A fast and furious race to Spring and to God through Mary

Well, maybe not Spring. More like the beginnings of Mud season, once all the snow melts. Though Emily calls it Slosh season. Which is a good name, with all the snow and mud combining to make any walk to the barn a bit soggy, or any drive up the driveway a bit challenging. But here in Vermont, when one can see snow plow blades sitting quietly by pick up trucks in various driveways that IS a sure sign of Spring.

Although it was that sort of optimistic thinking which had me slamming that plow blade back on the truck for that 2 feet of snow a few Aprils ago. But, one can hope.

So as we come out of winter, many happenings continue here at the Mary Theotokos Retreat Center; 

let me recap some highlights.

First came the plumbing work. Finding the source of a few roof leaks meant a week of crawling though the tiniest of dark, cramped crawl spaces. Sort of like looking for the end of the tunnel in "The Great Escape", but with more mouse poop. And, if you know me, you know that I am not a tiny compact person so the crawl spaces seemed even smaller,..just keep crawling to the light.

The next part of the plumbing work involved repairing lines and adding hot water to various locations in the Chapel building.

Remember to add coffee...

Working with PEX piping and "shark bite" joiners makes the job a lot easier, but what would any plumbing job be without some cold water spraying. OK, so maybe I will have to watch the Plumbing "How To" videos one more time.

Once the water was running, in the pipes where we wanted it, then it was time to take a look at some potential new livestock.

Yes I do remember what I said about goats last year. BUT, these cute Nigerian Dwarf milkers are looking for a home and by taking them in we could do some good. Not to mention that Nigerian Dwarf goat milk has  one of the highest butterfat contents, making it taste like cow's milk as well as making it excellent for producing, yogurt, cream, cheese, ice cream and other dairy. They stand about two feet tall and make excellent lawn mowers. So with some prep work, we may find this little herd roaming the retreat center soon.

Next came a fantastic opportunity to attend the "Man Up Philly" Catholic Conference. 

Matthew and I left early and drove down to Manchester Airport for the short flight to Philadelphia Airport.

After our arrival we grabbed a shuttle to the Sheraton Four Points hotels by Philadelphia Airport. The next day we were picked up by Rob Longo, a kind and generous man who got us to Mass and then to a Gospel Reflection group. 

This Gospel Reflection group is one that I have taken part in for the past few years by phone. Once a week I have called in to be inspired and uplifted by the men who attend in person in Chester PA., and by phone from across the country or across the globe as we read our Litany and Prayers and the weekly Gospel, followed by a group discussion. 

The group is headed up by Eustace Mita

As was much of the organizing for "Man Up Philly", another in the long line of generous and faith filled men we were about to meet on our trip.

The Conference was held at The Archbishop Ryan High School

And had several incredibly inspirational speakers, such as:

Jim Towey, 

who served as Director of The White House Office of Faith-Based community initiatives and as Assistant to President George W. Bush, currently he is President and CEO of Ave Maria University in Naples Florida and also worked with Mother Theresa as her legal counsel as well as a volunteer in Mother Theresa's home for people with AIDS in Washington DC, for over twelve years. His stories of working with Mother Theresa as well as his own private journey through his faith was inspirational to say the least.

Also this year at the conference was Christopher West.

Many of you will know of Mr West's books and speaking tours regarding his scholarly study of Blessed John Paul II's "Theology of the Body". He is a popular author, professional speaker and theologian who has appeared on Fox news, ABC, CBS,  MSNBC and EWTN to name a few networks. He is also the founder of the Cor Project, a not-for-profit global outreach devoted to cultural renewal through the "new evangelization". His presentation was on fire with energy and insight as he not only recounted his work but also made the dense scholarship of "Theology of the Body" accessible to a wide audience of men.

Other speakers included a witness of a journey to faith by Don Saleski, former right winger for the NHL with the Philadelphia Flyers and Richard Lane, one of the most prolific Catholic speakers of this decade who is often featured on "Catholic Answers" on Ave Maria Radio, as well as Protestant Radio. He has been featured in many national publications, is co-founder of Catholic Men for Christ's Men annual conference in St. Louis Missouri and had this audience of over 1200 men standing and cheering with exuberant and volcanic energy levels as he witnessed for a call to action by today's Christian men.

