God′s professional work in me

Chapter 1: How everything started?

My Experience at the Encounter 2023 Retreat - April 21-23

?

Below, I'll blend things that only made sense to me based on how my journey has unfolded, general lessons, and noteworthy aspects.

?

My goal is to share faith because when faith is shared, it grows.

?

A Bit of Context... we experienced the pandemic in extreme confinement. On Pentecost in 2021, it became clear to me that being closed in and fearful was like when the apostles were "locked in and fearful" when Jesus died. In both cases, the clear solution was the Holy Spirit. After hours of listening to Father Cantalamessa's audios and videos, joining a community of friends to pray on Wednesdays, my desire to attend a retreat with a baptism in the Holy Spirit grew. To understand the concept, of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit feel free to watch the "The Wild Goose" series on Formed. Selecting the right retreat wasn't easy because it was uncharted territory. Plus, I had been looking for a retreat partner for months, but no one dared to join me in this adventure, not even my brave cousins. Anyway, within the Wednesday community, an invitation was shared, and in the end, several of us decided to go. Everyone ended up with incredible testimonies of being filled with love and blessings. As Cardinal Cantalamessa, who is responsible for delivering sermons to the Pope during Holy Week, says, "Don't be afraid of the Holy Spirit."

?

Here is my testimony of the things I take away as reflections and experiences:

?

The Song

The retreat began with the song "Way Maker," which Sergio Ponce had sent me during our calls to prepare for Alpha. It was a song I didn't know, but after he shared it with me, I listened to it thousands of times with great joy. Opening the retreat with this song, I took it as a clear sign that I was meant to be there. Thank you, Lord, for your signs, your breadcrumbs to follow.

?

The Testimonies!

Patrick, a layman, and another Patrick, a diocesan priest, both with stories of excesses and disorder of all kinds in their youth. Their conversion testimonies, thanks to encountering the love of Christ and the impact they've had since then in their lives and the lives of others, were impressive. This isn't new; even Saint Augustine was among the worst. But it became clear to me that God always follows the same path where it should be evident that it's not the person, but His love that changes everything, including those who had previously chosen paths away from Him. So, now I give the Legion of Christ the benefit of the doubt, not because of them, but because God can work wonders even in the darkest places.

?

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit

Was administered on the first day to align with the Gospel order, where they were filled with the Spirit and then went out boldly to preach. For me, it was a moment of deep prayer, and it later turned into my community praying for the healing of my eye (I was born with a hypoplasia in my left optic nerve, and I have never seen anything with it, but some shadows in the left corner of my vision field). My eye didn't heal, but I was filled with the love of the community, gratitude for my mother's love, my grandmother's love, and everyone who cared for me when I was almost a year old and suffering. I was grateful for all the suffering I went through when I was a baby, bouncing around because my good eye was covered to force the underdeveloped optic nerve in the other eye to exercise. Later, someone shared an icon of the blind man from Siloam with me. I believe I didn't truly desire healing with all my heart. I've always been able to do whatever I wanted; my eye doesn't hurt, so I didn't feel the need for healing. I agreed because I have faith in the miracles brought about by the prayers of friends. There's the story of the man lowered through the roof on a mat in front of Jesus. Another incredible thing was how the Spirit did as He pleased. From the very moment I received the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, there were people experiencing physical healings.

?

The Paradigm of Everyday Life for a Catholic/Christian

We don't know how to offer God's love with the power of the Holy Spirit to so many people without fear. "You need to cross the chicken line" ??

?

The Father′s Love

Speaking about the Father's Love - Jesus would empty Himself of His divinity to let the Father's love flow as a human, just like you and me.

?

During the Healing Prayer

?Many testimonies of people who couldn't hear from one ear, various sciatica pains... but the GIRL! She was 8 years old and had been born without a thyroid. In less than 15 minutes, God created one for her. When she came to share her testimony, all she could say was, "Little God healed me," and she couldn't say anything else; she hid behind her mother. Then her mother explained her condition, and that during the healing prayer, the girl started describing things incoherently but with incredible innocence and clarity. "Mom, I feel a prick in my thumb... now tickling in my arm... now I feel something growing in my throat, Mom..." and there was the thyroid. I was amazed. After leaving the auditorium for a break, we saw the girl running to hug her grandmother, who had come to see what had happened. I suppose her mother talked to her to explain the miracle. My mind believed, but I was completely shocked by what I had just witnessed. Now, I'm writing this almost 5 months later, so I won't forget anything. But a month after the retreat, I received a message confirming that an ultrasound had detected something that wasn't there before. In another prayer event that I didn't attend, my community companions heard the mother's testimony. She said the doctor clearly couldn't explain what he was seeing, but he told her it wouldn't function like a thyroid. But a few months later, it was functioning normally. Unbelievable! In the 21st century, God leaves everyone speechless.

?

When I prayed for a friend, the first thing we were instructed to do was ask to feel the love God has for that person. I felt so much love for her, and it flooded me with warmth and brought tears to my eyes. After the prayer, I excitedly asked her, "Did you feel all that love for you?!?" Her response was no. For years, she's been so surrounded by illness in her family that she's numb. It made me realize that it's not that God doesn't love us; rather, He continuously sends us oceans of love, and it's up to us to open our hearts to receive it. In the toughest moments, we need to be alert to these outbursts of love to find peace and trust even in pain and adversity.

?

The Spirit Renewing Everything

Jesus makes all things new, restores hope. One friend shared her frustration with repeatedly praying for the same thing thousands of times without seeing any results. But at this retreat, it wasn't her faith but the faith of a 19-year-old that renewed her hope and shifted her focus. It wasn't about how she was asking for it but about what was blocking her from receiving it.

?

The People of God

At this retreat, there were many young people, which I don't often see at Mass. It renewed my hope. But there were also elderly people, children, priests, nuns, all united by the love of God. It was a small taste of what heaven will be like, where people from all eras will be together with God.

?

The Mexican Clergy

Two Mexican bishops at the closing Mass, both with humility and openness to the Spirit, restored my faith in our clergy. They were well-prepared, spoke in perfect English, and thanked the Encounter team from the US. These are the leaders we should follow. How proud! Some quotes from one of the bishops: "I now believe that it's the time for the laity!" "You've moved me to tears many times in these three days."

?

Changing the World

I often talk with my wife about how the world is so bad that it's time for God to intervene decisively. But last weekend, I understood that it won't happen that way because God has given us the task, and we haven't done anything. Jesus rose, leaving us a Church filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, not powerless. It's as if your boss told you to prepare a presentation for tomorrow, and you return an hour before it's due, asking him to do it for you. You'd probably be fired. That's what's happening. God is asking us to be the ones who make that decisive intervention. The boss won't come to do what He asked us to do, giving us the most powerful tool.

?

Finally, if anyone is feeling low on faith, talk to me, and I'll share this experience that left me overflowing with it. Take advantage; it's free. And enroll in the school... https://encounterschool.org