JAY – A one-day retreat to reveal some of the basic principles for discerning God’s will and applying it to daily life is set for Saturday, November 2, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the hall of St. Rose of Lima Church, located on 1 Church Street in Jay.
“What Does God Want?” will be presented by Sister Elizabeth Wagner of the Transfiguration Hermitage in Windsor.
Sister Elizabeth, the author of Seasons in My Garden: Meditations from a Hermitage, was raised Protestant. But in high school, she met a teacher who shared with her a biography of St. Teresa of Ávila.
“It was love at first sight, and I knew what I wanted to be ‘when I grew up,’” said Sister Elizabeth. “But it wasn’t that easy! Not only was I not Catholic, but I wasn’t at all sure I believed in God. It was several years later before I realized that it wasn’t a question of belief in an intellectual sense, but a relationship of trust and love to the God I so desperately needed.”
She entered into the Catholic Church then contemplative life and into hermit life and ultimately, the Transfiguration Hermitage, a monastic community following the rule of St. Benedict.
“We are dedicated to a life of prayer for the needs of all people and outreach to anyone seeking spiritual growth,” said Sister Elizabeth. “This Benedictine life of prayer and solitude revolves around times of daily prayer together in chapel and our solitary prayer in the silence of our hermitage.”
Through retreats, the sisters can offer witness and opportunities for spiritual growth.
“It has been a journey of growth, and growth is wonderful. It is sometimes difficult and always challenging. Like rain which nurtures the earth, causing plants to grow and giving food to all, this life of prayer is an invisible spring, pouring forth the grace of God’s love to human hearts,” said Sister Elizabeth.
On Nov. 2, participants will learn about how they, too, can discern and apply God’s will to their daily lives.
“There is no road map except our faith and our trust in the Spirit’s action in our lives,” said Sister Elizabeth. “To walk in this journey is to learn that our strength comes from God and not from ourselves. Yet to follow this journey is also to find our deepest self in God and, along the way, be blessed with people, places, and experiences, and to be enriched beyond all that we could ever have dreamed.”
To register for the retreat, call (207) 897-2173 or email apeiron1234@gmail.com. The cost is $25.
