24 Hours with Jesus...

This Saturday, after early Mass at Boys Town, I'll be heading to Schuyler, NE. to St. Benedict Center for a 24 hour SILENT retreat. I covet your prayers. Thank you. May our Lord bless you and our Lady grace you with tender mercies and peace near her Immaculate Heart. I crave silence and solitude in a setting that is completely meant for the soul to draw close to God. As you can see, this isn't exactly a "desert hut" but yet, the 'hermit' in me longs for that precious gift of solitude and silence, as did St. Faustina. I'm very drawn to our dear Saint Maria Faustina of the Blessed Sacrament.

I read a short book about her (Meet Saint Faustina) by a priest and have for at least a couple of weeks had the desire to "get away" from the house and "noise" of the world. I read her diary a couple of years ago. That will also be going with me, as I need to read it again. There is SO much depth and love and beauty in her words and those of our Lord to her, FOR THE WHOLE WORLD! My heart is 'a-flutter' with thinking about being there, alone with Jesus, and Mary. It's really like a HOLY clandestine rendezvous with the Lover of my Soul. With all my imperfections and sins and faults, He is still calling me to Himself, to "come away" to His garden of delights, of repose, of consolation, and possibly none of those things.

Last April, the silent time alone with Jesus in the solitude at the Hermitage of St. Mary near La Crosse, WI. was, for a good part of my overnight stay, most alarming and even somewhat frightening in the silence. The severity of the solitude in a place I was not familiar with, and some of the "coolness" I experienced from the back part of the cabin was sort of scary. I think a ominous presence was trying to scare me away, but I persevered. I persevered by calling on St. Faustina there, and others in the blessed Communion of Saints i.e. St. Therese, St Padre Pio to just come be with me and help me. And they did. I got throught that rather "long dark night" of only a few hours. I have no expectations of this weekend, except that I long to GIVE my SELF to God in a deeper way. I long to be the handmaid of the handmaid of the handmaid x ten of the Lord, so I want Mother Mary to also be with me in a deeper way.

I hope to do this more often, maybe 3 or 4 times a year, but as I said above, I do covet your prayers. They have a most HOLY Adoration chapel, so I will be in the presence of the Lord in a special way, a LOT there! I can't wait. It's so exciting to think about just being there, blocking out that time for HIM Alone! My soul longs and thirsts for the Body and Blood of Jesus in the Eucharist and in that little room, where the only sound is the sound of His Sacred Heart, beating for me and for the world. For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have Mercy on me, on us, on our family on our nation, and on the whold world. SILENCE is golden! Peace of Christ to you all.