ITALY, Federico Bauml. 18 March. The fourth Sunday of Lent – the perfect day to step back from the daily rush and go on a day retreat.
A Date
You would only wake up on March 18th at 7am in Rome for one of two reasons – either you’re running a marathon (and this was not my case) or you must be a little crazy to be persuaded to arrive at Belmonte at eight o’clock for the Lenten retreat.
I always say that Belmonte is the most beautiful place in the world. With such an early start, we were a little less convinced than normal, but despite this and without too much of a delay, we were ready to begin.
Jokes aside, it wasn’t madness that was in the air! It was the desire to be together for a day, because we knew from past experience that it would be a wonderful retreat. So I went: it was an intense and interesting day, with all merit going to the wonderful organizational team that took care of every little detail so that everything would be as perfect as possible.
I’ll try to describe it:
The morning
Our retreat started with Holy Mass. A very unusual start because normally our retreats end with Mass, which brings everything together that happened during the day. This break from the routine was, nevertheless, very appealing. During a powerful season such as Lent and at a retreat in which this becomes even more tangible, the Mass was, undoubtedly, the best way to recharge our batteries and create the right atmosphere for our retreat.
After Mass, the retreat continued in its traditional format: meditations alternating with quiet personal time and silence.
Fr. Ludovico and Fr. Alfredo, as usual, gave their best during the meditations. Their words were so much more than an exercise in truth, logic and knowledge, and were not lecture-like at all. It is impressive how concrete they were, and how they focused on things that affect us in the place that touches us most deeply – these meditations came from paying close attention and really examining the topics of our meetings.
These meditations made us think; made us ask questions to which we would need to find answers during the quiet time, in silence, when it is so difficult to concentrate, but at the same time, it is so beautiful to listen too.
Lunch marked the end of the first part of our retreat. The simplest and most relaxing moments are also an important part of the program– as usual, nothing was left to chance. Everything was part of a bigger picture, such as our customary “everyone bring something,” abstaining from sweets and drinks. It generated a joyful atmosphere among us, and in this beautiful moment of unity, there was also time for games (we played a Memory game in which we were thumped by a four year-old child)!
Passion-ate Afternoon
The most intense part of the retreat took place in the afternoon.
It started with a few scenes from The Passion of the Christ by Mel Gibson, which introduced us to the final part of our retreat – the Stations of the Cross.
We have all prayed many Stations of the Cross over the years, but personally, I don’t think that I have ever done one that was so deep. It was really emotional to watch a group of people move in unison, making the same gestures, not in a mechanical way but with purpose. The brief meditations we prepared for each of the fifteen stations further added to the atmosphere– a true group of unique hearts and souls, united by an interiorly burning fire.
It seemed that even the heavens understood our intentions. The clouds covered the sun earlier than forecast, and what had until then been a typical spring day, became a grey, almost cold autumn day.
Another gift we received during this lovely Lenten retreat was the reminder that, we are always called, in freedom, to make a difference, to an increasingly deeper faithfulness that waits in hope for the final victory.
I really believe that on that Sunday, this difference became reality.
Sarah-Leah Pimentel: English translation
