 Ruah
Center at Villa de Matel is a ministry of the Sisters
of Charity of the Incarnate Word. It is a place of silence,
beauty, healing and hope, and is open to all who are
seeking God.
Ruah cannot be translated by any
single English word. It is a Hebrew word that sometimes
indicates breath of life force, wind, the movement of
air, or spirit. In Hebrew scripture “ruah
elohim” is the creative wind of the Lord. We use
circular shapes as symbols for Ruah. The circle was an
ancient Christian symbol for God, community and the universe.
Our circles are in motion, suggestive of T.S. Eliot's “still
point in a turning world,” the silent center being
God and the circular motion being our turning around
and focusing on our creative center. In the east, the
circle is a symbol of enlightenment.
Individuals who seek a few
hours of prayer, a day of prayer, or a longer period
of retreat are welcome. We encourage retreatants to meet
with a spiritual director, especially if they do not
have a regular director of their own. Groups who intend
to give significant time to silent seeking and later
sharing out of the silence are also welcome. We host
many types of groups—Bible
study groups, parish staffs, prayer/meditation groups,
women's and men's groups,etc. Each member of a group
will be expected to enter into solitude at intervals
throughout the time at Ruah Center. Overnight facilities
are available for both individuals and groups.
Throughout the calendar year we offer longer
retreats for religious and others who are able to take
time off to do so. Six-day preached retreats feature
a daily group conference; eight-day directed retreats
allow persons to visit daily with a spiritual director.
We sometimes modify these retreats as to length, and
optional prayer opportunities such as art journaling,
Tai Chi or yoga are offered. Daily Eucharist is celebrated
at all of them.
GO
TO TOP
Regularly from Friday evening
to Saturday evening, we host a Centering Prayer Weekend.
Times of centering as a group are interspersed with free
time in solitude, short conferences with directors and
optional Eucharist.
Call early to make your reservations!
Ruah will offer Taizé several times a year in the Villa Chapel. The services begin at
7:30 on Friday evening, and are open to the public.
Visit our calendar for specific dates
Ruah Center sets no fee for our ministry. We
ask that you apply 2 Corinthians 9:7, and give what you
can.
“Each of you
must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly
or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”
GO
TO TOP
“I would fly from
anywhere for the prayerful silence you have created,
nurtured and sustained in this place. Thank you for… space
to enter deeply into the heart of Jesus.”
“We thank God for allowing
us to be in His care and yours.”
“It is the place I am most a child…all
rooms were alive with God's “magic.”
“The facility is everything
one needs to renew a relationship with God.”
“Coming here is like stepping into another world—God's
world!”
“Immediately when I entered
this center I felt a peace and a freedom. I have never
experienced such a beautiful day of quietly resting
in the Lord.”
“I came in beyond bedraggled
and left in peace and hope. Not bad for a 2 night stay!
God is good and he works wonders at Ruah.”
“This is an amazing place where
you can really feel God's love and presence all around.
I am very teary-eyed to leave because I have felt so
close to my Father. I have been a child sitting at
my Father's feet, laughing, crying and learning.”
“I am leaving with a deeper sense of who God is
and how He sees me. Thank you—you have blessed
me with an eternal treasure!”
“Blessed are those who wait
for Him, and blessed are those who provide a place
to wait.”
|
