Stop, look and listen
| (Above) The front gable of St. Mary's Hall at Manresa | |||
| (Above) A step stool placed below the window invites your use. | |||
| (Above) The serenity of the lawn and the comfortable Adirondack chairs spaced out along its perimeter | |||
| (Above) The broad expanse of the finely manicured front lawn, the two old "porter lodges," and beyond to the Mississippi | |||
| (Above) Appreciate the cloud formations without many of the usual visual obstructions | |||
From a triangular window high up in the front gable of St. Mary's Hall at Manresa (top photo), retreatants have an opportunity to get a bird's-eye view of the front lawn, its sprawling trees, and beyond to the river.
As you exit the stairs or the elevator on the third floor, cross the wood floor in the center hall, toward the front of the building. A step stool placed below the window (top right photo) invites your use. As you reach the top of the stool, you first notice the broad expanse of the finely manicured front lawn and the two old "porter lodges" (bottom right photo). Look a bit further for Manresa's front gates, and then gaze just across River Road for the living tunnel formed by the intertwined branches of the Oaks of the Sacred Heart. Look further yet to see the protective rise of the levee, and off to the right in the distance, there is a glimpse of the largest river in America. Spend a few minutes quietly observing the oaks and several species of soaring birds rising above the serenity of the lawn and the comfortable Adirondack chairs spaced out along its perimeter (top left photo). Appreciate the cloud formations without many of the usual visual obstructions (lower left photo). Savor the landscape and linger a moment atop the stool as you listen through the silence for what God has to say to you. Then, and always, give thanks to God for all He has created. 