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. Amen
Saint of the Day: St. Rose of Lima
Saint Rose of Lima was born Isabel Flores de Oliva and was a member of the Third Order of Saint Dominic. She took the name Rose when confirmed, a nickname given to her when a servant claimed she saw Isabel’s face turn into a rose in infancy. Patron saint of embroidery, gardening and cultivation of blooming flowers, she was the first person born in the Americas to be canonized a Saint. St. Rose of Lima has been designated as a co-patroness of the Philippines, but Rose remains the primary patroness of Peru and of the local people of Latin America. As a young girl she began fasting 3 times a week, and performing severe penances in secret. When men started to lust after Rose, she cut off her hair and rubbed peppers on her face to appear less desirable. Rose rejected suitors, took daily Blessed Sacrament, and took a vow of chastity, all against the advice of her parents.
While she lived in a room in her family home she cared for the homeless and poor, bringing them there to care for them. She abstained from meat, sold her fine embroidery and other needlework to care for her family and the poor, and did prayer and penance in her self-built private grotto. Other than that, she was reclusive and eventually caught the eye of the Dominican friars, who let her join the Third Order of Saint Dominic. Rose took her vows at 20. She would only sleep 2 hours a night so she could devote the rest to prayers, and wore a heavy crown made of silver, with small spikes on the inside to emulate the crown of thorns Jesus wore. She lived this way for 11 years before dying to illness. It is said she prophesied the date of her own death.
St. Rose of Lima, help us to discover what you discovered, so that we may enter more deeply into a life of prayer and penance. We humbly pray that we may be generous in our sacrifices. We trust in God’s omnipotence, and His power to comfort people in their weaknesses. We ask to be drawn to your virtue, that we too may become a sweet fragrance of Christ. We ask for your intersession to endure life on Earth, that we may delight in Heaven.
~Isabelle Carrol
Prayer
Glorious St. Rose of Lima, you who knew what it was to love Jesus with such a fine and generous heart.
You, whom since infancy, despised the world’s vanities in order to embrace His Cross.
You who loved, with unfailing devotion, our Heavenly Mother and professed a great tender dedication to the destitute, serving them the same way Jesus did.
Teach us to imitate your greatest virtues, so that we, following your example, can enjoy your glorious protection in Heaven.
For Our Lord, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns forever. Amen
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
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
