Making time to unplug

Modern culture is noisy. We are now beyond the era of the Walkman and headphones, having advanced to the time of the smartphone and always-in earbuds. Now comes the age of mixed reality brought to us by the Apple Vision Pro and similar devices. These new technologies move us toward a future where almost everyone is plugged in almost all the time.

There are TVs everywhere, in airports, doctor’s offices and even on gas pumps. Social media apps are designed for addictive scrolling. Noise and distractions abound. These siren-like realities of modern living are not likely to get less distracting or captivating in our lifetime.

Now more than ever, we need the Catholic tradition of going on retreat. On retreat, we get away from technology and the noise and distraction that come along with it so that we can receptively listen to God. Retreats allow us to make time for silent prayer and reflection and eliminate the noise of constant background entertainment that is so common in our daily grind. We offer this time to God as a sacrifice and open up to be able to listen and learn about ourselves and our place in relation to God and his work in our life. In this way, retreats are essential to growth in the Christian life.

Retreats are distinct from formation opportunities like workshops and conferences which focus more on education and skill building. Retreats focus on encountering God and set the stage for conversion.

Retreats come in many forms. Some, like Cursillo, are done by men or women separately, and have as their purpose deep encounter with God and learning about his plan for one’s individual life. Retreats like this provide an opportunity to start anew. Another kind of retreat is entirely silent. Whether a silent retreat is directed or left to the individual, it provides ample time to listen to the still, small voice of God as described in Elijah’s retreat in the mountain cave. (1 Kings 19)

Many retreats follow the outline given by Saint Ignatius of Loyola in his Spiritual Exercises. The Exercises provide a path to consider our individual response to the revelation of God’s love. While intellectual, they are also very practical in approach and have helped countless Christians to make important decisions about their life and grow in their relationship with Jesus.

The Catholic Church offers many different kinds of retreats for specific needs. This year, there was a retreat for those who carry the cross of infertility, another for children of divorce and one in Spanish for married couples. We also began holding retreats for married couples and families as part of the Domestic Church movement.

During the process to develop our diocese’s Mutually Shared Vision, the need for more retreat opportunities for youths, families and individuals became a central theme. The diocese continues to explore and develop opportunities to serve a variety of groups and address the critical need to unplug, get away from the noise of modern living, and encounter the living God. Perhaps we will get a taste of the silence and more of us will reject the constant noise when we return home.