Together on the Journey:
A Weekly Blog 

Greetings friends! I’m writing today from the Sisterhood of St. John the Divine (SSJD) in north Toronto. I’m enjoying a few days of retreat time as part of Lent.

And I totally admit the timing of this retreat is not great. I planned it before I knew our Vestry meeting would be this coming Sunday, so I can’t fully disconnect from work. But it’s great to be back at the sisters’ guest house. It’s one of my favourite places in the world, and it’s been closed for the past few years for renovations.

I always try to visit the guest house during Lent because for me, taking some time to be alone on retreat is part of what Lent is all about. It’s a time of spending extra time in prayer, and extra time reflecting. For me, it’s easier to do these things when I remove myself from the everyday distractions and tasks of my daily life. Finding time to take retreat time is difficult and requires a great deal of coordination in my work and family life, but it is worth it, because the recharge time allows me to return to my everyday life refreshed. As an introvert, it is especially important that I take this time so my brain can have some time alone; it allows me to recharge my extraverted battery.

And I always like to remind people that priests are not the only ones in need of retreat time. Anyone can benefit from time away and time alone. The guest house is open again, and open to all. If you’ve never been here, I highly recommend it. One of the things I like most about this retreat house is that it is accessible by transit. Most retreat houses, although beautiful, are quite far away from the city and hard to get to. To get to the guest house you just take the subway to Finch station, and then you can either walk 20min or take a bus directly to the convent.

And so, this Lent, I invite you to reflect if you could be in need of some retreat time. Even if getting physically away is not an option, how could you spend a few hours apart to have some time to pray and reflect? I will be leading a day retreat at SSJD on Saturday November 21, so mark your calendars for that. But in the meantime, may Lent give you an excuse to spend more time in prayer and reflection, and may this be a blessing to you, as it is to me. Amen.

– Jess