
Receive God's Blessing
Be God's Blessing
Retreat Introduction
Welcome to our virtual retreat. Please watch this video to get a feel for making the most of this retreat.
Materials you may need for the retreat include:
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Notebook/paper
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Pen/pencil
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Bible
Surrender Novena
Part One
Novenas are a long Catholic tradition. In this novena we pray for the grace to completely surrender to God the Father through the Son Jesus.
Why do you confuse yourselves by worrying? Leave the care of your affairs to me and everything will be peaceful. I say to you in truth that every act of true, blind, complete surrender to me produces the effect that you desire and resolves all difficult situations.
O Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything!
(10 times)
Mother, I am yours now and forever. Through you and with you I always want to belong completely to Jesus.
Here's some music to help prepare you for today's retreat.
"The Blessing"
Conference #1:
The Lord will fight for you.
with Stacy Uttect
Principal, Holy Trinity Catholic Grade School (Hartington)
Exodus 14:14
"The Lord will fight for you, You need only be still."

Take a 15 minute break.
You deserve it.
Surrender Novena
Part Two
Surrender to me does not mean to fret, to be upset, or to lose hope, nor does it mean offering to me a worried prayer asking me to follow you and change your worry into prayer. It is against this surrender, deeply against it, to worry, to be nervous and to desire to think about the consequences of anything.
It is like the confusion that children feel when they ask their mother to see to their needs, and then try to take care of those needs for themselves so that their childlike efforts get in their mother’s way. Surrender means to placidly close the eyes of the soul, to turn away from thoughts of tribulation and to put yourself in my care, so that only I act, saying "You take care of it".
O Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything!
(10 times)
Mother, I am yours now and forever. Through you and with you I always want to belong completely to Jesus.
Conference #2:
Always Near
with Bishop Sam Jacobs
Bishop Emeritus of
the Diocese of
Houma-Thibodaux
Break time again!
15 minutes. Enjoy the view.

Surrender Novena
Part Three
How many things I do when the soul, in so much spiritual and material need, turns to me, looks at me and says to me; "You take care of it", then closes it’s eyes and rests. In pain you pray for me to act, but that I act in the way you want. You do not turn to me, instead, you want me to adapt your ideas. You are not sick people who ask the doctor to cure you, but rather sick people who tell the doctor how to. So do not act this way, but pray as I taught you in the our Father:"Hallowed be thy Name", that is, be glorified in my need.
"Thy kingdom come", that is, let all that is in us and in the world be in accord with your kingdom. "Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven", that is, in our need, decide as you see fit for our temporal and eternal life. If you say to me truly: "Thy will be done", which is the same as saying: "You take care of it", I will intervene with all my omnipotence, and I will resolve the most difficult situations.
O Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything!
(10 times)
Mother, I am yours now and forever. Through you and with you I always want to belong completely to Jesus.
Conference #3
He's Got This
with Ann Menning
teacher at St. Patrick's
(Elkhorn)
Additional Teacher Resource: "Christian Brain Breaks"
Reflection:
Extending Grace
with Ruth Mumm
counselor at St. Patrick's
(Elkhorn)

Have you eaten yet? Take 30 minutes. Seriously, you should eat.
Surrender Novena
Part Four
You see evil growing instead of weakening? Do not worry. Close your eyes and say to me with faith: "Thy will be done, You take care of it". I say to you that I will take care of it, and that I will intervene as does a doctor and I will accomplish miracles when they are needed. Do you see that the sick person is getting worse? Do not be upset, but close your eyes and say "You take care of it". I say to you that I will take care of it, and that there is no medicine more powerful than my loving intervention. By my love, I promise this to you.
O Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything!
(10 times)
Mother, I am yours now and forever. Through you and with you I always want to belong completely to Jesus.
Conference #4
Jesus Is In the Mess
with Dcn. Tim McNeil
Chancellor of the Archdiocese
Enjoy this song, and let it lead you into the next step.
Please consider taking your prayers to Jesus through adoration. If you do not have access to an adoration chapel which you can visit safely, available here is a live video feed of Adoration from St. Mary Chapel, Middletown, New Jersey.
Try to spend at least 30 minutes in adoration of Our Lord at the end of which you can pray the next part of the novena.
Surrender Novena
Part Five
And when I must lead you on a path different from the one you see, I will prepare you; I will carry you in my arms; I will let you find yourself, like children who have fallen asleep in their mother’s arms, on the other bank of the river. What troubles you and hurts you immensely are your reason, your thoughts and worry, and your desire at all costs to deal with what afflicts you.
O Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything!
(10 times)
Mother, I am yours now and forever. Through you and with you I always want to belong completely to Jesus.

Rest a bit & take 15 minutes.
Closing Thoughts
with Dcn. Omar Gutierrez
President of the
Evangelium Institute
(click below for handout)
A message from
Vickie Kauffold, Superintendent of Schools
A message from...
Follow up on this retreat by finishing up the novena of surrender. Click on the button below to go the website with the rest.
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