WEBVTT 00:00:04.720 --> 00:00:05.520 Hello, everyone. 00:00:05.520 --> 00:00:10.260 We have people, coming in right now to the webinar, so that's great to see. 00:00:10.320 --> 00:00:18.855 And if this is your first time, viewing a spiritual direction webinar from DMU, there is a q and a chat bar. 00:00:18.995 --> 00:00:26.855 So if you click that, you can ask a question to the public as we're going through the presentation, or you could send me a direct private message. 00:00:27.475 --> 00:00:30.640 I think we're going to get started. 00:00:30.640 --> 00:00:33.700 We have 18 attendees right now. 00:00:33.760 --> 00:00:35.460 My name is Christopher Garofalo. 00:00:35.600 --> 00:00:40.820 If you don't know me, I'm the admissions adviser for the spiritual direction certificate program. 00:00:41.440 --> 00:00:44.100 And with me is doctor Begonia Nassif. 00:00:44.715 --> 00:00:47.275 She was, she started the spiritual direction program. 00:00:47.275 --> 00:00:51.435 She was part of the first cohort, and she graduated in December 2020. 00:00:51.435 --> 00:00:58.095 I think she was the first graduate of the SDC program alphabetically with her last name. 00:00:58.280 --> 00:00:59.740 So she was the first one. 00:01:00.120 --> 00:01:06.620 She's a graduate of the program, and doctor Nassif has been at the University of Cincinnati for thirty years. 00:01:07.000 --> 00:01:13.580 In ten years, she served, in the role of laboratory manager, part of the kidney care program. 00:01:13.975 --> 00:01:19.195 And she is a research scientist in the college of medicine, and she has many credentials. 00:01:19.735 --> 00:01:21.035 Her degrees are numerous. 00:01:21.095 --> 00:01:28.560 She's graduated from six institutions, and, they are listed, the ENCB Mexico program. 00:01:28.560 --> 00:01:34.500 She's a doctor of philosophy degree, and she's the owner of many patents, and she's a published writer. 00:01:35.120 --> 00:01:45.755 And she decided to pursue the, the DMU certification, the spiritual direction certification, after meeting with, faith, you know, faith formation leaders in Cincinnati. 00:01:46.215 --> 00:01:53.755 And she, she wanted to be better prepared to be a vessel of God's love for the people she associates with and works with and knows. 00:01:54.615 --> 00:01:55.655 So everyone, I'm here. 00:01:55.655 --> 00:01:58.635 We're gonna start the presentation, the whisper of the holy spirit. 00:01:58.910 --> 00:02:01.570 And, doctor Begonia, you may introduce yourself. 00:02:01.710 --> 00:02:02.770 Thank you very much. 00:02:03.150 --> 00:02:07.010 As Chris very kindly say, my name is Begonia Nassif. 00:02:07.630 --> 00:02:16.815 As you can as you can see, I have a very strong accent because I am from Mexico originally, but I live in Cincinnati for thirty years. 00:02:17.195 --> 00:02:21.375 I as you say, I work in the University of Cincinnati as a research scientist. 00:02:23.435 --> 00:02:33.540 And, being a scientist have teach me that God is so magnificent, I can say. 00:02:34.320 --> 00:02:41.545 Because, when you see how the human body works and how everything works, how he cannot be present. 00:02:42.005 --> 00:02:43.705 He needs to be part of our lives. 00:02:44.245 --> 00:02:52.745 So, for that is why I decided to, to dedicate myself, to put him at the center of my life. 00:02:53.340 --> 00:03:02.880 And, I am a part of the Reunion Christie, Ohio Valley in Cincinnati, and I am a spiritual director here in Cincinnati, Ohio. 00:03:03.580 --> 00:03:11.405 And I also be I'm part of the, the Reunion Christie group that help people going to the 19 annotations. 00:03:12.025 --> 00:03:18.845 And so I'm very blessed that, they gave me this opportunity about talking a little bit what is very close in my heart. 00:03:19.945 --> 00:03:23.920 And before I started, I would like to to start with a prayer. 00:03:24.460 --> 00:03:27.920 So in the name of the father and the son and the holy spirit, amen. 00:03:29.500 --> 00:03:35.040 The father, son, and holy spirit, thank you for inviting us to be your hands. 00:03:35.435 --> 00:03:39.615 Help us to answer your invitation like our blessed mother Mary. 00:03:40.155 --> 00:03:51.790 And that, thank you thank you for for for giving us the invitation, and help us to answer like our dear blood our dear blessed mother Mary. 00:03:52.890 --> 00:03:55.370 We are the hands may of the Lord. 00:03:55.370 --> 00:04:00.510 May it to be done according to your word with complete faith and trust in you. 00:04:01.225 --> 00:04:06.925 Every day, you chose how the world is in need of you, of your word, and of your presence. 00:04:07.545 --> 00:04:12.205 And you are inviting us to be the vessels of the holy spirit for you. 00:04:12.745 --> 00:04:22.270 Help us to be be guided by the holy spirit so that we can really through be your hands in in in the people in need in this world. 00:04:22.890 --> 00:04:34.255 And I offer this for your honor and for your glory, and please help us that, our hearts are desire what you have for us. 00:04:34.715 --> 00:04:40.335 And I offer this for all the desires of the heart of all the people that is present here today. 00:04:41.195 --> 00:04:41.695 Amen. 00:04:45.290 --> 00:04:55.790 So I decided to call this talk listening for the self whispers of the holy spirit in the spiritual direction because I really think that this is the matter of the spiritual direction. 00:04:57.585 --> 00:05:03.205 We know that, the man's fundamental relationship is with God. 00:05:05.185 --> 00:05:10.485 We can we can have many other relationship, but the main relationship is with him. 00:05:11.220 --> 00:05:16.520 And, sometimes, we start a relationship, for example, with our husbands. 00:05:17.380 --> 00:05:22.200 As we meet them, we start liking them, and then we start knowing them better. 00:05:22.580 --> 00:05:27.015 And, and when when we know them better and then we start loving the person. 00:05:27.235 --> 00:05:38.010 The same happened with our friends, with our spiritual companions, with everybody that cross our our our path until we know that person, and and then we start loving them. 00:05:38.390 --> 00:05:41.110 And it's exactly how we love God. 00:05:41.110 --> 00:05:45.290 Knowing him, we we learn to love him more and more. 00:05:45.510 --> 00:06:01.165 But even if we don't know him, our relationship with God already already started in the moment that we are conceived because he form us, and he form our hands, and he make us to be in his image and likeness. 00:06:01.820 --> 00:06:04.640 And he breathe into us the nostril of the holy spirit. 00:06:04.860 --> 00:06:09.520 And God God never never stop to give us his self to us. 00:06:09.980 --> 00:06:15.840 So even if we don't recognize him, we are here because he want us to be here. 00:06:16.275 --> 00:06:24.055 So since then, for that, we are in a relationship with him, even the people that they say that they don't believe in him. 00:06:26.835 --> 00:06:35.540 So no no creative being can ever completely fill our heart, and we are constantly trying to fill our emptiness with creative things. 00:06:36.320 --> 00:06:39.540 And, so with sometimes we confuse. 00:06:40.080 --> 00:06:49.945 We think that instantaneous gratification, the love that we receive, the person that is there, even the things that we have in in our hands are what is going to fill us. 00:06:50.085 --> 00:06:51.785 But we always feel empty. 