All in all it was a very exciting event. Matthew did a radio interview for CBS radio regarding his faith and why he was there, I got to speak on stage with members of the Chester Gospel Reflection Group, we saw a myriad of vendors, stood in a line around the block for confession, went to Adoration and we were privileged to attend Mass with Archbishop Charles J. Chaput presiding.

He gave the longest and most thorough Homily I have ever heard, that kept Matthew and I on the edge of our seat the entire time, truly a brilliant theologian and gifted Priest. 

Once it was all over Matthew and I were treated to some real Philadelphia cooking by our new friend Mike Tiegler and returned to our hotel numb and yet energized by the experience.

But there was also sightseeing in Philly as well.

 I didn't run up the steps, but Matt did. The Art Museum was amazing. 

Aside from the paintings, by Norwegian artist Frits Thaulow 

and Van Gogh

Matt was transfixed by the Armory exhibit.

After the Museum it was time to take a walk to the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, marveling at sights along the way.

After a Chaplet of Divine mercy and a Rosary at the Marian Shrine, Matt and I did what any self respecting tourist in Philadelphia would do. (no not have a cheesteak on a Friday during lent,.we waited till Saturday for that) We went to get the picture my wife demanded we get.

All our Philadelphia experiences done it was time to fly back to Vermont. But not to home. After getting off the plane, Matt and I drove to Burlington VT., where I performed in a production of 

Karol Wojtyla's THE JEWELER SHOP, while Matt ran lights.

Then it was a late dinner with cast members and FINALLY home to the Retreat Center.

Just in time for a Catholicism in Deph Retreat run by Edward Alonzo, Youth Minister of St. Anthony Church in Burlington,

and his guest Sue Gamache

Next we all begin our efforts here to bring as many retreatants, local parishoners and visitors to the total consecration to Jesus through Mary. Our Marian mission here, at The Mary Theotokos Retreat Center. If you would like to know more about the Marian Consecration, take a peak at these links:

http://www.marian.org/shrine/

and

http://www.fisheaters.com/totalconsecrationmontfort.html

as well as this book,

Don't forget to visit this blog too,
http://33daystomorningglory.blogspot.com/2012/08/33-days-to-morning-glory-do-it-yourself.html

and discover the graces waiting for you through a consecration to God through Mary.

In the mean time, there are Chapel signs to make, stalls to muck out, eggs to collect and of course, silent adoration time to enjoy.

The trout will be running soon, spring must be coming.

If you need a little spiritual recharge or more mud in your life, we hope to see you this spring at

The Mary Theotokos Retreat Center,

here in Newark, VT.

Deus Tecum

PS., only a few days after I posted this was the calendars "first day of Spring" we celebrated it by digging out of a fresh 18 inches of snow which fell in less than 24 hours.
Ah Spring in Vermont.

A perfect time and place for Poustinia

Another silent night, muffled in fresh snow, the clear sky dazzling alight with stars. I walk over to the adoration Chapel for evening prayers, in this comforting silence, detached from the "whirligig of time" and noise of modern culture, to embrace a bit of Poustinia with my Lord.

Below is an interesting article by John H. Armstrong regarding Catherine Doherty's writings about Poustinia and her work at the Madonna House in Ontario 
which our facility was modeled after:

"Poustinia: Encountering God in Silence, Solitude and Prayer

Mysticism, Orthodoxy, Roman Catholicism, Spirituality

Before I found the book, Poustinia: Encountering God in Silence, Solitude and Prayer, I confess that I had never heard of Catherine Doherty. She was a remarkable lady who sought to translate Eastern Christian insights (sometimes called “desert spirituality”) into the context of Western life. More than a half century ago Catherine arrived in Canada as a Russian refugee. She used her background in Russian Christianity to give her a matrix for responding to the needs of Christian life and work in the busy, modern West. Catherine became “poor to serve with the poor Christ” among the poorest people in Toronto and Harlem. But the work that led to my finding her moving book was the establishment of a spiritual lay center, the Madonna House Apostolate, in rural Ontario.

