Feedback from OLPH Discovering Christ course

Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Ellicott City recently wrapped up a Discovering Christ course. I wasn't part of it. However, I have had the privilege of reading the feedback participants wrote. WOW! It's amazing how God has worked through those seven weeks of teaching, fellowship and prayer. Here are some pictures and testimonies:

"While it is hard to explain, I feel closer to God and more willing to show my feelings out loud. God had invited me to open the door to him in the past, and now that door is open wider."

Women's small group.

"The most important thing that I learned was to not just focus on God, but to open and talk with God...Also, going to confession was empowering because I learned the word Gratitude and actually felt the Holy Spirit come in...Another thing that was great[:] my husband is now listening to Christian music."

Overhead shot of Discovering Christ final night.

"During the laying of hands I was on fire of the Holy Spirit."

"I don't worry anymore, esp. about the future. I really have placed my life in God's hands - total freedom."

Kids' table at OLPH DC (Aren't they cute?)

"After being prayed with at the retreat, I felt a real connection with God. I feel a fullness that always used to be empty. "

"Before the course I was not involving God in my daily life and felt very unfulfilled and felt like I was failing in life. Now I see that God is with me everyday even when the days are bad. I feel a freedom from the stress and have more clarity."

Some of the kitchen crew - who help make it all possible.

"It was a very moving experience. Very hard to write explanation. Holy Spirit was working in the room. I know I want a deeper relationship and I can have it!"

It's exciting to see what God has done through Discovering Christ - especially when it's going to be released nationwide at the conference next week, and be able to impact lives across the country, and maybe even throughout the world.

Holy God, we praise thy name.

Following Christ course ends...

Well, I have time for a quick blog today. All is well here at ChristLife, lots going on in preparation for our upcoming conference and much more!

Last Thursday we finished up Following Christ, a course that helps to mature and deepen the conversion which many encountered during Discovering Christ.

It really is an amazing course that I love to go through. It deals with establishing a daily personal prayer life, reading Scripture as God’s word, the charisms of the Holy Spirit, the sacraments, spiritual warfare, and lots more exciting topics in following Jesus as Lord.

It was my fourth course, and I loved it! Ally and Leyna did as well :)

15-25 young adults came each week and at the last session, many shared what the Holy Spirit accomplished in their lives during Following Christ when responding to:

Can you describe any life change as a result of Following Christ?

"Bottom line, I've praying more. I've been able to see Jesus more in my day, not just during prayer. Being a part oft this has made me walk confident in my faith to share with others."

"It has changed my life, the first time and has reconvicted me! Praise God- prayer especially"

"I have started to keep a prayer journal now and I can now pray in tongues."

"Daily prayer and worship"

"My prayer life has grown exponentially, and I've become fully alive in my faith. Morning mass and the rosary are cornerstones of my life, and I'm able to witness to people like never before!"

"I have been so inspiring to other people in my life- really spreading the Lord's light"

These remarks and others are so inspiring to the ‘mission’ team- Dave, myself, Brittany, Ally, Marg – and all those who prayed for us and financially supported the course. Thank you!!'

Come, Holy Spirit

I was reading the Gospel of John the other day and I ran across a few verses that really emphasized how important the Holy Spirit is to evangelization:

And when [the Holy Spirit] comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because they do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer; about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been condemned. - John 16:8-11 (NRSV)

This is so important.

We need the Holy Spirit. We need the Holy Spirit to show the world what is sin and reveal that God the Father gave us Jesus as a provision for our sins.

We need the Holy Spirit to show us the Righteous One - Jesus Christ - so that we might believe in him. (Think about St. Peter's confession.)

Finally, we need the Holy Spirit to reveal to everyone that Jesus came to save us and condemn the evil one - that Christianity, at its core, is about God's radical love and forgiveness.

Sometimes, I think these points get lost. Too often, Christians are depicted as these sin-obsessed people, self-righteously condemning the world and everyone in it. Which is definitely not who we are called to be.

That's not to say that we should ignore sin or dismiss it as inconsequential. One look at a crucifix reminds us how awful sin is. But it does mean our focus, the basis of our faith, should be that Jesus came to save us, not condemn us, and that grace is at the center of our faith, not sin.

And so we pray:

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.

Following Christ retreat

What a wonderful weekend! Thanks to all who helped out- Dave, Ally, Brittany & especially Marg. For all who donated $ to make it happen, and who prayed for protection and the power of the Holy Spirit to be with us!

How can I share what happened for the 24 young adults? I'm hoping they will share a bit themselves in the comments below...

