Bronwyn’s reflection on retreat to Tarrawarra Abbey
Last weekend Suzi and I headed off to a retreat which we had both been looking forward to, even though we were not quite sure what to expect. As we drove through the beautiful scenery of the Yarra Valley, and drew closer to our destination, we began to wonder what was ahead. All we knew about Tarrawarra Abbey, was that it was run by the Catholic Church, and that Brother Joseph, called it home.
As we went down the drive way and saw the beautiful view, of healthy looking cows, a quaint little cottage, and the abbey in the distance, we thought it looked promising. We were warmly greeted by Brother Joseph, who had kindly waited up for us, learning that he rises at 4am. After a tour of the place and being shown our simple yet lovely rooms, things seemed to flow from there. Brother Joseph informed us that the abbey has six rooms that can be used for retreats.
After a restful sleep, I awoke on the Saturday morning and looked out my window to see the view of the hills covered in midst, a cow and calf drinking in the dam, and hot air balloons rising up into the morning sky. It was a beautiful way to start the day.
As I sat in bed, I felt that God was clearly showing me more about simplicity. I looked around the comfortable room which had a bed, desk, lamp and chair, and shared facilities down the hall, I reflected on what I really needed. I felt challenged about how we fill our lives with so much “stuff”, and often feel the need to acquire more.
The other word surrender was one that kept emerging during my time at the abbey.
The monk’s way of life was inspiring to see. Although we only met a few of them, hearing what some of them had surrendered to get to that place was inspiring. Brother Joseph spoke many wise words to us, about serving God and loving your neighbour as yourself.
I was blessed to go on this retreat to such a beautiful place. It enabled me to have times of stillness, reflection and prayer, and was a time of great refreshment. It was a chance to focus on the above things without the daily tasks that fill up our life and our time, and distract us from running the race.
“let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith” Hebrews 12:1-2 |
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