The title of this book bears the Russian word for “desert.” At the center of Catherine’s lifelong journey was her experience of the desert. She writes, in the opening chapter, “For the mystery of men in the midst of the world, nature, technology, and urbanization, is intrinsically a Divine Mystery” (Poustinia, 4). But, this great mystery is not to be found in the world as such. “It seems strange to say, but what can help modern man find the answers to his own mystery and the mystery of him in whose image he is created, is silence and solitude—in a word, the desert. Modern man needs these things more than hermits of old” (Poustinia, 4, italics are in the text).

If we are to effectively bear witness in today’s busy marketplaces, where we are continually bombarded with ideas that challenge our whole person, we need “silence.” If I have discovered anything that sustains me, and I am a novice at the practice really, it is this hunger for silence and the need to make it a regular part of my pilgrimage. She writes, “If we are to be always available, not only physically, but by empathy, sympathy, friendship, understanding, and boundless caritas, we need silence. To be able to give joyous, unflagging hospitality, not only of house and food, but of mind, body and soul, 
we need silence” (Poustinia, 4).

True silence is man’s search for God. True silence is “a suspension bridge that a soul in love with God builds to cross the dark, frightening gullies of its own mind, the strange chasms of temptation, the depthless precipices of its own fears that impede its way to God” (Poustinia, 4-5). In silence the speech of true lovers happens. In silence the soul can meet with God. And true silence is the key to a burning heart that stays alive to God and grace.

Silence does not call for special places, though I’ve found several that help me. Catherine Doherty is right when she concludes that deserts, silence and solitude are “not necessarily places but states of mind and heart” (Poustinia, 5). Such deserts can be found in busy cities as well as in places where we live each day of our lives.  These can be “tiny pools of silence” (Poustinia, 6). The prophet says, “I will lead you into solitude (the wilderness) and there I will speak to you” (Hosea 2:14). True silence is not always the absence of all speaking but it is always the act of careful listening. The mere absence of noise is not poustinia. Noises can become the echo of God’s presence but if we are filled with ourselves and our agenda we leave true silence aside. In silence we learn to repeat God’s intimate words, often words learned from Scripture that we’ve learned in the desert.

But how do we achieve this silence, this poustinia? Doherty answers, “By standing still!” (Poustinia, 7, italics in text). Stand still and look into the motivations of your soul. We were born to be saints and lovers. The Lord died to make us such and this we must strive for by faith. We must stand still and pray that the mighty wind of the Holy Spirit will clear out “all the cobwebs of fear, selfishness, greed, and narrow-mindedness” (Poustinia, 7-8).

But there is a danger here that is too often missed. We fail to distinguish between prayer and solitude. This is, in my view, the danger to evangelicals in particular but all people in general. I believe Doherty is correct when she writes that prayer and solitude are “two different aspects of the spiritual life” (Poustinia, 10). Prayer is contact with God. Without it life dies. Solitude, on the other hand, is a special vocation. Some can enter it for only brief times. This is my experience. Others are clearly called to it more permanently or as a unique vocation for life.

But prayer is first, like silence, a journey inward, as are all pilgrimages of the Spirit. I must journey inward to meet the Triune God who dwells within me. This is why I do not need a special spot to pray. “Prayer is a contact of love between God and man” (Poustinia, 10).

It is good to have periodic solitude. Indeed, this is what Doherty experienced and called others to as a Christian. But you can have solitude in many places and ways. A quiet room is helpful but might not be accessible. Prayer is a full-time affair but solitude is a temporary thing, unless you are one of those rare people called to it permanently. The desire for solitude is good but it must be understood. Poustinia is one of the best attempts to explain what it is and why it matters that I’ve yet encountered. You might not be ready for a book like this but if you are I encourage you to read it with much care and very slowly.

http://johnharmstrong.com/?p=94

John H Armstrong"


It's no wonder that Catherine Doherty's process for Canonization and Beatification to become a Saint is currently under consideration by the Vatican.

If you are looking for your poustinia, come see us at,

The Mary Theotokos Retreat Center
Newark, VT.

