Saturday Evening Recap

Afternoon Keynote – Tim Jara

“No storm is stronger than the Savior.” Tim spoke to us this afternoon about prayer and our relationship with God, especially in times of stress and anxiety. In our fallen world, we can sometimes succumb to negativity and doubt that God even cares about us, much less our problems. But just as He did 2,000 years ago with St. Matthew and again with the disciples in the storm on the Sea of Galilee, Jesus draws near. He loves us; he calls us. Jesus was sleeping in the boat when the storm popped up. The disciples woke him, fearing for their lives. Jesus calmed the storm. He has power over any storm in our lives. So “who do you take your cue from when life gets crazy – the storm or the Savior?”

Tim also invited us to pray using the ARRR method.

• Acknowledge – What’s going on? What are you feeling? Acknowledge His love for you.
• Relate – Share these things with Jesus. Talk to him like a friend.
• Receive – Who does Jesus say that you are? What does He want to say to you about this situation? Pray with the Gospels.
• Respond in Gratitude – Is there anything Jesus is asking you to do? Resolve to do it.

Finally, Tim suggested several scripture verses to reflect on:

• Mark 4:38-41
• 1 Peter 5:7
• Mt 6:25-34
• Philippians 4:6-7

Saturday Evening Keynote – Sr. M. Karolyn, Nunes, SFGM

“For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.”” (Dt 4:24)

Tonight Sr Karolyn opened up the scripture for this weekend in a deeper way. “Everyday He wants us to give Him a little bit more of our hearts.” She explained that He knows what’s best for us and what’s best for us is that our hearts belong totally to Him. God is always refining us and burning away the false idols in our lives that we place before Him. When we surrender those idols, we become more ourselves.

Sister guided us through the seven last statements of Jesus. From His forgiveness of those who were actively crucifying Him to the feeling of abandonment on the cross and ultimately His death, Jesus shows His love for us over and over again. The all-consuming love of God that will explode from the tomb on Easter Sunday morning brings new life and new freedom for us.

Sister showed several images of sacred art, but one of the most beautiful was that of the Sacred Heart. “The Sacred Heart of Jesus is the chief symbol of His love for us.” He offers us His Sacred Heart, if we want it. All He wants to do is love you. Will you let him? Will you let him burn away everything that is not of Him so that you might become radiant?

Adoration

Tonight we had the opportunity to encounter Jesus in the Eucharist in a personal and profound way. Fr. Rufino Corona, TOR processed through the arena filled with over 4,000 people, offering teens and volunteers the chance to worship the risen Lord closely.

Watch the livestream here.

Afternoon Keynote: The Darkness has not Overcome

As we gathered back together following our afternoon break, Fr. Brian Fallon spoke  to us about the places of light and darkness in our lives. He explained that God did not create us to be the light, rather to see and share in the life of Christ who is the  light of the world. We often strive for perfection, grasping at worldly things that we cannot attain, when in reality we should open our arms and be received by our loving Father.  Fr. Fallon reminded  us that, “Jesus loves us too much to keep us in the darkness.” Jesus bore the cross, thinking of us and our struggles, demonstrating that trusting in the Lord allows us to experience more than mere earthly obligations. He urged us to abandon the need to be the light and instead witness and reflect God’s light. As bearers of the light, how are we called to bring the love of Christ to others?

Watch the live stream of the afternoon keynote here.

Keynote: The Road Illuminated 

Tonight, Jackie Francois Angel reminded the conference of the importance of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We receive the Holy Spirit for two reasons: to grow in our own holiness and to build up the body of Christ. Jackie said, “Let’s let our heart be burning with the Holy Spirit,” as we are called to let that fire spread to the world around us. She also spoke of Saint Jose Sanchez Del Rio, a teenager in the early 1900s who was captured during battle and told to deny the faith. With the strength of the Spirit within him, he held true to the Lord, shouting, “Viva Cristo Rey!” without fear. God calls us to be His hands and feet in the world, but we must remember we cannot do it alone. Looking at Luke 24,  we hear of the disciples who were on their way to Emmaus. Jesus met them on their walk, and as they journeyed with Him, they invited Jesus to stay and He broke bread with them. Their eyes were opened, and they recognized Him before He vanished from their sight, illustrating how the Holy Spirit illuminates and opens our hearts to understand and recognize the presence of Christ.  Let us continue to ask the Holy Spirit for the fortitude we need to be courageous witnesses to the Lord in all that we do.

Adoration

Fr. Brian Fallon processed through the crowd with the Blessed Sacrament in the monstrance. And just like the disciples stood in Christ’s presence over 2,000 years ago, we were able to be with Jesus in the Eucharist. We had a moment of encounter with the Lord, and something happens when a group of people encounter the Lord and decide they are going to respond. As Fr. Fallon said, “We know for sure, Lord, that You will show us the path to life. The fullness of joy is in Your presence. At Your right hand, happiness forever.”

Watch Saturday night’s live stream here.

Afternoon Keynote: The Darkness has not Overcome

During our evening keynote, Fr. Chris Martin recalled the solar eclipse that occurred this past October. When the moon partially covered the sun, the earth was placed in its shadow, but still the moon could not totally block out the light. It is like that with Jesus. Even though sin has made this world more difficult, the light of Christ continues to illuminate the darkness. We are never too far for Jesus to reach us. Fr. Martin read from John 13:1 that states, “Having loved His own…He loved them to the end.” The darkness is no match for the love of Jesus.

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Jesus was present with us this evening: Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. The Blessed Sacrament was carried in procession through the crowd of participants gathered to worship and praise our God. This is Jesus Christ. This is the one and only true refuge. The world has counterfeits, but nothing can compare to Jesus Himself.

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“Jesus is on His way to you, and that’s all that matters.”
– Sr. Josephine Garrett

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