Corpus Christi Blog

The Holy Spirit and Men's Retreat

12-09-2018Weekly ReflectionJames Naumann

As I write this, it’s been 48 hours without pain in my right foot. Well, out of respect for someone with real pain, I’ll call it being discomfort-free. You may recognize me as the person who hobbled around church on a knee crutch for a few months after having blown out my Achilles tendon playing racquetball with my son. Post-surgery and rehab, I’ve had more or less continuous tenderness in my right foot. More on that in a minute…

Fast-forward to the Men’s Retreat. I had the opportunity to encounter our Lord in the beautiful forest setting of Prescott on the Men’s Retreat. For those who have never been, it is a yearly event sponsored by St. Timothy’s parish and is a great opportunity to learn and share our faith with other men, make some new friends, and enjoy a little nature. This year’s guest speaker was Fr. Dave Pivonka, creator and speaker of The Wild Goose video series. Fr. Chad’s homilies encouraging us to develop a personal relationship with Jesus were a perfect lead up to the retreat, as well as The Wild Goose weekly meetings we had recently in the Parish Center. Our days consisted of music, talks by Fr. Dave, small group discussions, reconciliation, adoration, praying the Rosary and Divine Mercy Chaplet together, as well as some good food!

Fr. Dave also emphasized developing a personal relationship with Jesus and the Holy Spirit. He spoke of the biggest barrier to that relationship is the one we create with our own worldly stresses, sins, unforgiven hurts, etc. Through the talks and the prayers, things began to happen. For myself, my heart began to feel so much lighter. At the end of one evening, Fr. Dave led us in prayer. We prayed together and for one another, addressing past and current hurts, spiritual and physical. Led by the Holy Spirit, Fr. Dave called out a number of afflictions—one of them being plantar fasciitis in the right foot. I thought, “wow, somebody else has my same issue.” It didn’t cross my mind that it was directed toward me. Then I noticed something…my left foot. Usually I don’t notice it because of the tenderness in my right and I’m constantly shifting while standing to relieve it. I walked out of the Chapel pain-free. And I wasn’t the only one.

Develop a personal relationship with Jesus? Sure, just ask him. Offer up what it is that holds your spirit down, he’ll take it. “…seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you.”

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