On Tuesday 18 February 2025, exactly a month after the Ignatian retreat (see previous news item), Sclerder Abbey was again filled with participants on the occasion of the first quiet day of the year.
The day was dedicated to the theme ‘Hope and Trust’, just two weeks ahead of the start of Lent. It was beautifully introduced by Father Richard Northey, a retired Catholic priest who is a member of our Parish of Our Lady of Light. Some parishioners were present, as well as many members of other churches.
‘A small boy was trapped on the first floor of a house on fire. A man passing by saw him at the window and shouted “jump, and I will catch you!”. But the small boy didn’t move. A policeman tried in his turn. The poor boy stared at them with terrified eyes but unable to move.
His father, who had arrived in the meantime, made the same call as the two first men. The boy jumped straight away and was saved. His ability was based on the trust he had built up from a deep relationship with his father, and the assurance to be loved by him.’
This was the story with which Father Richard introduced his talk.
Making a connection between hope, trust and faith (the third cardinal virtue) he presented Peter as the greatest example of faith, hope and trust in Jesus.
After his talk, participants were invited to have a personal prayer time with the passage of Matthew’s gospel where Jesus gives his very last instruction to his disciples after his resurrection. They were introduced to the Ignatian way of praying, as the community is used to doing when giving the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola.
The sun chose this very moment to come out and everyone had a long and good time in silence to pray and enjoy the quiet garden of the Abbey or one of two oratories, or the chapel inside. At 12:25pm, the recently renovated bell was rung to invite everyone to join for midday prayer. We then shared a simple lunch accompanied by the beautiful melodies of Franciscan sisters.
The afternoon was spent together, watching and reflecting on the testimony of the life of a French Christian doctor named Raphael Pitti, working in war zones. In the documentary, he explains how his faith in Christ is the motor of his actions and how his trust in God helps him to keep going. In a very touching moment, he compares himself to the builders of cathedrals of the middle-ages, who started to build without ever seeing the end of their work, those majestic dwellings of God which are still standing hundreds of years later, with their bell towers pointing to the sky.
The day ended with a cup of tea where silence was replaced by the cheerful chatter of the participants catching up or getting to know each other.
If you would like to watch the documentary (in French with English subtitles), you can do that here:
If you would like to join the next quiet day at Sclerder Abbey, it will be on Tuesday 20 May from 10am to 4pm. All are welcome!
And of course, it is always possible to come for a personal retreat. You can discuss dates and details directly with the community by writing to this address: sclerder@gmail.com