WHITE HOUSE JESUIT RETREAT

St. Louis, MO 63129

1-800-643-1003

Jesuit retreat center high on the bluffs of the Mississippi River in St. Louis, MO.  Since 1922, thousands of people from around the world make annual three-day silent, guided retreats here to relax, reconnect with God and strengthen their spirituality.  A true gem in the Midwest!  Call 314-416-6400 or 1-800-643-1003.  Email reservations@whretreat.org  7400 Christopher Rd.  St. Louis, MO 63129

Both men's and women's retreats are offered as well as recovery retreats.

Take Spirituality to the Next Level!

Weekend Reflections for 10/5/18

October 04, 2018  /  Joe Parisi

Sunday’s bible readings are quite challenging. The Pharisees are challenging Jesus once again, this time about marriage and divorce. They probably aren’t really that interested in the specifics, but are trying once again to trap Jesus, which they eventually did in the sense that they were very much involved in what happened in the first holy week. 

So what about our own attitudes toward Jesus, marriage, and family life? Might there be something of the Pharisee in each one of us, when what God is calling us to is to be ministers of reconciliation in any way possible? Seeking reconciliation with God, with other human beings (maybe even Pharisees!) and with the beauty of God’s creation is celebrated in the first reading from Genesis.

Especially through the gift of the Spiritual Exercises we experience at White House, we can once again can ask “What about us? What about our relationships?” How are we called here and now to growth in relationships, and also to reject our temptations to be judgmental Pharisees?  Retreats such as those we offer at White House provide opportunities for growth in the kind of reconciliation only God can accomplish, through growth in quiet, non-reactive listening, faith-filled communication, and yes, the reconciling forgiveness essential for living out relationships through the grace of God. 

-Fr. Ted Arroyo, SJ