A friend had been to a prior retreat and mentioned the upcoming retreat; Growing In Grace Through The Rosary. My friend is a convert to Catholicism and thought through this retreat he might learn about the origin of the rosary, why Catholics pray the rosary, and the benefits of doing so. Or, something of that nature. Although the content wasn't exactly what we had anticipated, the retreat was a very pleasant experience.
I am a cradle Catholic and grew up hearing Latin Masses. However, I have not heard one in years. Hearing the voices of the Sisters, singing in Latin, was awesome. They sing very well, but the impact of the music in Latin was just inspiring. God obviously made religious music so much more powerful than regular music, for a reason.
During our meal times the Sisters sat at table with different attendees and we got to share parts of our lives with them. I had my Cursillo weekend this year and realizing there were so many people praying for me had an impact on me. When one of the Sisters told me that a lot of their prayer time is spent praying for "Us," I was touched. How wonderful to know that there are those who spend much of their time wishing for you the friendship and love of our Lord and Savior.
In the crazy world we live in today, it was just a great experience to spend a weekend "away from it all." There were no distractions like television and radio. Just utter peace and serenity. The peace, serenity, and overall atompshere of a weekend at Casa Maria is worth the price. Usually you spend a weekend or a vacation somewhere, glad to get home. Although I like getting back home and into my own bed, I feel like a part of me remains behind, at Casa Maria. It can only be that piece of my heart that was enriched by this experience.