How Can I Keep From Singing? (Fall Retreat Recap)

The following is a reflection written by Michaela Pease, one of this year's North House Volunteers.

How can I keep from singing?

Last weekend was Fall Retreat and if there is one thing that keeps going through my head its: "How can I keep from singing?" The mass on Sunday with all the Amate Community has been my favorite mass since moving to Chicago. The Priest, the readings, the music and the community made the mass so meaningful to me. Towards the end of mass the priest started singing "no storm can shake my inmost calm, while to this rock I’m clinging, when Lord is love over heaven and earth, how can I keep from singing." Since the retreat I have found myself humming "how can I keep from singing" while riding the L, walking around the house, driving down Lake Shore Drive, and even working. I feel so blessed to be living this life of an Amate Volunteer.

Friday afternoon myself and five other housemates squeezed into our six passenger car followed by the big blue suburban with my seven other housemates. One thing to note: I love road trips but even more I loved being squeezed into the car with my wonderful community members! Before the trip really even started we were singing and laughing- I knew then the weekend was going to be amazing. As we started our road trip to Michigan down the beautiful Lake Shore Drive I couldn’t stop proclaiming how much I love North House, Amate & Chicago. I was so excited to spend a weekend away with all the volunteers and the staff!

The weekend was structured around discovering our individual strengths, seeing how they help us to be leaders, and how they play a role in our daily lives as individuals and as community members. We also had time to relax (which meant different things for everyone). Some people journaled, took naps, went on a run or walk, listened to music; where as some people played sports, went paddle boating, knitted or did some reading. The weekend was absolutely wonderful for so many reasons! The retreat center was a perfect place to reflect and relax from the daily happenings of the big city! Being surrounded by the beauty of nature, the fall leaves the serene pond and also being surrounded by the beauty of the Amate Community. Really taking time to recognize each others strengths and how that impacts the community made me realize how lucky I am!

I truly feel I am exactly where I am meant to be! The retreat helped me to see that I wasn’t taking enough time to reflect and to fully recognize God's presence in my life. Sunday morning's mass was exactly what I needed. The priest talked about how we need to be filled with God's love so that we can pour His love unto others. He talked about how when we recognize Gods love in our life then "how can we keep from singing"! I have personally challenged myself since the retreat to take the time to recognize the gifts that God has given me as well as to see the gifts in my community members and make sure to point them out to that person. I hope that when the bumps in the road do come and things get difficult that I can remember to sing " "no storm can shake my inmost calm, while to this rock I’m clinging, when Lord is love over heaven and earth, how can I keep from singing."

Interested in seeing some pictures from Fall Retreat? Follow this link.