Report on Retreat in Daily Life

If you were a tree, what kind would you be?’ This term’s Retreat in Daily Life began by asking everyone this question. It concluded by singing a tune to the Xhosa/Zulu words ‘Mayenziwe Ntando Yakho’ (Your will be done on earth, O Lord). The remainder of the week was just as unpredictable, stretching and enjoyable. The retreat was led by Fr Stephen Hoyland of Loyola Hall, and was based on principles of Ignatian spirituality. Optional evening workshops and meetings were on offer, but the spiritual focus of my week was a daily routine of thirty minutes of prayer, and short one-on-one meetings. It was genuinely a retreat in daily life, though: I spoke to others who agreed that the retreat provided a valuable chance to think about how spiritual and everyday life belong together. The most difficult part, apart from deciding which tree I’d be, was deciding to sign up in the first place. I’d recommend the week to all busy students who’d like to think more about where prayer belongs in their life.

Peter Auger