Programme
The week, day by day
The week is built as a path: from tiredness to repentance and the Liturgy. Each day rests on one Gospel reading, and the prayer grows from ten minutes on Monday to more than an hour by Friday.
“Come to me, all you who labour” — Matthew 11:28–30
Arrival and settling in: you book your own accommodation, and the airport transfer is available on request for €35. Phones go into the shared box. An opening talk: what the silence of this week is, and what the Jesus Prayer is.
Prayer. 10 minutes in the evening — a first acquaintance with the prayer.
For the journal. What have I brought with me that I want to leave here?
“Martha, Martha, you are anxious about many things” — Luke 10:38–42
A day for the body: a later start, sleep, simple food. An easy trail of about two hours — the Queimadas forest park or the Balcões levada. Swimming.
Prayer. Attention to the words: unhurried, inwardly, in the rhythm of your steps. About 40 minutes across the day.
For the journal. What gets my attention by default in an ordinary week, and what always gets postponed?
“Whose will they be?” — Luke 12:16–21
A 3–4 hour trail through the laurel forest: Levada do Rei or 25 Fontes. We walk single file in silence; at the spring, prayer sitting down.
Prayer. Distraction: the mind runs off — bring it back without irritation. About an hour.
For the journal. What am I really enlarging my barns for?
“Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid” — Matthew 14:22–33
A day at sea: out by boat to the whales and dolphins, 2–3 hours in silence (the catamaran is paid separately). Near the animals we cut the engine. Rest and personal conversations in the afternoon; a mountain sauna and a talk in the evening.
Prayer. Thoughts and anxiety: do not argue with them, return to the Name. About an hour and ten minutes.
For the journal. Which of my own “winds” do I see more clearly than I see Christ?
“Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies” — John 12:24; Luke 18:13
Leaving before dawn: sunrise at Pico do Arieiro or, if it is cloudy, the fog of Fanal. The central point of prayer in the week. Rest in the afternoon; in the evening, teaching on preparing for confession.
Prayer. 45–60 minutes at sunrise. The words “have mercy on me, a sinner” begin to sound personal.
For the journal. If my life were a grain, what should it grow into?
“God, be merciful to me, a sinner” — Luke 18:9–14
Confession, personal spiritual conversations, silence. The all-night vigil in the chapel. A short talk on the Liturgy and on preparing for Communion.
Prayer. Prayer before confession. A ministry — outside the price of the week.
For the journal. What have I already received this week?
“They recognised him in the breaking of the bread” — Luke 24:13–35
The Divine Liturgy and a festive meal at a good restaurant (paid separately). A closing conversation about carrying the silence into Monday. Departure.
Prayer. We write your personal rule for 40 days and give you a prayer rope.
For the journal. What am I going back with?
