We Need a Little Christmas!
One Jesuit scholastic of the California Province, Chris Calderón, seems to share Fr. Tom Carroll’s fanaticism for the music of Christmas. Since Thanksgiving, Chris has been posting on Facebook each day a link to one of his favorite carols of the season. Fr. Tom is delighted that he’s not the only one who thinks Christmas is properly celebrated all year ’round. (Fr. Joe Fice, on the other hand, will hear nothing of Christmas before the evening of December 24th. No matter what your opinion, it seems, you’ll find at least one Jesuit on your side.)
Though the advertising media lead us immediately from the celebration of Thanksgiving into the consumerism of Black Friday, the Church wisely invites us first into the time of Advent, into recollection of our desire for God—and of God’s desire for us. The ubiquitous Santas and the yet more ubiquitous “sales” draw our attention to less central desires, desires that may or may not be well integrated with the core desire which only can satisfy our human nature. So, the Spirit continues to tug at our hearts.
You might tune your hearts to the Spirit’s invitation in this season by joining us for the Advent Day of Prayer on December 8th. You might also tune your voices to the Spirit’s invitation in this season by joining us, the weekend before Christmas, for a retreat exploring the spiritual themes of Advent and Christmas through the songs and hymns and carols of the season. Ms. Julie Paavola and Fr. Tom Carroll look forward to reflecting and praying and singing with you that weekend, so please do join us for Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day.
The central window in Rossi Chapel pictures Ignatius in his cave at Manresa, overlooking the Cardoner River, in colloquy with Our Lady as he crafts the text of the Spiritual Exercises. (Photo by Michael Collopy.)
And a Partridge in a Pear Tree
The familiar Christmas song “The Twelve Days of Christmas” calls to mind the joy we all experience in giving and receiving gifts at Christmas, even as each verse refers, in cryptic image, to some aspect of our Catholic tradition. The gifts we share with family and friends can be freely from the heart and to the heart, liberating grace for giver and recipient alike. Our giving is then in the image of God’s own giving: giving, in love, only for the happiness of the other.
Many of you, I know, will include in your Christmas giving some commitment of service for those in need, perhaps in a parish food pantry or in a community shelter for the homeless. Many of you, I know, will include in your Christmas giving some contribution of a talent with which you have been blessed, perhaps singing in a church choir or taking on the role of secretary for a weekly 12-Step meeting. Many of you, I know, will include in your Christmas giving the sharing of your financial resources with a person or a family whose need you see.
Please keep in mind, in these days, your local parishes and the variety of non-profits that strive to meet the needs of people in and around your own neighborhood. Virtually every parish and non-profit continues to feel the strain of the financial downturn, as do many of their constituents. With a gift of any amount, generous according to your means, you invest in the entire social fabric, allowing these institutions and organizations to serve you and your community more effectively.
And please keep in mind, as well, El Retiro’s Annual Appeal, which reached many of you by mail in the days before Thanksgiving. We continue to rely, gratefully, on your partnership in our ministry.
El Retiro's Marini Hall on a crisp and clear Advent morning.
Yes, It's Possible
Summer after summer for over thirty years, El Retiro has offered the complete Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius—the famed "Thirty Days"—in the context of our 36-Day Program. Each person making the Exercises is individually directed through the experience, in response to the action of God's Spirit in that person's prayer and in light of that person's life history. Each summer's group is diverse, including priests and deacons, women and men religious and lay, and even the occasional bishop. Other Christian traditions than Catholic are regularly represented, as well, often by clergy. Ages of participants range from late teens into the 90's.
Our extended program includes four preparatory days, allowing the participants to settle into a rested, prayerful readiness for retreat and to get to know one another. (Directors and their directees will enjoy this time to get acquainted in introductory conversations.) Two days for integration and re-entry follow the time spent in the Exercises. We are blessed that skilled directors come from around the U.S.A., and, often enough, even from Europe and Africa and Asia, to join our direction team.
Yes, the Exercises are for you and for me—for all of us mere mortals. Making the Exercises can be the liberating adventure of a lifetime, inviting your complete engagement with the God Who desires us just as fully as we desire God. Ignatius intended that the Exercises be a graced path toward freedom, toward our availability to the Spirit's ongoing creation of each of us in God's image and likeness. Do consider taking the plunge in our 36-Day Program.
And don’t think that you're off the hook just because you're not able to set aside those days. You might consider making the Exercises in Everyday Life, running through thirty or more weeks. The "19th Annotation" version of the Exercises may fit you well, so please do give it some thought—and some prayer.
The tower of Rossi Chapel, wrapped in Fall colors.
Retreats Coming Up
My Spirit Rejoices!
We will offer, on Wednesday, December 8, our annual Advent Day of Prayer, non-silent retreat for both women and men.
