Retreats are a time to step back from one’s daily life and reflect on our faith. Sometimes these retreats are marked by silence. Sometimes these retreats ask us questions that jolt us into a deeper relationship with God. During the Autumn of 2016 and into the winter of 2017 over 300 Companions from the Cincinnati and Kansas City Provinces of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood are being asked those very questions.
The Companions, lay associates of the Missionaries, are gathering across the United States for retreats preached by Rev. Benjamin Berinti, C.PP.S. The theme of the retreat is You Had to Ask, Didn’t You? Four Irritatingly Beautiful Questions for Disciples and Companions of the Precious Blood and the retreats offer participants the opportunity to not only hear Fr. Berinti’s preaching, but to gather for small group discussions and join together for prayers and meals.
Berinti designed the retreat around four different questions asked in scripture. The first question was asked by God to Adam and Eve: Where are you? The second was asked by Jesus to his disciples in the Garden: Are you still sleeping? The third was also asked by Jesus: How many loaves of bread do you have? And finally the fourth question was asked by God to Cain: Where is your brother?
Rena Tulipana, a Companion from Liberty, Missouri appreciated the power of the retreat and commented that “Father Ben is a gifted speaker who asked intriguing questions that left me with much to ponder and many seeds for further reflection.”
The message of the retreat has made a significant impact on the Companions taking part in the retreat. Vicky Otto, a co-director of the Companions, said that for her “one of the signs of a good presentation is that no one gets up immediately when a break is announced because they are still engaged in dialogue with each other. This has happened at all the retreats!”
Summing up his experience, Dave McNeal, a Companion from the Cincinnati Province said that the retreat was “thought-provoking, intense, stimulating, challenging, and inspiring. Fr. Ben asked us several times to reflect on the word Missionaries in the title of our Congregation. He challenged us to strive towards fulfilling the dream of St. Gaspar. I hope we all can continue to contribute to being the thousand tongues St. Gaspar prayed for.”
The retreats have taken place in Kansas City, Missouri; Carthagena, Ohio; and Orlando, Florida. Two more retreats are planned for Northern California and Albia, Iowa. For more information about the Companions see their webpage: http://preciousbloodkc.org/join-us/companions/