00:06:52.165 --> 00:07:14.480 We always feel like we we lack of something that, that that nothing satisfies As very beautiful say, what more do you want or soul, and what else do you search for outside when within yourself you possess your riches, the light, satisfaction, fulfillness, and kingdom, your beloved whom you desire and seek. 00:07:15.255 --> 00:07:27.750 And, if if we remember the words of, Saint Augustine also said, everything we get it with him, we are fulfilled until we encounter him. 00:07:28.230 --> 00:07:33.930 So, but we look for we look for the superficial things. 00:07:35.110 --> 00:07:41.850 And our personal story influenced the way that we relate with God, and in the different circumstances. 00:07:44.315 --> 00:07:44.795 Yes. 00:07:44.795 --> 00:07:49.055 Sometimes we are hurt, anger, resent. 00:07:50.315 --> 00:07:52.715 We we lose the people that we love. 00:07:52.715 --> 00:07:58.335 We have broken relationships, and this is spreader this is spreader we are seeking for something. 00:07:59.010 --> 00:08:09.990 And we think that we are going to fight to find it in in in in in in trips or in buying things or in superficial things. 00:08:10.450 --> 00:08:18.665 And because of this because of this brokenness in our lives, we have a a totally wrong imagine of god. 00:08:19.445 --> 00:08:28.490 We confuse him, and and and we don't see his mercy and his love and his care for us because we confuse it with the things that we are living. 00:08:29.030 --> 00:08:39.865 And, so so Saint Francis of the Cell said, be who you are, but be that well. 00:08:41.285 --> 00:08:43.465 The queen in life is being a saint. 00:08:43.845 --> 00:08:45.065 So we need to refocus. 00:08:45.445 --> 00:08:48.645 We need to think that no no the the no. 00:08:48.645 --> 00:08:50.670 We're personal stories define us. 00:08:50.750 --> 00:09:04.290 What define us is that we are the beloved daughters of God, the beloved sons and daughters of God that that, that is giving us the mercy and the love and is giving us the identity that we needed. 00:09:05.935 --> 00:09:15.315 So, in the last years, we have lived what is called the what is it has been called the great pulse. 00:09:16.815 --> 00:09:21.260 The great pulse is the COVID nineteen that came to our lives. 00:09:23.960 --> 00:09:28.460 As I put it in here, we were called to look both inwards and outwards. 00:09:29.160 --> 00:09:33.500 Relationship with family and friends become both more intentional and more precarious. 00:09:34.975 --> 00:09:41.935 The spiritually were were suspended in an entity like the disciples in the open room where they where do we go from here? 00:09:41.935 --> 00:09:43.955 Where who are we called to be? 00:09:44.095 --> 00:09:50.270 And as I put here the picture of the open room, I wonder, the apostles were there. 00:09:50.570 --> 00:09:54.430 Jesus died, and they didn't know why it was going to come next. 00:09:55.370 --> 00:09:56.250 What is next? 00:09:56.250 --> 00:10:05.785 And it's how we how how many, many, many of us felt in that time that that, we were thinking we don't have a church. 00:10:05.785 --> 00:10:07.165 We cannot go to church. 00:10:07.385 --> 00:10:08.765 We cannot see family. 00:10:08.825 --> 00:10:10.205 We cannot see friends. 00:10:10.505 --> 00:10:12.445 We cannot do our regular life. 00:10:12.665 --> 00:10:13.965 Where are we going? 00:10:14.105 --> 00:10:15.245 What is this happening? 00:10:15.830 --> 00:10:27.210 We we were in more need than ever of all of these things, especially of going to church and be supported, and we were blocked to go and and and and to do all of this. 00:10:27.830 --> 00:10:32.985 But we need to remember that grief is is is a a gift. 00:10:33.845 --> 00:10:41.705 Grief also usually doesn't feel like a gift, but it's always about love because we grieve for the things that we love. 00:10:41.925 --> 00:10:48.720 When somebody die, when we lose a job, when when when we lose something that we really care about it. 00:10:48.780 --> 00:10:51.200 We we grieve because we love that. 00:10:51.740 --> 00:10:58.400 And God didn't give us the pain of loss without giving us always to work the world for it. 00:10:58.780 --> 00:11:09.415 So, there are reports that show that the the the the word that was more searched during these great pause was prayer. 00:11:10.275 --> 00:11:12.295 People were in need of God. 00:11:12.760 --> 00:11:15.980 People were in need of knowing how to pray. 00:11:16.440 --> 00:11:23.660 There were a lot of people going to, a virtual masses, virtual prayers, virtual retreat. 00:11:23.960 --> 00:11:26.940 People were in need of to encounter the love. 00:11:27.785 --> 00:11:35.325 And I remember listening to father Bartunik in one of the talks that say we are living a life, a a time of post Christianity. 00:11:36.025 --> 00:11:39.245 I don't want to live in a in a in a time of post Christianity. 00:11:40.590 --> 00:11:43.730 I want Jesus to be present here and now today. 00:11:44.510 --> 00:11:46.370 I want him to be part of my life. 00:11:46.430 --> 00:11:55.730 I want to send here to to have him center in my life as the main thing that I have to center him to be, my everything. 00:11:56.345 --> 00:12:03.085 And these group parts make us think, make make us to react and see where are we going. 00:12:03.545 --> 00:12:04.925 What is what we needed? 00:12:06.345 --> 00:12:09.485 And, of course, we were absent of the characteristic. 00:12:10.320 --> 00:12:15.540 We were not we were we were not having his body and his and his and his blood. 00:12:15.840 --> 00:12:29.795 And this is, terrible because, many feel the emptiness, the feeling of the, not close to Christ, not with him. 00:12:30.335 --> 00:12:41.800 And, we we we we we were in that moment thinking and react while we gave it for granted. 00:12:42.180 --> 00:12:53.715 That sometimes we didn't give the value of having communion or receiving his present to fill our souls and our body, until we we we were not able to have it to have it. 00:12:56.195 --> 00:13:06.455 So, as we enter, I enter on knowing that when I saw myself there without knowing where I was, I understood great things. 00:13:06.515 --> 00:13:11.970 I should not say what I felt, for I remain in unknowing transcending all knowledge. 00:13:12.750 --> 00:13:13.890 It's how we felt. 00:13:14.430 --> 00:13:30.915 We turn this and because we realize how important is our relationship with God, how important is our church, how important are our communities, How important is our communion of saints that we have that we were not able to reach out, that we were not able to see? 00:13:32.655 --> 00:13:51.345 So so in in in in here, we needed to stop and look inside ourself and and start he come and recognize that he has always been a relationship with god. 00:13:51.905 --> 00:13:55.685 Man has been discovered God in silence since the beginning of the time. 00:13:56.065 --> 00:14:09.840 And it's when we start praying, when we start putting attention, when we start seeing who is he for us, the important that he has in our life, in our being, in everything that we have. 00:14:11.020 --> 00:14:13.280 So so many people are grieving. 00:14:13.580 --> 00:14:15.120 So many people are suffering. 00:14:15.740 --> 00:14:21.265 So if he is in me, how I can help others to be in there? 00:14:21.645 --> 00:14:30.225 I remember during this time, I have friends, very beautiful friends that call me and said, can I please pray a mister Riodi Rosary with you in the phone? 