Dear Friends of Cloud-Bearing Mountain Retreat,
When God created the heavens and the earth, he brought ordered relationship out of chaos. He fashioned the cosmos as the temple where mankind would serve his purposes in a priestly and prophetic fashion. The whole universe is united or broken in the human person, challenged and called to live his or her life according to the self-gifting, hospitable, sacrificial love revealed to us in the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
After a family tragedy and having moved 500 miles back to our beloved New York State, our retreat center and farm has been all askew. The animals are boarding at farms in Vermont and Pennsylvania; the items used in the celebration of the Divine Liturgy have been packed in various boxes; we have been unable to receive guests and communicants.
But chaos again is being fashioned into an order that is at once old and new. This past Sunday, we celebrated our first liturgy at our new location in Moriah, NY, where the rugged Adirondack Mountains meet the culturally rich Lake Champlain Valley. After a great deal of scrubbing and labor, the retreat house is slowly coming together. A new guest shower is going in as I write, and fresh paint has brightened the house. Those who have generously offered financial support through this transition are especially in our prayers of gratitude.
Half the year has already flown. Consider making a retreat here before it ends. Our schedule of programs through the Christmas season is below and online at https://cbmountain.org/our-programs-2/#program-schedule. It includes many opportunities to attend the Introduction to the Theology and Practice of Contemplative Prayer retreat, probably our most popular, as well as another fall hiking and farm chore retreat. As always, individual retreats can be made at any mutually agreeable time. Retreats are offered for a free-will suggested donation; scholarships are available for those who cannot give through the Mary Morris Youmans Fund.
A life that is at once familiar and new awaits you in the kind of deep prayer that we are fostering. We hope to welcome you soon.
Yours in Christ,
Fr. James & Mat. Maureen
+ Friday August 7 – Sunday August 9: Secrets of the Kingdom: The Parables of Jesus
The parables of Jesus represent about one-third of his recorded teachings in the four canonical Gospels. By looking at the parables within their literary, historical, social, and religious contexts, this class will help students mine deeper insights from these deceptively simple stories. Gain a greater appreciation for Jesus as a spiritual and religious teacher, a shrewd and daring communicator, and a master storyteller. See in a whole new light some of the most familiar and time-honored stories that, despite claims to the contrary, continue to shape Western society to this day.
+ Tuesday August 25 – Friday August 28: Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary Silent Prayer Retreat
In preparation for the Feast of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary (see below), we will gather during these days to devote ourselves to cultivating inner silence and prayer of the heart. All participants have an opportunity to receive individual spiritual direction during this program.
The Orthodox Church teaches that Mary is without personal sins, as well that Mary truly needed to be saved by Christ, as all human persons are saved, from the trials, sufferings, and death of this world. She truly died (“fell asleep,” hence “dormition”), and was raised up by her Son as the Mother of Life and participates already in the eternal life of paradise. This life of paradise is prepared and promised to all who “hear the word of God and keep it” (Luke 11:27-28) as Mary so perfectly did, saying, “be it unto me according to thy word” (Luke 1:38). The feast of all Marian feasts, the Dormition in Orthodox tradition is preceded by fourteen days of fasting and abstinence.
+ Mass of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Friday August 28, 10 am. Brunch following. RSVP.
The Orthodox Church teaches that Mary is without personal sins, as well that Mary truly needed to be saved by Christ, as all human persons are saved, from the trials, sufferings, and death of this world. She truly died, or “fell asleep” (hence “dormition”), and was raised up by her Son as the Mother of Life and participates already in the eternal life of paradise. This life of paradise is prepared and promised to all who “hear the word of God and keep it” (Luke 11:27-28) as Mary so perfectly did, saying, “be it unto me according to thy word” (Luke 1:38). The feast of all Marian feasts, the Dormition in Orthodox tradition is preceded by fourteen days of fasting and abstinence. Brunch follows the liturgy; all are welcome to attend. Please RSVP.
