Saint John Baptist de La Salle asked the Brothers to make an annual retreat. Recognizing that today many Lasallian educators find it a challenge to participate in regular retreat, spirituality project manager Brother Michael Phipps, FSC, invited Holly Hoey Germann to reflect on incorporating the themes of rest, retreat and renewal into daily life as a Lasallian educator.
By Holly Hoey Germann
For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.
Isaiah 30:15
As soon as summer begins I experience two major needs that impact my spiritual life and my vocation: sleep and sitting. All educators know the “tired” that is the “end of the school year tired.” It usually takes me a couple of weeks before I feel like I have finally caught up on my sleep. After that, I begin the next critical practice of rest: sitting. I sit on my front porch for hours each day. Sometimes I read, write or pray but mostly I just sit; I consider this “sitting” a form of prayer. I watch and listen to the wind move the leaves, I watch the squirrels, I watch the clouds, I watch and listen to the birds, and I just sit. There is a story from peoples in Africa that is connected to this practice. The tradition speaks of African tribes stopping periodically when they are traveling. They sit. They describe this pause in their travels as an opportunity for “their souls to catch up to their bodies.” The first time I heard this it resonated deeply within me I knew that this was what I was doing. I am letting my soul catch up to my body.
Another key practice for my spirituality is retreat. One of my favorite spiritual mentors, Father Thomas Keating said in his book The Better Part: “A retreat once a year would deepen your daily practice, especially if the retreat is long enough, like five or preferably eight full days. If that is not possible because of your situation and responsibilities, take a retreat day once a month, preferably along with others doing the same kind of prayer practice. The support of similarly minded people helps to persevere in prayer in difficult times.” (S. Stephanie Iachetta, The Daily Reader for Contemplative Living: Excerpts from the world of Father Thomas Keating, 2006, p. 58)
Interestingly, Saint John Baptist de La Salle’s retreats were often eight days long. How awesome would that be if we each could retreat for eight days every year? Many would love it, even to take a day once a month. I was fortunate to attend the Lasallian spirituality retreat in February 2024; it was a remarkably renewing experience. But, this isn’t always possible, practical or affordable. For me, during the summertime, retreats take the form of long walks alone. I am not one to have earbuds in. I rarely listen to podcasts. I just walk in silence listening to the natural world allowing my mind and heart to unfold. I pay close attention to the winged, furry and scaled creatures I come in contact with, often pondering what messages they have for me in my renewal.
These practices are essential to my ministry of education and spiritual direction. Exhaustion unfortunately is a companion to the world of education. To sustain my ministry I needed to find practices that would nourish me and give me fuel to continue. These are the sources of my renewal, especially during the summertime. How do you honor rest in your life? What nourishes you? How do you let your soul catch up to your body?
Holly Hoey Germann is an educator in the theology department at Totino-Grace High School in Fridley, Minnesota. She has worked in Lasallian schools for over 30 years. The majority of her ministry has been as a theology teacher, but she has also worked as a campus minister and vice president for faith formation. She learned to love deep-soul conversations through classroom engagement and followed her call to become a spiritual director and run a private practice: www.walkthesacredpath.com.
Picture in banner image above taken at Encountering Lasallian Spirituality: A Workshop and Retreat in February 2024.