Training to Win Retreat

Wednesday April 19—arrive between 1:00 & 4:45 PM

Dinner Wednesday. Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner Thur. & Fri. Breakfast on Saturday.

Depart by 11:00 Saturday, April 22, or choose the "extra day" option to extend your retreat.   

Retreat leader and speaker, Father Brian Foos

 

 

 

Training to Win: Spiritual Disciplines of the Good Fight

Tools, Techniques & Tactics to Grow in Grace—and Run Your Race to Win…

“…train yourself for godliness. For physical exercise is of limited value, but godliness is valuable in every way, holding promise for the present life and for the life to come.”

It’s strange how easy it can be to think of our spiritual life as something that we don’t actually direct. Maybe we expect godly transformation should just happen to us, through God’s goodness, over time….

The threefold way of purgation, illumination, and union—in which, by God’s grace, we see supernatural growth as Christians, is a life-long process. But it’s a process we are called to participate in, deliberately with our will. Our choices and manner of life are to be shaped and formed — “taking every thought captive” with a result our being “transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

Still we can be caught with a reluctance to see our faith life as something we influence, and call specific demands placed upon ourselves to grow in grace legalism, or even works-righteousness. But this isn’t about earning salvation, or any special merit. Spiritual disciplines are made for us, to help us to grow in grace. It doesn’t mean these are easy, or even come naturally. They are called “disciplines” because they are not acquired without deliberate effort. Discipline is “training that corrects, molds or perfects the mental faculties or moral character.”

Paul connects this for us with his comparison to physical exercise, training, running, boxing and even making his body his slave! Clearly this spiritual battle has elements of a physical fight—and it’s to our own peril if we choose to overlook this uncomfortable fact: growing in grace—often called the process of sanctification—requires effort, and actual work. Our effort, and our work.

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way as to take the prize. Everyone who competes in the games trains with strict discipline. They do it for a crown that is perishable, but we do it for a crown that is imperishable. Therefore I do not run aimlessly…No, I discipline my body and make it my slave….

This retreat is entirely geared to prepare you to really run your race to win! Each of us is called to a specific race, and each of us face a unique set challenges, both personally and circumstantially. It’s up to us to find the right path and the right means and methods that help us draw near to God—and develop our strength and ability to grow in this “grace” —and walk out the good works and purposes he has prepared in advance for us to achieve!

And God is good! He does not leave us alone in this task. He has given us his Spirit and promised that his grace is sufficient for us, and that his power is revealed in our weakness. He has given us His Word and our mother, the Church, to aid us in our good fight of faith.

From the beginning, Christians have ordered time with spiritually formative practices. The Church calendar walks us through the seasons studying the life and meaning of Christ; these seasons have unique emphases and practices. Advent is a preparation for the arrival of Christ. Lent is a traditional time of fasting and preparation for Easter. Christians have also traditionally applied similar rhythms at the weekly level, down to daily prayers and devotion.

This retreat will help you understand different spiritual disciplines and how to practically apply them in different combinations in your life. The concept of a Rule of Life will be addressed with the intention you will leave the retreat with your own rough draft of a rule to live by—a means to help you order your daily life in order to achieve all that God has purposed for you in your whole life. 

Father Foos will discuss different virtues and vices, and provide you with specific means and methods to fight particular sins and weaknesses in your life. We will worship together in morning and evening prayer each day and celebrate Mass together as well. There will be time for rest, relaxation, fellowship and making friends with other retreatants. And, of course, no retreat at St. Andrew’s will go without enjoying Katy's wonderful meals to fuel our fellowship and study! 

We look forward to welcoming you to our spiritual community here in mountains of California. You will be blessed by this special retreat!

 

 

 

Training to Win: Spiritual Disciplines for the Good Fight

Daily Schedule for Retreat

Wednesday, April 19—Saturday, April 22

Wednesday, April 19

1:00-5:00 Arrival in the afternoon—Free time until start of retreat

If cars at the Academy/College, stop there, if not, proceed to Vicarage

5:00 PM Choral Evensong (Church)

6:00 PM Drinks and Dinner at the Vicarage following evensong

7:00 PM Teaching Session #1: Intro: the Prescription for our Disease. (Vicarage)

8:00 PM Free Time

Thursday, April 20

7:30 AM Choral Matins (Church)

8:15 AM Coffee & Breakfast at the Vicarage following Matins

9:00 AM Teaching Session #2: Vices (Academy/College)

10:00 AM Morning Break

12:00 PM Lunch at the Vicarage

1:00 PM Teaching Session #3: Virtues (Academy/College)

2:00 PM Afternoon Break

4:00 PM Teaching Session—Q & A, further discussion (Academy/College)

5:00 PM Choral Evensong (Church)

6:00 PM Drinks and Dinner at the Vicarage following evensong

7:00 PM Free Time

Friday, April 21

7:30 AM Choral Matins & Litany in Procession at the Church

8:15 AM Coffee & Breakfast at the Vicarage following Matins

9:00 AM Teaching Session #4: A Rule of Life—Practicum (Academy/College)

10:00 AM Break until Eucharist

10:30 AM Holy Eucharist (Church)

12:00 PM Lunch at the Vicarage

1:00 PM Teaching Session #5: Three Fold Way in Real Life (Academy/College)

2:00 PM Afternoon Break

4:30 PM Tea & Teaching Session—Q & A, further discussion (Academy/College)

5:30 PM Dinner at the Vicarage.

7:00 PM Choral Evensong (Church)

7:45 PM Free Time

Saturday, April 22

7:30 AM Choral Matins (Church)

8:15 AM Coffee & Breakfast at the Vicarage following Matins

11:00 AM Departure after breakfast

Church: 174 Melissa Ave.

Academy/College: 159 Main St.

Vicarage: 201 Plumas St.