+ Friday September 4 – Sunday September 6: Introduction to the Theology and Practice of Contemplative Prayer
Do you wonder if there is more to prayer than merely petitioning and talking to God? We do not always relate to our spouse merely by having conversations, and certainly not by always asking for things. As love deepens, we enter into a quieter communion and intimacy, wishing to give ourselves more and more for the sake of our beloved. The same should be happening in our life of prayer. The path to this intimacy is contemplative, or noetic, prayer. Through an engagement of scriptural, patristic, and liturgical texts, participants gain a solid theological and historical foundation in Christian spirituality, put to work through a guided immersion in contemplative prayer. Learn the essentials of Christian prayer, and deepen your practice of it. Learn how to chant the daily prayer offices in morning, noon, and evening services, how the Christian sacramental and communal life supports and deepens contemplative practice, and how to maintain prayer in activity and to make your activity prayer. Participants have the opportunity to avail themselves of individual spiritual direction during this retreat.
+ Friday September 18 – Sunday September 20: In the School of the Psalms
The book of Psalms is the first Christian hymnal. The daily singing of them has always been a quintessential part of Christian worship. Many, however, find themselves utterly baffled by these often strange and disturbing poems. Their meaning can be unclear; they can swing from lament to praise, from cursing to thanksgiving, in the space of a few lines. More than the historical prayers of King David and others, Christians consider the psalms to be the very prayers of the Messiah. It is no coincidence that we find Jesus repeatedly quoting the psalms, especially from the cross. How is the book of Psalms not merely historical, but prophetic? In what ways do the Psalms speak about the life, teaching, crucifixion, and glorification of Jesus Christ? Can the psalms help us to understand better who Jesus Christ is, the nature of Christian spiritual life, and what Christian worship is really about? This retreat will help answer these questions and more.
+ Thursday October 1 – Sunday October 4: Pilgrimage into the Heart: A Hiking and Prayer Retreat in the Adirondack Mountains
This retreat commingles our contemplative training schedule and periods of formal silent prayer with a series of day hikes in the Adirondack Mountains. Our first hike will be relatively easy; the following day’s hike will be chosen according to the abilities of the group.
+ Thursday October 15 – Sunday October 18: Fall Farm Chore Retreat
This free retreat (donations gladly accepted) will combine a schedule of contemplative and liturgical prayer with various fall farm chores. Like spring, autumn’s arrival marks a busy time on the small landholding. Garden produce needs harvesting; garden beds need to be prepared for fall crops or overwintering; animals need special attention; food needs to be stored, canned, and preserved. Please consider helping out on the farm this weekend, and you will be rewarded with all the joy that such work, especially when combined with prayer, can give. Arrive on Thursday or Friday, or come just for the day on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. Please RSVP in any case.
+ Friday October 30 – Sunday November 1: Introduction to the Theology and Practice of Contemplative Prayer
See above for description.
+ Thursday November 12 – Sunday November 15: All Saints and All Souls Silent Prayer Retreat
More than mere past examples of faith, the Saints in the Orthodox tradition are an ongoing presence in our lives. They intercede for us before the throne of God, and we enter into their ranks in Eucharistic worship. This retreat will focus on the notion of the Communion of the Saints. We will reflect on their lives and teaching, their glorification in Christ, and our mutual participation in heavenly worship. This retreat will include the All Souls Requiem, the text of which will provide a thread for our discussions.
+ Sunday November 15: All Souls Requiem Mass
12 pm, lunch following. Overnight accommodations available.
Remember and intercede for the departed faithful at this All Souls Requiem Mass.
+ Friday November 27 – Sunday November 29: What Does the Book of Genesis Teach About Nature, Human Society, and the Purpose of Life?
What is God’s will for my life? What is my God-given purpose? These questions haunt many well-meaning Christians, and yet the answers are not that difficult to find. We begin by looking at the book of Genesis. Genesis sets the stage for the entire Biblical account. If we misinterpret it or do not perceive the profound nuances of this foundational text, we will misinterpret the meaning of the scriptures in general. We also run the risk of misunderstanding the work of Christ, our own salvation in him, and the purpose of human life according to the will of God. During this retreat, we will open our eyes, ears, and hearts to the profound implications of the Genesis narrative. What does Genesis have to say about the order of nature, God’s will for human persons and human societies as a whole, and the meaning of our lives?
