On Saturday, December 4th, Fr. Matt Lowry arrived in Tonopah AZ with a few car loads of college students from Northern Arizona University.  They accepted the invitation to COME AND SEE the marvels of the Lord in this far away place of solitude and prayer.  After three hours in the car and a jostling ride on about 5 miles of dirt roads, they came at long last to Our Lady of Solitude.  
This was our first full-fledged group retreat day – complete with Mass, a tour of the Chapel, lunch, confessions, personal prayer time, and concluding with Benediction.  The students had a chance to chat with some of the Sisters – and we had a chance to get to know these faith-filled young people.  It was a wonderful day from start to finish.  It made me think of Pope Benedict’s words to youth:  

Make space for prayer in your lives! To pray alone is good, although it is even more beautiful and fruitful to pray together, because the Lord assured us he would be present wherever two or three are gathered in his name (cf. Mt 18:20).

A great big SHOUT OUT OF GRATITUDE to the awesome NAU students for spending their Saturday in prayer together with us!  Come back soon!!!
If you know a group of young people that would be interested in making a COME AND SEE Vocation Discernment retreat, email us at [email protected]
Fr. Matt Lowry, Sr. John-Mark Maria and some NAU students!
Adoration and Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament in our in-house Chapel
This past week was splendid!  We were blessed to have Fr. Mariusz, CFR and Br. Francis, CFR with us as they took some time for retreat.  What a great Advent grace to have such good friends and role models in our midst.
During their stay, on the Second Sunday of Advent, we had the Enthronement of the Sacred Heart in our new home.  What a beautiful ceremony!  Have you had an image of the Sacred Heart enthroned in your home?  If not, click here to read more about the ceremony!  There are many graces attached to such a devotion.  One of the 12 promises of the Sacred Heart, as recorded by St. Margaret Mary is:  

“I will bless those places wherein the image of My Sacred Heart shall be exposed and venerated.”

 The Lord is faithful to His promises.  There was such an outpouring of grace and peace that came upon our new home as Jesus was enthroned anew as King of our home and King of our hearts.
Fr. Mariusz reading from the Enthronement of the Sacred Heart ceremonial
As part of the ceremony of the Enthronement, the priest blesses the house.  Here the Sister process behind Father and Brother
And this leads me to this one final thought: Advent is a time of hope that God’s promises will be fulfilled!  I pray that your Advent leads you to a greater realization of His Love.  Trust Him…for He is a promise-keeper! 
 

“He has promised to men that they will be like God; to mortals he has promised immortality; to sinners, righteousness; to the lowly, glory.”  – St. Augustine