What is a Catholic retreat and why do you need one annually? Since we’re about to begin Lent, these are two good questions. Let’s begin with a brief history lesson.
What we call a retreat consists of a series of days passed in solitude and consecrated to practices of asceticism, in particular to prayer and penance. Such “desert” experiences are as old as Christianity itself – and in fact predate it, although we won’t walk through all the Old Testament prototypes, such as the Israelites’ forty years in the desert with Moses and the wilderness experiences of prophets such as Elijah. For Christians, the New Testament example of Jesus’ forty days in the desert following his baptism by John has found many imitators in all ages.
Read Full Article »