Respect the silence
One of the greatest myths that has been perpetuated about a retreat at Manresa is that it is difficult to remain silent throughout the retreat. Au contraire, mon amie, silence is one of the surprising pleasures and treasures of the retreat.
Silence is just one of the many tools that allow Manresa retreatants to gain a parabolic focus on their relationship with Christ during the retreat. Except when praying together as a group or privately conferring with the priests, retreatants are expected to remain silent throughout the retreat. When you are talking to Christ, and - more importantly - listening to Christ, anything else is an interruption. There is no need to greet other retreatants when you see each other. There is no need to say good morning, goodbye or goodnight. There is no need to tell the next guy about something interesting you saw or read or realized. Save it for after the retreat, when you will have a lifetime of opportunity to share and live what you have learned on retreat. Even at the dinner table, silence is golden. Rather than conversing among diners, many men extend their prayerful conversation with God and reflection upon His word throughout meal time. First-time retreatants quickly learn by example that once the retreat begins, a simple gesture - such as pointing to something on the other end of the dinner table- will result in getting what you request every time. As one active retreatant reflected shortly after his first retreat last year, "You're so busy talking with God, you don't even realize you're not talking to the other men." 