Why do Priests go on Retreat?

The "Buscombe Squad" of altar boys whom I am blessed to have serving as a team each Sunday here at Lanherne. 

Dear Friends and Family,

Tomorrow morning I will have two wonderful blessings: at 5:15AM I'll celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass by candlelight for the sisters, and will then fly to Austria to begin my annual retreat! As the monastery is up in the mountains (for some photos see here http://english.bethleem.org/monasteres/kinderalm.php and click on the photos at the bottom of the page), I will need to spend Monday evening in Salzburg before traveling to the monastery on Tuesday. Providentially Bishop Andreas Laun, the auxiliary bishop of Salzburg, is very kindly letting me stay with him in his home Monday evening.

In the Carmelite tradition I will be making a 10 day silent retreat, and will be spending the time in one of the hermitages you see pictured in the photos at the link above. Why is every priest supposed to make an extended retreat each year (canon law specifies a 5 day annual retreat as a minimum)?

A first reason is out of love for God Himself, as a gift to God. The first and most important priority in my life as a priest is the first commandment: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind." This is the first priority for everyone, but is especially so for a priest. One becomes a priest first of all in order to love God even more, to offer Him service, to seek to please Him. So the very first reason for a priest's retreat is so that the priest can be fully available to God, can try to give Him his undivided attention each day of the retreat, to adore Him, to love Him, to talk with Him, to listen to Him, to learn from Him, to be formed by Him.

The second reason is so that the priest can be formed and strengthened by God in order to better serve those who God asks Him to serve as a spiritual father. The priest is supposed to be an instrument that God can use to grant people graces all throughout the week--especially through the Sacraments, but also in simple encounters with him--whether it be encounters with people in the village who may not even be Catholic, or talking with people who need guidance--as well as in the priest's role of helping form souls, such as teaching catechism to children (I'm currently preparing two little ones for their First Confession and First Holy Communion), or helping a young man in his spiritual formation as he discerns the priesthood, or preparing a sermon, or giving spiritual direction to a nun, etc.

This work, these contacts, go on throughout the week, all throughout the year. So many, many people are in need of help, in need of Jesus Christ whether they know it or not. It is not the priest's own ideas of wisdom that will save them or resolve the deep needs that they have. Moreover these contacts are often relatively brief. How can I help them in such a short period of time? The only way is if Jesus Himself is able to use those contacts to work in the person's soul. And the only way that can happen is if the priest is more deeply united to Him. Sadly I have a long, long way to go in that department.... and that is why extended times of daily prayer, and times of retreat and solitude, are so needed.

So I would be most grateful if you would say a prayer for me during my retreat that will begin Tuesday. It is a great joy for me to be heading off for this extended time in the hermitage. May God make use of it as He wishes! Among other things I plan to renew my consecration to Our Lady and to ask Her to please dispose of me as She wishes.

While I will not have access to email or phone while on retreat (thankfully!), and so will not be posting on this blog next Sunday, please be assured that each of you will be carried in my heart as I offer the Holy Sacrifice each day.

May Jesus and Mary bless and guide each one of you.

In Cordibus Iesu et Mariae,
Fr. Tony Pillari