Opening Prayer
Sign of the Cross
Heavenly Father, We come before You with humble hearts as we prepare for our TEC weekend. We thank You for the gift of this time to seek Your presence and to deepen our relationship with You and bring others closer to you. Pour forth Your Holy Spirit upon us, O Lord, that we may open our minds and hearts to Your divine will. Grant us the grace to listen attentively to Your word, to reflect deeply on Your love, and to respond with faithful hearts to Your call.
Bless our retreat with the light of Your guidance and the warmth of Your love. May it be a time of spiritual renewal, healing, and transformation. As we journey together, may we grow in unity and love, supporting one another in faith and in truth. We entrust this Novena and our retreat into the hands of our Blessed Mother, Mary. Through her intercession, may we be drawn closer to Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer.
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.
Saint of the Day: St. Florian
Florian was born around the year 250 in a part of the Roman Empire that also included part of modern-day Austria. He entered the Roman army as a young man. In addition to his military duties, Florian also organized firefighting brigades. He rose high in the ranks, becoming a commander. As a Roman administrator and soldier, Florian was expected to carry out his orders. That included following the Emperor’s directives targeting Christians. As a Christian himself he would not obey those orders. As he reportedly said to the investigator, “Tell the Emperor that I am Christian and will suffer the same fate as the Christians.”
For a Christian during these times, the price of following Jesus Christ often came at the price of one’s life. This is the price that Florian paid. He was initially sentenced to be burned at the stake, the common method of lethal punishment for Christians. Confronted with the funeral pyre that was being built for him, Florian told his executioners, “Be as angry and do as much harm as you can, since you possess power over my body which has been given to you for now. If you want to know why I do no fear your tortures, light a fire, and I will climb upon it.” The executioners decided to dispense with the fire. Instead, they flogged, flayed, and then tied a large stone around Florian’s neck. He was then thrown into the Ennis River and drowned.
Florian’s story did not end at the bottom of the Ennis River. A faithful lady recovered his body and gave him a proper burial. Venerated as a saint, from his own time to the current day, his name continues to echo through the ages. For good reason, he is the patron saint of firefighters. During his time on earth, Florian reportedly used a single bucket of water to put out a fire that threatened to destroy a village. Years after his death, a man seemed to be at death’s door when faced with a deadly fire. He called upon Saint Florian, begging for his intercession, and was saved. In another remarkable testament to his power, a statue of Florian in front of the main firehouse in Vienna, Austria continued to stand tall after a bombing in World War II. He is also the patron saint of chimney sweeps, soap boilers, and an intercessor for those seeking protection from risks relating to drowning and flooding.
Reflection
St. Florian’s story is not a unique one, many martyrs of the early church were so convicted in their salvation that they did not fear death. Today how do we handle our labels of Christian or Catholic? Do we hide our beliefs? allow ourselves to sit by and watch as our beliefs are belittled or mocked? This too can be natural and can be a flaw in us as humans. Even St. Florian hid his Christianity in a way, not displaying his faith, but hiding it when he could. These are natural reactions out of fear. But much like Florian, we can do good works and let our faith show through them. We can serve those around us. Help our community, not just our church community but the communities we live in. I encourage you to find ways to “put out the fires” in the lives of people around you. Your friends, neighbors and even strangers around you could be struggling and we may not know. We can be like St. Florian, using our bucket, our skills and beliefs to help them in a time of crisis. They may not need to know your religion, but they will feel your compassion. Then, if and when the time comes, we too should be so proud of our work that we can face any challenge in life, or in death.
~Craig Majewski
(Side note. Whenever you see the cross on many fire fighters emblems give a little smile and a prayer, this Cross is mistaken for a maltase cross many times but it is actually called a Florian Cross. Without knowing it, many departments display the symbol of faith from St. Florian, every call, every day.)
Intentions
Through the intercessions of the Saints we pray for TEC 284:
- The team, that they stay open to the Holy Spirit in their lives before and during the weekend- we pray
- The Tecites- That those attending or thinking about attending. That the spirit move their hearts to be open to the TEC weekend. – We Pray
- (Feel free to add any special intentions you would like prayed for) – We Pray
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father, in Preparation for this retreat we lift our hearts in gratitude for Your boundless love and mercy. We thank You for the graces and blessings bestowed upon us during these days of prayer and reflection.
With humble hearts, we invoke the intercession of the saints who have accompanied us on this journey. Saints who have gone before us, lighting the path with their faith and devotion:
- Mary, Mother of God- Pray for us
- St. Joseph – Pray for us
- St. Michael the Archangel – Pray for us
- St. Francis Xavier- Pray for us
- Our Lady of Champion- Pray for us
- St. Therese of Lisieux- Pray for us
- St. Rose of Lima- Pray for us
- St. Florian- Pray for us
Through their intercession, may we be strengthened in our faith and inspired to live lives of holiness and service.
Lord, bless our TEC retreat with Your divine presence. May it be a time of profound encounter with You, of healing, renewal, and transformation. Fill our hearts with Your love, that we may return to our daily lives as witnesses of Your grace, carrying the light of Christ to all we meet.
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen
