‘Fasting is an asceticism of need and an education of desire’
(Enzo Bianchi)
For some years I had had the desire to do a Spiritual Retreat a little different from what was proposed to us by the Congregation, and this desire went in the direction of mastering my body, to put it to the test, to go to the essentials, to unite myself more with all those who suffer from hunger and to grow in listening by living an intense spiritual experience.
And so the proposal of a week of spiritual fasting in July at Les Fontenelles, in Father Receveur’s Christian Retreat House, seemed to me to be the one that could achieve the objectives set.
A few days before the start of the Retreat, I started reducing my food to prepare my body for the fasting experience by removing coffee, milk, bread, cold meats, cheese, sweets, etc. from my diet to consume only raw and/or cooked fruit and vegetables. Because the fast we are going to practice is a water fast: no solid food, but unlimited herbal teas, a glass of organic fruit juice a day and a cup of vegetable juice in the evening.
The session begins on Sunday evening in the little chapel with the sisters’ community, where we pray Vespers.
Immediately afterwards we move to the large hall (former refectory). We are a group of about twenty people of different ages, social and life situations, most of them women (there are two men among us) to participate in this Retreat. For many it is an appointment, others have already had such an experience in other contexts and places. For only two of them, including myself, it is the first time.
Right from the start, I felt and heard that we all have in common the desire to get away from our realities, to take a break, to experience a time of ‘deprivation’ of food, as a path of purification and freedom that can help us become free for a personal encounter with God.
Sister Rose-Marie, who leads this session, quickly gets to the heart of the matter and presents us with the programme with precise and valuable instructions on how best to live the next few days. To start the fast, it is necessary to cleanse the intestines so one must take a purge of sodium sulphate. And at the moment, a little apprehension grips us all! Me included. Even for those who already know the process!
The days are well organised and demanding, ‘well filled’: personal and community prayer, listening to the Word, meditation, quiet time, an hour of yoga, two to three hours of walking, Eucharist and time to talk about group life and texts. In fact, the time saved by not being at the table to eat is replaced by another way of eating: it is the joy of ‘mulling over the word’ as a delicious dish and sharing it with those who have embarked on this adventure… Sometimes limiting the, albeit necessary, quiet time!
Yoga exercises and daily walks help keep the body toned, release energy and facilitate the elimination of toxins. Walking in the woods helps me get in touch with Nature and marvel at the beauty of Creation. Halfway there, a teaspoon of honey invigorates me, giving me the tasty flavour of the teamwork that bees know how to do so well, and sends me back to marvelling at God’s plan and all that He has created. And to the urgent need to work together for the care and protection of Creation.
Each day’s Bible readings are accompanied, in parallel, by excerpts from the text ‘To Mary, Letters’ written by Dominican Sister Anne Lécu. A great discovery! The female commentaries are of rare depth and beauty. Because of the lack of solid food, I feel more open to the Spirit. The words of the book of Jeremiah: ‘Take the book and eat it!’ come true!
During these days of prayer and fasting, I experienced a joy, a new energy that gives impetus to my daily life, and I experienced the surprise and witness of a group of lay people who are receptive and docile to the nourishing Word.
Sister Maria Rita S.
