If you are spending time to re-treat yourself for eight days in a year, you can be both spiritually and mentally strong for an entire year. It is a basic need for the lay people and if you take just one day or half a day a month (or even a couple of hours!), it will enhance your spiritual life. You might be wondering, “Oh what is half a day compared to eight days?” But God is not limited to these details. Even though we may have many responsibilities, God is not going to limit His blessings just because you don’t have the luxury of tons of time to spend with him.
St. Ignatius, the author of the Spiritual Exercises has said that one hour of prayer in a cave at Manresa taught him more about the mysteries of God “than all the doctors of the schools could ever have taught him.” One hour, folks!
It would be really worthwhile to find some time for a “mini-retreat” this month. Even if it is just one morning. If you have enough time to watch your favorite movie or spend time with your friends, surely you have the time for a mini-retreat.
Here are the five steps for a do-it-yourself retreat:
- Turn off your Phone: There are chances of urgency of making phone calls. But if there are no emergencies, of course, you can keep your phone away. Leave your phone away and in the same vein, stay away from email, computers, tablets, and radio. As much as possible, it is best if you really have silence for a short period, you can dedicate yourself to God. It is in silence that He speaks to the heart.
- Begin your Day with Holy Mass: There is no other perfect way to start a retreat other than to start the day with Holy Mass. If you can make it to Mass a bit early, read the Gospel of the day and pray with it before Mass begins. Since your morning is free, try to participate in Mass. Ask your guardian angel to help you focus on. When you receive the Eucharist, ask Jesus to give you all the grace for a good retreat.
- Go to Eucharistic Adoration: After your participation in Holy Mass, you can also set apart some time for Eucharistic adoration. You may not get much time to pray like this, hence use the time well. Soak Jesus in. Ask him to give you the grace and insight you need to feel revitalized, converted, and transformed after this short time of retreat.
- Walk with Rosary: Rosary walks are very fantastic. Take a walk and pray the Rosary slowly and meditatively as you walk. Look at the beauty around you and thank God for it; let it soothe your soul. Let God speak to you through the beautiful world that he created. If you enjoy taking pictures, pause every once in a while to capture something beautiful. After some time you can go back to the Rosary.
- Three Prayer Periods: If you are doing a half-day retreat, enter totally in it. Pray the maximum time you can. If you a little shaky about that, it is not hard for you and there are several ways to make you feel good. Break up your prayer into 45-minute periods (but also don’t feel like you have to stick to that). In between, try journaling, spiritual reading or just drinking a cup of coffee and looking out the window. If you are unable to do your prayer times in a church, choose a place that is quiet and away from others.
There are many other things that you could do on a half-day or one-day retreat. These are just ideas. But don’t sweat the details too much. What really matters is a silent time with God.