Welcome!!!!

You have made an important decision to experience a Busy Person’s Retreat (BPR).  No doubt, there are many other things you could be doing with this time.  However, you have chosen to spend a small portion of your day devoted to deepening your relationship with God.  You can experience this time as responding to Jesus’ advice to ‘come away for a while to an out of the way place’ .  This retreat can be an opportunity to pray, reflect, share and simply set aside some time for you and God.

The Busy Person’s Retreat was designed by vocation directors for college campuses.  However, I have adapted the format to be relevant to adults in a work setting.  Everything is intended to help you to deepen your relationship with God and, perhaps, provide a jump start to a renewed prayer life.  It is whatever you need it to be. This style of retreat is meant to happen within your busy day and as your time can be scheduled.

 I have adapted the BPR retreat for online use.  There is a tab on this blog where you can access a daily theme, prayer, scripture reading and reflection questions.  The theme of this retreat ‘Listening with the ear of your heart’ is from the Rule of St. Benedict.  This Rule guides the daily rhythm of life for the Sisters of St. Benedict at St. Mary Monastery in Rock Island.  St. Benedict wrote this Rule in the 6th century when he founded the first monastic community outside of Rome, Italy.  Over the centuries the teachings of Benedict have been adapted for our day and age.  However, Benedict’s wisdom has gone unchanged, listen to what God has to say through prayer, listen to God in your daily experiences and listen to God through Scripture. 

The BPR provides a spiritual companion to talk with and share whatever is happening in your life that you want to focus on.  It is an opportunity to share your prayer experiences and discuss the fruit of your reflection.  It is helpful to spend another ½ hour each day in your own personal prayer.  Although you are busy – work to carve out this extra prayer time as much as possible.  As an online retreat, I encourage you to keep a journal of your prayer thoughts.  I also encourage you to write me via my rbussan@smmsisters.org email about your prayer and thoughts on the reflection questions that are provided each day.  You may have questions around your prayer and reflection or you may have past or present experiences that arise through this retreat and you are free to write me about them.  I will respond via your email.

 Normally, the BPR is a 5 day retreat, however, you may adapt it over a longer period of time but I suggest it have a starting and ending time rather than open ended.  For our online use, I have added some days prior to actually starting the scripture prayer component.  This is a way for you to prepare and enter into this retreat since we are not meeting in person. 

Day 1                            Praying with Scripture

This is one suggestion to use in your prayer during this retreat.  It is based on the ‘lectio divina’ form of contemplative prayer this a foundation of Benedictine spirituality and daily life.

+         When you pray, set aside I/2 hour when you can be in private. Turn off the phone, close the door or whatever it takes to have no interruptions. You might be in a comfortable room at home or another quiet place you enjoy.

+         You might light a candle.  It will make the time feel a bit more special and signify the presence of God.

+         Sit quietly for a few minutes and ask God to help you clear your mind of the worries and schedules of the day.

Praying with scripture involves a few steps called ‘lectio’:

∗         slowly read the passage once (out loud can be helpful)

∗         read the passage again, pausing at a phrase that catches your

     attention or moves you to reflection. If you find the passage for the day

     particularly hard to reflect on then choose another passage you prefer.

∗         reflect on the phrase that got your attention. For example, if the phrase is, "God only is my rock and salvation", you might reflect on how you sometimes wander from God, how God is truly your rock, how you feel assured by God that this is true. Repeat the phrase so that you may associate it with your daily life. If you are having a hard time with reflecting, ask yourself some of the reflection questions provided for each passage.

∗         pray to God about the phrase. This means talk directly and freely to God about the passage or phrase you are reflecting on.  Speak to God as a friend who has come in times of aid or ask for strength to understand or thank God when you feel thankful. Do not be embarrassed to be honest with God about any of your thoughts.

∗         Continue reading the passage - pausing at all of the phrases you feel    drawn to. First reflect, then pray with them and do this for about ½ hr.

∗         If you finish the passage before I/2 hour is up, continue to sit silently in God's presence, journal about your reflections and feelings, or talk to God.

Scripture

We have to pay careful attention to God's word in Scripture. To take scripture and read it is the first thing we have to do to open ourselves to God's message. Reading the scriptures is not as easy as it seems since in our academic world we tend to make everything we read subject to analysis and discussion. But the word of God should lead us first of all to contemplation and meditation. Instead of taking the words apart, we can bring them together in our inner-most being; instead of wondering if we agree or disagree, we can wonder which words are spoken to us and connect directly with our personal story. We can be willing to let them penetrating the most hidden comers of our heart, even those places where no other word has yet found entrance. Then and only then can the word bear fruit as seed sown in a rich soil. Only then can we hear and understand God.

