Come to the Water

Two years ago, I said good-bye to the mountain retreat center that hosted each of my four Encounter with Christ retreats and each of my three team formations. I knew I would never be back for another such retreat. It was part of the growing up and moving on that happens when you get ready to graduate college.

Fast forward to October 2010: I am at another formation. February 2011: Another Encounter with Christ retreat.

I came as a (Young Adult) Campus Minister, rather than participant or team, which changed my experience of the weekend. Mostly, this role meant that I had a table of four participants and one team member with whom I got to pray. I watched them experience the Encounter with Christ, and I can't say a whole lot about the weekend without putting other people's stories up here. Mostly, I was a blessed witness to other people's encounters with the living God -- though He did speak some words to me as well. I am an introverted person, and on people-intensive occasions such as this retreat, I carve alone time out by waking early. Between morning walks and moments snuck with the Blessed Sacrament, God and I had a few good moments together.

The retreat experienced some changes as well -- we had daily Mass each day and Adoration for the first time. We prayed Liturgy of the Hours from the little red books and made a few other minor changes. Nothing however to keep it from feeling as beautiful as any EWC. The weekend was so full that I keep thinking I should have stories to tell, but as I wrote above, I think they belong to other people.