A friend of mine was in town and wanted to visit San Juan
Capistrano Mission. No matter how many
times I have been to this beautiful site, I always learn so much from walking
the grounds. We got to the chapel as the
priests were praying beautifully in Gregorian Chant and my heart filled with
the musical prayers. The first time I
heard Gregorian Chant was at my first retreat with an Old Catholic Church that
I was attending and the sounds of old- did wonders in terms of healing and
giving me an encounter with God. The chanting
took me back in time, back to the time Jesus walked the earth; but it also gave
me a vision of what was to come. I remember
I wanted to know if my brother was in a good place, after committing suicide
and I asked God with such strength to give me a sign that my brother was at
peace. And the Gregorian chant took me
to a garden where I was embraced, sandwiched in between Jesus and my brother in
a tight embrace. This vision into the
future gave me so much peace and something to look forward to.
Gregorian Chant carries so much power that every time I hear
it, my heart immediately finds peace. Thus, arriving at the chapel as the
father’s prayed was truly a blessing because no matter how many tourist toured
the grounds for a moment I was lifted into the heart of God. Since, I had been reading about the life of
Saint Junipero Serra and his strong faith in leaving his familiar realm to evangelize
the New World, I too craved for holiness and being surrounded by such heavenly
sounds made this desire ever more possible.
I also like going to the Abbey where Gregorian Chant is prayed along
with the Liturgy of the Hours by the extremely talented monks. While the music is so lovely to hear, it has
a power to quiet the mind to enter immediately into communion with God.
I had been carrying a few burdens and when I got to the
chapel- I lit a candle for my intentions.
It’s still surprising how quickly God acts when I present my needs to
Him. I have also found that when one
searches for Him, when one goes to be in His company – God is always found
waiting for me. Though I went on this
morning retreat for my friend to site see, God used my time at the mission to
strengthen me. As I toured the mission
so many witnesses of hope came to view that I knew that no matter my current
challenges I have a God that is not frightened by the what appears impossible to
me. My time at the mission listening to
the chanting, testimonies of faith, history of the mission or simply the
sparrows singing filled me up. It’s so
important to recharge our batteries and going away to pray – even if it’s just
for a few hours truly works miracles.
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