We begin the new school year with a lesson for the inquisitive reader: Define the word “jewel.”
Is your first thought one of diamonds, pearls, rubies? Rodale’s The Synonym Finder offers other explanations, including “gem,” “treasure,” “work of art,” and “godsend.” According to Webster’s College Dictionary, the definition of a jewel can be broadened to “a person or thing that is treasured or esteemed.” 
Can a building be a jewel? On a heavenly blue May day in 2016, a woman on a personal retreat at Dunrovin commented, “I never knew about this place. Dunrovin is like a gem [read ‘jewel’] so close to the city.”
Similarly, on an azure August day in 2018, a woman on retreat wrote Airbnb feedback stating, “Thank you so very much for the chance to stay in your beautiful retreat center – it is a jewel. The peace, quiet joy, surroundings, even a PIANO in my cabin! I am forever grateful! ”
When people experience the Retreat Center as a ‘jewel’, perhaps they forgive the flaws that naturally occur here – rainy skies instead of sunshine, occasional sounds of the chainsaw or lawnmower, an excess of weeds in the wilderness. Perhaps they even come with some trepidation of how to transition between a hectic pace of life to a place of quiet solitude. Perhaps, however, something more than a break from daily life is happening. Perhaps their hearts are being touched.
It is a Lasallian tradition – to touch the hearts of those who come to us. All are welcome here. We specialize in welcoming people where they are at, whether or not they feel like a ‘work of art.’ In fact, many people take time for a retreat to work through the blemished parts of their lives, the places that need healing or rest.
However, the welcome given is not exclusive to Dunrovin. The welcome invites people into an encounter with God, anywhere and anytime. Time with God who is the Pearl of Great Price (Matthew 13:44-46). Time away with the One who knows you best and loves you most. Time with God – this is the true jewel.
Consider responding to God’s invitation to be together. During your retreat, may God’s face shine upon you as promised in Revelations 21:11 “The heavenly city shines with the glory of God, like the radiance of a very rare JEWEL.”
Class dismissed.
To help you figure out your personal or group retreat, check out these links:
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3o8Unjr83A (video)
• https://www.dunrovin.org/what-to-do-on-a-personal-retreat/
• https://www.dunrovin.org/rentals/ (rental options)
• https://www.dunrovin.org/5-reasons-to-rent-a-cabin/
• https://www.dunrovin.org/contact/ (contact information)