Spiritual retreats are an act of removing oneself from one’s daily life for a period of prayer and reflection, with the intent of returning to that daily life transformed.

It was Christ himself who was the greatest and earliest advocate of spiritual retreat. In the Gospels, he is constantly depicted as withdrawing from other people to be alone in prayer. Likewise, participants in a modern retreat most often go somewhere like a retreat center to seek silence, solitude and communion with God. There are many different varieties of retreats; they can be guided and take place in a group setting, or they can be undertaken alone by just one person. Some are focused on a specific topic or theme; some are defined by periods of total silence. Though clerics are compelled by canon law to go on retreat regularly, all faithful are encouraged to make retreat part of their spiritual life.

©LPi