00:14:30.770 --> 00:14:32.130 Or can we have a chat? 00:14:32.130 --> 00:14:40.390 Can we can we pray, the, you know, the novena or do divine mercy online in order to be accompanied to each other? 00:14:40.450 --> 00:14:49.455 People that suffered suffered the loss of people start get gathering together and praying these rosaries of comforting each other to different events and different things. 00:14:49.915 --> 00:15:07.680 And in the moment that we stop and look inside of ourselves, we know that Jesus is there, and he will give us the tools in order that we can fight, that we can be his hands, that we can be the person that he want us to be for him because we are vessels of his law. 00:15:07.900 --> 00:15:13.575 We are vessels of of of of his, of of of him to be in our lives. 00:15:16.675 --> 00:15:18.935 So what does this time means spiritually? 00:15:20.675 --> 00:15:23.815 What does it means about what we value and how we we live? 00:15:24.070 --> 00:15:27.130 How we can best accompany our people during this time? 00:15:27.990 --> 00:15:40.115 So we need to remember that the identity always come first, that we are childrens of God, that we are adopted of the father, that we are making to his imaginal likeness. 00:15:40.735 --> 00:15:51.635 So you we can never lose who we are even in the pandemic because we are still be his daughter and his sons, and and he is always with us until eternity. 00:15:52.530 --> 00:16:08.055 So, it's a time for us to reclaim who we are, who we are in Christ, and accept, accept his his invitation and say yes. 00:16:09.235 --> 00:16:18.375 Recently, we just, we just, read, the story of Andrew, one of the first apostle to be called. 00:16:18.755 --> 00:16:21.175 And do I am ready to say yes? 00:16:23.110 --> 00:16:27.370 Do I am ready to to give myself to help others? 00:16:27.750 --> 00:16:30.650 Do I am ready to give him my yes like Mary did? 00:16:30.710 --> 00:16:38.135 We are in Advent, and we are looking at her as a very good role model that he trust God, and he let it go. 00:16:38.515 --> 00:16:43.815 So what does this mean for each of us spiritually in a spirituality? 00:16:44.515 --> 00:16:47.495 Are I'm do I am ready to say yes to his call? 00:16:51.380 --> 00:16:54.360 It is for the present moment that the future is built. 00:16:55.140 --> 00:16:57.960 So this didn't happen just because it happened. 00:16:59.060 --> 00:17:00.920 God has always a purpose. 00:17:02.740 --> 00:17:09.465 God always permit something in order for us to grow, to purify ourselves, to become a better version of ourselves. 00:17:10.005 --> 00:17:19.225 So it's the moment in where our church needs to bold, courage, realistic, depth, hope, fill and insights and ideas for all different kind of people. 00:17:20.300 --> 00:17:32.080 And and, give our hearts, our minds, and our whole being in order that we can have a better tomorrow, that that we can that we can have a better tomorrow in in everything. 00:17:32.565 --> 00:17:37.065 It's time of rethinking the goals, structure, and style, and method of evangelization. 00:17:38.485 --> 00:17:40.265 This is the goal of today. 00:17:40.725 --> 00:17:45.225 What what what I can do to help in that new evangelization? 00:17:46.280 --> 00:17:49.500 What I can do to help others to have that love for Christ. 00:17:51.240 --> 00:17:56.300 So we have a goal, but we live in a very secular world. 00:17:57.640 --> 00:18:02.225 How we pray when we feel distracted and overwhelmed. 00:18:02.925 --> 00:18:09.345 How we pray when we are stressed, when we are grieving, when we have a thousand things that come in our way. 00:18:10.045 --> 00:18:14.545 How we pray when when when everything is against us. 00:18:15.110 --> 00:18:18.570 The question that I need to ask is, who is my king? 00:18:19.350 --> 00:18:20.570 Who is my king? 00:18:20.950 --> 00:18:24.010 Recently, we celebrate the calamity of Christ the king. 00:18:25.510 --> 00:18:32.135 And the Christ the king is the synthesis of the the internal salvation history. 00:18:32.755 --> 00:18:41.495 Cry Christ as the king, he has always been, and his kingdom will have will become evident until the end of the times. 00:18:42.630 --> 00:18:49.450 And Christ is our king, and we, his church, you, me, all, we are his church. 00:18:49.910 --> 00:18:52.090 We are his army. 00:18:53.190 --> 00:18:56.970 We are the people that will defend his kingdom. 00:18:58.435 --> 00:19:05.095 And, he he gave us peace because he said, the gates of hell will not prevail against it. 00:19:05.475 --> 00:19:10.375 We shall claim our our royal re right and notice our right royal call. 00:19:11.395 --> 00:19:13.255 We need to be the lights for Christ. 00:19:13.530 --> 00:19:29.475 We need to be the mini Christ that we were assigned in the moment that we were baptized, that we were confirmed, that we can be the mini Christ in order to bring, his his his word to others, in order to bring his message to others. 00:19:30.095 --> 00:19:51.700 And, and love instead of hate and hope in the instead of despair and have mercy instead of vengeance And show with the with with with with with him in ourselves because he is the one that is going to act in us to chose how to be merciful, forgive forgive, and forgive others. 00:19:53.095 --> 00:19:56.955 And in that way, we can help him to grow the kingdom. 00:19:59.815 --> 00:20:03.195 But, you know, we have many things. 00:20:03.735 --> 00:20:05.755 We want to be this mini Christ. 00:20:06.410 --> 00:20:09.710 We wanted to be that person that he want us to be. 00:20:10.010 --> 00:20:16.750 But I'm I'm honestly, I'm praying, and even my phone rings, I mean, my time of prayer. 00:20:16.810 --> 00:20:20.830 And I know it's my friends asking me, let's go to pray for this, let's go to pray for that. 00:20:21.915 --> 00:20:26.335 And, we can see that even good things sometimes can distract us. 00:20:26.475 --> 00:20:28.895 Sometimes we are reading and we forgot to pray. 00:20:29.115 --> 00:20:37.170 We we we are not really reading, spiritual books, but we are not really, really putting attention in what he's telling us. 00:20:38.130 --> 00:20:46.630 So we have a lot of different instructions, a lot of different things that that take take us away from from from from him. 00:20:47.490 --> 00:20:56.365 So what we really need is a a vital and convincing encounter with Christ as proclaimed as authentic witness. 00:21:00.425 --> 00:21:01.805 And how we can do that. 00:21:03.260 --> 00:21:07.760 So as San San Jeronimo say, ignorance of the scriptures is ignorance of god. 00:21:08.460 --> 00:21:17.995 So if we don't go to church, if we don't get his body and his blood to fill our souls, and we don't read the scriptures, and we don't meditate on them. 00:21:17.995 --> 00:21:18.955 We don't know him. 00:21:18.955 --> 00:21:20.575 It's like we're starting in the beginning. 00:21:20.875 --> 00:21:22.475 We are dating, but we don't know him. 00:21:22.475 --> 00:21:24.655 How we can love somebody that we don't know? 00:21:24.715 --> 00:21:30.670 How we can love somebody that that we don't know where he's come from, we don't know all the things that he have done. 00:21:30.810 --> 00:21:33.790 When we when we know that person and then we love that person. 00:21:34.170 --> 00:21:41.815 So when we encounter Christ in the in in in in the scriptures and then we start more thirsty for him. 00:21:41.955 --> 00:21:43.415 We want more of him. 00:21:43.715 --> 00:21:47.315 And then when we encounter Christ, we wanted to share it. 00:21:47.315 --> 00:21:48.935 We wanted to share it with others. 00:21:49.075 --> 00:21:54.420 And when two or three are gathered, Jesus said that I I I I am in the midst. 00:21:54.820 --> 00:21:56.580 So we need to encounter him. 00:21:56.580 --> 00:22:03.000 We need to to be with him in order that we can we can share, and then we can bring him to to another people. 00:22:05.060 --> 00:22:13.065 So true encounter with Christ, liberate something within us, a power that we didn't know that we had the capacity to grow and change. 00:22:13.605 --> 00:22:14.985 We hunger for Christ. 00:22:15.365 --> 00:22:17.065 We hunger for growing. 00:22:18.325 --> 00:22:22.265 But, Christopher will say very beautiful. 00:22:23.310 --> 00:22:27.330 We hunger for the banquet, and we sell it for the dumpster. 00:22:29.150 --> 00:22:30.770 We sell it from the dumpster. 00:22:31.870 --> 00:22:36.130 Do I really decided to go and get the banquet? 00:22:36.685 --> 00:22:39.025 Do I decided to go for Christ? 00:22:40.045 --> 00:22:43.905 Do I decided to put attention to him to go to his work? 00:22:43.965 --> 00:22:52.410 Or I settled for the Internet, for the Instagram, or for the Facebook that, oh my god. 00:22:52.410 --> 00:22:54.350 I cannot pray because all this happened. 00:22:54.490 --> 00:22:56.330 This is what is going on in here. 00:22:56.330 --> 00:22:57.770 This is what is going on in there. 00:22:57.770 --> 00:22:59.690 I I want to know what that person said. 00:22:59.690 --> 00:23:00.590 Oh my god. 00:23:00.650 --> 00:23:01.290 What is this? 00:23:01.290 --> 00:23:02.190 What is that? 00:23:02.745 --> 00:23:06.445 So we get into the dumpster. 00:23:07.065 --> 00:23:08.765 We don't go into the banquet. 00:23:09.545 --> 00:23:16.925 Father Juan Juan Maria Solana, give a talk about that is called feeding by dropping that have touched my life enormously. 00:23:18.190 --> 00:23:22.690 He said, what do I am feeding myself with? 00:23:23.390 --> 00:23:27.490 Do I am listen podcast that are distracting me from God? 00:23:27.950 --> 00:23:41.775 Do I am hearing a message of, that, that that that doesn't allow me to really continue with my values or my Catholic faith? 00:23:42.395 --> 00:23:50.410 Do I am going to to readings or pause or things that that that are not supportive of my Catholic faith? 00:23:51.270 --> 00:23:53.850 Where do I have my true encounter with Christ? 00:23:55.350 --> 00:23:56.810 Where do I find him? 00:23:56.950 --> 00:24:05.825 In all of these things that are not feeding me, that are feeding me by dropping, that are allowing me to change the way that I am, the way that I believe in him? 00:24:06.925 --> 00:24:17.460 Although I am really, really allowing me to go to the banquet, to choose him to be part of my life, to choose him to be the one that ruled my life. 00:24:20.400 --> 00:24:21.460 It's very sad. 00:24:21.840 --> 00:24:35.155 I work in in the University of Centenario as I say at the beginning, and, it's it's it's sometimes it's hard for me to see how the new generations, live all day with the phone. 00:24:35.935 --> 00:24:37.075 There is no connection. 00:24:37.535 --> 00:24:43.715 These students are walking in to the point that they cross the street looking at the phone or even checking if somebody can kill them or not. 00:24:44.280 --> 00:24:50.520 We are living in a world that they have the AirPods, and I'm trying to talk to them, and it's like, hey. 00:24:50.520 --> 00:24:50.680 Hey. 00:24:50.680 --> 00:24:51.000 Hey. 00:24:51.000 --> 00:24:54.300 And they have the AirPods in the ears, and they are not listening. 00:24:54.440 --> 00:24:55.740 They are not putting attention. 00:24:55.800 --> 00:24:57.100 They are not doing anything. 00:24:57.320 --> 00:25:01.155 They are just submerged into these technologies. 00:25:01.455 --> 00:25:05.215 And doc doctor Begonia, we do have somebody who raised their hand. 00:25:05.535 --> 00:25:06.275 It's Godfrey. 00:25:06.575 --> 00:25:09.055 So I'm gonna allow I'm gonna allow Godfrey to talk. 00:25:09.055 --> 00:25:10.015 He might have a question. 00:25:10.015 --> 00:25:13.075 So I'm gonna click this, and hopefully, we hear from Godfrey. 00:25:15.920 --> 00:25:16.420 Yes. 00:25:16.720 --> 00:25:17.520 Yes, Godfrey. 00:25:17.520 --> 00:25:18.580 You're on yes. 00:25:19.440 --> 00:25:19.940 Yes. 00:25:20.960 --> 00:25:22.820 Good afternoon, doctor. 00:25:23.520 --> 00:25:24.020 Yes. 00:25:25.680 --> 00:25:26.420 Good afternoon. 00:25:26.960 --> 00:25:27.700 Good afternoon. 00:25:29.285 --> 00:25:32.745 This is, brother Angelo from, Uganda. 00:25:34.405 --> 00:25:36.025 Thank you, father, for being here. 00:25:36.885 --> 00:25:37.385 Welcome. 00:25:39.045 --> 00:25:50.410 I I had sent, requests that if I could get this nice, beautiful presentation, it will it will be really my greatest joy. 00:25:50.790 --> 00:25:54.410 Doctor, thank you so much for the nice and beautiful presentation. 00:25:56.105 --> 00:25:57.805 It's really entering me. 00:25:58.825 --> 00:26:00.045 Thank you so much. 00:26:00.665 --> 00:26:01.405 Thank you. 00:26:02.105 --> 00:26:03.885 It's the holy spirit whispering. 00:26:04.025 --> 00:26:04.525 Welcome. 00:26:04.665 --> 00:26:05.625 Thanks be to God. 00:26:05.625 --> 00:26:06.105 Thank you. 00:26:06.105 --> 00:26:07.405 Thank you, brother Andrew. 00:26:08.025 --> 00:26:08.845 Thank you. 00:26:12.000 --> 00:26:24.180 So so coming back to to the true encounter with Christ is, do I am ready to proclaim the banquet, or do I ready to proclaim the dumpster? 00:26:25.255 --> 00:26:26.795 What is going to be my decision? 00:26:29.175 --> 00:26:43.850 So, sometimes, we don't want to have that true encounter with Christ because we are wounded, because we want to escape, because we don't want to really see what God want us to see. 00:26:45.110 --> 00:26:54.135 And so holiness is a matter of bringing our wills into union with God's will. 00:26:55.075 --> 00:26:59.415 My desire to be his desires will say my dear spiritual director. 00:27:01.075 --> 00:27:10.700 So I love love this picture, and I cannot put it in purpose because I people that know me would know I love rainbows. 00:27:11.720 --> 00:27:17.340 It's my love language we've got is through the sunsets and sunrise and to the rainbows. 00:27:17.775 --> 00:27:22.835 And the rainbow has seven colors, and the seven colors are the seven sacraments. 00:27:23.535 --> 00:27:31.395 And I feel like we are so blessed because the rainbow, we don't know where it start and when where it ends, and it's how god love is. 00:27:31.790 --> 00:27:34.530 We not we don't know where it start, where it ends. 00:27:34.750 --> 00:27:37.970 But this also remind me of the eucharistic. 00:27:39.390 --> 00:27:41.230 The eucharistic is in the center. 00:27:41.230 --> 00:27:50.555 The mass is in the center because when god does don't don't only want us to have a relationship with him with him. 00:27:51.175 --> 00:27:54.795 He want us to have an intimate relationship with him. 00:27:56.135 --> 00:28:00.420 He want us to be united with him. 00:28:05.200 --> 00:28:14.735 By accepting him in his infinite and outpouring of love and grace offered to us through life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we grow. 00:28:15.435 --> 00:28:18.735 And, and and we grow with Christ. 00:28:19.515 --> 00:28:21.535 And what I wanted to read is this. 00:28:22.715 --> 00:28:36.700 We are in intimate relationship with him because in the lie in the last night, he said, now as they were eating, Jesus took bread and blessed and break it and gave it to his disciples and say, take it. 00:28:36.700 --> 00:28:38.000 This is my body. 00:28:38.140 --> 00:28:44.505 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them and saying, drink of it. 00:28:44.745 --> 00:28:50.845 All of these is my blood of the covenant, which he's poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 00:28:51.305 --> 00:28:55.245 And he also said, I am the living bread that came from heaven. 00:28:55.385 --> 00:29:02.070 Whoever eat this bread will live forever, and the bread that I give is my flesh for the life of the world. 00:29:02.370 --> 00:29:09.350 Whoever eat my bread, my flesh and this, my blood remains in me as eternal life, and I raise them in the last day. 00:29:10.290 --> 00:29:14.150 My flesh is through food, and my blood is through drink for. 00:29:14.475 --> 00:29:18.495 Whatever eat my flesh and drink my blood remains in me and I'm in him. 00:29:20.395 --> 00:29:30.210 And just as the loving father send me, I will be like it because of the father's souls that one fits in me have life because of me. 00:29:32.210 --> 00:29:36.950 So that reminds me we have that intimate relationship with him. 00:29:37.650 --> 00:29:43.670 So I I listened to one of the talks of father Mike Smith, and I think that everybody loves father Mike Smith. 00:29:44.285 --> 00:29:53.345 And and I really, really love it because he said, we are invited to have a relationship with him, an intimate relationship with him. 00:29:53.885 --> 00:30:04.870 Because when we have the body and blood, take it in the in the sacrament of the holy mass, we are having an intimate relationship with him. 00:30:05.410 --> 00:30:12.230 As we take him in communion, he come into our body and he formed part of us. 00:30:12.290 --> 00:30:15.245 He fused with every single cell of my body. 00:30:15.705 --> 00:30:20.285 He transformed every single cell that I have when I have him in my heart. 00:30:20.825 --> 00:30:24.765 As as he transformed my heart, he become I become his tabernacle. 00:30:25.385 --> 00:30:30.240 I become like Mary carrying her baby in Jesus having him in me. 00:30:30.780 --> 00:30:35.520 And what a beautiful opportunity to have that, that he gave us with these sacraments. 00:30:36.300 --> 00:30:47.205 I remember, and I think that many of you maybe have the same experience that me, The first day of having mass after so many months that we didn't have mass. 00:30:47.745 --> 00:30:52.005 The day that they say the church is open, I just wanted to be there. 00:30:52.065 --> 00:30:55.045 I just wanted to go and receive his body and his blood. 00:30:55.210 --> 00:30:57.310 As I said, I received the holy communion. 00:30:58.010 --> 00:31:00.590 I was just like, oh my god. 00:31:00.650 --> 00:31:02.190 How much I miss you? 00:31:02.970 --> 00:31:04.510 I I look at myself. 00:31:04.650 --> 00:31:07.450 I was sobbing for people that know of me. 00:31:07.450 --> 00:31:09.870 And as you can see already, I'm a crier. 00:31:10.250 --> 00:31:14.475 I'm very I get very emotional with especially with my spiritual life. 00:31:15.255 --> 00:31:21.035 And that day, I was sobbing I was sobbing of happiness to receive him again. 00:31:21.095 --> 00:31:29.390 As I look at some of my other friends at church and people around, I saw everybody was sobbing, crying of joy or judgement. 00:31:29.770 --> 00:31:37.770 Because now we know that this holiness is a bring us to in union with God, and this is what we needed. 00:31:37.770 --> 00:31:39.470 We need this in our lives. 00:31:39.775 --> 00:31:44.435 So we need to decided to take this banquet and not take the the dumpster. 00:31:46.495 --> 00:31:48.595 So but we don't need to do this alone. 00:31:49.695 --> 00:32:00.230 As I say here, Joseph was an spiritual thought tutor by Moses, Elisha and by Elijah, David by Nathan, Paul by Barnabas, Timothy by Paul, Mark by Peter. 00:32:01.090 --> 00:32:07.190 God knows that sometimes we need a companion, that we cannot do all of this alone. 00:32:08.035 --> 00:32:11.095 And one very beautiful example is in the Old Testament. 00:32:12.195 --> 00:32:18.855 In two Kings twelve one three, it says that Joash reigned in Jerusalem for forty years. 00:32:19.235 --> 00:32:22.455 Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. 00:32:22.690 --> 00:32:26.630 All the years, Johida, the priest instructed him. 00:32:27.090 --> 00:32:35.590 The the tragedy of king Joash of Judah is that after his mentor and guardian died, he began to listen the weekend advisers. 00:32:36.370 --> 00:32:38.150 And I can testify for that. 00:32:38.525 --> 00:32:42.225 I am a scientist, and I go to a work that is very secular. 00:32:42.845 --> 00:32:47.405 And, of course, there are days that, I have problems with my students. 00:32:47.405 --> 00:32:48.685 I have problems with my boss. 00:32:48.685 --> 00:32:50.865 There are sometimes that I want to kill somebody. 00:32:51.645 --> 00:32:57.370 And as as as I talk to my coworkers, they could say, oh, don't let him to do that. 00:32:57.370 --> 00:32:58.090 He's mean. 00:32:58.090 --> 00:33:07.665 Don't let don't let to, don't don't don't you need to do something, and you need to fight it, and you need to do that. 00:33:08.065 --> 00:33:17.045 And as I as I pray and and take a time, I call my spiritual director, and my spiritual director said, let's go to think. 00:33:17.265 --> 00:33:19.205 Maybe he's he's having a bad day. 00:33:19.790 --> 00:33:21.410 Maybe he has another perspective. 00:33:21.550 --> 00:33:24.610 Let's go ask god why he's permitting this to happen. 00:33:25.390 --> 00:33:30.770 So the the role of the spiritual director is very, very important in our lives. 00:33:30.910 --> 00:33:33.650 We have a beautiful example with Santa Teresa de Avila. 00:33:34.355 --> 00:33:37.495 She we all know she's a great saint. 00:33:38.035 --> 00:33:40.855 But she was she was having in some way she has a scrupulosity. 00:33:41.475 --> 00:33:55.020 And she was thinking that all his her visions were from the devil that were not from god until she was blessed by having a spiritual director that helped her to to to to change the way that she was thinking. 00:33:55.400 --> 00:34:04.205 So for that, it's important that we have a spiritual director, that we are be that we are guide for somebody that have faith and love to Christ. 00:34:05.305 --> 00:34:08.365 And many, many saints have spiritual directors. 00:34:08.665 --> 00:34:24.060 We know Saint Ignacio of Loyola, is the pattern of spiritual directors with the spiritual exercises, accompaniment, and he he teaches how he he teaches many ways in where we can discern and how we can help others to discern. 00:34:25.720 --> 00:34:41.655 And they have they have we are very blessed to have many of their writings and and and of their things that help us to to, to know how how how to help others in this journey. 00:34:43.555 --> 00:34:56.630 And, Pope Benedict sixteen said, he has regular call for everyone, priests, religious, and lady to place themselves on the the guidance of the spiritual directors. 00:34:57.250 --> 00:35:02.965 Spiritual directors are instruments of holy spirit and foremost in the way of holiness. 