On a retreat, on the other hand, “we put God in our lives and thus we mature in our faith, giving it depth and seeing what the Lord is saying to us in the concrete events we experience,” he said.
Father Juan Solana, LC, founder and director of the Magdala Center, which currently offers virtual retreats in the Holy Land, commented that “going on retreat means going off apart, and you don’t go off apart to evade the world, to escape from the world — on the contrary, the concept of a retreat in the Christian life is to get away from the noise of everyday life, from the routine, to dedicate oneself more intensely to prayer and to encountering God.”
“It’s like when you climb a mountain and see the complete panorama of everything, you see it from above, you see it clearly, and when you are down walking in the valley you lose perspective on many things,” the priest told ACI Prensa.
In addition to encountering God, he pointed out that when on retreat “we also encounter ourselves,” because many times we live our lives out of touch with ourselves.
Domenech encouraged the faithful to go on a retreat if there is an opportunity to do so: “If you doubt [the benefits], if you have the opportunity, go on a retreat. It is the moment, it is the now of Jesus.”
Ana Paula Morales contributed to this article, which was originally published in 2023 and has been updated.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
Walter Sánchez Silva is a senior writer for ACI Prensa (https://www.aciprensa.com). With more than 15 years of experience, he has reported from important ecclesial events in Europe, Asia and Latin America during the pontificates of Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. E-mail: walter@aciprensa.com