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A few days ago, whilst I was saying the Rosary for the retreat, I began to intercede for the participants, asking the Lord to have mercy on them and to hear the prayers they would offer to Him. Usually, the organisers prepare for the major retreat with a time of prayer during which they intercede for the participants, asking God to grant them a long life and to heal them if they are ill, that there may be reconciliation within families, that their children may become less stubborn and that pupils may pass their exams, that those seeking work or struggling under a mountain of debt may find a solution to their financial problems, and that there may be many conversions, and so on. Thus, in addition to the other benefits that the great retreat brings to participants, it is above all a place where we direct our prayers to God and hope that He will hear them in a special way.
For several years now, since the Incarnation Movement has been organising these retreats, we have been comforted by the multitude of graces obtained there. I have seen people who, after the Great Retreat, passed their exams or found work. Others have seen their businesses flourish. I remember a girl who was quite troubled at the time and had failed her official exam. After the major retreat, a second list of those who had passed the A-levels was published, and she was on it. People were spectacularly healed during Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Several families who had been at odds for years were reconciled. There were even instances of people being set free from demonic influence. Above all, I saw the joy of those who were returning to God by turning away from their sins. Often, many people emerge from the retreat with a deeper love for Jesus. How could it be otherwise, since at the retreat we are gathered in the name of Jesus, who says: ‘If two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you, for where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them’ (Mt 18:19–20). The prayer of faith offered by the elders heals the sick (Jas 5:13–18). Now, the retreat is a time of great grace, when we are nourished each day by the Sacrament of the Eucharist and the Word of God that is proclaimed, when we are renewed by the Sacrament of Reconciliation, where we can entrust ourselves to spiritual guidance and receive counsel for our lives, and where the intercession of the Virgin Mary in the Rosary and the prayers of our brothers and sisters carry our petitions to God like incense. I myself have lost count of the graces I have received at retreats, whether for my physical or spiritual life.
Because of all these graces and many others that the Lord grants us at retreats, there are members who have never missed a retreat and would not even wish to be absent from them. They always strive to bring as many people as possible so that their spiritual lives may also be renewed. Unfortunately, there are also those who have not yet fully grasped the significance of the retreats and who wait for the first obstacle to arise so they can miss them. If they face difficulties, this serves as an excuse for them not to attend a retreat. They do not realise what they are missing out on. Perhaps it is at this very retreat that you are missing that God would like to give you this or that, or answer one of the prayers you have been offering for years. Thomas, one of the Twelve, was absent from a gathering of the disciples. It was on that day that Jesus appeared to them, and when they told him about it, he doubted. Sometimes an account of a retreat is not enough to strengthen our faith. It is the presence that counts. On another occasion, whilst the disciples were gathered together—this time with Thomas present—Jesus appeared to them and rebuked him for his unbelief. Thomas was then filled with faith and exclaimed: ‘My Lord and my God!’ Our faith will grow with every retreat we attend, provided we approach it with an open heart. If we feel our faith is lacking, the Great Retreat is an opportunity to strengthen it.
But it is not just a matter of benefiting from divine graces ourselves. We also have a duty to help others come to know God. We must share with them the good things we have. How, then, can we fail to give thanks to God for so many families in the group who often come with all their children? After the Incarnation, the Virgin Mary first went to visit her cousin Elizabeth. How can we fail to help our children, our partners, our close friends and our acquaintances to know God better? Fortunately, I know of families of eight or more who come for five days to give thanks to God and receive His graces once again. I also know a lady who paid for the retreat for nearly twenty people. This is a sign of the outpouring of love for God and for others in the hearts of those who are keen to share their faith with others. Let us prepare ourselves with fervour for this year’s great retreat. ‘Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, where the way to happiness lies; then follow it’ (Jer 6:16).
Henri Bayemi
