Praise from Retreatants

What did you find helpful during this retreat?

  • Thinking of God as a friend.  A God to sit down and talk with. Also meditation – sitting quietly and listening to what God had to say.
  • I found it helpful to be exposed to different types of prayers – opened up new avenues for me to pursue in my relationship with God. Most of all I appreciated the one on one time with my spiritual companion. The openness that we experienced with one another helped me to experience the intimacy that I realize God wants to have with me and that I too long for.
  • The printed prayers and booklets; the suggestion to use something to remind me during the day about being on retreat; I wore a bracelet and it was very helpful.
  • The daily routine. It kept me focused and on task. My own prayer time offered some things, but then to meet with my companion later and tie those thoughts together, or consider a new idea was the biggest blessing.
  • The idea of taking a portion of the Bible and immersing myself in it as if I were there. Then I was to see what I thought applied to my life.
  • Keeping my home silent and the environment more prayerful! I never thought of being on retreat at home.

Do you have any comments regarding your spiritual companion?

  • She was wonderful! Asked very thought provoking questions, tied my thoughts together, challenged me, a great listener. I will always remember this special week because of her.
  • Excellent. My companion was very centered and relaxed as we met. I felt very listened to and knew that his words to me came from the Spirit. He didn’t come with an agenda, was able to go with the flow and meet me where I was. His own life experiences that were shared with me helped me to connect. Truly felt God matched us up!
  • It was a great match. My companion was able to listen to my “energy” and returned the next day with additional responses to my questions. He let me explore and express. The guidance about “showing up and committing to developing a relationship” rang true.
  • My spiritual companion was very good for me. Before we began I thought she was going to do most of the talking/lecture, but this was not the case. She was able to ask questions that made me think, remember, talk, write, but without pressure. She was a blessing to me. I’m thankful to have had her and I hope each retreatant felt that God chose the very best companion just for them.
  • What a blessing my spiritual companion was to me. Very comfortable to be with, gave me many ways to come closer to Jesus. I was able to open up and share things with her that I haven’t been able to before. This brought healing for me. What a gift our prayer time was. She has such a deep relationship with Jesus, and shared this with me – the scripture readings she gave me were so handpicked by God. What a Blessing. I am going to continue to meet with her.
  • My companion was a gift from God this week. She shared spiritual knowledge and insights while gently questioning me and helping me share my experience of God’s powerful presence. She helped guide me on a journey to deepen my love relationship with God, which was my goal.

Six Months Later

  • I can’t believe it’s been six months! I still feel like it was a great experience. At the time of the retreat, I discovered that I see God in the people around me, and many times since then I have been aware of that discovery.
  • I want to express again my gratitude for the experience I had six months ago. It was wonderful then, and my spiritual life has continued to deepen. I still think of my spiritual companion often.
  • After six months I remain so grateful that the opportunity was present in my life and am amazed at some of the things I have experienced since the retreat. I have continued to call upon the enrichment I am in touch with and continue to deepen my faith even further.

“Until we hosted a Month of Guided Prayer, we had no idea of the spiritual hunger of our local faith community. The Month of Guided Prayer provided the spark to let us respond to the Holy Spirit. We continue to give thanks for the opportunity of spiritual growth that the MGP has provided our faith community.”

Michael Durbin, Spiritual Direction Ministry
St. Paul Parish, Highland, IL