Jesus, poor and humble Messiah
A retreat around Pope Leo's apostolic exhortation
Jesus, poor and humble Messiah
Reserve my spot
Come and discover the joy of the Benedictine sisters of La Rochette
- Pope Leo's exhortation Dilexi te emphasizes the close connection that exists between the love of Christ and his call for us to be close to the poor. The centrality of love for the poor is, in fact, at the very heart of the Gospel: "affection for the Lord is united with affection for the poor." (n° 5) Love for the poor is not an "optional path," but represents "the criterion of true worship."
- By virtue of this connection, each baptized person is called to commit concretely to defending and promoting the weakest: "It is therefore incumbent upon all members of the People of God to make their voices heard, even in different ways, a voice that awakens, that denounces, that even risks being seen as 'fools'." (n° 97)
- In his exhortation, Pope Leo invites us to contemplate the poverty and precariousness of Jesus, a sign of his bond with his Father (cf n° 20). Jesus's entire life reveals to us a poor Messiah, he presents himself to us as the Messiah of the poor and for the poor.
- Jesus's existence, first and foremost his birth in poverty, is what we will contemplate particularly during this retreat. Thus our hearts will be converted so that we may draw closer to the poor and recognize in them the face of Christ. Closeness to those who have neither power nor greatness is a fundamental way of recognizing God's presence in our history.
Two other offerings will be made in 2026 to continue the meditation on Dilexi te:
- March 7, 2026: Converting our almsgiving toward the poor
- April 18-19, 2026: Welcoming the poor as Christ.
Each day is structured around communal prayer with the Benedictines.
- The day begins with a brief teaching related to the retreat theme.
- In the morning and late afternoon, a biblical text, introduced with some guidance, is offered for personal meditation, followed by personal time in silence.
- In the early afternoon there is a time of sharing based on the reading of Dilexi te, focusing on implementation in the concrete aspects of our lives.
On December 31, an evening prayer vigil is offered, open to all, with the celebration of the Eucharist at 11:30 PM to entrust the new year to the Lord.
The retreat begins on Sunday, December 28 at 6:00 PM, but it is possible to arrive at this retreat whenever you can, on Monday or Tuesday.
A specific time with each retreatant arriving during the retreat is planned to arrange the beginning of their retreat.
The retreat ends on Thursday, January 1 at 2:00 PM.
- Each retreatant has an individual room.
- The evening meal is in silence.
- There is also the possibility of taking the midday meal in silence.
- Those who have a Bible may bring it. But there are some on site.
Suggested offering at the end of the retreat
Accommodation: €192 for the entire retreat, adjustable to each person's means Animation: €50