May Retreat Reflection: “Like the Dew” — Carol Barry’s Invitation to Be Remade

This year’s Annual Retreat in May was led by Carol Barry, an experienced Retreat Director and Anamchara, whose new friendship with our community brought a fresh perspective to our cloister. From the opening conference, she invited us to linger over the final words of the prophet Hosea:

“I will be like the dew for Israel…”
— Hosea 14:5 

Dew, Carol reminded us, simply arrives—not by our doing, but by God’s. She spoke of the dew of the Lord as a grace that reconstitutes us, softening what has become dry or rigid in the soul. Just as old wineskins, once hardened and brittle, can be made supple again with patient soaking, so too can our hearts be renewed by the presence of God.

This image of being “reconstituted like old wineskins” echoed throughout the week, a thread drawing together her reflections on vulnerability and the freedom that emerges when we allow ourselves to be softened by divine tenderness. 

Carol’s presence among us offered a spacious and grounded wisdom—deeply rooted in Scripture, our connection with nature, and the rich soil of her own experience. Her words invited us to trust that God’s renewing work is already underway, even (and especially!) in the quiet places where nothing seems to be happening.

We give thanks for Carol’s insight, her prayer, and her ability to speak to the monastic heart. May her words continue to help nourish us in the years ahead, as we learn again how to be softened and reshaped by God’s gentle hand.