By: Kairos Attendee

When I first went on Kairos six years ago, I was reluctant and truthfully did not want to go. Within the first few hours, I asked one of the leaders if I could go home. I didn’t have any ill feelings about Kairos, I just felt that it wasn’t a retreat for me.

The leader asked that I do him a favor and stay at least the first night; if I hated it after the first night, I could maybe go home. Now I see why you have to have gone on Kairos in order to lead it, because Kairos is not a retreat where God “saves” you. It is a personal retreat about exploring God’s love and really finding the true core of our being as Christians and as people in a busy lifestyle keeping up with society. All it took for me was that first night; the activity was so special to my heart… It was a night that had me plunging into learning what was yet to come.

I became eager to see what this retreat was all about, and even more, I wanted to explore this love with God. I wanted to recognize my own strengths and my potential to leave my mark in this world. My answer did not come at the end of the retreat, however it put me on the path of God’s friendship. I learned that things don’t happen on my time… they happen in God’s time.   I have been serving Kairos on God’s time ever since.

There are two Greek words for time: Chronos and Kairos. Chronos emphasizes duration and moments in one’s life. Kairos means “the Lord’s time” and is not judged by its succession or duration but it is judged by its value.

Kairos is a Christ-centered retreat that welcomes an open and honest relationship with God, with others, and with ourselves. During Kairos we retreat to embark a personal journey of God’s Love for us. God has always tried to make His love visible and enfleshed as He gave us His son Jesus Christ.

The Kairos journey lasts four days as we shut out the outside world. We remove ourselves from schedules, appointments, and the demands of everyday life and we spend our time searching for a day well spent quotes. Kairos gives the experience of a Christian community as well as personal development with the Lord. One of the fruits of Kairos is that it opens eyes to the own goodness of oneself and to the goodness of God, their family and of their friends. This journey honestly asks, what our weaknesses are and what are our strengths, then it focuses on the development of those in a loving and Christ filled environment.

E.C.R.C has been offering Kairos retreats for more than 10 years; more than 1000 people have attended and benefited from this experience.

Typically, Kairos is organized by age groups: (19-24), (25-30), and (31-40) offered at different times throughout the year. Those who serve on the retreat as leaders are selected from past attendees have attended and want to give back by serving on the retreat.

Kairos is a personal and spiritual journey based on basic Catholic catechism and theology. It is a journey where the retreat goers reflect on their own life experiences and opens opportunity to accept God’s love in a very personal and real way.