By Viktoriia Havaleshko
Retreats strengthen community life while also offering space to be alone with oneself and with God. When we step away from the familiar rhythms of daily life, it becomes easier to notice the movements of the heart and to recognize God’s concrete action in our lives.
From February 20 to 22, The Lay Centre community gathered at a retreat house in Monte Compatri, on the outskirts of Rome, for a time of spiritual renewal at the very beginning of Lent. The invitation was to enter this season—often called a “springtime of the soul”—through prayer and deeper reflection.
Together with our spiritual guide, Fr. Daniel Huang, S.J., we reflected on the theme “Remain in my love” (John 15:9–10), turning our gaze once again toward Christ.
Attention: The Most Precious Resource of our Time
These reflections also touched our everyday way of living. Modern humanity, experiencing a crisis of its most precious resource, attention, loses the capacity to be present here and now. Endless notifications, text messages, and an overload of information steal not only time, but also peace, concentration, and our sensitivity to ourselves and to the world around us.
Interaction on social media often fosters division and polarization, as we too easily label as enemies those who think differently. Meanwhile, our attention is monetized; information about our preferences, dreams, and personal traits is collected and used.
Among other concerns, Fr. Daniel warned about the growth of so-called FOMO – the “fear of missing out.” Today, many experience a subtle devaluation of their own lives due to a perceived lack of achievements, projects, or visible involvement that others display online.
We rarely have time to examine the truth of what we see, yet we readily believe in idealized images of unreal lives – images that shape our self-esteem and our sense of worth.
He reminded us that social media does not foster deep encounter or authentic emotional connection. Only our ordinary, daily life allows contemplation to grow; a “long, loving gaze upon reality.”
Vocation as the Meeting Point of our Joy and the World’s Need
The final day of the retreat was dedicated to a deeper reflection on vocation. Fr. Daniel highlighted two essential dimensions of fulfillment in life: to love (which relationships we place at the center of our lives) and to work (how we use our talents and gifts to enrich and transform the macro- and micro-worlds entrusted to us).
Vocation, he said, is the place where our deepest joy meets the world’s need.
The path of discernment unfolds through many stages, obstacles, and subtle interior movements, shaped both by our own hearts and by the pressures of the world. He spoke about safeguarding ourselves from others’ expectations, following the choices of the heart, cultivating patience with ourselves, and learning to recognize God’s voice amid the noise of modern life.
At the end of the retreat, we concluded by exchanging small gifts among community members. As Fr. Huang noted, a gift is a meaningful token of a relationship, because it carries the presence of the one who gives it.
Reflecting on our lives online and their impact on our real lives gently moved us to set our phones aside and look inward. In listening to God’s Word and meditating on Christ’s sacrifice for each of us during the Stations of the Cross, we rediscovered the silence of the surrounding nature and the beauty of the inner world.
Without the armor of modern expectations, yet with a renewed sense of unconditional worth.
These few days reminded us that true fullness is not found in constant motion or achievement, but in the ability to remain – in love, in trust, and in God’s presence.