Quiet Time to Listen

Listening to God is not that easy.  Life is full of distractions, demands, noises and many responsibilities.  In order to listen we simply need quiet time in God's Presence. It takes discipline to schedule time for God.  If  we want to make time for God, we will never succeed if we do not reserve a minute, an hour, a morning, a day, a week or whatever period of time for God and God alone.  Start with a small amount or time and build on it.  Maybe it begins with I0 minutes a day and builds to more time.  It takes practice to make something a habit…doing it no matter what.  God cherishes whatever quiet we have for Listening in prayer…and God recognizes our intention to be Listening even when our time seems distracted. 

Prayer and Listening require risk-taking because we always seem to have something more urgent to do.   "Just sitting there and doing nothing" often disturbs us more. However, there is no way around this. Being silent in the presence of God belongs to the core of prayer. In the beginning, we often hear our own inner noises more loudly than God's voice. This is sometimes hard, however, slowly we discover that time with God makes us quiet and deepens our awareness of ourselves and God. Then, soon, we start missing those moments when we are deprived of them. Before we know it, an inner momentum draws us closer and closer to the point where God speaks to us.

A Spiritual Guide

Word and silence both need guidance. How do we know that we are not fooling ourselves, that we are not selecting words that best fit our passions, that we are not just listening to the voice of our own imagination?  It is often beneficial to meet with someone to assist you in understanding your prayer and the inner movements you experience. 

A spiritual guide helps us distinguish between the voice of God and all the other voices coming from our thoughts or from others.  It helps to have someone to encourage us when we are discouraged and help us find meaning in our daily life.  A spiritual guide can suggest what to read or pray with in order to deepen our prayer experiences.   A spiritual guide can help you discover the love of God and its meaning for your Life.

Making the Retreat

In order to get the full benefit of this retreat, it helps to commit to do the following three things:

Set aside I/2 hour each day for four days to pray privately (using the reflection materials in this booklet). You may pray at anytime of the day. Try to have your prayer time completed before you meet with your spiritual guide each day.

Write your reflections and send to Sr. Bobbi at rbussan@smmsisters.org each day.  Make a ‘date’ with yourself to do these two steps.

You can follow the Sisters at their common prayer, Liturgy of the Hours’ each day.  The Lauds and Vespers prayers are available at

http://www.smmsisters.org/PraythePsalmswiththeSistersofSt.Benedict.html

Day 1:  Prayer time:    ________________             Journal and send time  _________________

Day 2:  Prayer time:    ________________             Journal and send time  _________________

Day 3:  Prayer time:    ________________             Journal and send time  _________________

Day 4:  Prayer time:    ________________             Journal and send time  _________________

Day 5:  Prayer time:    ________________             Journal and send time  _________________

Reflection Questions

+         Have you ever used this type of reflective ‘lectio’ prayer?  If so, briefly explain what you thought of the experience.

+         Have you ever prayed with Scripture before?  If so, briefly explain how your prayed and what the experience meant to you.

+         After reading the introduction to this retreat what is something that struck you as being helpful to you?

+         Do you journal? If not, would you like some information about the style and value of journaling?

+         Would it be helpful to you to have some more information about Benedictine spirituality?

+         Are there any particular issues/experiences that you bring to this retreat and would like to discuss with me?  If yes, please explain.

 Please take time to complete the following information and email it to me at rbussan@smmsisters.org . This will be helpful as we begin this retreat. 

Name:

Birthdate:

Email address:

Starting date:

Ending date you would like to aim for:

What interested you in participating in this retreat?

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Day Two

Praying with Scripture

This is one suggestion to use in your prayer during this retreat.  It is based on the ‘lectio divina’ form of contemplative prayer this a foundation of Benedictine spirituality and daily life.

+         When you pray, set aside I/2 hour when you can be in private. Turn off the phone, close the door or whatever it takes to have no interruptions. You might be in a comfortable room at home or another quiet place you enjoy.

+         You might light a candle.  It will make the time feel a bit more special and signify the presence of God.

+         Sit quietly for a few minutes and ask God to help you clear your mind of the worries and schedules of the day.

Praying with scripture involves a few steps called ‘lectio’:

∗         slowly read the passage once (out loud can be helpful)

∗         read the passage again, pausing at a phrase that catches your

     attention or moves you to reflection. If you find the passage for the day

     particularly hard to reflect on then choose another passage you prefer.

∗         reflect on the phrase that got your attention. For example, if the phrase is, "God only is my rock and salvation", you might reflect on how you sometimes wander from God, how God is truly your rock, how you feel assured by God that this is true. Repeat the phrase so that you may associate it with your daily life. If you are having a hard time with reflecting, ask yourself some of the reflection questions provided for each passage.

∗         pray to God about the phrase. This means talk directly and freely to God about the passage or phrase you are reflecting on.  Speak to God as a friend who has come in times of aid or ask for strength to understand or thank God when you feel thankful. Do not be embarrassed to be honest with God about any of your thoughts.