Fr. Jim Flynn, S.J., and Mrs. Cathy Collins will be the retreat directors. Fr. Flynn and Mrs. Collins will be assisted by
Fr. Bernie Bush, S.J. In this retreat, we will gather to sing with Mary, "My soul magnifies the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior." The Day of Prayer will prepare us to celebrate the fuller coming of Emmanuel into our lives at this Christmas of 2010.
For more information or to register for this retreat, give us a call at 650-917-4000 or register on-line at My Spirit Rejoices!
Sharing the Gift We Have Received
On the weekend of December 10-12, we will offer a non-silent recovery retreat for men.
Msgr. Terrence Richey of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, will be the retreat director. His retreat, titled Carrying the Message, will help us to reflect on renewing our commitment—and our gratitude. Msgr. Richey will be assisted by Sr. Patricia Galli, R.S.M. and Jesuit Fathers Kevin Ballard, Joe Fice, and Jim Flynn.
For more information or to register for this retreat, give us a call at 650-917-4000 or register on-line at Carrying the Message.
How Can I Keep from Caroling?
We will offer a silent (yet singing) retreat for women and men on the weekend of December 17-19.
Fr. Tom Carroll, S.J., and Ms. Julie Paavola will be the retreat directors, singing and praying with us of the desire of each Advent and of the grace of God-with-us on Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day! Fr. Carroll and Ms. Paavola will be assisted by Ms. Randi Schmidt and Jesuit Fathers Kevin Ballard and Duc Vu. The chants and songs, carols and hymns of Advent and Christmas invite us to contemplate the entire mystery of God's saving action in our world.
For more information or to register for this retreat, give us a call at 650-917-4000 or register on-line at Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day!
Where Two or Three Are Gathered Together
On the weekend of December 31 to January 2, we will offer a non-silent New Year recovery retreat for both women and men. (Retreat fee: $340, deposit: $150)
Fr. Tom Weston, S.J., will be the retreat director, focusing with us on steps, traditions, and the principles of recovery on Fellowship, Celebrated in a Sacred Space. He will be assisted by Ms. Mary Peterson, Sr. Stephanie Still, P.B.V.M., and Jesuit Fathers Kevin Ballard, Jim Flynn, Jack Mitchell, and Duc Vu. Let's let go of the old and welcome in the new. Spend New Year 2011 peacefully with women and men in recovery. Oldtimers and Newcomers are welcome!
For more information or to register for this retreat, give us a call at 650-917-4000 or register on-line at Fellowship, Celebrated in a Sacred Space.
Till by Turning, Turning, We Come Round Right
We will offer a non-silent recovery retreat for women on the weekend of January 7-9.
Sr. Patricia Galli, R.S.M. and Sr. Stephanie Still, P.B.V.M.., will be the retreat directors. They will be assisted by Ms. Ms. Mary Peterson, and Jesuit Fathers Kevin Ballard, Joe Fice, and Jack Mitchell. We gather at the turning point into a new year, reflecting on how we use the turning points of our lives. We will call to mind the tools the Twelve Steps give us to assist as we approach the daily twists and turns that sobriety brings.
For more information or to register for this retreat, give us a call at 650-917-4000 or register on-line at We Stood at the Turning Point.
An Opening into Fullness of Life
On the weekend of January 14-16, we will offer a silent retreat for women.
Fr. Duc Vu, S.J. will be the retreat director. His retreat, titled From Dead Ends to Infinite Horizons, will explore the contrast between human stories and God's narrative and will consider biblical characters who forfeit the infinite possibilities God offers. Fr. Vu will be assisted by Sr. Esther Ling, Daughters of Charity of Canossa and Jesuit Fathers George Collins, Joe Fice, and Jerry Hudson.
For more information or to register for this retreat, give us a call at 650-917-4000 or register on-line at From Dead Ends to Infinite Horizons.
Tilling the Soil of Our Hearts
We will offer a silent retreat for men on the weekend of January 28-30.
Fr. Kevin Ballard, S.J. and Ms. Randi Schmidt, of the Pierre Favre program at El Retiro, will be the retreat directors. They will offer us an array of Heavenly Tools for Earthly Tasks. Fr. Ballard and Ms. Schmidt will be assisted by
Mr. Edwin Waite and Jesuit Fathers Bernie Bush and Jerry Hudson. Our callings include many tasks, and, as this retreat will remind us, God has left us practical tools we might use in addressing each of them. We will examine together the spiritual "tool kit" laid before us by the Church, which provides skills that will help each of us to deal with the challenge of living, day by day, as Christ's disciples.
For more information or to register for this retreat, give us a call at 650-917-4000 or register on-line at Heavenly Tools for Earthly Tasks.
El Retiro’s 2010-2011 Season
The 2010-2011
retreat season calendar is posted on our website,
along with information on each of our retreats and on
each person working on our retreat teams. You’re
invited to stop by the website and
browse around—and
to book another retreat soon!
Donate
ONLINE to
The Jesuit Reteat Center of Los Altos, and please remember
the Jesuit Retreat Center in your will or estate planning. |
