As  followers of Jesus Christ, we are all called to the vocation of love:  love of God and love of others, that most challenging command.  Yet real  love cannot exist without interior freedom, which is best achieved by  understanding more deeply how we are made; that is, what belongs to the  "self" which God has lovingly gifted to each of us, and which He asks us  lovingly to give to others.

This  one day retreat is designed to help the participants learn some useful  psychological principles which are applicable to our greatest life  challenge: growing in our capacity to receive love, and love others more  effectively.  Reflection questions and further resources will be  provided so that each participant can apply these principles to their  own individual situations.

Some key questions will be posed and addressed during the day:

● How  does my mind work to make sense of my life experiences?  How does God  enter the "story" of my life in order to change the narrative I live  by?  How can I understand the role that feelings ought to play in my  life?

● What  is meant by "boundaries"?  What's my responsibility and what's not, and  why is this so often confusing?  Can I learn to say "no" lovingly to  guilt and manipulation?  Conversely, can I say "yes" to being a servant,  but not a "doormat"?

● What is true forgiveness and what isn't it?  How and why is forgiveness absolutely crucial for my happiness?

● How is gratitude the key to emotional and spiritual well-being?

● How do I begin to train my thought-life to align with the Good News of Jesus?

Your  presenter is Christine Rubinstein, a retired Christian psychotherapist  and convert to the Catholic Church.  She has much experience leading  applied Bible studies and retreats here at LaSalette and elsewhere.  She  regularly posts short reflections about the spiritual journey on her  blog site: www.lessonsfromloveschool.com