I am dedicating this week’s column to all of the people who make the Awakening Retreat happen, especially my roommate, Anjle Coleman, who all but forced me to attend. I’ll be the first to admit I had a few reservations about taking a bus out into the woods of Middle-of-Nowhere, Louisiana on a perfectly good Friday afternoon. Due to my severe allergies to almost all things found in the woods, I was naturally hesitant to experience the great outdoors with a bunch of people I didn’t know.
I had always been under the impression that the Awakening Retreat was supposed to be some sort of spiritual or religious awakening for diehard Christians, which I did not imagine would be my cup of tea. However, after pledging to keep an open mind and give Awakening a chance, I was pleasantly surprised by the unforgettable experience that I had on the retreat and now find myself feeling indebted to Anjle for not only signing me up for but paying my way to assure that I would have no excuse not to go.
For those of you who have not heard of Awakening, it is a retreat open to all Loyola students (and any other college students who would like to attend). The retreat lasts one weekend. A bus picks up retreaters from Loyola on Friday evening and brings them back to school on Sunday afternoon. Awakening is held once every semester and costs about $30, which covers the cost of food, lodging, miscellaneous camping supplies, transportation and various surprise gifts awarded to retreaters throughout the course of the weekend.
Because the Loyola Mission and Ministry organizes Awakening, there are, of course, noticeable Catholic themes throughout the retreat. Those who attend Awakening get to listen to several talks given by peers who have attended the retreat more than once. Many of these talks have Christian themes, such as faith, prayer and the Holy Spirit; however, not all of the students who give these talks are Christian or even remotely religious. Speakers typically seem to aim to present a message that anyone can learn from or relate to despite religious background or lack thereof.
Retreaters have the option of attending a moonlight Mass, which I was reluctant to partake in because I am not Catholic and am fairly sure that I had never before attended a Mass in my adult life. However, a friend assured me that I would enjoy the experience if only I gave it a chance, and he was correct. Because I was largely unfamiliar with typical Mass tradition, I spent this time focusing on gaining an appreciation for the sense of community, belonging and agape, which the entire retreat served to emphasize.
Though I do not personally affiliate myself with any type of organized religion at this point in my life, I can honestly say that I not only enjoyed but also gained insight from my experience at Awakening. I encourage everyone to attend at least one Awakening during your career at Loyola. If you haven’t yet, try it out. You may be pleasantly surprised.
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