"11 Then he was told: 'Go out and stand before the Lord on the mountain.' And behold, the Lord was passing by. A great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice came to him and said: 'What are you doing here, Elijah?'

1 Kings 19:11-13

Tell me who your friends are, and I'll tell you who you are....

This phrase is a fair statement of popular wisdom, for we become like the people we befriend. In the beginning, before giving work to man, before creating woman, God placed man in His presence in the Garden of Eden.

But everything has changed... and profoundly so. In our daily lives, we have no time to spend with the One who is the reason for our existence. Even for the most dedicated, time is limited; we quickly return to our tasks and worries. One of the enemy's strategies is to keep us occupied with days so busy that we have no time to stop and listen to the voice of God. Faced with our reality — with so many tasks and the noise of the world — we need to intentionally withdraw and set apart a time for God.

The Bible tells, in Mark 4, that a storm strikes the boat carrying the disciples and, even though Jesus is present, sleeping, they are terrified with fear. In our daily lives, we often live our worries and problems through the eyes of the world, forgetting that Jesus is by our side, and that it is His word that controls and calms the storm. For this, we need to create a space where we can develop an individual and intimate relationship with Jesus. Completely separated from the world, for a few days, we can be cleansed of the noise of the outside world and surprised by God.

And so we offer Christian meditation retreats and spiritual exercises to walk with Jesus over the course of a weekend — completely in silence! We gradually lead each person into outer silence, moving away from the intense noise that surrounds us, so that they may turn toward their inner self and toward the relational presence of the Creator.

The Spiritual Retreat and Christian meditation are tools practiced since the early Church and much forgotten today. They are days lived in freedom, yet carefully paced by Gospel-based guidance, guided meditations, moments of praise and worship, as well as special meals, prepared to awaken all the senses.

All of this fosters encounters of intimacy with Jesus, leading to reflection and to a simple and profound surrender. We work with small groups, providing each participant with a comfortable private room, as well as the chance to enjoy welcoming spaces and the quiet corners of our garden.

The personal encounter with the Creator is a transforming element. We become what we contemplate and love. We need to see the Lord and know Him closely in order to be transformed, to love Him truly, and thus to become more like Him. There is a God who longs to meet you, alone, face to face.