Exhausted from the Eucharistic Congress? Here's What You Can Do

Last week, thousands of hearts were set on fire for the Lord at the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis. Over 50,000 people were in attendance, and the vast majority of participants glowed with jubilation as they prepared to return home.

But what if that wasn’t your experience? What if you were left with a strange emotional smoothie of good and not-so-good feelings? What if the Lord revealed deep mysteries to you that didn’t prompt an explosion of joy, but rather a deeper contemplation? What if, no matter how you feel or what you saw or heard, you’re just overwhelmingly exhausted?

Chances are, you’re not alone. And it’s also nothing to be ashamed of. Just because your feelings are different from what others have, it doesn’t mean that you didn’t encounter the Lord or that he’s not doing something in you. Your feelings are valid, but they aren't what's most important. What is most important is what we do to get ourselves in a better place emotionally to open wide our doors and let God finish the work he began in us.

Perhaps the best post-retreat (or other Catholic event) recovery plan can be found in 1 Kings 19:4-8: 

But [Elijah] went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree; and he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am no better than my fathers.” And he lay down and slept under a broom tree; and behold, an angel touched him, and said to him, “Arise and eat.” And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. And he ate and drank, and lay down again. And the angel of the Lord came again a second time, and touched him, and said, “Arise and eat, else the journey will be too great for you.” And he arose, and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb the mount of God.

At the beginning of this passage, it’s pretty evident that Elijah, one of the most powerful and spirit-filled prophets of the Old Testament, is burnt out. And yet what follows is a simple, yet effective step-by-step guide to recovery. 

Step #1: Get enough sleep. I want to note that Elijah doesn’t just take one nap in this passage, but two! Sleep is one of the most basic needs for us as humans. Lack of sleep leads to cognitive impairment at best and extreme lack of charity at worst. Neither of those will help us be open to God’s work in us! Upon returning from a retreat (especially one that involved late nights), be sure to prioritize your sleep rather than “push through.” 

Step #2: Treat yourself. One of the reasons I love the RSVCE translation of this passage from 1 Kings is that it describes that Elijah woke up from his nap to a “cake.” (Though I’m sure this is not what we today would describe as a “cake”, the mental image delights me.) After emotionally and spiritually emptying yourself, it’s important to fill yourself back up a little. 

There’s a wonderful story about St. Teresa of Avila that drives this point home. Her religious order, the Carmelites, are well-known for their rigorous fasting and prayer. One day, someone donated a pheasant to her convent as they were in the middle of one of their fasts. A treat and delicacy, St. Teresa cooked up the pheasant and encouraged her Sisters to eat. "Let them think what they like,” she said. "There is a time for penance, and there is a time for pheasant."

Step #3: Return to prayer. 

Let’s quickly recap Elijah’s story. Elijah had witnessed the intense power and (literal) fire of God when he defeated the priests of Baal. A major drought ended with a torrential downpour. The evil queen Jezebel plotted Elijah’s death, prompting him to run away to escape this fate. He experiences exhaustion and desolation, as he cries to God to take his life. He sleeps, eats, and continues on to Mount Horeb. It is on Mount Horeb that Elijah waits for the Lord at the entrance of a cave, finding that God was not in thunder and might, but in the still small whisper.

Elijah's story is often our story too. We experience the power of God, only to be smacked back down by reality. But God hasn't left us - in fact, he wants to draw us further into himself.

The whole purpose of recovering from retreat exhaustion is so that we can be more open and reflective about what God revealed to us. Yes, we do need to rejuvenate so we can perform our regular tasks, but we aren’t meant to think that God said all that he needed to say at the retreat or conference. More often than not, it’s just the beginning. God wasn’t done revealing himself to Elijah when he displayed his might on the mountain with the priests of Baal. God intended to draw Elijah deeper in, to reveal even more of who he is, in the stillness and the quiet.

Once we have taken care of our basic needs, we need to prioritize a quiet time to spend with him. Perhaps that’s at your local church or adoration chapel. Maybe it’s in your bedroom or study. It could even be outside in nature. God has more for you. We only need to set time aside for him.