In the event that some people can share a room, as in a family retreat for example, a total of 58 people can reside at the centre. We comfortably accommodate with private rooms, 45 retreatants. Refreshments are available in the dining room at all times during the retreat.Īn option to pray the rosary on the Rosary Path is available to you in the afternoon. Sunday includes Mass at the Shrine, closing conference, Benediction and parting lunch. Saturday’s scheduled activities include conferences, presentations, group discussions, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, Mass, Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Benediction. The retreats usually begin on a Friday evening with a welcome, followed by a presentation and evening prayer. This Retreat Centre is available for and compliments the many spiritual needs of the Archdiocese, includingĭuring the retreat, presentations follow a scriptural theme. Augustine says, “Your desire is itself your prayer.” It has been our experience that those who come with eager anticipation and deep desire will return home blessed with a joyful realization of God’s unconditional love. Although the Sacrament of Reconciliation has a definite communal aspect, experience has shown us the importance of a leisurely personal celebration of the Sacrament, and so we provide ample time for individual confession. Our personal reflection flows from and leads to the traditional communal prayer of the Church: the Liturgy of the Hours and the Eucharist. We pray as the totus Christus, as living members of the Body of Christ. If our usual manner of praying is full of words, the retreat is a time to let God speak. We need to be free, even from much vocal prayer, so that we can drink in all that the Lord has to say to us. To help us take full advantage of this holy time, we ask that you come prepared to listen, to ponder, to be still, to reflect, The weekend should be uncluttered. We all eat from the same storeroom, and it is God who stocks the pantry.” An Atmosphere Conducive to Reflection As Augustine told his congregation some sixteen centuries ago, “We share with you what we ourselves are nourished on. We want to offer you the best we have to give: what is not of our own making but God’s gift to us, one that we have come to value and treasure. Isaiah tells us that the Word never returns to God empty but always accomplishes that for which it is sent. That Word is always fresh, like the morning dew, and always manages to seep into our lives. Like Mary, the mother of the Lord, we need to ponder, sometimes to struggle, perhaps even to wrestle with the Word of God. The one for whom Marylake is named is a model for us as we open ourselves to receive the Word of God in our minds and hearts. With Jesus who heals and forgives, who strengthens and encourages. We want to provide you the opportunity to commune more intimately with Jesus, the Bread of Life. We want to break the Bread of God’s Word for you so that you may more readily assimilate and digest it. That is the role we, his followers, try to fulfill for you on retreat. Saint Augustine called himself a “minister of Word and Sacrament”. To become aware of the Spirit who dwells in our hearts. To recognize Jesus as our friend and brother. The Purpose of the RetreatĪ retreat is a privileged time to let God’s surprising and subversive Word challenge our casual acquaintance with God, to let us in on God’s designs for us, to awaken us to the beauty and tenderness of the one whom we dare to call Father. We simply invite others to draw near to the water and to slake their thirst from the same source that nurtures and vivifies us: Jesus Christ, the deep spring of eternal life. Whoever believes in me," as scripture says, "Rivers of living water will flow from within." What we Augustinians have to offer is not our own wisdom and strength. "Let anyone who thirsts come to me and drink. Though the number of active friars has diminished, the Shrine of Our Lady of Grace remains a living sign of permanence and continuity with a rich heritage of sanctity, scholarship and spiritual direction, as well as communion with men and women throughout the world who take the example and Rule of Saint Augustine as their guide. The presence of a praying community of Augustinian friars provides a setting conducive to peaceful reflection, while the attentive care of the Augustinian Sisters of Good Counsel gives quiet witness to the unity of fervent prayer and humble service.įormerly the country estate of Sir Henry Pellat, whose Toronto residence was Casa Loma, Marylake has been for over sixty years a vibrant centre of Augustinian spirituality and renewal in the life of the Church of Toronto. Nestled amid pastures and woodlands, Marylake offers an atmosphere in which one can become attuned to God’s creation and alert to God’s Word. Within a short drive from the complexity and commotion of Metro Toronto lies the simplicity and serenity of the Augustinian Retreat Centre at Marylake.
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