I.D. Retreats are the specifically outdoor retreats that are offered through Into the Deep. Infusing outdoor adventures with Theology of the Body insight, I.D. Retreats bring the unique mission and vision of Into the Deep out to a setting we were made for.
Though Into the Deep also offers indoor events, bringing the Theology of the Body discussion outside has an impact that is hard to parallel. In our culture, beauty has been twisted and silence is all too rare. For many, there is a gap between the physical and spiritual realms – one is attended to while the other is brushed aside.
I.D. Retreats are about interior and exterior adventures. That means exercising our minds and hearts by asking and contemplating the big questions – but not leaving our bodies unchallenged on the sidelines. Into the Deep invites you to absorb Theology of the Body insights through an unrepeatable experience that will engage the whole you.
What is the benefit of spending time outside on a John Paul II-style retreat?
- Time away from electronics and the flurry of life allows us to listen to God and ponder who we are and why we’re here.
- Praying, hiking, paddling, and skiing through the original cathedral of the outdoors can be a catalyst for engaging, challenging, and integrating body and soul.
- Allowing conversations to unfold naturally around a fire and over the course of several days gives the heart and mind time to mull things over and go deeper.
- Pressing through discomfort, working together, and sharing space with a group can teach us to make a gift of ourselves and impress us with the unrepeatability of every person.
- Encountering the Lord of All Creation through Reconciliation, Mass, and Eucharistic Adoration opens us up to receive the gifts God offers throughout the week and beyond.
“Beauty is transcendent. It is our most immediate experience of the eternal. Think of what it’s like to behold a gorgeous sunset or the ocean at dawn. Remember the ending of a great story. We yearn to linger, to experience it all our days. Sometimes the beauty is so deep it pierces us with longing.
For what? For life as it was meant to be. Beauty reminds us of an Eden we have never known, but somehow know our hearts were created for. Beauty speaks of heaven to come, when all shall be beautiful. It haunts us with eternity. Beauty says, There is a glory calling to you. And if there is a glory, there is a source of glory. What great goodness could have possibly created this? Beauty draws us to God.”
– Staci & John Eldredge
“And God created man in His own image….male and female He created them.” Genesis 1:27
