This retreat has been prepared by the staff of Jesuit Communications for the use of people who have to isolate themselves for 14 days during the Coronavirus crisis. Of course, other people who may find it helpful are also welcome to use it.
The retreat has suggestions for each of the fourteen days. It is meant to be a help – your servant and not your master. You are free to follow it through or to pick out particular days. A shorter retreat that keeps the basic pattern could involve days 1, 2, 5, 10, 11, 12, 14.
The suggestions on how to pray the retreat invite you to imagine yourself in different Gospel stories. This is a good way to pray, so worth trying out. But feel free to pray in your any way that you are comfortable with.
Each day also includes a way of reviewing your day and how your heart has been moved during it. This can be especially helpful if you are finding the time of isolation wearisome.
‘With Jesus in the Desert’ is an online retreat that has been developed for people who are in social isolation during the coronavirus pandemic. It has been designed to run for 14 days, but may be adapted and run as needed.
If you have someone to contact in any way during the retreat to speak about what is happening in your retreat and your day, that could be very helpful.
Jesuit and Ignatian Spirituality Australia can put people in touch with experienced spiritual directors for one-to-one spiritual direction using online platforms such as FaceTime, Skype and Zoom. For enquiries, please contact (02) 9488 4597.
Access the retreat
Jesuit College of Spirituality is a College of the University of Divinity and a work of the Australian Province of the Society of Jesus. Jesuit College of Spirituality is dedicated to promoting interest in Christian spirituality, pastoral formation and their allied disciplines, and to provide the opportunity to develop among its community of communities (ecclesial and academic) the means to further their research and continuing study interests through formal and informal opportunities.
Glen O'Brien
Garry Worete Deverell
Keith Mitchell
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