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Nurturing Restless Hearts What is in your heart? Are you seeking some change of heart? St. Augustine reminds us in his Confessions that “our heart is restless until it rests in you.” Drawing on Scripture and other sources, this day will explore different aspects of a discerning heart: the restless, searching heart, the forgiving heart, the grateful heart. The prophet Joel reminds us “to return to the Lord with our whole heart” (Joel 2:12). Come away ... Continue reading...

"Fratelli Tutti": Blueprint for a Spiritual Life Pope Francis is a pope for our times. He’s taken on so many of the evils and pitfalls we face as a global village. In his recent encyclical he presents a path for how we might deepen our own spiritual life. It begins with our struggles of isolation and darkness and moves on to how we might open our hearts in relating to others. We will explore this theme together. ... Continue reading...

“Spirituality: Finding the Balance” This retreat will be a time when we invite one to look within to find harmony and direction. It will be a time to discover and give more time to that area of one’s life that may be deprived. Hopefully, it will be a time of achieving wholeness and balance: wholeness that opens one to a deeper and fuller life with God. Our Friends Day of Prayer retreats are held monthly on the ... Continue reading...

Fr. Michael Schleupner shared this on Palm Sunday, but it's a poignant message to carry throughout Holy Week.  Our last post painted the picture of Palm Sunday and today we can visualize more details of the crucifixion, analyzing our own personal role as we journey to "The Raising of the Cross". Mark 11:1-10 or John 12:12-16 Jesus enters Jerusalem as the crowds shout, “Hosanna!” Isaiah 50:4-7 The Lord’s servant will stand firm, even when persecuted. Psalm 22:8-9,17-18,19-20,23-24 A cry for help ... Continue reading...

Fr. Michael Schleupner shares today's message, which was given on the first Friday of Lent. It's a lesson from scripture that should linger throughout the year though. Let's take a few quiet minutes on our own to reflect on this lesson. Readings: Ezekiel 18:21-28, Matthew 5:20-26 The term “minimalism” – “minimalism” – describes a certain kind of art. “Minimalism” is an artistic movement that tends to extreme simplification of form or shape. It tries to capture just ... Continue reading...

Today's reflection is shared by Fr. Michael Schleupner. Fr. Mike offers weekly Mass for the Sisters of Bon Secours and also provides spiritual direction to our guests during some of our directed retreats. He will be with us for this summer's August retreat. You can learn more about it by clicking here. Let's take a few quiet moments to read this important message... The Power of Words Our words are important. In fact, they are powerful. We need ... Continue reading...

Today's post is another wise reflection from Fr. Michael Schleupner. The theme of this week is the baptism of Jesus and his post shares the significance of this moment from scripture. Let's take a moment to learn and to reflect on our baptism or the possibility of baptism if we haven't been baptized. Jesus' Baptism/Our Baptism The baptism of Jesus is an important moment in his life. It marks the beginning of his public ministry. He has ... Continue reading...

Friend and presenter at the Center, Fr. Michael Schleupner, shares another great message with us today. If you are looking forward to summer plans, you may want to consider a silent directed retreat and Fr. Mike will be serving as a spiritual director during the August 15-21 retreat. You can click here to learn more. We're saying goodbye to the Christmas season, but today's message is one that we can still carry forward throughout the whole ... Continue reading...

Fr. Michael concludes his series on Pope Francis today with great insight into this culture of care. Maybe there is one suggestion of providence that you can apply from this message. As we watch the season change and reflect on this time of thanksgiving, let us care for creation in a special, meaningful way. Pope Francis - 5 Dear Friends, In his encyclical Laudato Si’ – On Care for Our Common Home, Pope Francis calls us to a ... Continue reading...

Today's post comes from our friend Fr. Michael Schleupner. Fr. Mike will be with us again next summer for a directed retreat and it's not too early to sign up! Click here to learn more. In the meantime, let's learn more about how we can strengthen our personal encounters with Christ. Pope Francis - 1     Dear Friends, On October 4, our Catholic calendar celebrated the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi. This has led me to some ... Continue reading...