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Retreat is Over, Go in Peace
By Fr. Dennis | April 1, 2007
Thanks be to God, (insert the unsingable-during-Lent “A”-word here)!
I think I truly hate being silent. When you do retreats, there’s silence, and then there’s SILENCE. In the case of my retreat last week, we were asked to have only a Bible and something to keep a journal in. No other books, no devotions, no rosaries. We were even excused from, and specifically requested not to, pray the Liturgy of the Hours. Evidently being on a silent Ignatian retreat is some kind of exception to the rule that people under vows or in Holy Orders must pray the Office.
My reaction to being quiet for five days with, only 40 minutes a day with spiritual director, and otherwise being at the mercy of my relentless chatterbox of a brain, was the same one Isaiah had:
For Zion’s sake I will not be silent!
For Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet!
Is 62:1a
Ok, Isaiah wasn’t talking about being on retreat. Whatever. I stand by my prooftext.
And I’m glad to be home in Memphis where people talk whenever they heck they feel like it.
P.S. — Comments are open again.
Topics: Uncategorized |
April 2nd, 2007 at 1:12 pm
“Whatever. I stand by my prooftext.”
laughs out loud…
April 2nd, 2007 at 5:23 pm
As socially inclined as you are, I have no idea how you got through it without developing a neurosis
April 2nd, 2007 at 11:33 pm
Who says I made it through without one?
April 4th, 2007 at 2:52 am
I imagine this would be a special form of suffering for you. You are a bit womanish that way. : )
April 7th, 2007 at 7:30 pm
Are you at St Paul for easter?