Last week we run our first ever Quiet Day at Home, a one day
retreat designed to be followed at home and at one’s own pace. On Easter Monday
we were joined live by over 150 people who followed the retreat day with us.
We started with a live introductory presentation, setting
the scene for the day, and continued with a simple liturgy of Morning Prayer, to
help us all centre our hearts and minds on God. Participants were then able to
watch the first address of the day on how the Spanish mystics navigated through
times of crisis. The title was: “Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross:
bringing light into a dark world”. Following the first address, there was time
for personal reflection and prayer, and for engaging with some of the letters
that Teresa and John wrote to others during their lives.
After lunch, the participants watched the second address,
titled, “Navigating times of crisis today”. In that second talk we explored the
current Covid-19 crisis, and ways in which we may respond to it from a place of
freedom and faith. After this address, there was again time for personal
reflection and prayer, and folk were encouraged to respond to this crisis in
practical ways. We ended the day with Evening Prayer, followed by a final, live,“wrap up” session, in which we brought together some of the comments and reflections shared by the group in the Live Chat section of the website through the day.
We felt very touched and humbled by the response to our first
ever Quiet Day at Home. It was very encouraging to see how even as a dispersed
group dotted around the world, we could still be together, and feel connected
as a pilgrim community seeking God’s voice and vision for our lives and our
world today. It was also very obvious to us, from many of the responses we
received, that there is a great need for spiritual resources to be offered in
new ways. So, after some discussion, reflection and prayer, we have decided to run
a series of Quiet Days at Home throughout this year, and see where God leads us.
This will be in addition to our residential retreats.
Our next Quiet Day at Home will be on Saturday 30th May 2020. So,
please, sign up on our website, if
you’re not on our mailing list yet, so that we can keep you posted with further
details and dates. And, if you know of others who may interested in doing a
Quiet Day at Home, feel free to share the link to our first QDH: www.losolivosretreats.co.uk/quietday
