25th Sunday in Ordindary Time, 9/19

Dear brothers and sisters, it is SO great to be back! 

As you know I had my 30-day spiritual exercise in silence. This is a once in a lifetime experience. It was an infinite and undeserved gift! I hope today I can share a small portion of it, because it really is difficult to fathom the whole experience. As the Blessed Mother I treasure the experience in my heart and meditate on it (cf. Lk 2:19). Some people have asked me: "How was your vacation?". I think I really needed a vacation after these 30 days. It is called exercises because you really exercise the spirit. I would call it a spiritual marathon. And I did a lot of preparation before it. At the beginning I was struggling quite a bit. But little by little, by about day 10 I got into the rhythm of praying for about 5hrs plus all the examinations. At that point it was very beautiful. 

In essence the gift is a heartfelt experience of the love of God! His presence and mission! His merciful love and the gift of the Son and the Holy Spirit. It's the experience that we are in his loving hands and there is NOTHING that can separate us from Him. I looked at most of my life and it was so moving to see how God was always there, in the good or the bad (cf. Rm 8:28). I thought my prayer life was a reasonably good one. But now I feel it's gone to a different level. It is a huge gift! A big part of it was detaching things in my heart that were out of place. A painful process of purification. A necessary one to allow God more fully into my heart. I am SO thankful!! 

I continue to encourage all of you to take the many opportunities that are available to you in this wonderful parish-family. God wants to be with you and give you ALL you need. 

GOD bless you and have a wonderful day of the Lord

Fr. Carlos, SCV