“Come Aside by Yourselves to a Deserted Place and Rest a While.”
UPDATE ON OUR HERMITAGES
What is a hermitage? The dictionary definition is “any secluded
place of residence or habitation; retreat; hideaway.”
Anthony the Great is credited with being the first hermit monk,
who started the Desert Fathers movement around 270 AD. After
hearing a sermon stating that perfection could be achieved by
selling all of one’s possessions, giving the proceeds to the poor,
and following Christ, Anthony followed the advice and took the
further step of moving deep into the desert to seek complete
solitude. Over time the model of Anthony and other hermits
attracted many followers, who lived alone or in small groups.
They were eager to live their lives in accordance with this
separation and seclusion.
Early hermitage caves in Cappadocia, Turkey
(Image Copyrights Moyan Brenn)
Almost twenty years ago, in the fall of 1997, we completed the
construction of our two log cabin hermitages. Located within a
short walking distance of the main building the secluded, peaceful
setting has made these accommodations popular with those who
are making longer retreats, especially our thirty-day retreatants.
Each single-occupancy hermitage offers cozy living space that
includes bed and bath facilities, comfortable chair, writing desk,
mini-refrigerator, coffeemaker, microwave, (continued on page 3)
Hermitages at Sacred Heart Retreat House
(Photo courtesy Vince Hovley, S.J.)
Page 2
Reflections
A Good Question
1) In those days a decree
went out from Caesar
Augustus that the whole
world should be enrolled.
2) This was the first
enrollment, when Quirinius
was governor of Syria.
3) So all went to be enrolled, each to his
own town.
4) And Joseph too went up from Galilee
from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the
city of David that is called Bethlehem,
because he was of the house and family
of David,
5) to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed,
who was with child.
6) While they were there the time came for
her to have her child,
7) and she gave birth to her firstborn son.
She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and
laid him in a manger, because there was no
room for them in the inn.
8) Now there were shepherds in that region
living in the fields and keeping the night
watch over their flock.
9) The angel of the Lord appeared to them
and the glory of the Lord shone around them,
and they were struck with great fear.
10) The angel said to them, “Do not be
afraid; for I proclaim to you good news of
great joy that will be for all the people.
11) For today in the city of David a savior
has been born for you who is Messiah
and Lord.
12) And this shall be a sign for you: you will
find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes
and lying in a manger.”
13) And suddenly there was a multitude of
the heavenly host with the angel praising God
and saying,
14) “Glory to God in the highest, and on
earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
—Luke 2:1-14
by Fr. Vince Hovley, S.J.
Maybe because I had four years of Latin and two years of Greek
in high school I now have this fascination with word roots.
At any rate, two words really do deserve our attention. They may
contain one critical way to understand our basic outlook on life.
Those two words are symbolic and diabolic. The prefix sym
comes from the Greek word meaning together, thus symphony and sympathy.
The prefix dia means to divide or separate, thus diagram and diagnosis. The
suffix bolic comes from the Greek word ballein, meaning to throw. So,
symbols are those realities that throw things together. Think of a birthday
cake that throws us toward the celebrated person, the wedding ring that throws
spouses toward each other, and the flag that throws us toward our fellow
citizens. On the other hand the diabolic is that which throws things apart: the
devil (diabolus) being the great divider. I can’t help but think of “talk radio.”
So, why do I think these words are so important? I think they lie at the root of
how we choose to conceive of reality. Is it symbolic or diabolic? Is all of
reality symbolic? Is it throwing us toward something greater? In our tradition
the word sacrament is often used for the word symbol; Baptism, Matrimony,
and Eucharist are sacraments throwing us toward the sacred. Is all of reality a
sacrament, throwing us toward the sacred?
Or is reality diabolic? Is it endlessly dividing, speeding apart, only to end in
an isolation of scattered parts: decay, entropy?
A story might help here. Huston Smith was a great teacher of world religions;
so great that he taught world religions at the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology. He tells the story of bantering with his colleagues over lunch,
bantering about the relative worth of their courses and his. At one point one
of his friends said, “I get it! We count and you don’t!” It was a splendid double-meaning: the word count in the sense of numbering and measuring, and
the word count in the sense of worth and value. There really are two realms:
this world of things that can be numbered and measured, for example particles
and motion; and the world of worth and values, for example love and loyalty.