A great event and a inspirational film

We wanted to send along this wonderful event in our nation's capital, for pro-life and the screening of this film;

"The Blood and The Rose"

film synopsis

On December 9, 1531, the Blessed Virgin Mary first appeared to Juan Diego, an ordinary man of extraordinary faith. Juan Diego humbly embraced the call to serve as a Messenger Eagle. Today this apparition is known as "the Virgin of Guadalupe."The beautiful miracle of that day is chronicled in this story that begins with Mary's faith filled yes. This eternal struggle of good versus evil is the battle for our souls.

For more about the Pro-life march in Washington and this special film screening go to this link:

http://thebloodandtherose.com/

Support Catholic films in this year of faith.

If you haven't yet seen this next production, you must check out the most powerful evangelization tool in this year of faith as well as a captivating documentary to see;

http://www.catholicismseries.com/

That's all for now,

Deus Tecum 

from

The Mary Theotokos Retreat Center

in 

Newark, VT.

Long time no write! But to answer all the calls, here is a post!

Well Advent has come and gone and so has Christmas, the time flew!

There was work with single moms, long term retreats, two advent plays to direct at two different parishes, services, Holy days, Christmas parties, hiking through the woods for a tree to decorate, fending off attacks from bears after chickens and ducks, time with friends and family and lots of long distance work to do ever since Sandy.

So keeping a blog updated was the last thing on my mind. 

I was going to get to it today then the plow truck broke down during a blizzard, the tractor snow thrower broke down next,..only after chomping my hand in the drive chain; 

but I still have all my fingers.

Seems God is telling us to slow down and make some time to be with him in quiet prayer, as with the entire season. Avoid distraction of world and refocus our lives.

Here is hoping your Christmas was blessed and peaceful.

As the new year approaches we gear up for many more retreats, already booked, more original Catholic theater productions in our multi-parish theater ministry, more work with pro-life organizations, young mothers and the local poor and the food shelf work, etc. Through it all staying focused on God’s will for the center and putting all trust in him.

Deus Tecum

From

The Mary Theotokos Retreat Center in Newark, VT.

Would you like a brochure?

If you are interested in having one of our brochures and or business cards, please mail us a self addressed and stamped envelope to:

The Mary Theotokos Retreat Center, PO. Box 88, West Burke, VT, 05871

Construction and Conferences

The work at the retreat center continues, but now with an emphasis on the arrival of winter as we have had snow flurries the past few days!

With the help of a retreatant from Connecticut, a skilled carpenter, we were able to use scrap lumber and cement boards salvaged from other deconstruction jobs here to hook up and fire wall the room heater on the third floor.

His expertise came in very handy as we worked to fit the cement board together in a house that has many varying angles!

This is the second retreat here for this pilgrim who has proven to be a great help in the farm work and in construction. Just what we need, retreatants who understand,.."laborare est orare" work is prayer. In fact the son of this individual came last summer for two weeks and trained us all in organic farming and vegetarian cuisine. A real legacy of service.

Now the third floor will be toasty all winter long! A lot better than when we would see our breath up there last year.

Once this project and a few others were done it was time for another major event. Our attendance at the Vermont Catholic Conference in at St. Monica's parish in Barre, VT. 

We attended last year but only as visitors, This year armed with our banner, brochures, a PowerPoint slide presentation, business cards, guest book testimonials and much more; we attended the conference as vendors.

An exciting venue, but required our departure at 4:00 AM to get there in time to set up.

The entire conference was inspiring and faith filled. This year we handed out lots of materials and fielded many questions! Many groups talked to us about our location and facilities for future retreats. After a while I had almost memorized the pitch. As one person said, "It's no surprise you folks are a big hit this year at the conference,.there is no other Catholic retreat center in the state!" And to think I was not going to go to all this effort to create a booth or do a vendor set up, but after that decision God made a lot of circumstances fall into place, so I had to. As always, I find my work in life or at the center is just to keep out of God's way.

As many other in attendance we thoroughly enjoyed the speakers.