00:35:03.185 --> 00:35:08.565 They are coaches that speak from the knowledge and experience of the faith and lie athletic training. 00:35:08.705 --> 00:35:10.405 It can be arduous and frustrated. 00:35:10.705 --> 00:35:20.940 It's an spiritual exercise that demands regularity, a devotion for the work of the holy spirit in the process, and a hon a humble, teachable heart. 00:35:21.640 --> 00:35:23.580 So we cannot do this alone. 00:35:23.800 --> 00:35:26.860 We have somebody that we that can help us in this journey. 00:35:29.325 --> 00:35:45.200 And the gen the general purpose of the spiritual director, direction is identical what what with that of whole economy of salvation, aiding the directee to love god with the whole heart, soul, and mind and the neighbor as himself. 00:35:45.660 --> 00:35:51.360 So spiritual direction bring us back to ourselves by a way of fidelity to god. 00:35:51.900 --> 00:35:59.675 It is a process of inner awakening, rising the conscious be beyond the ordinary, Everyday is existency. 00:36:00.775 --> 00:36:03.835 And and to know the the truth that we have inside. 00:36:04.775 --> 00:36:12.315 So we need to be realistic of who we are and all the good and the bad that we have. 00:36:13.340 --> 00:36:31.535 And the spiritual director help us to see all the circumstances of life and, and what we have in our hearts and in our minds and to put it in the in the presence of God and detach and detach from sin and detach from these these lies of the evil one that always is tried to temptate us. 00:36:32.555 --> 00:37:09.460 There is a song that I I love that I always said to the person that I guy is like, the son said, tell the devil not today, not today, because he is always looking for opportunities to distract us, to make us feel miserable, and and, you know, I'm we're I am very blessed that I have a spiritual director that helped me to see how the the evil is is attacking me and and to and she have helped me in many years to recognize the the voice of god and to know when he's really talking to me and when the evil is talking to me. 00:37:11.200 --> 00:37:20.340 So the spiritual direction is the art of a accompaniment, which teaches to remove our sandals before the sacred crown of the others. 00:37:21.575 --> 00:37:29.755 So as you know, this came from the Exodus when, when Moses came to that to the to the burning bush. 00:37:30.455 --> 00:37:37.750 And so he came closer to the bush and consider it further, god has claims to him, do not come near. 00:37:37.750 --> 00:37:39.690 Remove your sandals from your feet. 00:37:40.310 --> 00:37:42.970 For the place where you stand is holy ground. 00:37:43.110 --> 00:37:44.870 I am god of the father. 00:37:44.870 --> 00:37:45.690 He continue. 00:37:46.465 --> 00:37:50.165 The god of Abraham, the god of Isaac, and the god of Jacob. 00:37:51.905 --> 00:38:08.870 So in a spiritual direction, we need to be as reverent as to take away our sandals too Because we are walking in the holy in the holy, in the holy ground of the other soul. 00:38:09.090 --> 00:38:10.470 So we need to be respectful. 00:38:11.170 --> 00:38:12.390 We need to be loving. 00:38:12.450 --> 00:38:13.670 We need to be humble. 00:38:13.945 --> 00:38:20.365 We need to be the vessel of God in order that we can we can go in the second ground of the other. 00:38:20.745 --> 00:38:33.080 This is my favorite my favorite sentence of spiritual direction because I ask God who I am that you allow me to walk in the sacred ground of the other one. 00:38:33.460 --> 00:38:34.660 I know it's not me. 00:38:34.660 --> 00:38:36.280 It's you that live in me. 00:38:36.420 --> 00:38:39.560 Help me to always respect the person that you put in my path. 00:38:39.700 --> 00:38:44.475 Help me to always be the vessel of your love so I can I can be that person for you? 00:38:47.355 --> 00:39:00.810 So, a spiritual director has a primar agenda to assist the directee in attending god who is always present and pursuing us. 00:39:01.350 --> 00:39:10.170 So the spiritual director is always, always, always focused on the directing, one relationship with our true god. 00:39:10.630 --> 00:39:15.745 And as we can see here in the in this slide, God is in the center always. 00:39:16.765 --> 00:39:19.905 And then is this communication with the direct team. 00:39:20.125 --> 00:39:27.505 We are just the vector that help to for them to see to for them to put the dots together. 00:39:28.205 --> 00:39:34.360 So the primary, the primary goal is the conversation with goal and the directee. 00:39:34.900 --> 00:39:43.160 And the secondary communicate the secondary, conversations are between goal and the director and the director with the directee. 00:39:44.385 --> 00:39:50.405 And we need to be very careful that we don't bring our own our own goods to them. 00:39:50.465 --> 00:39:54.725 Because sometimes people that we guide can have some of the same good that we have. 00:39:54.865 --> 00:40:04.650 But we need to let the holy spirit to just act through us in order that we can be the true vessels of his love for the people that he invite us to accompany. 00:40:06.470 --> 00:40:23.935 When the spirit when the holy spirit is evoked in conjunction with the loving companionship of the spiritual director, as a a sacred space is created and allowed the director to reflect, grow, discern, notings, and respond to God in their life, with demand to grow in the margin of Christ. 00:40:25.380 --> 00:40:28.280 So we need to let the holy spirit talk. 00:40:28.980 --> 00:40:31.480 We are not the person. 00:40:31.620 --> 00:40:38.375 We are the vessel of the holy spirit, and we need to let the holy spirit, be part of the conversation. 00:40:38.835 --> 00:40:49.410 And we only can be the we only can let the Holy Spirit to work if we have, as a director, a very, very deep relationship with God. 00:40:49.650 --> 00:40:54.070 You will let the holy spirit to be part of our lives, to be part of where who we are. 00:40:54.370 --> 00:40:58.690 A person that is not a faithful person cannot be an spiritual director. 00:40:58.690 --> 00:41:04.950 If a person doesn't have a very good prayer life, cannot be a director because he cannot receive the holy spirit. 00:41:06.035 --> 00:41:09.895 So the true director in this relationship is always the holy spirit. 00:41:10.115 --> 00:41:18.775 The spiritual director's role is to pray for put themselves aside and be totally attentive to the to the to the needs of the direct of the of the directee. 00:41:20.480 --> 00:41:28.340 And the spiritual director, as I said, help connect the dots that sometimes because of our wounds, we cannot connect. 00:41:29.120 --> 00:41:35.165 And god is the light that we humans are his hands are his hands. 00:41:36.025 --> 00:41:40.185 And he knows that that, that he will assist us. 00:41:40.185 --> 00:41:41.545 He will never let us alone. 00:41:41.545 --> 00:41:45.165 He will give us the light of the holy spirit in order that we can be his hands. 00:41:45.465 --> 00:41:47.405 He never never abandon us. 00:41:49.910 --> 00:41:55.770 And spiritual direction is a mystery of mystery of holy spirit presence in attempt to best. 00:41:56.630 --> 00:42:05.265 It has a one on one confidential relationship between an individual and a direct seeking a deeper awareness of god's presence in their lives. 00:42:06.045 --> 00:42:08.545 We really need to learn how to listen. 