Personal Retreats at St. Mary's Sewanee
"For God alone my soul in silence waits”
A personal retreat is a series of days passed in relative solitude with a spiritual purpose. From the earliest days of the Church, those wishing to follow Jesus' example and lead a self-reflective and holy life withdrew from the world in order to draw nearer to God. In doing so, they experienced a strengthening of their lives and their faith. The desire to retreat into solitude comes from deep inner wisdom that tells us some part of ourselves needs to be left behind so that change for the better can begin. A personal retreat is for anyone who longs for freer contact with their own inmost self and with the nourishing power and love of God.
A personal retreat is a planned time of spiritual renewal and refreshment in which we rest, unwind, pray and, perhaps, study. A retreat of this kind offers us the rare opportunity to look closely, with new eyes, at the meaning of our lives, our relationships, and our experience of God. For many, silent reflection is the foundation of a personal retreat, but this need not be the case. Personal retreats can, if preferred, include daily conversation with others, some kind of shared activity, or meetings with a retreat guide or spiritual director.
Men and women who come aside to St. Mary's Sewanee are seeking many things. Often, they are seeking the opportunity to focus, to examine, to discover, and to decide. Some come needing to find peace in the present and hope for the future. Some come to learn again what God would have them value and do. Some come to look to themselves with courage and to place their failures and misguided preoccupations into the healing care of God. A personal retreat can be a wonderful opportunity to seek and receive God's forgiveness.
Personal retreats invite us to respond with openheartedness to life as it is. They inspire us to deepen our trust in God. For example, people come aside when they find themselves confronted with difficult relationships at home or at work; when they find their faith shaken; when they feel a need for peace and time to rediscover their capacity to love; when they are suffering from an abiding sense of loss or pain in their lives; or when they are faced with a threatening illness or an uncertain future. By contrast, some of the most fruitful retreat experiences emerge from times of joy, when people come aside to celebrate an unmistakable blessing from God, or when they sense God calling them to a new beginning, or when they have a deep desire to work creatively under the guidance and inspiration of God.
A personal retreat at St. Mary's Sewanee is an opportunity to clear away the daily struggle in order to breathe mountain air and listen. At St. Mary's Sewanee, you can enjoy the simplicity and order of a hermitage or a guestroom. You can be freed from the obligation of focusing on others. You can be inspired by the beauty of creation. The remarkable beauty that surrounds us here on the mountain – the bluffs, the tranquil valley, the changing sky, the woodland, the created beings – all these reveal true glimpses of our loving Creator. You will find that the natural world outside our doors has the power to draw you toward the ultimate beauty of God, its source. Though God remains unseen, the beauty God has made will assure you of the powerful presence and unfailing love of God.
The days and weeks that follow a personal retreat will offer you a wonderful gift – the chance to consciously incorporate the new insights into the ongoing journey of life. As you depart for home, you can hear the voice of God saying: