Message from
Father Gregory J. Hickey

A Call Back to the Basics

One of the things that I hear often is that we have to get back to the basics.  People use this idea when they are talking about health that it is important to eat regularly, exercise, and check in with their doctor on a regular basis.  Children in school have to learn the basics of reading and math because everything else is built upon them.  We hear that road rage is becoming more rampant and if drivers would go back to the basics of obeying traffic laws and being courteous the road would be much safer. In the same way, the weekday and Sunday readings are calling us back to the basics that Jesus taught us in His public ministry while he was with us on earth.

          Jesus clearly tells us to love the Lord with our whole being and to love our neighbor as ourselves. These are the basics upon which we should live our life.  Everything else is built upon them.  When we break open the Word in the Sacred Scriptures, we find the way to live out the commandments of love.  When we meditate upon the Gospels, we listen to the voice of the Risen Lord teaching us. When we receive Jesus in the Holy Eucharist, we come face to face with Him and we become what we consume.

          From this foundation, we can live our lives and prepare for the next life.  Come to Malvern and in the silence of your heart, speak to Our Lord.  He will direct your thoughts and actions.  A solid faith life is built upon a solid foundation.  A retreat experience deepens that and I would like you to share in that experience.

          Malvern is beautiful in its many seasons but right now it is extraordinary because the flowers, shrubs, and trees are in full bloom.  The presence of the Lord surrounds us and He speaks to us in the silence of our own hearts.

Prosit!
Fr. Gregory J. Hickey, Rector
ghickey@malvernretreat.com