Timing is Seldom Good

01-24-2016Weekly ReflectionFr. Brian Jazdzewski

You may know that every now and again each of us needs to get away from our regular pattern of life. We take advantage of these holidays by vacationing somewhere, taking a trip of some kind, visiting relatives and the like. Sometimes, some of you admitted to me, that you take time away for spiritual purposes and make a weekend or longer retreat. Well, like most of you, priests regularly participate in similar patterns. All of this is to ask your prayer for me and my retreat master. We will be together Sunday through Saturday as I make a personal, private and guided retreat. And, to prevent your presumption that I’m going somewhere comfy and quiet, I’ll admit to you that I’m traveling several miles to the west and will spend the days in his Rectory. While there, I’ll do my best to avoid the distractions of his daily parish life including a Catholic pre-school through high school on his campus. I hope to find some quiet time in the perpetual adoration chapel in his parish church along with some quality prayer time in the private chapel in his Rectory residence area. Anyway, no need for you to act as a detective and figure out where I’ll be, I’ll just ask again for your prayers that these upcoming days will be quality time with the Lord.

Practically speaking, Deacon Wendt will be the primary contact during my absence. He will be able to make connections with priests if the sacramental care of a priest is needed. I have confidence in him and everyone on our Parish and School Staff that life will be much like normal until I return. If, for some reason, there is a particular emergency, Deacon Wendt will be able to contact me while on retreat.

Some people may continue to be curious if priests disguise a vacation with the word retreat. Honestly, some do; I do not. Retreat days are used to renew my relationship with Jesus so that I can better convey Him to you through writing, preaching and good example. Typically, I like to spend time with minimal communication with others. That means I’ll likely have a daily conference or two with my retreat master and perhaps some minimal interactions with others who pass by. I’d like to think that means no phone, computer, TV, radio and the like. And, since communication with other human is minimal, I gain the advantage of discovering the voice of Jesus speaking more clearly. Typically there are at least 5 moments of intentional prayer each day, usually lasting 20-60 minutes. Added to those are daily Mass and the regular praying of the Divine Office. Woven between those prayer sessions are meals, conference with the retreat master, rest, spiritual reading, and exercise (usually a walk of some sort).

After adding all that up, retreat begins to look more like work than play. In effect, making retreat is work so that I may better work for the Lord. In turn, making retreat is a lot more of letting the Lord work. Rediscovering how He is affirming my vocation to His priesthood and how He continues to love me just as I am. So often, each of us needs to be reminded that our lives to please the Lord are less of what we do and more of what we are. Retreat gives me the chance to be reminded, typically quite vividly, that the Lord is pleased with me as I am (strengths and weaknesses included). Be sure to know that you will be part of my daily prayers, as always, because as your spiritual father, you are children of God whom He has entrusted to me. May His Holy Spirit continue to lead us ever deeper into our relationship with Him!

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