Peacocks provided background noise. Fog swirled in creating a dense, cloud like atmosphere. Lush gardens invited walks and reflection on this year's theme, "Creating Your Path to the Spirit". The Mary and Joseph Retreat Center in Palos Verdes was an evocative place to be.

Joyce Stickney, our retreat leader, struck a balance between giving us direction and creating space for individual exploration. Joyce emphasized the uniqueness of a person's inner life. The intent of the weekend was for each of us to discern where we were on our own particular spiritual path. Hopefully bringing forth insights that would help us take the next step along the Way.

We made rosaries. This process helped us to discern where we were on the patience scale! We also learned new ways of praying with these individual expressions of our,artistic abilities.

Gena led us in Yoga exercises. We experienced the bodily connection between breath and Spirit. We "heard" incarnate the words, "You are the light of the world."

We played Biblical Charades. Our acting out the obscure ideas we came up with exposed the comedic skill among us! It was disconcerting how quickly some people deciphered the clues!

We spent time alone answering a series of questions Joyce had given us. They helped us to discern where we were on our own spiritual journey. Then, we were asked to formulate a next step or a "Rule of Life" to help us to go deeper.

The weekend ended with a communal worship and Eucharist, where we blessed one another as we went our separate ways.

Retreat is a time away to reflect, to rest and to be restored. The weekend was all that and more. It was a time to connect more deeply with one another. Because we are a group of women who have already learned to love and to listen to one another at St. A's, this is a natural by-product of time together. This year we had women join us from St. Aiden's, which expanded our circle and made it that much richer.

We missed some of the women who could not join us this May and look forward to their presence next year. By then we will have more to share as we each travel our path with the Spirit during the coming year.

Copyright © 2010 St. Augustine by-the-Sea