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Retreats in Daily Life Retreats have been around for centuries, they have taken on many forms and assume different titles. For example, there are retreats that focus on the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius, made over nine-to-ten months, there are retreats that run for a month and more commonly called a 30 day retreat. There are 10 day, 7 day, 5 day and even weekend retreats. As well as the duration, the format can also vary, from a group preached retreat through to a personally directed retreat. As the structure of society changes the Retreat in Daily Life has become increasingly popular. A major benefit of the Retreat in Daily Life, is that it comes to the people, participants don't have to travel to a Retreat Centre to take part in a retreat. For example, I have recently taken the Retreat in Daily Life to the Whangarei, Waipuna, Coromandel and Manurewa parishes. The Retreat in Daily Life has many different forms, and one format that I have developed, with direct encouragement from John Veltri sj, is a one week individually guided retreat, that focuses on the person of Jesus and the individual retreatant's relationship with him. This form of the Retreat in Daily Life is undertaken in a group or parish setting. However the group gathers only twice, once for the opening and then again for the closing session, and other than on these two occasions, this form of the Retreat in Daily Life is an individually guided retreat, undertaken over a period of one week, while continuing ones daily life. In stating that the person making the retreat carries on their normal daily life, they do so with a difference. That difference is that Monday through Friday each retreatant is committed to thirty minutes of daily reflection on the Gospel, in the place and time of their choice, and also to a thirty minute daily interview with one of the retreat team, their prayer companion for the week. The material for prayer is adapted to each individual and drawn from the Gospels. The retreat material focuses on "contemplating the face of Christ," with each retreatant asking for a "deeper, more personal relationship with Jesus." Living out of this grace after the experience leads to an on-going conversion of heart. The Retreat in Daily Life meets people in their normal environment, where each is on their journey of faith, it leads the participants to a deeper prayer life, and encourages a growing awareness of daily companionship with Jesus. It is a richly blessed experience for all concerned, including those priests in the parishes who in the service of their parish community, have undertaken supervision as trained prayer companions. There are and will be other forms of retreat, but the Retreat in Daily Life is meeting a pressing need for spirituality in our country today. - Bryan Montgomery
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Contact Details Brian Cummings |
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