by Brian Flagg
That is what I have committed to.
The 8 day silent retreats I have done there the last 2 summers have been nothing less than life-changing. Both times I felt like it ended way too soon.
But 30 days? I’ve got to admit I feel a bit apprehensive. A little bit like when I was waiting to go to prison to serve my 30 day sentence for protesting the Iraq war.
The worst part is tearing myself away from here for 30 whole days, even more than that because I’m gonna surf and visit my parents in Huntington Beach on the way there and back.
So what that tells me is that maybe I have control issues (though I’m sure everyone at Casa Maria would disagree!)
I always preach how we all need to exceed our comfort zones.
I guess now it’s my turn.
I guess that if I really am a disciple of Jesus, I gotta step out of Casa Maria, out of the struggle and all the busyness, and cultivate my relationship with my Creator, my Lord and Savior, my comrade and my home boy, Jesus, the one deemed “Comandante de Comandantes” by the late great former president of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez.
So I’m going to deal with the fact that I’m a very privileged white man and jump head long into this 30 day opportunity.
Who knows where this experience will lead?
Like my man Jesus said ‘To he or she who has been given much, much is expected.’
Special thanks to Msgr. Tom Cahalane for pushing me to this.