What are you looking for?

This is the theme for next month’s parish retreat (Oct. 28-30) in West Virginia. It’s a curious question that Jesus asks the disciples right out of the gate in John’s Gospel. It’s a simple question but hard for them to answer. They don’t even try to answer it. Their response to His question is a question (“Rabbi, where are you staying?”). They were disciples of John the Baptist who had just said to them as Jesus walked by them for the first time, “Behold the Lamb of God”. After they heard this, they “followed Jesus” which prompted His question.

They were looking for God in a major way. They had been following John and experienced God in him. Then, when John pointed out Jesus to them and gave him such an elevated title like “Lamb of God”, they were looking for more in Him. It’s like what they were looking for became more and more elevated. They found so much in John, and now thought they could find more in Jesus.

The amazing thing about this question is that Jesus can actually give what they or we are looking for. And, He delivers. This is why it is the theme of our retreat. We, too, are looking for God in a major way. Like the disciples of John, we have been led to Jesus and believe that He can give us what we’re looking for.

A weekend away with Him tackling the question of what we’re looking for is so beneficial for a few reasons. First, to hear the Lord speaking to us. The Lord wants to ask the question of John 1:38 to those who attend the retreat. For any of us to hear that question from Him now is huge. To hear anything from Him is huge!

Second, for us to try and come up with an answer or answers. We might already know what we’re looking for and have been asking Him for a while now. On the retreat, the Lord will either provide what we’re looking for finally or shed light on why He hasn’t. But, it happens so often on retreats that people receive from the Lord the very thing they were looking for and didn’t even know they were looking for it. For example, many have unexpectedly had a profound experience of peace in the Real Presence. Peace is one of the things we are all looking for. Jesus can give it, and a weekend with Him in a peaceful and spiritual setting can clarify that peace is what we are looking for.

Third, to have confidence that He can give us what we’re looking for. Those who make the commitment for a weekend retreat with our theme inherently show that confidence. He will reward it either during the retreat or in the days following. That act of confidence could be the very thing that God has been waiting on with some before giving what they’re looking or asking for. It’s no small thing to make even a weekend retreat, and God knows it. He will reward those who make Him (and what they are looking for) a priority.

Please see in our bulletin and on our website information about the retreat. I hope you are able to join us and have a conversation with Jesus about what you’re looking for.

May you know the peace of Christ,

Fr Greg