The Wayless Way: July 1 – 4
The Wayless Way: An Online and At-Home Retreat
Dates: July 1 (afternoon) to July 4 (morning)
Facilitator: Br. Nicholas Bartoli, SSJE
The title of this retreat, “The Wayless Way,” was the name given to the spiritual path offered by Meister Eckhart, a 13th century theologian and mystic. It is characterized by resting deeply into silence, surrendering to the process of self-emptying, and abiding in the awareness of God’s Kingdom within. Following Jesus in this wayless way encourages a baptismal journey of death and resurrection in Christ.
Our primary intention for the retreat will be to deepen into the silence and stillness of God’s presence, abiding in the Light of Christ, and in the unitive awareness of our True Self. To facilitate our journey into this silent land we will commit to not engaging in conversation outside of designated times. This time of silence will start on Thursday afternoon and end at 11:00 am on Sunday morning.
Aside from when necessary to participate in the retreat, please refrain from using electronic devices (phones, tablets, laptops, smartwatch, etc.) as these devices make it extremely easy to avoid the solitude of a humble heart where the Holy One dwells, and Christ is born. Optionally, if you would like an even more thorough experience of silence, you may consider limiting your reading to only what is part of the retreat. All kinds of writing, like journaling, drawing, etc., are encouraged.
Since this is an online retreat, please be ready to fully commit to the entire duration of the retreat and to the sanctity of our time together. This means taking full responsibility of your own experience of silence, stillness, and solitude during the retreat. It may be helpful to take care of things like shopping before the retreat starts and to let your friends and loved ones know that this will be a time of retreat for you. In addition, please remember that this is your retreat, so listen to the wisdom of your body, mind, and spirit as you decide how best to participate.
We will share a practice of centering prayer three times on Friday and Saturday, and once on Sunday morning. These will be rich opportunities to share this silent journey together. These sessions will thirty minutes long, however you can practice as long as you’d like. A full schedule will be sent to participants before the retreat starts.
Note: When the program is full, the registration form will no longer appear. Reach out to guesthouse@ssje.org with any questions.