Purpose of a SILENT Retreat
What is the purpose of a silent retreat?
In The Spiritual Exerceses, parograph [20], Ignatius of Loyola tells us that there are three main Purposes of a Silent retreat:
The first one is that it pleases God. He says, "What a wonderful thing to think about. When we make time for a friend, they feel great." And the same happens with God. When we make time for God, it pleases God.
So the second is that it does us good. Ignatius says that at a natural level, when we make silence, we're able to concentrate better and we have less distractions." I might be thinking about the purpose of life one day in my kitchen, but I get a text and all of a sudden I forget about it. I might pick it up weeks later. In the silent retreat, you're able to keep that train of thought. It allows you to go deeper within yourself.
The third one is about the relationship: Ignatius says, When we do a silent retreat, our relationship with God becomes more close, more intimate. It strengthens, as when we spend time with a friend, we become better friends the more time we spend together.
So, three simple but profound answers for a simple, but profound question.
Fr. Pepe Ruiz, SJ