priests of the retreat. I give you all honor and praise and love. Your little daughter. Amen

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to ransom those under the law, so that we might receive adoption. As proof that you are children, God sent the spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” ^{Galatians 4:4-6}