I tell this story because I think it has great relevance for all of us today. Do
we face a danger of being so fascinated by one dimension of reality that we
lose fascination for yet another dimension? Are we so fascinated by the world
of physics and technology that we lose our fascination with, or at least pay
less attention to, the world beyond physics, i.e. the world of metaphysics, for
example spirituality and religion?
So, here is my good question: do we choose to conceive of the world as
symbolic or diabolic, as a chapel—a door into the sacred—or a tomb?
Page 3
Update on Our Hermitages (continued from page 1)
gas fireplace, and a small private deck for enjoying
panoramic vistas and watching wildlife. There is
access to the amenities of the main building
including the chapel, lounge, and gardens. The
hermitages have no cooking facilities, so the
occupants join our other guests for silent meals in
the main dining room.
This spring we began planning a significant
renovation of the hermitages, and since August the
interiors have been updated with new carpet, light
fixtures, windows and window coverings, and
attractive rustic-style furnishings. The welcoming
ambience provides retreatants with a “home away
from home” as they step away from their daily lives for an extended experience of solitude, reflection, and prayer.
We expect the hermitage restoration process to continue into 2017; after the first of the year a company that specializes
in log structures will address maintenance issues concerning the log surfaces, and the scope of work will include the
repair, caulking, and sealing of the logs.
Water Pressure System — aka The Beast in the Basement
November 2016 marks the 57th year since Sacred Heart Jesuit Retreat House first opened its doors.
While we delight in the vintage charm and architectural beauty of the facility, we also must cope with
the constant physical and financial challenges of maintaining an aging infrastructure. During our
December 16-January 2 closure we will replace the pressure tank and overflow system that supplies
water to the entire building. The enormous water tanks, located in the basement, have developed
leaks and other mechanical issues, so replacement is necessary. The cost to complete this project is
huge—estimated at $55,000‒$65,000! The complicated change-out will involve shutting off all
retreat house water, disassembling and removing the tanks, and reconstructing the whole system.
New Staff Member
On October 3, 2016 we welcomed Stacey Baird to the staff of Sacred Heart. Stacey works in the business office and has
assumed the bookkeeping duties of the late Jesuit Brother Richard May who passed away in November 2014. Stacey, a
long-time resident of Colorado, holds a bachelor’s degree from the Denver campus of Regis University and a master’s
degree from St. Louis University in Missouri.
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What’s Cooking at Sacred Heart
1
Ingredients:
1 whole in-the-bag beef brisket (about 8 pounds)
2 (5-ounce) bottles Liquid Smoke marinade
2 (12-ounce) bottles Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon lemon pepper
1 (12-16 ounce) bottle smoke-flavored barbecue sauce
Directions:
Trim brisket if desired, leaving a generous layer of fat in place. Pierce both sides
of brisket all over and place fat side up in a roasting pan large enough for meat to
lay flat. Pour Liquid Smoke and Worcestershire sauce over the meat. Sprinkle
evenly with onion powder, garlic powder, and lemon pepper. Cover tightly with foil
and refrigerate overnight.
Bake brisket tightly closed at 250°F for 8 hours, or until fork tender. Pour off most
of liquid around brisket, leaving some juices in pan to keep meat moist. Spread
enough barbecue sauce over the meat to make a thin layer. Bake uncovered 30
more minutes. Remove from oven and let brisket rest for 10 minutes. Slice across
the grain in thin slices. Serves 8-10. Leftover brisket may be tightly wrapped and
frozen (best if unsliced). Reheat at 250° in foil-covered baking pan.
Sacred Heart Jesuit Retreat House
Reflections
Editors:
Ed Kinerk, S.J. & Katie Miller
Design, Layout & Production:
Katie Miller
Photographs:
Vince Hovley, S.J. & Katie Miller
Printing:
Columbine Printing, Castle Rock, CO
© 2016 Sacred Heart Jesuit Retreat House