Journal entry #4
Shabnam Mashinchi
GNRS 505
Takeaways from the Retreat Center and New Concepts Learned
Going to the Mater Dolorosa retreat center affected me a lot. One important thing we learned is that it's important to set aside time and create a space that helps us reflect on our spirituality, even when we're busy. We need to set aside time to connect with God and take care of our spiritual health, even when we are busy. The place where we went for the retreat was peaceful, beautiful, and helped us focus on our spiritual growth through cutting out distractions from our daily routine. Being alone and quiet can help us feel better and connect with God. We learned about different rituals and symbols that can help us on our spiritual journey. We are interested in "Retreat in a Box" because it is a hands-on way to connect with God. Lighting a candle represents the Holy Spirit's presence and helps guide people. This reminded me how important it is to ask God for help every day, as it stated in Psalm 23:1-3. We thought about our spiritual journey last year while looking at the sand. Sand provided us with the opportunity for reflection, allowing us to look back on our spiritual journey during the preceding year. We were encouraged to use different lines, curves, and twists to draw in the sand to represent our own experiences.
Challenges Faced
We encountered difficulties during the retreat that forced us to look beyond our usual lifestyles. One problem was needing to show total openness and vulnerability in front of God. We had to stop doing things we enjoyed and focus on being serene and receptive to God's presence. It's hard because we get distracted and often want to use our phones. Overcoming these challenges made me feel more peaceful. It showed me that it's important to be disciplined and focused in our self. Thinking about yourself and exploring your spiritual journey requires being honest and willing to listen. We would pick a stone, close our eyes, meditate, or think about a difficult or important moment during our journey. This made me think about our emotions and be thankful for the events that happened last year and ensuing this year and how God is important in these situations.
Heartfelt Moments
At the retreat, some things made us feel very emotional. One of these moments was Jesus’ anointment with fragrant oil. This showed that he is kind and protective and can take care of us. Seeing Jesus show love and kindness to us made me feel like God is close to me and always loyal. This made us feel grateful. We went through 14 stations of the Cross that are located in the holy land, but there was a sample of it at the retreat center. Each station told a story that made us feel the sacrifice and kindness of Jesus Christ. The stories, and hems based on each station made us feel the heaviness of his journey and inspired us to be selfless like him. It left a strong impression on us.
Lessons Learned and Personal Applications
The retreat gave us important ideas that we can use in the future. We learned that being calm and discrete during our routines is important. The act of being silent, praying, and listening attentively can help us focus and find guidance in our lives. We were encouraged to absorb and maintain the beneficial insights and contacts we obtained over the retreat by setting the candle and stone in the sand as symbolic objects of remembering. We were grateful and pleased to be with the Lord, acknowledging Him for always being faithful.
References
King James Bible Online. (2017). Oxford University Press. (Original Work Published in 1769).