+ Friday December 18 – Sunday December 20: Introduction to the Theology and Practice of Contemplative Prayer
See above for description.
+ Tuesday December 29, 2026 to Friday January 1, 2027: New Year’s Prayer Retreat
The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Romans 13:12.
This silent prayer retreat provides an alternative and uplifting New Year’s celebration. The silent contemplative prayer retreat is at the heart of the training on offer at Cloud-Bearing Mountain Christian Retreat & Training Center. Participants enter into a deep and regenerative silence punctuated by the chanting of the psalms at morning, noon, and evening prayer services. A daily period of work helps us to carry our prayerfulness into everyday activities. All participants have an opportunity to receive individual spiritual direction during the program. Arrive on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday. This silent retreat culminates in the New Year’s Program, including the New Year’s Eve Midnight Mass for Peace and New Year’s brunch. See below for details.
+ Thursday December 31, 2026: Alternative New Year’s Celebration: Midnight Mass for Peace
Pre-registration required; overnight accommodations available. Attend all or part.
This program provides an alternative and uplifting New Year’s celebration. Enter the new secular year in the love of Christ. 8:30 pm: Silent Prayer; 10:30 pm: Midnight Mass for Peace, reception following. Participants may stay overnight and/or attend Jan 1, 10:00 am: Lauds; 11:00 am: New Year’s Brunch. All are welcome; please RSVP.
+ Tuesday January 5 — Thursday January 7, 2027: Christmas Retreat
Whenas all the world was in profoundest quietness, and night was in the midst of her swift course: thine almighty Word, O Lord, leaped down from heaven out of thy royal throne. – Introit for the Second Sunday of Christmas
As Orthodox Christians in a Russian jurisdiction, we celebrate Christmas according to the old calendar. Our December 25 falls on the secular January 7. We invite you to join us as we keep this most holy feast and reflect on the significance of the Incarnation of God in Christ Jesus, even if you have already celebrated according to the new calendar date! Of a very special character, this retreat begins in the reflective silence of Advent and ends with the joyous and social beginnings of the Christmas season, which for us lasts weeks. All participants have an opportunity to receive individual spiritual direction during the retreat. This retreat includes the entire Christmas Program; see below.
+Wednesday January 6—Thursday January 7, 2027: Christmas Program
RSVP required. Overnight accommodations available. Attend all or part.
Jan 6, 4:30 pm: Solemn Vespers; 5:30 pm: Light Supper; 8:30 pm: Silent Prayer (two 30 minute periods); 10:30 pm: Midnight Mass of the Nativity of Our Lord, reception following. Jan 7, 8:00 am: Silent Prayer; 9:00 am: Solemn Lauds; 10:00 am: Christmas Day Mass; 1:00 pm: Christmas Dinner. All are welcome; please RSVP.
+ Sunday January 17 – Tuesday January 19: Epiphany Silent Prayer Retreat
Epiphany, also known as Theophany, commemorates the appearing or revelation of God incarnate in Jesus Christ. Traditionally, it is celebrated with as much, if not more, solemnity than Christmas. It also marks the Twelfth Day of Christmas. This prayer retreat culminates with the Mass of the Epiphany and Great Blessing of Waters followed by a Twelfth Night brunch on the 19th. Arrive for the 10am Sunday service on the 17th if you would like.
+ Tuesday January 19: Mass of the Epiphany & Great Blessing of Waters
10:00 am. Twelfth Night brunch following. Please RSVP if attending.
+ Friday February 5 – Sunday February 7: Introduction to the Theology and Practice of Contemplative Prayer
See above for description.
+ Saturday February 13 – Monday February 15: Candlemas / Purification Silent Prayer Retreat
The Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, also known as the Presentation or Candlemas, commemorates the presentation of Jesus in the Temple. According to the Torah, new mothers were to present themselves to the temple priests for purification forty days after giving birth. The first male child also would be presented as holy to the Lord. This feast officially marks the end of the Christmas season. On this day, church candles for the year to come are traditionally blessed, hence the term “Candlemas.” This prayer retreat culminates with the Mass of the Purification followed by a brunch on the 15th.
+ Monday February 15: Candlemas / Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mass
10 am. Brunch following. Please RSVP if attending.