I learn to be more forgiving,  more compassionate.  To be able to finish this online retreat is the grace itself.  To be able to share my experiences in relation to the theme of the retreat is another grace.

I am closer to God and to my family, friends, neighbors, and everyone else.  I learned to put them first in my life.  Faith in God.  Faith in God's path for me and for others and that what happens is what He means to happen.  I can focus on what God wants me to do and not worry about and build defenses against what might happen because of what others choose to do.  And love them still.

I am now on a closer walk with Jesus --soo many graces so much to be thankful for.

At this time the graces are many.  I see and hear differently because of my reading and pondering the scriptures and the life of God within me. 

After living the retreat more and more I'm guessing I could speak  more about how God is working in me.  I can tell you that I am grateful for the experience as it has been at this time of my life! 

It has helped me in my relationships with others and to answer a call from God to minister to his Church.  An amazing grace that I received was that I consistently found myself experiencing deep emotions in my own life experiences that I know Jesus must have felt during his ministry and especially his suffering and death.  At times, it was extremely difficult, but afterwards, after seeing that it was a gift from God that was bringing me closer to Him, I was extremely grateful and I am still amazed!

I have changed-for the better-I hope.  I feel closer to God. I understand the Bible readings a lot better than I did before the retreat.  Graces, where do I begin?  I feel loved, cherished, unworthy, and totally in awe of my God.  Suddenly material things seem meaningless to me.  My heavenly life has become everything that is important.  When I awake at night I become conscious that I am praying as I awaken.  I am so emotional at the thought of this retreat ending that tears come to my eyes often.  I don't want to go back to the same old things as before the retreat.  It's almost as if I am afraid of losing sight of God.  This thought terrifies me.

As a result of the retreat I was able to let go of a controlling passion... a hatred really, toward someone. It was quite demonic at times. I've also changed the way I pray from predominantly petition to gratitude and blessing.

I feel that this retreat helped me stay in touch with God during some rough times when I was really struggling.  It also helped me strengthen my faith. This was a great experience for me and I will do it again.

I am finally beginning to see how Jesus is calling me to put my life in his hands.

This retreat has been a great help for me. I have been more reflective and have been able to "listen" attentively to the Lord in everyday circumstances. And by that, my reactions and actions have been guided.  I can never thank you enough for this retreat. Blessings after blessings came with it. In times of success and failure, I have experienced God's presence.

I received so many graces through this retreat that have helped me and my husband to support each other and to grow closer through these difficult months.  I am much more patient than I was.  I have a much stronger sense of God's great love and care for me and for my husband.  Frequently, the words from the retreat were just what I needed to hear.  An example was that "everything comes from God and returns to God, even us."  As I reviewed my journal these last two weeks, each page during the time I was awaiting my diagnosis, and then going through the surgery and recovery, it was so evident to see how God was loving and supporting me.  The same was true of how God is helping me to care for my husband and bringing
  us closer at the time in our lives.

I have changed after this, my second in a row, time of doing this wonderful retreat. I spend my time differently, I am not interested in some former things, I ask God first and about all kinds of small things. I didnt do this before thinking I would be a nuisance or matters were mere trifles. Not so, the small becomes big - quickly- and there is guidance for everything in the scriptures. Another grace was often feeling a beautiful comforting peaceful presence of the Lord, and waking up with answers to prayers of the night before. Wonderful.

The first weeks were hard.  I didn't like talking about my past but I believe there was something in there about St. Ig. showing us how much God loves us for us to be able to move on with the rest of the exercises.  I have a encouraged a couple of friends to do this retreat.  Both have told me that the first few weeks were hard and they either quit or wanted to.  So, I would ask that you reinfornce how important it is to do that work on our memories.

I think I am more concious about God love for me as a unique person and the importance of my acceptance of His will.

It gave me a new vision. God is not something, that I spend time, like 10-15 minutes in the evening and in the morning, some gatherings in the week time and Sunday mass. But God is somebody, who I spend every second with, except the cases, when I forget that and I am sinning. That makes big difference. All graces coming with that - safety, calm, friendly with people around, in general - " a real teach with real important things in the life ".

I have wanted to be more with God, but making prayers in special place  in special time. That confined me and I really thought, God wants me not to be very deep in job, but to get out and pray. Now, after this retreat, things are easier, I talk and pray to God in all possible " free " moments, in the corridor, on the chair before computer, even in wc. That is tremendous help for me. Thanks !

It has drawn me closer to God.  I learned more about His life & time here on earth.  I also learned more of what God, & my own, expectationss are & should be. This will help me to relax, feel gratitude, & remember who has given me all I have, all I've become, & the opportunity to go beyond & share with others who may not be as fortunate.

