Diocesan Advent retreat

Intermountain Catholic

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Dominican Father Dominic Briese leads the Advent retreat in Draper. IC photo/Christine Young

SALT LAKE CITY — The annual diocesan Advent Day of Prayer and Reflection held at Saint John the Baptist Catholic Church Dec. 7 was offered to both the English and Spanish-speaking communities and was hosted by the Diocese of Salt Lake City’s Office of Liturgy and Office of Hispanic Ministries.

The day began with prayer led by the Most Rev. John C. Wester, Bishop of Salt Lake City.

Dominican Father Dominic Briese, chaplain and teacher at Judge Memorial Catholic High School, addressed about 120 English-speaking participants and Father José Barrera, parochial vicar of the Cathedral of the Madeleine, led the retreat in Spanish.

More than 200 people attended the Spanish-language retreat, which had the same theme as the English retreat: "Make Time and Space for God." Bishop Wester spoke briefly at the Spanish retreat.

"The Holy Spirit has talked through Father José," Bishop Wester said. "This is a great opportunity to reflect about Advent and how very necessary it is for us to stop and have silence in our lives. … Silence is an attitude of my mind, of my being."

To begin his talk, Fr. Dominic exposed the Blessed Sacrament on the altar, elevating the Lord before the participants as a metaphor to climb to the mountain of the Lord.

The first Sunday of Advent symbolizes hope; the second peace, and the third, joy. The fourth is a time to purify the conscience, Fr. Briese said.

"Advent is about how precious those four weeks really are to consume the Word of God," Fr. Briese said. "Are you spending time in prayer? If we climb spiritually to the one who will instruct us and have a right relationship with God, he will make the road straight."

Fr. Briese cautioned against allowing anything such as wealth, honor or power to take precedence over God, "because conflict will eventually come and destroy us all," he said.

The participants spent 15 minutes praying before the Blessed Sacrament for ways in which they could change to hear the Lord’s instructions for their lives.

"The first gift of Advent is sitting with God," Fr. Briese said. "He is the infinite gift that keeps on giving ... We may feel flattened into exile in the cold of the winter, depressed, but a shoot will sprout and bring us hope. God is interested in us, although some of us have sinned and may not be the most fertile ground. When we think our days are done, God continues to call us. Advent and Christmas are hard work, but if we make a few minor changes in the next two weeks, it will ease the hard work and we will be able to see the light of Christ."

During Advent, sadness gives way to joy; there is always time for repentance and purification, he said.

"It’s important to be joyful; we’re not in the kingdom of God yet, but we’ve made a lot of progress up to the mountain of the Lord."

The Book of Isaiah indicates that the desert will bloom, Fr. Briese said. "It was in the desert that God formed the covenants with his people – the Ten Commandments. We come to Mass and see the strength of the Lord in the Eucharist that feeds us, the Word of God that strengthens us and the community that celebrates with us and comforts us."

That is why in Advent Catholics are called on to slow down, to enjoy the simple things in life, Fr. Briese said. "It is with that simple joy that we go out and share."

Veola Burchette and her husband, Ken, have attended the diocesan Advent retreats since they began.

"They help us get the Advent season off to a great start," said Veola Burchette. "I don’t find myself getting rushed with all that I have to get done; they help to make it more of a peaceful time."

Diana and Tony Hannebrink also enjoyed the retreat and the reminder to spend time with God, said Diana Hannebrink.

"Tony particularly liked how Fr. Dominic wove in the readings from Isaiah, and I liked the reminder to make quiet time for myself," she said. "I learned that I need to listen more to God."