Gathering in the Harvest
As we enter the month of November, the signs of fall are
around us, the nights gradually chilling, the leaves changing
hues, the sweaters and jackets appearing. As far from working
the fields as most of us are, we still find ourselves reminded
of bountiful harvest, particularly as our traditional American
celebration of Thanksgiving approaches.
We call to mind, as well, this month, the harvest of humanity:
the mystery of death that opens for us into fullness of
life, into the satisfaction of our most profound human
yearning in union with our Creator. We join as Church in
recalling those whose lives have touched and formed ours
and who have now gone before us into eternity.
Our prayers are joined with yours these days in thanking
God for the gift of all these people, with whom we remain
united in the Communion of Saints and whose influence continues
to resonate in our hearts and memories. I’m
especially mindful of those among my Jesuit brothers and
among the El Retiro family who have died in the last year.
El Retiro San Iñigo, around 1960
(Note that the Rotunda has not yet made an appearance.)
Companions on the Journey
None of us travels the spiritual path—the path of the
Spirit—alone. We do so, rather, as fellow travelers,
as members of a community of faith, as sharers in Word and
sacrament and service. Even in our private prayer, then, we
pray in companionship, both aware of all our sisters and brothers
and supported by their prayer as we pray.
This communal dimension of prayer has fostered in our Catholic
tradition, over many centuries, the practice of spiritual
direction. Many who find themselves called to spend time in
meditation or contemplation each day find themselves drawn,
as well, to seek encouragement and guidance on the path of
prayer from those familiar with that path.
Spiritual directors work in a wide range of traditions: the
Desert Fathers and Mothers, the Benedictine, the Franciscan,
the Dominican, and many more. Ignatian prayer and direction
are relative newcomers, conceived with modern life in mind,
in which each of us is called to discern the divine call in
the context of contemporary complexity.
If your daily pattern of prayer has been raising in your awareness
the desire to share your spiritual journey with one who can serve
as companion and guide, you might consider making regular spiritual
direction a part of your life. You are welcome to contact the
Retreat Center to explore this possibility and for a referral
to a director.
A Month of Ministry
Our sponsored retreats this past month included a particularly
creative offering by Fr. Tom Lucas, S.J., of the University
of San Francisco, and Ms. Christine Rodgers, poet and actress.
Together they explored Ignatian and Gospel themes as these
have found expression in works of art and literature over
the centuries.
Our guests this month included priests of the Diocese of San
Jose for a week of retreat and ten Paulist priests for four
days of retreat. A national gathering of 25 was with us for
a Seminar in Ignatian Leadership presented by the Jesuit Secondary
Education Association. They were soon followed by a group
of 84, women and men who share in the Social and Pastoral
Ministries of the California Province of the Jesuits, for
a colloquium on the Jesuit Restorative Justice Initiative
and in preparation for Juvenile Justice Week. This weekend,
we were honored to host 75 permanent deacons of the Diocese
of Oakland and their directors.
We are always grateful for such opportunities to connect with
those whose ongoing ministry in the parishes and neighborhoods
is integral to the health of the Church and to its prophetic
and evangelizing outreach. The Spirit is ever getting the
Spirit’s work done!
Rossi Chapel in the light of morning
Retreats Coming Up
Transforming Love
This weekend, November 6-8, we are offering a retreat
for married couples. Fr.
Bob Fabing, S.J., and two of his
colleagues on the staff of the Jesuit Institute for Family
Life, Mrs. Margaret Murchan and Mr. John Martinez, invite
us to reflect on The Gifted Opportunity of Marriage.
Together, we will consider the sacramental journey of marriage
as a privileged opportunity for ever-deepening encounter
with God, one’s self, and one’s spouse. We
will celebrate the presence of God in all dimensions of
married life, a divine grace leading us to who we want
to be.
For more information or to register for the retreat, give
us a call at 650-948-4491 or register on-line at The
Gifted Opportunity of Marriage.
For the Beauty of the Earth
On the weekend of November 20-22, Fr.
Peter Togni, S.J.,
and Ms.
Barbara Nelson will invite us to turn our attention
toward the gratitude that so often wells up in our hearts.
With Thanksgiving Day approaching quickly, we will join
our companions all across this nation in calling to mind
the remarkable gifts that we have received. We contemplate
the Giver of all gifts, whose generosity invites and calls
us to lives of service and sharing.
For more information or to register for the retreat, which
is open to both women and men, give us a call at 650-948-4491
or register on-line at So, Who Would Like a Drumstick?
Liberating Traditions
Fr.
Tom Weston, S.J., will be our presenter on the weekend
of November 27-29, welcoming alcoholics and addicts and
their family members and friends for a post-Thanksgiving
Recovery Retreat. Fr. Tom’s reflections on gratitude
will focus on the blessings each participant has received
and recognized through working together the program of
the 12-Steps.
For more information or to register for the retreat, which
is open to both women and men, give us a call at 650-948-4491
or register on-line at Gratitude,
Quiet & Fellowship.
When the Going Gets Tough
On the weekend of December 4-6, Fr.
Tom Carroll, S.J.,
and Mrs.
Nancy McGaraghan will present a retreat for young
adults (ages 20 to 40), The Life You Save May Be Your
Own. We will explore the tools Ignatian spirituality
offers us for negotiating the complexity of our lives peacefully,
creatively, and successfully.
We will try out a number of Ignatius’s Spiritual
Exercises, discussing how the practice of each might keep
us on the path toward our most fundamental desire: that
union with God, others, and all creation that we recognize
as integrity, wholeness, and holiness.
For more information or to register for the retreat, which
is open to young adult women and men (ages 20 to 40), give
us a call at 650-948-4491 or register on-line at The
Life You Save May Be Your Own.
 A retreatant enjoys a still moment, on the deck of the Gellert Rotunda,
in the gentle light of evening.
Our 2009-2010 Season
The calendar for
our 2009-2010 retreat season is posted on our website,
along with information on each of our retreats and on each
person working on our retreat teams. You’re invited
to stop by the website and
browse around—and to book in another retreat soon!
(You may also download our PDF version of the 2009
~ 2010 calendar.)
Donate
ONLINE to
The Jesuit Reteat Center of Los Altos, and please remember
the Jesuit Retreat Center in your will or estate planning. |
