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Friday, March 4, 2022, 6:00 PMFriday, March 4th - Sunday, March 6th, 2022
Retreat directors: Linda Baratte, Ph.D and Paul Brian Campbell, SJ
Traditionally sponsored by Pat McGann, New York Labor, et al“I Call You Friend”
A weekend retreat for men and women inspired by the friendship between Ignatius of Loyola and Francis Xavier as we celebrate the 400th anniversary of their canonization on March 12.
What is a friend? -- a friend in the Lord? - a friend with the Lord?
As part of his tender farewell recorded for us in the Gospel of John, Jesus offered his disciples a vision of friendship as a deeply holy practice, a living out of a life of love that mirrors the very heart of the Trinity. Both Ignatius and Francis Xavier embodied this understanding in their commitment to the Spiritual Exercises -- a way of encountering God as a God of affection and companionship, our friend -- and in their own personal friendship, where that divine love for us was made more credible.
What might this invitation to holy friendship mean in the age of social media, where the answer to "Will you friend me?" is only a click away, and where we are free to be anyone we pretend to be? During our retreat, we will explore models of friendship from Scripture and our Catholic and Jesuit heritage, plus witnesses of holy friendships in contemporary times. We will leave with a deeper gratitude for the God-given, holy friendships in our lives -- a love in the particular.
For those who wish, there will be time for shared conversation after our presentations and at meal times. Although we won't follow the traditional weekend retreat format this weekend, there will be ample opportunity for personal time spent in meditation and prayer, walking in our beautiful gardens, participating in the sacrament of Reconciliation and a healing Mass, and sharing in the Sunday Mass together.
Bring a friend or make a new one!
