Winter Retreat, Week 5 – Embracing Both Sides of Celebration
Embracing Both Sides of Celebration
Winter Retreat, Week 5
Nearing the end of our Weekly Winter Retreat
In this second-to-last installment of our Winter Retreat, we welcome back Father Jerry Eifler for his reflections inspired by the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord (February 2) and many other celebrations happening at this time of year. Thank you for journeying along with us so far!
With love from the staff of St. Leonard and St. Frances of Rome
Embracing Both Sides of Celebration
Presented by Father Jerry Eifler, Pastor Emeritus
In this week’s video, Father Jerry reflects upon how celebration can include the experiences of both joy and suffering.
Staff Picks
We hope that these resources will nourish your prayer this week!
Serenity
A poem composed by Father Jerry
Holding the hand of a little child,
gives me the feeling of strength.
Looking at the calm azure lake,
gives me the feeling of stillness.
Swimming under water enveloping my total self,
gives me the feeling of being in the womb of God.
Listening to a favorite piece of music,
gives me the feeling of ecstasy.
Giving a hand to someone who doesn’t know me,
gives me the feeling of love.
Being silent in the face of idle conversation,
gives me the feeling of awareness.
Lying nude on my back gazing at the sky,
gives me the feeling of simplicity and truth.
Walking alone with God in nature,
gives me the feeling of trust and security.
Knowing that I have been called to this life,
gives me the feeling of joy.
From each human experience, to its appropriate feeling,
from the feeling of the sensation,
from the mask of complexity to the nakedness of self,
a quiet, deep feeling of serenity emerges –
where I am keenly aware of the magnitude
of God’s love for me as I am,
in the process of becoming.
Homilies by Father Jerry
Continue your journey by checking out these collections of homilies by Father Jerry Eifler (click on each book’s cover to link to a synopsis).
Stay Connected!
Want to stay connected with fellow parishioners on this retreat journey?
Check out each week’s retreat post on your parish’s Facebook page, and be sure to join in on the conversation!
You may also like
