Outpouring of the Holy Spirit onto an unwanted infant and a brave teenage mother

In our community we have experienced in a real way the Holy Spirit as he descended upon Baby Georgina during her baptism this past week.

This last Wednesday between Pentecost Sunday and Trinity Sunday our small community here were blessed to have the opportunity to celebrate mass. And sweet baby Georgina who is only three months old was able to receive her sacrament of Baptism. A miracle in itself due to the fact that her 15 year old mother was desiring an abortion just three months ago.

So, baby Georgina’s baptism day was something to celebrate as her little soul would receive the Holy Spirit and she would become the youngest member of our little community here in Santa Clara.

But what was not really expected was the visible outpouring of the Holy Spirit that our community experienced during her baptism. Do not misunderstand, we did not see a dove come from above and descend upon sweet baby Georgina as in the case of Jesus’s baptism (Mt 3:16), nor was it the same experience that the disciples had when Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit upon them (Jn 20), nor did we see tongues like flames of fire as the disciples saw. (Acts 2:3)

Instead, while I held baby Georgina while Father Gilber poured water over her head and anointed her with the Chrism oil, baby Georgina did not cry, she miraculously begins to smile, and she held this smile during the entire baptism ceremony.

The effects of seeing the Holy Spirit descend on this sweet baby made tears swell up in all of us, Father had to take a minute to compose himself so that he could finish pronouncing the Baptism Rite as he was obviously moved by the presence of the Holy Spirit just as much as her young mother Tonya and I were. It was as if Georgina was truly aware she was a child of God and she was touched by him in this moment. Her smile was present due to the fact she knew that he was pleased with her and delighted over her as his creation.

If you have been following our journey with Tonya you may remember that from the moment, I was informed that she was pregnant, I knew we as a community needed to support Tonya and her baby. My desire was to bring the truth to our community that this child was a gift from God and not a mistake. My desire was that our community would not join in on the gossip surrounding the pregnancy but rather that we together would focus on celebrating and welcoming the gift of a new life within our community. I fully believe that what we experienced as a community this week was the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in order to make known the love of God who is hidden from us, so that all the hearts in our little town can experience his love, and he has done that through a small unwanted infant named Georgina and a sweet brave teenage mother named Tonya!

Thank you for everyone who makes such great sacrifices in their lives so that Gabriel and I can live in solidarity with the poor. Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to journey with and to love those who have not yet experienced true love!

May we all learn to love like Jesus!

Mission Post: Casa de Santa María Magdalena: Caserio Santa Clara Peru

Follow the link below to learn more about Santa Maria Magdelana´s home, its mission, and how to partner with us.

https://www.familymissionscompany.com/santa-maria.../

Recognizing the need to maintain one's spiritual health.

 

Here at Casa de Santa Maria Magdalena, Gabriel and I have been blessed to have the opportunity to serve some of our ministry leaders of the Catholic Diocese. We held two different retreats focused on the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ingnatius.

Our prayers and desires of holding the two retreats were to give an opportunity to those who are in ministry roles in more populated areas of our diocese recognize the need to maintain their spiritual health. We were blessed to have Padre Niño Vásquez SJ who journeyed from Lima who is an expert in St Ignatius’s Spiritual Exercise’s lead the retreats.

The 1^st retreat we welcomed 27 women and, on the 2nd, retreat we received 14 men and 7 women join us for three days. Though it was not the common 8 day or 30-day retreat that most people make it was most definitely a great introduction for those who attended, and it gave them the most important tools associated with Saint Ignatius’s spiritual exercises which are attended to deepen one’s relationship with God through mediations, prayer and contemplative practices.  With the goal to deepen one’s relationship with Jesus Christ, to help them become free from disorders, and attachments so they may discover their identity, and mission.

 

We are so thankful to everyone who partners with us through prayer and by their financial sacrifices. Without you this retreat would not have been possible.

 

If you are interested in learning more about Saint Ignatian spirituality and his spiritual exercises, than I encourage you to follow the proceeding link to learn more. https://www.ignatianspirituality.com/ignatian-prayer/the-spiritual-exercises/