(quotations from a pamphlet titled “Invitation to Enter into Quietude” found in my retreat room at Our Lady of Guadalupe Trappist Abbey, July 17, 2015; anonymous author)
“Living in our modern day society demands a great deal from each of us. The mounting anxiety from these demands seldom permits time for us to ‘go apart’ and be separated in order that we might take stock of our lives . . . When we ‘go apart’ for a spiritual retreat, we are seeking to make ourselves available so God can work in us and speak to us . . . We need to be quiet . . . If we allow our mind and body to be quiet, they are free to be open to God. If we, however, keep our mind and body occupied with over-activity, they are not nearly as able to be quietly open to God . . . When we are quiet and receptive, we are open, obviously, to receive; we are expressing our quiet desire to allow God to run our life, to enter our life in fresh new ways, to renew our whole being. Actually, our receptivity is a ‘listening’ to God. We are listening, not only with our ears but our heart, our whole self. This listening to God is the basis of contemplative prayer . . . We you are quiet, you allow your ‘inner self’ to surface . . . Whether you are taking a walk, reading or just peacefully gazing out the window, God is right there with you, loving you as you are and inviting you to depend more and more upon Him to be your strength and guide and peace in life. By our continual, but gentle desire to let go of mental distractions, you are making yourself available to God. Your desire to be quiet and to listen is the ongoing invitation for God to work in you, to speak to you, to love you.”