Perhaps the biggest grace that I received was a deeper sense of God's love for me.  In reflecting on my life so far, I realize that God has truly been there for me, drawing good out even my mistakes and sins.  His mercy has given me hope and opened me to forgiveness--of myself and of others.  I am not so willing to judge others because I know God loves me and them.  I know that everything i have is gift and that I am loved personally by God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. More that ever, I want to follow the Gospel by giving of my time and treasure for people who need help.  And I need to remind myself that even being able to help people is a gift from God, Who works through us.  I think this retreat has changed how I look at things.  The prayer that says "Take all that i am and dispose of it according to  Your Will, because all I really need is Your love" is a prayer that i strive to say and mean... 

This retreat has been life-changing for me.  It has changed the way that I pray and has moved my relationship with God to a much more personal level. 

I found new ways of looking at things.

It made me more aware, in a new and deeper way, of my self-defeating patters of behavior. And I felt the grace and peace to try to change. It also made me realize there is nothing I have felt or experienced that Jesus did not experience first.  What a comfort.

I have never been told to really look into Jesus' life.  It has really put things into perspective for me.  The biggerst grace I have received is that I now know that it is my mission to help others as much as I can.

This retreat has helped me long for and seek a very close relationship with our Lord Christ.  He has helped me focus on some major life changes.  There were so many graces, I can't even begin to enumerate them.  One of them--I am an Episcopalian.  I have listened to God's call and will enter the Deaconate process next fall.  The call was there, but unfocused and I couldn't conceive of it before the retreat.  I have overcome the hasty responses to other people,  I look at my fellow teachers, my students, the many people I come in contact with in a totally different way.  I feel Christ's presence with me everywhere and it has made all the difference.

My graces are too numerous to name, but an overarching grace has been the opportunity to walk this path with others in my group...for this I am very grateful.

I am aware and have begun to use for my focus the term I am a loved sinner.  this is a good thing to help me remeber God in my life.

The retreat this time has provided a time for me to bring myself closer to the Lord. I find that i am spending more time thanking God for the many graces that he has given me.

It has helped me better understand what Jesus asks of me, and also helped me develop means of coping with problems. The Emmaus visualization has been particularly helpful. 

I loved this retreat. I met with a Spiritual Director about every two weeks throughout, so I had the opportunity for additional guidance.  The Exercises made a profound difference in my life. I feel more connected to and aware of our Loving Lord.  I have a greater hunger to further explore and nourish this relationship. I received several graces during these weeks, among them the courage to give to the Lord 2 burdens I have carried for many years.  I can now see the Spirit working in my life on these two areas. I am not alone. 

Insights that give me a fresh way of looking at life with myself and others; finding Jesus in the ordinariness of life;being calmer in situations when I used to get emotional;deeper relationship with Jesus!

It has strengthened my relationship with God. He was speaking to me and has guided me to pursue the mission that God has given me.

Better surrender to God and more openness was achieved through this time of my life by using the retreat, other helps on the website and other resources.

This retreat has helped me to become more aware of the gentle touch of the Lord in my life - in confirming me and making me more aware of who I am; the gifts I've been given; the grace of acceptance and peace.

The grace of gift of love has touched me

I have a deeper level of consciousness about living a God-focused life. You said recently that we would be "changed" and we would be very much the same. This is true for me. I don't know that I actually am more loving, serving etc., but I am very conscious that that is how I should be. Scripture hits me pretty strong and I don't think that I could read at daily Mass--even now the tears are flowing. My husband says I am feeling it deeply. 

I made a much better Lent than I have in years. 

The biggest grace has been a change in my perception of what prayer is.

I feel as if I am living life more in the present rather than in the third person.  I am more comfortable with my weaknesses and sins and my humanity.  I feel as if I don't need to "earn" God's love.  I / we are loved with all of our falts.  (what a relief)

There are so many graces from this retreat.  Probably one of the biggest occurred last week when i was able to get in touch with the deepest feelings of grief taht I have not been able to experience for 45 years.  I was able to experience the pain that Mary must have felt at the foot of the Cross.  

more at peace with myself and others.

It has been wonderful.  Jesus has become much more real and meaningful to me. The retreat was a meaningful and spiritual growth experience.  I am really sorry to have it end.  I was wondering if you would have any more retreats to be offered.  I would love to continue my learning experience with you and would look forward to sharing them with you.  I am retired and my husband is disabled and the fact that this did not cost me anything was a wonderful option.  So many things I see do have a fee and I am not able to fit them into my budget.  Thank you so much for making this retreat such a meaningful experience.