Abide in Me & I In You
A free mini-retreat on resting in the presence of God
I think we often see prayer as a discipline, like exercise, something we know is good for us but that we don’t really look forward to doing.
A good friend once told me that yes, the Church says that prayer is a battle. However, our battle is showing up, the rest is God’s work. The Catechism teaches that it is God who initiates our prayer. He thirsts for us. He puts the desire for prayer on our hearts. He waits for us. He receives us exactly as we are in that moment. The Catechism says:
Entering into contemplative prayer is like entering into the Eucharistic liturgy: we "gather up" the heart, recollect our whole being under the prompting of the Holy Spirit, abide in the dwelling place of the Lord which we are, awaken our faith in order to enter into the presence of him who awaits us. We let our masks fall and turn our hearts back to the Lord who loves us, so as to hand ourselves over to him as an offering to be purified and transformed. (CCC 2711)
God calls us to deeply personal and vulnerable prayer where we bring our fears, concerns, shame, and joys to him. We don’t need to pretend to be anything or anyone that we’re not. We simply need to show up.
With that in mind, I’m very happy to share this online retreat with Sr Kathryn Hermes FSP that SmartCatholics is hosting on Saturday April 23, 3-4pm EST. This free retreat will present prayer as a place of rest, as an oasis where Jesus encounters and abides in us.
Here is the information:
We are all called to pray daily. But how do we actually do that?
Most prayer seems like talking to a wall. Are you still feeling frazzled and frustrated and tired – even after 4 weeks of Lent? Are you still not feeling renewed and rested? Are you privately ready for Easter to be over?
Don’t feel bad. That’s because most of us haven’t yet learned to pray. We think it’s about asking for things harder. Are you always hoping for something? Do you get distracted easily? Are you worried you did it wrong?’ Are you wondering if God is even listening?
Join Sr Kathryn Hermes FSP for a free, mini-retreat called Abide in Me & I in You: A Retreat on the Presence of God. It’s hosted online on Saturday April 23, 3-4pm EST. We’re going learn about simple forms of prayer that puts all our fears aside.
Instead, we’ll focus on abiding in God.
Come and discover what you’re missing.
Discover prayer that is restful, calming, calling you to abide quietly in the presence of God.
Join us to talk about the lost practice of prayer where you allow Jesus to actually touch you, and abide in you.
Find out how we see the world differently when we are aware of the abiding presence of God – and how nothing can separate us from it!
Come together with us to learn and ask questions, for about 30 minutes. You will be able to chat and meet other members of the retreat one-on-one.
Then, you’re invited to continue with a 9 day ‘challenge,’ or the retreat.
Each day shares with you a different form of prayer. All of them help you do one thing: open up to the holy mystery of Our Lord. To abide in him, and him in you.
Register free here: https://hopin.com/events/abide-in-me-retreat
The event is coordinated by SmartCatholics, the fastest-growing online community to support Pope Francis. It’s free of toxicity, trolls, and ads, and is building a culture of kindness and learning.Â