But here are few phrases that come to mind-

joyful praise deep prayer & reflection encounter with Jesus fresh and intimate community great food and drink beautiful weather & retreat location lots of laughter (and noise in general!) freeing discovery that we are at war sweet bonfire and smores

Thanks to Jen, Dave, and Miguel- here are a few pictures:

The whole group of us

My prayer spot on Saturday morning, beautimous (a made up word, yes, I know :)

one of the guy's small groups (the loud group :)


beautiful weather on Saturday

one of the girl's small groups

Miguel and Robbie with their tasty lunches

one on one sharing on the great stump

Following Christ for young adults

I want to share with you a letter I sent out yesterday to some close friends asking for prayers and support for one of the critical areas of mission ChristLife is involved with:

September 30, 2009
Feast of St. Jerome

Dear friends of ChristLife,

I'm writing you to ask for your 1) committed intercession and 2) financial support for a Following Christ retreat, Dave, Ally, Brittany and I are running this Friday-Saturday
(Oct 2-3).

This summer ChristLife hosted a Discovering Christ course for 60+ young
adults. Many lives were touched - from regular Catholics to nominal
Catholics to non-Catholic Christians to unbelievers. In fact one of the
young adults who shared the last session, came from a non-Christian background
and shared:

"I've really been touched by this course, I don't know what it is, but I
feel like I'm in the right place. I'm not making any commitments yet. but I
really enjoyed this."

She's been coming to mass with a friend for the past several weeks and is
coming on this weekend's Following Christ retreat. Praise God! And, not only
is she coming, but 24 other young adults who the Holy Spirit has touched in
various ways!

This didn't happen overnight though. We prayed and struggled with the
feasibility of even running a retreat. We faced four obstacles:

1. Location. Finding a retreat center with less than a month
notice
2. Commitments. Needing 15+ young adults to commit (we only had
15-25 coming weekly)
3. Affordability. Making the retreat affordable for young adults,
while meeting the costs
4. Obedience. Juggling so much at ChristLife, and not wanting to
get-ahead of the Lord, or behind Him.

Long story short, the Retreat Center had an opening this weekend.
One obstacle down! We then prayed about this "open door," and the day I had
to make the decision, "yes" or "no," just 2 weeks back, I got three
confirmations:

1. Enough people. 15 young adults confirmed their attendance,
followed by 10 more the next week (25 of us overall!)
2. Drop in price. I get an email from the retreat center dropping
our price by $300
3. The Lord speaks provision. I read the Gospel for the day from
Luke 8, which immensely struck me, a) the ragamuffin band of followers Jesus
attracted - the apostles, women from Herod's court, former prostitutes -
which feels a bit like our Following Christ group - very diverse; and b) how
they and "many others provided for them out of their resources." (vs. 3) And
I felt like the Lord was saying, "go ahead, I have my people. tell them what
you are doing, and I will provide."

So, I'm writing to make you aware of our needs spiritually and financially.
This morning in prayer, I prayed, "thank you Jesus that we never have enough
money, because it keeps us dependent on you and on the family of the Church!
" So here's how you can help:

1. Pray for protection. Really. Friday is the feast of "Guardian
Angels." I don't think a coincidence, as our retreat is themed We are at
War: the world, the flesh, and the devil. Pray for angelic protection and
the power of the Holy Spirit. I know Friday is first Friday and many
chapels have adoration. Will you commit time to pray? We have huge
anticipation the Lord is going to changes lives eternally! (Pray for those
in attendance and for ChristLife's leadership.)

2. Make a donation. In an effort to make the retreat affordable - to
attract young adults - we are only charging $35, though it costs more like
$105 per person to meet our costs. That's a $60 difference. Would you
consider a donation of this amount or more to help us meet our costs for
this retreat? If so send a donation to 12280 Folly Quarter, Ellicott City,
MD 21042 or donate online at

Thanks so much! Blessings in the Lord Jesus,

Pete Ascosi
Young Adult Coordinator

Thanks so much for considering this request and joining our mission to make Jesus known and loved!

Pope Benedict XVI's October prayer

October prayer intention:

"That the entire People of God, to whom Christ entrusted the mandate to go and preach the Gospel to every creature, may eagerly assume their own missionary responsibility and consider it the highest service they can offer humanity."

Today is also the feast day of St. Therese of Liseux, who is not-so-coincidentally the patron saint of missionaries!

If you were looking for confirmation that God wants you to share your faith, consider this it. ;-)

How have you lived out your "missionary responsibility" lately?

Do you truly consider it "the highest service" you "can offer humanity"?

St. Therese of Liseux, pray for us.