Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Caritas 2008

I went to a church retreat this past weekend called Caritas, at Lake Arrowhead. The 4-day weekend was very fulfilling, empowering, and joyful. I came with expectations and hope. To better grasp how big this weekend was for me, find the distinction between expectation and hope. Expectation is something you know, with some level of certainty, would happen. Hope - you hope for things; but, don't really believe they'd occur. Hope has no guarantees. They are miracles. This retreat was monumental. Not only did I get all that I expected; I also got what I had hoped.

The retreat was a 4-day block of worship, praise, prayer, mass, meals, discussions, and sleep (barely). Each event ended with a sounding of a small, hand-held, brass bell - indicating it was time to move on to the next thing. A typical day started off with breakfast, then singing, a large group discussion/sharing, an individual prayer, a small group discussion/sharing, then lunch, a large group discussion, dinner, and finally a mass/service. Read a poetic account of one of my monumental days: The Bell Rings

It was a great weekend. I met some wonderful people. It was just what I needed. Though I am very sick from the trip, and may possibly miss my first week of school, I would do it all over again.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

ehhe I know darn that love bug germs. lol I guess it's a time God gave us to appreciate our health and
remember the miracle that occurred. Take care hon. Tammy

Indigo Serpent said...

Thanks for sharing your joy withus Cris. Take care...

Pepper said...

It's those fleeting moments when you experience complete clarity and a sense of purpose in your life that you will treasure for a lifetime.