Faith in Numbers

I could hear the hum of excited voices gathered around our carefully arranged tables. Our team had prepared for approximately fifteen women attendees. Happily, we had underestimated their desire for this rare change in routine—a full day retreat of prayer and conversation with the God who loves them. In the midst of the initial chaos, we quickly added a fourth table in order to accommodate the number of eager attendees streaming through the heavy iron doors led by security guards. The stark location of the retreat didn’t dissuade the joyful atmosphere among volunteers and participants. We had come to know these courageous women well over months of weekly prayer meetings inside the jail. We were all excited to see what the Holy Spirit had planned for us.

Our theme for this late spring gathering was based on a familiar scripture from the prophet Isaiah “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10) Retreat planning began during the cold winter months when snow lay deeply on the ground. In prayer, our volunteer team felt God asking us to offer His comfort, reassurance, and strength to women in the midst of difficult and uncertain times. Through powerful witness speakers, Holy Mass, Adoration and Reconciliation, the attendees opened their hearts to Jesus, the author of the entire program. Jesus wanted them to know that their incarceration and past mistakes do not define who they are in the eyes of God. Their human dignity is a God-given, intrinsic right as Pope Leo XIV reminds us. God desires only their heart. Once He has received that, their future life is filled with endless possibilities and redemption.

Sometimes I think that those of us living outside of jail cells must be reminded to give our hearts to Jesus regularly. We go through life on autopilot, jumping from one “task” to another trying to check off the box of things to get done. But I wonder if we stop long enough to think about aligning our hearts and minds with the One who loves us enough to make the busy days manageable and the difficult ones an opportunity to deepen our relationship with Him. Taking time out for a retreat is not only for those behind bars, facing tough life situations. It is also for you and for me who also face difficulties in the midst of our daily life. The seventeen women inside the jail who courageously showed up for our retreat reminded me of that. Maybe be can’t go away for a day or two, but we can take a few minutes each day to connect with God through reading His Word and/or attending Mass. When we do this, we are able to hear the same voice of the Holy Spirit who spoke clearly and boldly to the women at the retreat inside the jail on a sunny spring day, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)