Silent Contemplative Weekend Retreat

This weekend retreat, led by Fr. Paolo Gamberini, SJ, will be guided by the spiritual practice of absolute silence and loving attention, while also engaging in contact with nature.

The prayer of silence or quietness is a simple and loving gaze of the Presence in the present moment, a loving attention to God’s presence, and a sweet rest of the soul in Him. As clearly stated in the Jesuits’ writings of Lallemant, De Clorivière and De Caussade, this prayer is a way of total surrender to God, without images or content. In this prayer of silence, the soul forgets all things, and as much as possible, lets go of any memory and attachment to all creatures. At the Presence of God, each one remains in silence and places on standby all his/her acts of all faculties. As Mary kept everything in her heart, so we too are called to pay attention to and be born of God, becoming the Mystery that dwells in our secret.

During each day, there will be common sitting meditations, varying in length. In these moments, instructions regarding breathing and relaxation of the body will be given; each one is invited to remain silent with the help of a simple word to be repeated or remaining in simple and pure non-objective loving attention.

After each meditation, there will be a time for sharing in the group, how the meditation was in its technical aspects. The meditations will be integrated with walking meditation in nature, listening to the sensations of redundancy that the prayer of quietness produces. Every day there is an instruction on the contemplative method and some reflections from the Bible and mystical texts of different religious traditions. There will be opportunity to have individual sharing moments with the Instructor. The Sunday Eucharist will be celebrated in a contemplative style.

Guidelines for the Weekend

Sitting is done on a chair, a cushion or prayer bench:  you may bring  your own if you wish. Wear comfortable, loose clothing and easy walking shoes. Bring a light blanket or a shawl, since your body temperature may cool down while sitting. Since we will stay shoeless during the time of contemplation, bring wool socks to keep your feet warm. Refrain from wearing “noisy” clothing (e.g., nylon, corduroy, jeans) items that jangle, and watches that beep. No use of cellular phones will be allowed during the time of meditation and any kind of spiritual reading. For any questions, please contact: pgamberini@sju.edu

Date: February 24 – 26, 2023

Time: Starting at 4:00pm

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