Sisters of the Christian Retreat
November 19th marks the Feast Day of the Sisters of the Christian Retreat and so we think of those members within our CEIST community on this special day.
The founder of The Christian Retreat was Father Anthony Receveur (1750-1804). Fr. Anthony’s life was spent in the shadow of the French Revolution. It was a time of huge social upheaval and transition much like the 21st century and with the dissolution of familiar structures people were thirsty for truth. He dedicated his life to bringing God’s living water to the people of his day. His vision was radical because he invited all people – not just priests and religious – to deepen their prayer life through making retreats, providing a rule of life that included daily prayer and meditation. With the help of families he built a retreat house in Fontenelles, France where he led large numbers of people in retreat which transformed their lives. In founding the congregation Fr Anthony was empowering each Christian to live a meaningful life.
The aim of the Congregation is to lead people back to thoughts of faith and meditation on the Word of God and the Great Truths about humanity. To spread the Gospel by all the means in its power, especially by Spiritual Retreats and Christian Education.
November 19th
During the French Revolution in 1789 Fr Anthony Receveur built two retreat houses for people to come and practice their religious faith and beliefs. These retreat houses were blocked by French soldiers. However, on a night of exceptional cold between 18th and 19th November 1789, that drove the soldiers indoors, Fr. Anthony, cross in hand, called the people: “Come, it is God’s hour”. The Feast Day of Fr Anthony Receveur is November 19th in celebration of that night.
The Christian Retreat is a Roman Catholic Congregation founded by Fr. Anthony Receveur. This article is taken from the Christian Retreat website www.christian-retreat.org
Fr. Anthony Receveur & The Sisters of the Christian Retreat
The Congregation of the Sisters of the Christian Retreat was founded in Eastern France by Father Anthony Receveur (1750-1804). Fr. Anthony’s life was spent in the shadow of the French Revolution. It was a time of huge social upheaval and transition much like the 21st century and with the dissolution of familiar structures people were thirsty for truth. He dedicated his life to bringing God’s living water to the people of his day. His vision was radical because he invited all people – not just priests and religious – to deepen their prayer life through making retreats, providing a rule of life that included daily prayer and meditation. With the help of families he built a retreat house in Fontenelles, France where he led large numbers of people in retreat which transformed their lives. In founding the congregation Fr Anthony was empowering each Christian to live a meaningful life. The name of the congregation expressed the aim of their founder: to bring people, who had drifted away from religion back to God through reflection, prayer and retreat.
Fr Anthony Receveur – A life in pictures by Sister Melanie
taken from the Christian Retreat website
http://www.christian-retreat.org/abtlife.html
These wonderful watercolour paintings were created by Sr Melanie Kingston to depict the life and times of Fr Anthony Receveur.
Born in France in 1750, his life alternated between light and shadow, joy and suffering. “What joy”, he wrote, “how my heart rejoices when crosses fall on me”. “When I can see no way out, it is then that help comes”
May these pictures inspire you to see in the apparent paradox of light and shade, joy and sorrow, God’s loving guidance in your life.
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![]() November 19th is celebrated each year by the |
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Prayer for Reflection
Lord, those words, ‘reflection’, ‘prayer’ and ‘retreat’, sound so formal and remote. What relevance do they have to our lives? We are too busy to have time to stop; and anyway silence is boring!
Lord, sometimes I need a friend; sometimes I need to pray. Sometimes, when I take my earphones out of my ears, I hear the birds sing and I know you are here and thank you. Then I know I am reflecting! Then I know I am praying.
Lord, help me not to be afraid of silence; to know you are close all the time, not just when things go wrong; and help me to make space in my day for you – for me – and for others.
Amen.