00:42:09.165 --> 00:42:21.780 We listen normally thinking what the person haven't even finished to talk when we already know in our heads what we wanted to say because we are not really listen what the person had in the heart. 00:42:22.000 --> 00:42:23.600 We are listening what we wanted to say. 00:42:23.600 --> 00:42:25.620 We are putting to store our self centeredness. 00:42:26.240 --> 00:42:36.835 So when we really, really do holy listening, we forget about ourselves, and we can really, really go to the heart of the other person and that for the other person can be a healing. 00:42:39.215 --> 00:42:42.675 And we can meet the person where they are. 00:42:42.735 --> 00:42:44.515 We are not going to judge them. 00:42:44.575 --> 00:42:46.035 We all have goons. 00:42:46.320 --> 00:42:48.800 But the word goons don't define us. 00:42:48.800 --> 00:42:57.780 What define us is that we are the beloved sons and daughters of god, and we are here to help each other to go to walk in this journey. 00:42:58.400 --> 00:43:01.300 And we need to meet them where they are. 00:43:01.605 --> 00:43:03.705 Some are more broken than another ones. 00:43:03.845 --> 00:43:09.145 But when we really accompany them in the presence of the holy spirit, this is a healing for them. 00:43:09.925 --> 00:43:20.730 And this dynamic of spiritual direction help the directee to found self discovery, integration of faith, healing, and a personal transformation. 00:43:21.590 --> 00:43:31.995 And and after that, they start increasing and and deepen their relationship with Christ, and they experience healing and mercy as never before. 00:43:35.975 --> 00:43:46.370 What I am only can be received for the one who gives me his full attention, who is present to me and becomes aware of what I am, and that I am good and worthwhile. 00:43:47.470 --> 00:43:49.230 Isn't it that we all feel like that? 00:43:49.230 --> 00:43:57.745 When we know when we have a friend that really listen, that really put attention, that really care for us, we feel love. 00:43:57.965 --> 00:43:59.325 We feel taken care. 00:43:59.325 --> 00:44:01.585 And this delight is in my goodness. 00:44:01.885 --> 00:44:09.505 And I'm revealed back to myself as good, and I am no longer the revealed by the lies of the evil one. 00:44:11.870 --> 00:44:13.570 But we also need to be vulnerable. 00:44:14.270 --> 00:44:19.970 We need to our let our vulnerability to be open because if we are not vulnerable, we cannot heal. 00:44:20.590 --> 00:44:23.730 So we need our vulnerability to come. 00:44:23.885 --> 00:44:25.585 We need we need healing. 00:44:25.725 --> 00:44:34.225 If we if we close our goons in that in in in in a in a pocket, we cannot reach that today. 00:44:34.285 --> 00:44:38.145 So in order that we can be healed, we need to go to that pocket like an infection. 00:44:38.520 --> 00:44:43.720 We need to open that goon and go inside in order that we can get all of these that is infecting us. 00:44:43.720 --> 00:44:55.675 And in that way, we can we can be healed, and we can be we can be able to receive that love and that mercy that god wants us to see and be joyful because he's there. 00:44:56.855 --> 00:44:57.255 Yes. 00:44:57.255 --> 00:45:04.555 And god values our vulnerability for this response, their goons, bodies, and hearts to him, they get free. 00:45:04.935 --> 00:45:06.315 And this is the big prize. 00:45:07.060 --> 00:45:14.680 And we as a spiritual director can help that person to go deeper in this sentiment and to see the wounds and in order that they can be healed. 00:45:15.540 --> 00:45:16.840 But we need to be passion. 00:45:17.380 --> 00:45:18.120 Have passion. 00:45:18.180 --> 00:45:19.960 God isn't finished yet. 00:45:20.020 --> 00:45:22.280 We are all in progress. 00:45:23.115 --> 00:45:27.535 The world is redeemed by the passions of god and is destroyed by the impassion of man. 00:45:27.915 --> 00:45:30.575 We want things to happen today, now. 00:45:31.115 --> 00:45:36.575 But god always work in his own time because our healing needs time. 00:45:37.510 --> 00:45:46.090 And he let us see after the journey how important was that we were patient, that we let him work in his own time. 00:45:47.190 --> 00:45:58.675 And deep relationship could can be healed to the deeper relationship that we improve with God, that we develop with God, that we are closest to him. 00:45:59.215 --> 00:46:05.235 Who is himself a perfect interpersonal relationship of love, father, son, and holy spirit? 00:46:05.535 --> 00:46:11.350 Help us to enjoy that, to to have that relationship of love. 00:46:11.810 --> 00:46:25.165 He invite us, like like we say, in the more part in the more important part part of the of the mass, with Christ with him, with him, within him, and in him to the father in the union of the holy spirit. 00:46:25.225 --> 00:46:26.765 He invite us to be that. 00:46:27.305 --> 00:46:31.885 And, that happened when we when we trace our relation with with God. 00:46:32.505 --> 00:46:42.810 And if the spiritual direction is live well, it can become a test of heaven as the depths of the solar open and the self giving love of God becomes more intimately visible and tangible. 00:46:43.510 --> 00:46:55.415 And it is beautiful to know when a person said, I am closer to God because, because I've been coming to spiritual direction, and we are not looking for that. 00:46:55.415 --> 00:47:04.080 We are not looking for the price or for or for the, you know, the gratification because we know that we are doing the the kind of job. 00:47:05.520 --> 00:47:17.540 So do you think that the church will have many more saints, priests, consecrated men and women, faithful husband and wives, a single and single people of generous soul receiving more serious spiritual direction? 00:47:19.085 --> 00:47:32.385 If you and me say yes to be an spiritual director, if you and me decided to give ourselves to this minister, many, many more souls will be close to Christ. 00:47:32.860 --> 00:47:42.560 And if we are close to Christ, as the gospel of today said, we can have we can have more houses built in rock, not in sand. 00:47:43.020 --> 00:47:45.760 We can have no post Christian time. 00:47:46.185 --> 00:47:49.885 We can have a Christian time because we live with Christ here and now. 00:47:50.825 --> 00:48:02.090 So I invite you to take it really, really into account and really, really think about giving a chance to go to become an spiritual director. 00:48:02.470 --> 00:48:03.690 We need many people. 00:48:03.750 --> 00:48:14.650 I can tell you after the pandemic, I have more people reaching out, try to be, try to help us, more help to to try to have an spiritual director. 00:48:14.805 --> 00:48:16.245 So we need more people. 00:48:16.245 --> 00:48:17.465 We need you, Jess. 00:48:18.085 --> 00:48:22.345 So I invite you to to take it, to discern, and to answer his call. 00:48:22.645 --> 00:48:23.385 Thank you. 00:48:25.925 --> 00:48:27.385 Thank you, doctor Begonia. 00:48:28.710 --> 00:48:43.555 And, and people have been messaging me over the last I mean, I guess the the last two years almost, and people are mentioning that there wherever their diocese or churches in the world that, it's the masses did not stop. 00:48:43.615 --> 00:48:46.975 So so that's great, and we we hear the word essential a lot. 00:48:46.975 --> 00:48:54.990 And some of the diocese in in The United States and the churches were closed and but this is we hear the word essential, and this is so essential. 