By Henry Frank
If you have spent any amount of time with a Jesuit, you have likely heard the mantra “finding God in all things.” The spiritual tradition of St. Ignatius Loyola begins with the Christian belief that God is everywhere and in all things. Our job is to seek God in our midst and listen for God speaking to us. Easier said than done.
The Ignatian retreat is a time set aside for the purpose of finding God. Phones turned off, laptops closed, the Ignatian retreat guides us silently into God’s presence.
The idea of finding a quiet space to hear God’s call is not new. God told the prophet Elijah, for example, to “go out and stand on a mountain before the LORD” (1 Kings 19). Elijah stood there and tried unsuccessfully to discover God in a strong wind, an earthquake and a fire. At last, he found God in the “sheer silence.” As with Elijah, God speaks to us in the stillness.
Apart from a daily conversation with a retreat director, the Ignatian retreat is spent in silence. The retreat director accompanies us by helping us process what is on our minds and hearts, the substance of our prayer. Whatever that is—a major decision, a particular challenge—God meets us there, and under the guidance of a director, we discern God’s call.
Finding God often takes time. It is not something that can be rushed. Finding God also requires us to get to know ourselves, to clear our heads long enough to know what it is we w ant from God and where to look for God in our lives.
Jesuit retreat houses are a places built for finding God. Visit their websites to see when Ignatian retreats are being offered. Find a retreat that fits your schedule, then call or register online. There is no set time when you are “supposed to” make a retreat. Find a Jesuit retreat house near you and a date that works for you, and spend some time drawing closer to God.
Henry Frank serves as communications and advancement manager for the Office of Ignatian Spirituality.
Register for your Ignatian retreat at one of our Jesuit retreat houses by visiting http://jesuitseastois.org/retreat-centers