W
h y
S
h o u l d
I
M
a k e
a
R
e t r e a t
?
in a relatively short time the possibility of making such a retreat was opened up to all Christians, and indeed to those of other faiths and of none. This vision has led to the emergence of a large number of retreat houses, some with just a couple of rooms and some with over a hundred, where retreatants can spend time in reflective stillness, with a trained companion available to them if they so desire. Now, therefore, it is very common for those making retreats to be laypeople, and even people who are not attached to any institutional church. There is a radical equality at the “oasis” of retreat space. The bishop might be in the room next to a clerk or coal miner. The retreat guide may also be a layperson, from any walk of life, of either gender. In a retreat in daily life, it is even more likely that the majority of retreatants and most of the prayer companions/prayer guides will be laity. You will probably not know anything about the church background or status of your fellow retreatants, especially now when priests or those in religious orders rarely wear distinctive dress, at least not during their time in retreat. These superficial distinctions truly become irrelevant where all are making a journey, in their own way, to the very core of their being. “What are the essential elements of a retreat?” How can we turn ordinary time into graced time that can renew, challenge, and redirect us? Some suggestions might be: