Catholic Quarantine: What to Do When You Didn’t Sign up for an At-Home Silent Retreat

There’s a lot going on right now.

There’s a lot of questions, thoughts, emotions, and anxieties in the world right now. For us, one of the big questions is: “WHEN CAN WE GO BACK TO CHURCH????” 

With the biggest Church feast—Easter season—right around the corner, the absence of Mass, Confession, and the companionship of our church family feels sharper than ever. What do we do when we’re not being fed by the Eucharist? Succumb to the isolation and solitude thrust upon us thinking: wow, God really wants me to be in a silent retreat right now? 

While getting comfortable with silence and a slower pace has many benefits, silence and isolation forced on you without a set limit can wreak havoc on our mental health and spiritual life.

Fortunately for us, there’s a TON of options for continuing to participate in our Faith and yes, even the Sacraments, right now. The list below has been super helpful for me, and it is just the tip of the iceberg: 

Mass options: 

• Catholictv.org:  Catholic TV.org has multiple recorded and live Mass options in Spanish and English.  You can watch via many different options including cable and satellite, watch live online, stream through Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Samsung Smart TV, and watch on Apple or Android. Visit their Ways to Watch Catholictv.org page to choose what’s right for you!

• Bishop Barron’s Website Word on Fire has Mass videos every day, as well as recorded homilies on a variety of topics, a blog, and more!

• Even when you can’t receive the physical Eucharist, you can pray the Act of Spiritual Communion prayer from anywhere to spiritually unite yourself to Jesus. 

• EWTN Website has Mass readings, the Bible, devotions, about the saints, and a whole series about the teachings of the church.  As well as a variety of TV and radio shows and articles to explore. 

• Daily Mass readings are available from USCCB or delivered to your inbox daily. For the ladies, you can sign up for email delivery of the readings plus a short reflection from Blessed is She. 

Confession options: 

• Many priests at parishes throughout the world are offering drive-thru Confessions. Call your parish and see if they're offering it!

• Make a confession to the Lord in your own prayer, trusting that He hears you and forgives you. Finish with an Act of Contrition just like you would in the confessional. You can promise Him that you’ll get to the Sacrament of Confession as soon as possible. Jesus understands. Unite this struggle to those who never have the privilege of having access to the sacraments.

Bible Study options: 

• The St. Paul Center has INCREDIBLE video, audio, and paper/book Bible study options, including Genesis to Jesus and The Bible and the Church Fathers. You don’t want to skip these. Do yourself a favor and explore the whole site. 

• Blessed is She virtual Bible study on Instagram [#BISvbs] and YouTube—currently studying the book of Luke. Focused on Catholic Ladies, but open to others.

• PrayMoreNovenas Lenten Retreat: Pray More Lenten Retreat 2020—Videos from a variety of speakers with reflection questions for yourself or a group (and some book ideas!)

• Pray More Novenas 5 Week Healing Retreat—Videos from a variety of speakers with reflection questions for yourself or a group as well as book ideas.

• Amazon has a bunch of Catholic Bible studies and if you buy kindle or used, you can get a screaming good deal. Otherwise, simply Google Catholic Bible Studies and find one for your own tastes.

• Just open your Bible and go! Sometimes, we forget that the Bible on our shelf is God’s Word that is always waiting for us. So choose a book and let Him speak directly to you!

Youth group/Small group options: 

• Create a Facetime, Skype, Google Hangouts, Instagram Live, Zoom, or WhatsApp video group and set a time to meet weekly (or whenever works for you!). It’s so much better to have the “feel” of human connection when you can see people’s faces. You can pray a novena together, do one of the Bible studies you found, or just have some faithful companionship :) .

• Join a Catholic Instagram or Facebook page. Blessed is She, Ascension Presents, Word on Fire, and many of the pages linked above have Facebook and Instagram groups to be part of a Catholic community. 

• Join a CatholicMatch Forum! (Hey, you’re right here anyway ;) ). You can discuss all the topics on the CatholicMatch blog.

• Group text threads are perfect for families, friends, coworkers, neighbors, or church family. These are great because people can chat and respond whenever works for them, and everyone doesn’t have to be in front of their screens at a scheduled time. Make it extra fun by sharing pictures and videos of yourselves! My family has been sharing homemade (and incredibly ridiculous) “music videos” of ourselves on our group Whatsapp, and it’s the best. 

Other links to explore for your faith, Catholic community, and life! 

Movie and TV options for Lent and Easter

Stations of the Cross with Bishop Barron on YouTube

Scriptural Stations of the Cross

Links for Catholic Websites for Women AND Men

Best Catholic Podcasts for Women

The Catholic Gentleman website, ThoseCatholicMen website, Beholdtheman on Instagram all have encouragement, articles, books, podcasts and more for the Catholic man. 

One last freebie tip for y’all...

Whatever you choose to do, please make it a routine. Routine is comforting, and routine prayer, scriptures, and connection with community calms anxieties and helps us train our minds to the truth that the Lord is always accessible and His grace is with us wherever we are. 

For example, I love to start my day with the Mass readings, as they provide a routine following the structure of the Church’s routine. And my husband and I like to pray an evening rosary. It brings us together as a couple and helps settle us after busy days. Do what works for you. 

Enjoy the links! See you at Mass :) .