Contemplation of Christ retreat: Thanksgiving

I honestly understood very little at the retreat because there was no Spanish translation. However, God spoke to my spirit in very specific ways and showed me that He is on my side, especially during the small group sessions. I was set free and able to learn even though I listened to the English translation.

God brought back to my mind things I had forgotten because they happened a long time ago—and those memories are His way of showing me that He is still with me and that it was He who called me.

You see, I am the oldest of my siblings. My mother was going through multiple difficult circumstances and didn’t want to have a child. So I asked Jesus about how my birth came to be. He brought to my memory a moment when I was about 11 years old. I read my mother’s diary that she didn’t want to have a child.

I kept reading and saw that on the next page written the following day – she journaled that she read in the newspaper about a great prophecy for children who would be born in the year 1985.

Just the day before, she wasn’t sure if she would keep me. But the next day, she saw that article, which caught her attention. She wrote in her diary, “Lord, if this is true, when my child is born, I will name him Juan Pablo (John Paul) .” At that point, she didn’t even know if I would be a boy or a girl because she couldn’t get an ultrasound scan. And had hidden the pregnancy from her family. But that day, without fully realising it, she believed in that prophecy and offered me to the service of God.

Jesus showed me this memory. I could feel Him telling me that it was He who caused my mother to see that article and that He was the one who captivated her heart so that she would name and believe I was one of those with that calling. She believed what she read, and she chose to let me live.

I was born in 1985. And I have received my calling to be part of the Tree of Life. Jesus showed me that He is with me today and always, and that my story is just beginning. Through this memory, Jesus showed me that He protected me and once again reaffirmed my calling. I thank Him for coming to my rescue.

I left the retreat feeling more joyful and free from things that were holding me back without me even realising it.

(Session 4 of the retreat focused on Luke 1: 13-48)

Pablo Masis
is a native Spanish speaker from Costa Rica