10/20/2026
THIS Upcoming Rosa Mystica Shrine MISSION IS DIFFERENT. IT IS TAKING US TO A THORN
I wish I could put into words what is unfolding in this mission. But how do you explain something that pierces your heart before you can even speak of it?
This morning, Patrick and I were having a late breakfast, going over the talks and the extraordinary mysteries we will be sharing.
And suddenly, we found ourselves in tears.
Not tears of fear or defeat. But tears that come when God allows you to glimpse something of the terrible beauty of His love.
We are beginning to realize that what we are experiencing is not simply the usual spiritual warfare or the frontal attacks of the enemy.
This is CALVARY. This is the PASSION OF CHRIST.
And perhaps that is why this mission feels so different.
We have spoken so much about the charisms of healing, prophecy, miracles and deliverance. Yet somehow, amid all these extraordinary gifts, one of the most profound mysteries has received so little attention:
THE GIFT OF LIFE. THE POWER OF THE RESURRECTION. THE CHRIST WHO CONQUERED DEATH!
But here is the truth that is piercing our hearts:
Everybody wants Resurrection power. But who is willing to walk with Jesus to Calvary?
We want the miracles, but can we embrace the sacrifice?
We want the power, but can we surrender our pride?
We want to rise with Christ, but are we willing to die with Him?
Because the Resurrection did not come without the Crucifixion.
OUR REDEMPTION CAME AT A COST.
And what God may be asking of us through this retreat is immense.
Not everyone will be ready to receive it. And that is not a judgment against anyone. God prepares every heart in His own time.
But I believe this invitation deserves to be discerned very seriously.
Deacon Brian Mizzoni's presentation has just come in, and what a tremendous gift to the Church! It's called "The Secret Place...". The way he unfolds the mystery of the Holy Eucharist brings us face-to-face with a truth we can so easily take for granted.
The very Christ who suffered, died and rose again gives Himself to us in the Eucharist.
How can we receive Him and remain unchanged?
And Patrick's talks - oh, my heart!
He will take us into places many of us spend our lives trying to escape: our failures, our insecurities, our fears, our wounds, and the repeated little deaths we must endure before we can truly surrender ourselves to God.
And Fr. Ernest Rush - he blocked out the weekend to be with us and serve God's people. The participants have access to his discernment gifts and the healing miracles which he generously provides for our community.
Dr. Nina Faust has been with us for many years. She brings a physician’s compassion, a Retired Eye Surgeon with fellowship from John Hopkins University. Nina has teacher’s desire to help others encounter Christ, discover the gifts and respond to God's call. I consider her the answer so we could all finally "see".
The Thorn
Last night, as Patrick was walking toward the woodshop, a thorn pierced his foot.
And I cannot help but think of the thorns of Calvary.
Sometimes even the smallest suffering reminds us that following Jesus is not simply about witnessing His power.
It is about loving Him enough to follow Him through the Cross.
Dear friends, I am asking you to discern this invitation one more time.
This is not simply another retreat where we hear beautiful talks, experience powerful prayers, and go home inspired.
It is an invitation to allow Christ to transform the very foundations of our lives:
Our MARRIAGES - from self-centered love into sacrificial love.
Our EUCHARISTIC FAITH - from familiarity into a profound encounter with the living Christ.
Our understanding of MIRACLES - from seeking extraordinary manifestations to trusting the One who holds the power of life and death.
And our understanding of DEATH AND RESURRECTION - from something we merely believe into something we are willing to live.
These are not optional spiritual decorations. They are foundations we desperately need for the trials and tribulations ahead.
Because when everything we depend upon is shaken, what will remain?
Our accomplishments? Our ministries? Our knowledge? Our spiritual experiences?
Or JESUS CHRIST ALIVE WITHIN US?
Perhaps the greatest miracle we need is not something happening around us.
Perhaps it is the death of the pride, fear, resentment, insecurity, and self-will that keep us from living fully in Christ.
If we can finally get over ourselves, we can move beyond spiritual mediocrity and enter more deeply into the supernatural life of grace.
Not by our own power, but by surrendering to His.
I do not know how to make this invitation any more urgent without making it sound like something it is not.
But this I know:
Patrick and I have already been brought to tears simply preparing for it.
And if the Lord is piercing our hearts before the mission has even begun, I pray that we will all come with hearts ready to be transformed.
Please, discern the invitation again.
Do not come merely asking, "Lord, what miracle will You do for me?"
Come asking:
"LORD, WHAT MUST DIE IN ME SO THAT YOUR LIFE MAY TRULY REIGN IN ME?"
Because Christianity is not simply about admiring a crucified Savior.
It is about following Him to Calvary, dying with Him, and rising to new life in Him.
And on the other side of surrender is a life that this world can neither create on our own nor take away.
THE CROSS IS NOT THE END OF THE STORY.
THE RESURRECTION IS.
Rooted in Love. Released in Power. Come Holy Spirit!, Shrine of Rosa Mystica, Edmeston, NY, October 23-25, 2026
