Dear Friends of WCCM,
from the 29th of July to the 3rd of August, around twenty young adults from different cultural and spiritual backgrounds gathered at the Bonnevaux Centre for Peace for several days of retreat. Thanks to a scholarship offered by the Italian Community, I too was able to take part and live through an experience both rich and profound: times of deep meditation and silence, immersion in nature through activities such as forest bathing, Lectio Divina inspired by the contemplation of creation, yoga and mindful breathing, sharing circles and one-to-one spiritual accompaniment. All of this unfolded in the enchanting setting of Bonnevaux Abbey, surrounded by the green quiet of the French countryside and resonant with spiritual energy.
The theme that guided the retreat was: “Caring for oneself, for others and for us.” In an age shaped by competition and individualism, we took a few days to reflect together on the deeper meaning of care: for ourselves, for others and for the world we inhabit. Meditation, understood as a way of attuning to the flow of God’s love, was the thread running through the whole experience, helping us rediscover care as a way of being, of relating and of living.
Caring for oneself: beyond surface wellbeing
Thanks especially to the reflections of Tayna Malaspina, we explored what it truly means to care for oneself. In a society that offers quick and superficial solutions—products, apps, techniques—the difference between that consumerist approach and genuine self-care became very clear.
True care is not something to be bought, but an ongoing process of conscious choices, in tune with our deepest values. As Father Patricio Lynch reminded us, to care for oneself is to welcome our vulnerability not as weakness, but as a doorway into our most authentic humanity.
When we choose sustainable rhythms and practices that nourish our lives, we not only improve our own wellbeing but also offer an alternative model within a culture that normalizes stress and burnout. Authentic self-care thus becomes a gentle act of resistance, capable of inspiring collective change towards a more humane society.
Caring for others: from self-discovery to building community
The theme of caring for others, explored above all thanks to the contribution of Father Laurence Freeman, led us to a fundamental awareness: we cannot truly care for others unless we first recognize ourselves as loved and learn to welcome who we are. Care for others arises from an authentic acceptance of self, not as narcissism, but as a compassionate discovery of our deepest identity.
Meditation revealed itself as a special path for this inner journey. To meditate is to encounter oneself in a new way, freeing oneself from self-fixation—that obsessive tendency to concentrate on ourselves which, paradoxically, prevents us from truly seeing who we are. Through meditative practice, our way of looking at ourselves and others is transformed, opening the way to authentic relationships and genuine community.
Terry Doyle offered another perspective: to live meditation as a gradual emptying into silence, becoming channels through which love and compassion may flow. It is not about perfecting ourselves, but about making space so that love can reach others through us.
Caring for the world: ecological conversion as a spiritual calling
The third aspect of care concerned the world we inhabit, our common home. Members of the Laudato Si’ Movement guided us in reflecting on how meditation and spiritual life are deeply connected with care for creation. Ecology, in this sense, is not an addition to faith but a way of recognizing that love for God and love for creation are inseparable.
The “ecological conversion” proposed by the Movement goes beyond a simple change of habits: it is an authentic spiritual journey that integrates contemplation with concrete action. It begins with the recognition that the ecological crisis is also a spiritual crisis: our disconnection from nature reflects a deeper separation from ourselves and from the sacred. Just as meditation teaches us to make space in silence to welcome divine love, so ecological conversion invites us to create space in our lives, choosing simplicity and solidarity over unsustainable patterns of consumption.
At Bonnevaux, we experienced how care for oneself, for others, and for creation are interwoven aspects of the same inner transformation, taking shape in a contemplative life lived in an integrated way. Returning home, I do not bring back new techniques or methods, but a deeper awareness: that meditation is not an escape from the world but a way of inhabiting reality with greater presence and authenticity.
Grateful for the opportunity to have taken part in the retreat, I share this awareness with the Italian Community, in the hope that it may strengthen in all of us the trust in meditation as a path of transformation and communion.
In peace and gratitude,
Mariangela Lopopolo
This article was translated by Mariangela, you can find the original article on the WCCM Italia website here.