Msgr. Stuart Swetland spoke at length about Christian ethics and faith in politics. Both talks were exciting and energized. The faith in politics talk had such a sense of urgency and an appeal to truth it was often interrupted by applause.

Another presenter this day was Father Jon-Daniel Schnobrich who continued his series on Theology of the Body from his part one presentation at last years conference. His talk was heart felt and incredibly insightful. It was done with such intimacy, knowledge and truth that one felt he was speaking directly to them instead of a packed auditorium. Truly a gifted speaker and a gifted Priest.

There were a few more gifted speakers as well but it was difficult to get shots of them all. However they too, were able to reach the audience present with authority and insight, inspiring all of us who attended.

Including Father Luke Austin, Msgr. John J. McDermott and Julia Roberts. (not to be confused with some actor with a similar name. Ms. Roberts spoke powerfully about Faith in Action and won many more fans than the actor by the same name.)

All in all a faith filled event that sent us home tired but enlivened to continue our work at the retreat center.

As winter approaches we get ready for another set of retreats and outdoor work. I am thinking maybe a some younger folks will be ready to help us up here in our work soon,..or maybe, help us walk around! 

Maybe we will see you soon up here in Vermont,

Pax et Bonum

From the Mary Theotokos Retreat Center in Newark, Vermont.

Fall means departures and brilliant colors

Fall has come to the Mary Theotokos Retreat Center and even though we are about a week away from peak colors, the display has been breathtaking. That would explain the recent visits from people with out-of- state plates, "leaf peeping" all around the lake. So we are assured our "hospitality ministry" is doing well and offering a conversation,  a cup of coffee and a bit of nosh to the random pilgrim.

But aside from the visits there has been a departure or two.

Father Ignatius has finished his retreat and has left to return to his Parish in Ohio. I can't tell you what a blessing it was to have him here. DAILY Divine Liturgy, so many wonderful conversations about the faith and state of the church. A wonderful addition to the place. I am glad he will be coming back soon. Until then ,we will be arranging for a Mass schedule as time permits.

But before he left we had a Memorial Mass for Father Von Faur who built and created this Retreat Center. It was a beautiful service where many who knew the Father personally were able to share some thoughts and memories about how the Father impacted their life and how they came to know this center.

It was a really cloudy day, but during the service the sun broke through the clouds. As it broke through the clouds it was at such an angle that suddenly, through the incense smoke, a shaft of bright light came through the window in the roof of the church and shown a blinding light on the picture of Father Von Faur that was placed on a stand before the altar.

Now I know that many of my friends who read this will say, "there he goes again!" But I'm not going anywhere, I am just telling you what happened and what I saw. I am not making any interpretations on this event, although you know what I am thinking. But still, it happened and it happened almost as if on cue during the memorial service as we spoke of Father Von Faur. No mater how you look at it, it was a chin dropping moment for us all.

Here are some of the people who spoke that day.

The next day, Father Ignatius or "Brother Iggy" as we called him, blessed gallons of Holy Water for us and then preceded to bless the house. The entire house! Every room, hallway, nook and cranny. 

He was a man on a mission, with a Aspergilla. 

(Look that one up, I had to.)

"Bro Iggy" you are missed, your love and joy made this a happy place indeed. See you soon!

Fall also means canning and harvesting. 

But some of the zucchini here are so big they have a mind of their own. We have enormous pumpkins and squash and many other veggies. Here is just a sample of the size of the situation. After a few pictures  the kids weren't smiling so much as they were sweating, trying to hold these up.

There are two other things getting big. 

In a few more weeks these oinkers will be taking another journey, to the great big mud pit in the sky. 

Perhaps you would like to stop by and have some bacon?

But Fall is not all about departures, there is also an arrival. The Fall colors; and this year has been one of the best I can remember for dazzling foliage.

So as Fall moves through we start thinking about preparing for winter. 

We hope you will stop by, to do some "leaf peeping" or maybe to have your own "poustinia" or  a retreat, or a simply a cup of coffee and a story, and maybe even a pork chop or two.

Blessings of the season on your and yours

Deus Tecum

from the

Mary Theotkos Retreat Center 

in 

Newark, Vermont.