Every year, the friars of the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico conduct a spiritual retreat. They recently celebrated their retreat for 2024.
This year’s retreat was offered in two rounds, which allowed all of the friars to participate without neglecting their pastoral commitments. The retreats were held June 17-21 and 24-28, at the María Inmaculada Friary in the State of Mexico. They were led by Friar Pablo JARAMILLO ESCOBAR, OFM Cap., one of the friars in charge of formation for the Capuchin Poor Clares at the nearby Santa Verónica Giuliani Monastery.
The theme of the retreat was very educational and the topics were well known and had been studied before. Nevertheless, the speaker’s experience and methodology greatly helped and enriched the participants. The friars explored such topics as prayer, how to approach the Word of God, the vows, and more. The content was filled with references to the lives and writings of Francis and Clare of Assisi, and quotes from those sources as well.
The friars attended three lectures each day. They also took part in communal liturgical prayer, periods of reflection, personal interiorization, and shared meals. Silence was not rigorously observed, but God still worked generously with the participants. All of the friars enjoyed and profited from this time of grace. We pray to God that the fruits of this retreat may remain imprinted in their minds and hearts.
Friar Jorge HERNÁNDEZ DE LUNA
