Emmaus Retreat : A walk with Jesus

The Emmaus Retreat: A Walk with Jesus is an opportunity for orientation and discovery members to reflect on their L’Arche experience in light of the teachings of Jesus.

L’Arche is a spiritual journey rooted in sharing life with others, some of whom have a mental handicap, in community life. In this retreat, the participants are invited to integrate their spiritual journey with their lived experience in their L’Arche community. The talks, time for personal prayer and reflection, accompaniment, small groups and sharing are aimed at helping each participant deepen his/her spiritual journey in L’Arche.

This retreat begins with supper Monday the 12thd of January and ends with breakfast Sunday, January 18th. This retreat is being held at Villa Saint-Martin in Montreal, Quebec.

Shirley Nolan (LTA-L'Arche Winnipeg) is the coordinator, Louise Cummings, a United Church minister and a long-term member of L’Arche Greater Vancouver and Jacques Pelletier, will give the word; Louise in English and Jacques in French.

This is an ecumenical L’Arche retreat as the participants come from various Christian traditions. Liturgies will include celebrations from different Christian traditions as well as common prayer. The Emmaus Retreat: A Walk with Jesus is rooted in Bible passages from both the Old and New Testament.

This is a silent retreat. As this concept is often new for many of the participants of this retreat, it is very important that the participant understands what he/she is getting into. The first evening, the participants are able to converse and get to know each other. After the first talk, the participants are invited to live the rest of the week in silence in order for them to get in touch with the Spirit working in them with minimal distraction. Small groups and accompaniment are integral components of the retreat. Other than that, each participant is invited to enter into personal prayer and reflection.

Silence is a discipline, which is a challenge for our culture in general. We ask that you emphasize this aspect of the journey and ensure that participants are aware of this reality. Our experience is that every year, participants arrive with no knowledge that silence is a part of the retreat and this can impede a smooth beginning to the journey. It means leaving the ipods and computers at home. Each participant is invited to unplug from his/her usual routine and plug into the Source of Life!

Each year some participants arrive stating that they do not understand why they are at the retreat. We ask that each participant be supported by the Community Leader and the Community Council. As Community Leader, we ask that the reason a person is sent to a zone retreat be clear.

The criteria for participation in this retreat are:

- an assistant who is an orientation or discovery member (or the equivalent for someone awaiting a membership process);
- a commitment to one’s faith journey;
- a commitment to share with others;
- a commitment to living the rhythm of the retreat; and
- supported and encouraged by the Community leader and the Community Council.

We do ask community leaders with the community council to discern with the assistant the appropriateness of attending retreats. It is critical that the assistant come prepared to enter into this week. Is the assistant ready to live a retreat? Will this be helpful to him/her at this point in his/her L’Arche journey? In his/her spiritual journey? These are questions that may help with this discernment.

The rhythm of the day will include two talks, time in small groups and time for personal reflection and prayer. As noted, this retreat will be lived in silence. This is to allow the participants the opportunity to listen to God.

We do ask participants to bring a bible, a journal and a pen and notebook for taking notes. As part of the silence, we strongly encourage people to leave behind those things, which may distract them from entering into an encounter with themselves and with God.