“Were not our hearts burning within us when He spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?” Luke 24:32

The artists and poets of our day SO often tell us that we should “listen to our hearts.” Most every Taylor Swift song seems to do say exactly this- but look how often it leads to heartache. Often the assumption is: “Listen to your heart…and do what ever it tells you.” In the Avett Brother’s song: “Pretty Girl from San Diego” they sing: “People, people, people, they make it sound so easy. They say, “Just do what your heart tells you to.” But sometimes you cannot feel it. Sometimes you cannot hear it. Sometimes it won’t talk back to you. Oh no no!”

Hearts on Fire, our fall retreat, December 5th-6th, will teach us tested and biblical methods for learning to listen to our hearts- and learn which voices in our hearts should be listened to AND which voices in our hearts should be ignored. That is an important distinction. Here are a list of our topics for Friday and Saturday:

1. Hearts on Fire: Principle and Foundation Our hearts can only truly be filled with a treasure that is real and true. The Spiritual Exercises help lead our hearts more and more to the Heart of Jesus.
2.  Sin: A Distortion of the Heart’s Desires Sin is an offense against reason, truth, and right conscience that separates us from God and neighbor. Knowing our sins clearly helps us to move into the deep with Jesus.
3. A Heart on the Move: In the service of Christ our King Jesus Christ is the Savior of our souls who invites us to a life of fellowship with Him, becoming co-workers in His own mission. How do we hear and answer?
4. Ignatian Contemplation: Prayer from the Heart Putting our imagination at the service of the Gospel and of prayer.
5. Discernment of Spirits: Paying attention to the movements of the heart. Learning how to be aware of, understand, and act upon the movements we observe in quiet and in prayer. 
6. Sustaining Hearts on Fire Daily spiritual exercises, such as the “examen” allow us to stoke and tend the fire of our heart so that the life of Christ may continue to increase within us.

Sign up anytime before Friday or just show up at the door of St. Thomas More at 6:30pm on Friday, December 5th. There is no greater way to live as a Christian, than with your heart on fire with the love of Jesus.

A commenter asks about Broom Tree for those near SD. It is a recent effort by the Catholic Diocese of Sioux Falls since 2005. The director is Father James Mason and he is a holy priest with a gift of preaching and direction. The highlight of their offerings are the Mens and Women’s silent retreats offered according to the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. No antler prancing here.

They are also available for outside groups to come in, though with discernment on the directors part- i.e., no freaks!

It is in a beautiful part of SD, glacial hills all around, deep quiet, and they have done a great job to bring in beautiful art work.