St. John’s Wellness Ministry
This week, the clergy in the Diocese of Long Island were invited to a day of personal retreat, during which we were encouraged to read Love Is the Way: Holding on to Hope in Troubling Times by Presiding Bishop Michael Curry. Bishop Provenzano encouraged a day of reflection and prayer, saying “After all that we have been through together in the last two years, it is vitally important that we take this time to care for ourselves. I can think of no better way to do so than by considering how we hold on to hope.”
The purpose of our Diocesan retreat day was to inwardly digest the wisdom of walking the way of love. Our Presiding Bishop describes love as an action word, one that calls us to deeply care for and love our neighbors as ourselves. But he also explains the necessity and in fact, the call of Jesus Christ to care for ourselves.
In this day and age, I believe it is rare for us to give ourselves permission to set aside the demands of our careers and daily responsibilities to take time for real “retreat.” So often, we expect so much from ourselves that we struggle to take the time to replenish and restore, or to fill our own spiritual wells. But we are encouraged to do exactly that so that we may return to the work God has given us to do, bearing witness and living in agape – faithful, selfless, committed love. I encourage you to take time to read Love Is the Way and learn from its wisdom as we journey together toward wellness, spiritual wholeness, and a more perfect vision of Christian love in the world.
Peace and blessings,
Mother Catherine+