00:48:54.990 --> 00:48:55.310 Right? 00:48:55.310 --> 00:48:57.410 Our faith, the sacraments, the Eucharist. 00:48:57.870 --> 00:49:02.770 So thanks be to God for the priest and for the bishops who who left the doors open. 00:49:03.070 --> 00:49:05.330 People were going to adoration during the pandemic. 00:49:05.390 --> 00:49:07.905 And, the the the show must go on. 00:49:07.905 --> 00:49:09.105 One of my priests said that. 00:49:09.265 --> 00:49:10.645 The show must go on. 00:49:10.865 --> 00:49:13.365 But, yes, moving on to the program itself. 00:49:14.385 --> 00:49:19.285 These are the six courses of the two year spiritual direction certificate program. 00:49:19.750 --> 00:49:24.010 And, the application deadline for spring twenty twenty two is December 15. 00:49:24.710 --> 00:49:26.950 So that is thirteen days away. 00:49:26.950 --> 00:49:47.020 So, if, you know, after seeing this presentation, and, you know, doctor Begonia is an alumni, if this is speaking to you, if the holy spirit is speaking to you, and if your finances are there and you've been on our website and you just you've done some discerning of your own, by all means, if spring twenty twenty two is doable, feel free to apply. 00:49:47.400 --> 00:49:52.940 If you're not quite there, like, if everything's there but you're still looking for a spiritual director because that's a prerequisite. 00:49:53.400 --> 00:50:02.435 If you're still looking for a spiritual director but you know someone else who does have a spiritual director and and who is equally qualified, if not more qualified, refer them. 00:50:02.435 --> 00:50:04.215 Word-of-mouth is always important. 00:50:05.075 --> 00:50:12.615 I think our program, a lot of referrals, a lot of alumni are spreading the good news, I mean, the gospel, and then also the good news of the program. 00:50:12.890 --> 00:50:14.090 But this is the track. 00:50:14.330 --> 00:50:17.150 So in the spring, SDC 100. 00:50:18.010 --> 00:50:20.330 That would be spring twenty twenty two. 00:50:20.330 --> 00:50:21.950 That's the upcoming start. 00:50:22.730 --> 00:50:24.810 And I'm looking if there's any more questions. 00:50:24.810 --> 00:50:27.855 Doctor Begonia, a lot of people are thanking you right now. 00:50:28.175 --> 00:50:29.235 So great presentation. 00:50:29.935 --> 00:50:33.555 But on the next slide, you can find our contact information. 00:50:34.175 --> 00:50:35.535 Thank you for your time. 00:50:35.775 --> 00:50:37.615 So look at this information here. 00:50:37.615 --> 00:50:39.215 You have my email address. 00:50:39.535 --> 00:50:42.115 Please shoot me an email if you're interested. 00:50:42.760 --> 00:50:50.140 If spring twenty twenty two, like I said, the deadline's thirteen days away, if that's too soon, but you're looking to the summer semester. 00:50:50.440 --> 00:50:52.300 Summer semester starts in May. 00:50:52.600 --> 00:50:55.500 Fall twenty twenty two starts in August. 00:50:56.115 --> 00:50:58.455 So by all means, shoot me an email if you're interested. 00:50:58.755 --> 00:51:00.695 That is my direct work number. 00:51:01.235 --> 00:51:04.115 Doctor Begonia's personal Gmail account is there. 00:51:04.115 --> 00:51:06.055 She's been so generous to share that. 00:51:06.435 --> 00:51:13.870 But, definitely, this video will be posted on YouTube, and I believe it will also be emailed out, sent around. 00:51:13.930 --> 00:51:16.670 But, yes, we do have divine mercy has a YouTube channel. 00:51:17.130 --> 00:51:23.930 But, please, I mean, spiritual direction, like, we don't want, as doctor Begonia said, a post Christian world, question Marvin. 00:51:23.930 --> 00:51:24.170 No. 00:51:24.170 --> 00:51:26.305 Like, we want we want the new evangelization. 00:51:26.605 --> 00:51:31.405 We want young people especially, to come back to the faith, to learn about the faith. 00:51:31.405 --> 00:51:35.885 Some people now, people my age, don't even know what Catholicism is. 00:51:35.885 --> 00:51:37.585 Some people have never heard of the church. 00:51:38.440 --> 00:51:40.200 So and and that's no fault of their own. 00:51:40.200 --> 00:51:40.360 Right? 00:51:40.360 --> 00:51:43.580 That's where compassion comes in and people spreading the good news. 00:51:43.720 --> 00:51:47.000 And and they're having conversations with people, face to face. 00:51:47.000 --> 00:51:47.240 You know? 00:51:47.240 --> 00:51:52.460 And and sometimes during the pandemic, we were very used to the video calls, and the video calls are so convenient. 00:51:52.685 --> 00:51:55.985 How we're doing this now communicating with people all across the world. 00:51:56.045 --> 00:51:58.545 But there is something about meeting face to face. 00:51:59.405 --> 00:52:03.185 But I I still see thanks coming in in the in the chat, which is great. 00:52:03.565 --> 00:52:08.305 But this will be posted, so stay tuned and be on the lookout for an email. 00:52:09.060 --> 00:52:13.640 And like I said, our contact information is here, for future correspondence. 00:52:14.340 --> 00:52:20.440 But, yes, spring twenty twenty two, if you're very set on the program, do apply. 00:52:21.345 --> 00:52:22.725 Thank you very much, everyone. 00:52:23.025 --> 00:52:25.365 So I wanted to say if I can say something, Chris. 00:52:25.665 --> 00:52:29.665 Besides if if anybody that is interested would like to talk to me, you have my email. 00:52:29.665 --> 00:52:31.365 I will be happy to talk to anybody. 00:52:32.865 --> 00:52:36.725 And thank you very much for being here, everybody, and thank you for your support. 00:52:37.640 --> 00:52:42.920 Thank you, and I'm happy advent to everyone, and enjoy the feast and the nativity coming up. 00:52:42.920 --> 00:52:43.820 Oh oh, Godfrey. 00:52:43.880 --> 00:52:44.200 Yes. 00:52:44.360 --> 00:52:51.755 I I I see let me before we go, brother Angelo. 00:52:52.215 --> 00:52:52.715 Yes. 00:52:53.815 --> 00:52:54.315 Yes. 00:52:54.775 --> 00:52:55.915 Thank you so much. 00:52:55.975 --> 00:52:57.755 It has been so sweet. 00:52:59.015 --> 00:52:59.675 We appreciate. 00:52:59.895 --> 00:53:01.355 We are happy here in Uganda. 00:53:03.010 --> 00:53:07.270 God bless you, and we'll wait to see you again. 00:53:09.330 --> 00:53:09.810 Thank you. 00:53:09.810 --> 00:53:10.450 Thank you. 00:53:10.450 --> 00:53:11.190 Thank you. 00:53:11.250 --> 00:53:13.590 If you allow me, I would like to close with a prayer. 00:53:13.650 --> 00:53:15.970 In the name of the father, the son, and the holy spirit. 00:53:15.970 --> 00:53:16.470 Amen? 00:53:16.755 --> 00:53:17.255 Amen. 00:53:17.795 --> 00:53:22.775 We thank you, God, for this time, for open our hearts to know you better. 00:53:23.395 --> 00:53:29.815 Help us to keep our word just like Mary did with all our heart, with our soul, and with our mind. 00:53:30.330 --> 00:53:37.550 And we thank you for the many blessing that you have bring us, especially for the gift of faith and for the gift of our Catholic faith. 00:53:38.010 --> 00:53:46.065 And, we thank you for the priest and for the bishop and all the consecrated people that help us to be close to you. 00:53:46.945 --> 00:53:48.545 Jesus Christ, we pray today. 00:53:48.545 --> 00:53:49.045 Amen. 00:53:50.065 --> 00:53:52.085 And also for Divine Mercy University. 00:53:52.385 --> 00:53:52.885 Amen. 00:53:56.065 --> 00:53:57.025 Thank you, everyone. 00:53:57.025 --> 00:54:00.085 And, we will stay in touch, and we'll see you next month.