Then Mordecai said: ‘This is the Work of God. I recall the dream I had about these very things and not a single detail has been unfulfilled.” ~ EST F:1
Over this past month, July 2017, I have witnessed many different aspects of God interacting with His people. As a Youth Minister, I walked with a group of teenagers on a six-day mission trip to Kewaskum, WI, and served the elderly suffering from loneliness in a nursing home, spending time and listening to the wisdom of their life experiences; all their joys and sufferings. In our work with the elderly, I felt like I was on a spiritual seesaw. As we alleviated the pain of loneliness, we lifted them up, and they in turn lifted us up by pouring out a treasure of wisdom into our souls. It was a profound Christ-centered exchange for all of us involved.
Returning from the mission I had the opportunity to travel to Pittsburgh for the Golden Jubilee Anniversary Celebration of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal. Thousands of Catholics and even some non-Catholics from all over came together for a powerful conference. We prayed and sang in every tongue on earth and in heaven dancing in joy of the Holy Spirit. He once again renewed the faith of all in attendance and poured out grace in overflowing rivers of living water.
My final adventure this month was leading a group of teens to the Steubenville Youth Conference in St. Paul, MN. The power of the Holy Spirit was unleashed on 1900 young people as they prayed with heartfelt devotion was inspiring and uplifting. I watched as the lives of young people were transformed and a fresh hope filled my heart knowing that the Catholic Church has a bright future filled with zeal.
As I look back on the different ways I’ve encountered Christ and His Church this month, I’ve gained wisdom through serving the needs of others, experienced heavenly joy, and helped build up the future of the Catholic Church. These action-packed weeks have made a deep and profound impact on my spirituality, helped me become a better man and minister in the Church, and filled me with an immense sense of gratitude to God for these many summer signs and wonders He has worked in my life.
There were many great signs and wonders that worked throughout the weekend, healings both physical and spiritual but the most profound moment for me was my pilgrimage to the Ark and the Dove just outside of Pittsburgh. The Ark and the Dove Retreat Center is the site wherein the winter of 1967, approximately twenty-five students from Duquesne University first experienced the “baptism in the Holy Spirit” in a tiny chapel. The powerful outpouring ignited a worldwide movement recognized by the Church as the Catholic Charismatic Renewal. As I prayed in the chapel where the Holy Spirit descended during the Duquesne Weekend, there was a profound peace that stilled my soul. I gained new strength and confidence, as the Spirit-soaked room saturated my soul.
My final adventure this month was leading a group of teens to the Steubenville Youth Conference in St. Paul, MN. The power of the Holy Spirit was unleashed on 1900 young people as they prayed with heartfelt devotion was inspiring and uplifting. I watched as the lives of young people were transformed and a fresh hope filled my heart knowing that the Catholic Church has a bright future filled with zeal.
As I look back on the different ways I’ve encountered Christ and His Church this month, I’ve gained wisdom through serving the needs of others, experienced heavenly joy, and helped build up the future of the Catholic Church. These action-packed weeks have made a deep and profound impact on my spirituality, helped me become a better man and minister in the Church, and filled me with an immense sense of gratitude to God for these many summer signs and wonders He has worked in my life.
