Retreat literally means to withdraw, to back away, to take refuge or to move back from enemy lines. It is a pause, a break, to step away from a usual pattern. Going on a "retreat" is a breath of fresh air, a way to recharge your battery and to renew oneself.
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Whatever your job (or jobless situation) is or in whatever business you are in right now, the ordinary routine of daily grind can turn life into a plateau which is boring or even suffocating. You feel it welling up inside you, inside your head, inside your heart. . . the small voice beckoning you to take a rest, even for just a day. Going on a retreat could be an option. The big question is . . . will you heed the call?
Let's take the case of Luisa, a good friend of mine. Luisa is an employee of a printing press based in Makati. Everyday, from Monday through Saturday, religiously, she commutes from her residence in Quezon City to Makati. Thank God! There's the MRT which somehow eases the pain of commuting. Or, does it?
If you've seen the massive hoard of people every rush hour inching their way to get to the train itself, you know what I mean. You see the human piles (not even lines or queues) down the road of EDSA (North Station), all the way through the stairs, up to the train level. In the thickness of the crowd, a good view from a little level up would seem not to show people anymore. There are just all heads without bodies jostling each other just to be able to take a ride to arrive to work on time. To think that this is just the start of the day. And I assure you, there's a repeat of the same scenario in the evening when Luisa shoves again her way back home; and tomorrow and the next day, day after day. Maybe I should tell Luisa about this retreat thing.
Every time I witness this scene, I tell myself "What a miracle, Lord". "Thank you for making all of us safe." This is just one scene in Luisa's day. I haven't told you yet about her travails when she arrives to the office, meeting her demanding boss and intriguing office mates; and what about the demands of her own family when she comes home at night? I will just keep that to myself for the moment. You can can just add your own version of the juicy details based on the story of your own daily life, your own heart-rending telenovela.
What is the moral of the story? Don't you think Luisa deserves a break? Can you not take a break, too? Can she not take a day off to take a retreat? Why a spiritual retreat? Better ask yourself: And why not?
You don't need to go very far to withdraw from the maddening crowd. This Lenten season, for sure, there's more than one spiritual retreats that will happen near your place. A getaway, like no other. There's a good one upcoming recollection-workshop for those in Quezon City and nearby. Just scroll down through the previous post in this blog to know the details.
Good luck! Sincerely, may you have a nice breath of fresh air. . . through a retreat.
