The Holy Spirit is with us!

Hello Everyone! God is good!

I can't believe how fast the week has gone by! I kept thinking I knew what the topic of my blog post would be, and then I would get this nagging feeling that I should wait. Retreats have been so awesome and Holy-Spirit-inspired lately! I can feel Him working more and more through us as we become more open vessels for His divine will. I truly believe, more than ever, that we have the perfect name for our ministry: SPIRITUS. Yes. Every day the Holy Spirit is here, whispering to us, loving us, inspiring us.

Is anyone else excited that we started lent? I know people usually see it as a somber time when they are tempted in the "desert" of life. But, the way I see it, we're all in the desert all the time. Lent is the time when we slow down a little, reflect more, give up things we t-h-i-n-k we need but really don't need, and take on extra tools to help us conquer our temptations and start over with our spiritual/religious lives. I see it as a time to actually bolster my resolve to be a better Catholic and to go deeper in my faith. This makes me joyful.

So what does that have to do with the mission of SPIRITUS? Everything. SPIRITUS is an amazing place to serve and live because we have the opportunity every week to grow our own faith in formation and adoration before the Blessed Sacrament. This week we watched "Mary of Nazareth" as part of our formation and we met with our spiritual directors on Thursday, right after the start of lent. If that wasn't enough to set our spirits on fire for the Lord, reconnecting us with the humanness of Mary, Joseph, and Jesus, lent started and we began to pray and fast on Wednesday. I know I struggle to accomplish everything I've set out to do, but God takes us back lovingly and encourages us never to give up on growing closer to Him! I can attribute my increased zeal and inspiration during my talks to the Holy Spirit primarily, but also to my prayerful mindset of trust to even ask the Holy Spirit in the first place.

Since Ash Wednesday, I wake up when my alarm rings and pray morning offering. If you've never prayed a morning offering before, I encourage you all to start now, not because it is the special time of year where we do so, but because it might just change your life! You might start and never stop. A morning offering is a simple, short prayer where we offer up our entire day, with all of its struggles and small triumphs, setbacks and joys, to Jesus (and, if you want, through Mary's Immaculate Heart). I find it gives me the mind frame right from the beginning that I CAN conquer this thing called morning (I've never been a morning person), but that I also have God on my side all day; no matter what happens, God is going to be doing His part to make something beautiful come out of it. Our desire to please Him does please Him. We must believe that with our whole hearts, because he loves us SO MUCH. You would cry for joy if you knew how much He loves you.

I am abundantly grateful for the opportunity to be on retreat last weekend and this weekend and to attend the Feminine Genius conference at St. Pius Church in Appleton. I thank you all for your continued prayers and support because we are storming the heavens with them, and I am here to tell you that the Holy Spirit is listening and He is giving this ministry good fruits. Children are challenged, stretched, loved, changed because of the time they spend with us, all by the grace of God.

We are keeping you all in prayer too! May God be on your minds and your heart and bless you this Lenten season.

With Christ's peace and fortitude,

Emily