I had the chance to get away for a retreat this weekend, and ended up at
Loyola on the Potomac, a retreat house I had heard about for years but never visited.
The theme of the retreat was Rivers of Living Water, which was perfectly suited for the location of this center, which is in Southern Maryland and sits above the Potomac River. What a peaceful place!
I’ll be writing more about my retreat experiences over the next couple of weeks, but for today I wanted to share a simple reflection with you that was given to us on our first evening.
One of the key themes of Ignatian Spirituality is Finding God In All Things. I hope you like this little story which speaks to this theme in a lighthearted way.
As he swam through the waters of the great sea, a younger fish came up to one who was older and he asked him, “You are older and more experienced than I, can you tell me where to find this thing they call the ocean?” “ The ocean,” said the older fish, “is the thing you are swimming in now.” “Oh this? But this is only water. What I’m seeking is the ocean,” the younger fish said in reply; and then disappointed, swam away to search elsewhere. Stop searching, little fish. There isn’t anything to look for. All you have to do is look. Anthony de Mello
