Rev. Charles J. Lopez, Jr., Ph.D., on retreating and self-care

A Silent Retreat and the Missing Thumb

Have you ever made a retreat? What about a SILENT retreat? How about a Directed Silent retreat? If you haven’t made any of these, then consider making one. I recently completed a 6-day directed silent retreat at the Center for Spiritual Development (www.thecsd.com) on the campus of the Sisters of St. Joseph, near Children’s (CHOC) and St. Joseph Hospitals in Orange, California. The Sisters of St. Joseph are ecumenically minded and offer good hospitality.

The Sisters of St. Joseph have been in Orange County since 1912, providing ministry and leadership with the medical community, as well as the spiritual formation of countless people, both religious and laity.

Even though this section of Orange has grown considerably with medical facilities, including a Ronald McDonald House and several nursing homes, the peacefulness and lovely gardens speak of rest, relaxation, contemplation, meditation, and prayer. The occasional ambulance siren and the arrival of a few rescue helicopters signal that life and death go on beyond these beautiful gardens.

While walking through the gardens in the early morning, as the sprinklers were baptizing the flowers, I found myself drawn to the statues of the Madonna and child. The concrete Madonna was without blemish, but the concrete Jesus was missing his left thumb! Suddenly, I was aware that my prayers were focusing on all mothers raising children, and when I heard an ambulance siren I realized that a mother or child could be on their way to one of the hospitals. My mind raced to Iraq, Darfur, Sudan, and other places in the world.

As I continued my walk, Saints Joseph and Francis were present in both wood and stone. The wooden St. Francis was even holding a bowl…I noticed several coins in the bowl.

My favorite spot on campus was the “porch.” On one end of the Ministry/Administration building there was a large inviting porch complete with fireplace, tables, chairs, and rockers. The afternoon breeze always provided welcome relief from the heat. I confess that I occasionally found time to get in a “few winks” in one of the rockers.

Every day as I waited for my spiritual direction session to begin, I read William Barry’s book, Paying Attention to God. I found myself drawn to the words “…go deeper and see God in all creation....” My conclusion: We all need to pay closer attention to God. (Another important resource: William A. Barry, SJ, and William J. Connolly, SJ, collaborated on The Practice of Spiritual Direction, one of the classic books for spiritual direction.)

I returned to my hospice ministry refreshed and open to the guidance of the Spirit. What a beautiful experience. A retreat does wonders for the mind, body, and spirit. A silent retreat encourages a person to savor all the words one hears during the day. Somewhere I recall the phrase, “silence is golden.…”

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