∗         Continue reading the passage - pausing at all of the phrases you feel    drawn to. First reflect, then pray with them and do this for about ½ hr.

∗         If you finish the passage before I/2 hour is up, continue to sit silently in God's presence, journal about your reflections and feelings, or talk to God.

Reflection questions:  You can keep these reflections in your journal and/or share them with Sr. Bobbi at rbussan@smmsisters.org.

1)        Have you ever used this type of reflective prayer?  IF so, briefly explain what you thought of the experience.

2)        Have you ever prayed with Scripture before?  IF so, briefly explain how your prayed and what the experience meant to you.

-----------------------------

Day Three                                       Let God’s Word Grow in You

Prayer                        Sarum Primer (1527)

God be in my head and in my understanding.

God be in my eyes and in my looking.

God be in my mouth and in my speaking.

God be in my heart and in my thinking

God be in mine end and at my departing.

                                                                  Amen

Scripture Reading               Matthew 13: 1-8; 18-23

That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd sat on the beach. He told them many things in parables saying: "Listen, a sower went out to sow. As he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the hirds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, And they sprang up quic kly, since they had no depth of soil.  But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they

withered away. Other seeds fell among thoms, and the the and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought tv, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

Hear then the parable of the sower. When anyone hears tho word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away. As for what was sown among thoms, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty."

Reflection Questions

+         Where did you see God's presence today in your life?

+         Imagine the seeds of God's word falling upon you.

+         How do you let the word take root and grow in your daily life, in your plans for the future?

+         How deep are your roots in God?

+         What are the thorns that choke God's word in your life?

+         How do you act like a Christian and live your faith?

Day Four                     Where God Leads Me

Prayer                        John Henry Cardinal Newman

God has created me to do some definite service.

God has committed some work to me

which has not been committed to another.

I have a mission.

I may never know it in this life but I shall be told it in the next.

I am a link on a chain,

a bond of connection between persons.

God has not created me for naught.

I shall do good

I shall do God's work.

I shall be an angel of peace,

A preacher of truth in my own place,

while not intending it,

if I but keep God's commandments.

Therefore, I will trust God.

                                                                           Amen

Scripture Reading      Jeremiah I: 4-I0

Now the word of the Lord came to me saying, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before You were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations." Then I said, "Ah, Lord God! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am too young." But the Lord said to me, "Do not say, 'I am too young'; for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and you shall speak whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord." Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth; and the Lord said to me, "Now I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant."

Reflection Questions

+         Where did you see God's presence today in your life?

+         Jeremiah thought he was too young to answer God's call so he resisted, but then he received courage from God.

+         How have you heard God calling you to live a life of faith at work, with friends,  with family,  in romantic relationships, with those you dislike?

+         What makes you fearful of listening to God's call in your life?

+         How does God touch you and give you courage?

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Day Five                  Listening…with the ear of your heart.  (RB)       

Prayer                   fron the Lorican

                           (Breastplate of St. Patrick)

I arise today through

God’s strength to pilot me,

God’s might to uphold me,

                                God’s wisdom to guide me.

God’s eye to look before me,

God’s ear to hear me,

God’s Word to speak for me,

God’s hand to guide me,

God;s way to lie before me,

God’s shield to protect me,

God’s host to secure me,

Afar and near,

Alone or in a multitude.

Scripture Reading      I John 4: 7-I2

Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. God's love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, since God loved ns so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.

Be clothed in sincere compassion

In kindness and humility

Gentleness and patience

Reflection Questions

+         Where did you see God's presence today in your life?

+         Who do you love? How have you learned about God through them?

+         Are there people in your life that you dislike or try to avoid? How do you love them?

+         How does your love make God present here and now?

+         Do you put anyone or anything above your love for God?

+         What are some practical and possible things you can do to make God more central in your life and your day?

For Your Future

Through this retreat, you have started to learn the ways in which God is a part of your daily life and to develop patterns of personal prayer for yourself. Strive to continue some of these patterns in the future so your relationship with God may continue to grow. We suggest two of many possibilities:

Get a copy of the daily Mass readings in any missalette or use this website http://www.usccb.org/nab.

 Use these daily Scriptures in your prayer.

Reflect on some of the following questions each night to get a sense for the presence of God you experience or are challenged with each day. Don't worry about answering them all. Just use them to pray with God about your everyday experiences.

How has God come to me today and how have I responded?

+         Did I feel drawn by God anytime through another person, an event, nature, art, music, a book, something at work?

+         What happened today that I should be thankful for?

+         Have I found time for quiet to Listen?  If not, what can I do tomorrow to make time.

+         How did I meet God in my fears, joys, misunderstandings, suffering, temptations, work or other challenges?

In what ways have I been the sign of God's presence and love to my family, to my friends, to my co-workers, etc.

Thank you for participating in this retreat.  Contact Sr. Bobbi at rbussan@smmsisters.org and visit our website at www.smmsisters.org .