Daily Retreats

Retreat. Merriam dictionary defined this word as an act or process of withdrawing especially from what is difficult, dangerous, or disagreeable. It simply means to stop moving forward from a battle, to stop making those steps, and move backwards. Humbling it is, but it is the only way to survive and be able to revive. Retreats are for everyone - military, priests, ordinary men and women. We need time to revive our worn-out battle gears.

Retreat. We often have retreats in the seminary. The seminary normally starts the year with a 5-day retreat and another 5-day year-end retreat. There are recollections in between and prayer periods divided in our daily schedule. We need retreats, quite a regular retreat.

The last time I was here what when we were to have our 30-day retreat. It was accepted with such gusto because the formators approved that it would be in Tagaytay City. It was a month worthy of my remembering and my reliving.

My 30-day retreat were days of battling with the Lord in prayer and in silence. The assurance of God's unending love and unwavering support still reverberates within me. Those were the days when God was walking casually with me or better yet I was consciously spending my days with the Lord.

Tagaytay experience died down, life continued.

As a minister of the Word and in the Service of the Table of the Lord, there seems to be so much work and so many things to do in my 8am - 10pm schedule. It seems that there are so many people to talk to, papers to write, books to read, reports to submit.

Well, I don't need so many things in my life. Today, I simply need some hours alone with my Lord. I need my daily retreats. I cannot do all things on my own but I can ask God to do things with Him.