Thank you for all of your prayers for us while we were on retreat! We prayed for all of you. It was truly blessed! We were graced with many blessings throughout the retreat. Each day we began in the Chapel that was made from the room of Venerable Mother Angeline Teresa, O.Carm., for the Morning Office and Mass, followed by two conferences, an afternoon of private prayer ending with Vespers and Benediction, and Night Prayer. We were showered with answers to tough questions in discernment, were challenged to grow deeper in virtue and mental prayer, were given formation, and reminded of the supremacy of complete abandonment to the will of God and Our Lady. Led by our retreat master, we ended our retreat by formally consecrating our little community of aspirants and its continued discernment in its present and future state to the Immaculata under the title Star of the New Evangelization.
In one of his conferences, Father spoke of the Burning Desire for Holiness. For me this became the thread that was present throughout the entire retreat. On behalf of all the members of our little community of aspirants I would like to share with you a brief synopsis and reflection that has personally touched my heart and left it with a new disposition, for the better, and the end of this retreat.
Sanctus (Latin) means both holy and saint in English. An exhortation to aim for such sanctity where we become saints is found in the post conciliar documents that stress the universal call to holiness. This goal or desire for sainthood and sanctity is not one filled with pride, desire for merit, or personal pleasures, but with a longing for heaven that pervades our earthly existence and sensible pleasures because our souls desire eternal union with God in Heaven. Father told us about how St. Therese of Lisieux gave three ways to become a saint, 1. Suffer much 2. Always choose what is most perfect 3. Forget about one's self.
In religious life in general and in the specific vocation we are discerning - to truly die to self and the world is what opens the heart to deeper, more contemplative prayer. It fosters growth of strong rootedness in ministry and leads to complete abandonment to the Immaculata, and through her, ultimately to a resting in God that no earthly words can describe. When we die to ourselves we are able to open our hearts and allow God to dwell there in a uniquely special way that inspires us to give ourselves and our little community to Our Lady. When we give everything to her so that she has possession of all we are, have and do, Mary is able to distribute to souls what they need in the order of grace as she knows is pleasing to her Son. This is what we strive to do each day, and this retreat has challenged us to do so more radically.
Since the Consecration of our little community to the Immaculata our hearts are filled with joy and peace. God has placed a special call and desire on our hearts to discern the foundation of this religious community. We daily strive to move towards that call and we give it back entirely to Our Lady for er to use it as she knows is best. Now that it is Our Lady's, more than ever we trust in her maternal mediation and know that she is going to surprise us in incomprehensible ways. We have been back from retreat for 4 days and already she is doing extraordinary things in extraordinary ways.
Once again we say with all our hearts to the Immaculata "Totus Tuus". By giving all to Our Lady, the burning fire within is set aflame anew to burn for the service of souls and of the Church. Amen!
Written by Nicolette
