BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD.
PSALM 46:10
Wellspring is a Catholic spirituality center that offers spiritual growth opportunities such as classes and retreats and promotes contemplative spirituality. The center is owned and operated by The Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales and operates on a basic vision that all of God’s people are called to holiness and that it is possible for all to live a contemplative life style while being active in ministry.
RETREATS
RETREATS AT
WELLSPRING
Our next retreat will be
Saturday, October 10, 2020
9:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Due to COVID-19, there is limited space
for the retreat. Please email retreatsatwellspring@gmail.com
to reserve a space.
Theme: Being Still
We began the year 2020 reflecting on
letting "stillness" become our way of being,
living and acting. As we have faced the
many challenges of this year, being still
has helped us to know our challenges and
face them without fear or anxiety. Being
still enables us to be more of what we can
be, what we are made to be, what God
calls us to be. Join us as we strive to "be still"
and continue to focus on what is important
and move into the future with confidence
in divine providence.
OUR MASSES
MASSES AT
WELLSPRING
Due to COVID-19,
there is limited seating
at our Sunday Masses.
Please call 903-839-1280 or
email us at
for information about our Masses.
Daily Masses
Monday - Friday
6:45 am
The Mother of Compassion Shrine
remains open daily for
prayer and reflection.
news
CLASSES AT
WELLSPRING
All classes at Wellspring
are postponed
at this time
due to COVID-19.
Twenty SIXth week in ordinary time
REFLECTIONS FOR PRAYER AND WORSHIP
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Today, we celebrate the Twenty-Sixth Sunday in ordinary time of the year. Our Scripture readings of today call us to transform our negative responses to God into positive ones – to change our “no” into a decided “yes”, to change our desire for “self-fulfillment” into “self-emptying” service to our brothers and sisters and remain faithful to the choices we made.
In the Gospel passage of today (Mathew 21:28-32), we read about a son who said “no” to his father and changed it into an “yes” and another son who said “yes” to his father changed it into a “no”. The final answer made the difference.
Fine words are never substitutes for fine deeds. It is not difficult to say “yes” to God or recite a creed or make a profession of faith, but to live the Christian life is demanding and challenging and often difficult. We know how narrow the path forward can be when we face life-altering decisions, when we change our negative responses to positive ones, when we say “yes” to God’s way and “not” to our own.
Jesus calls us and challenges us to make difficult choices, make the difficult journey, walk the path of trials, face testing times, enter through the narrow door and be faithful to the choices and commitments we made. The way to the kingdom is not easy, but it is just the right way. We must make difficult choices and be faithful to the choices we make. The choice is ours. Once the choice is made, the question is: is that your final choice? Your final answer to the call? And will you remain faithful to your choice, your final answer to the call?
Take a moment and think of the many people whose lives once characterized by “no” to God and to God’s goodness and then transformed into a decided “yes”, into a final answer “yes”. Thomas Merton, one of the great mystics of our times moved from “No” to “Yes”. Orphaned at 16, Merton traveled Europe at 18 maintaining a bohemian lifestyle. A vowed communist at 20, a reporter for New York times at 24 and Trapist monk at 26. His “no” became a decided “Yes” and he remained faithful to his final choice! Some of you may remember John Newton’s dramatic conversion during a storm at sea. He was a slave trader. His “yes” to God is memorialized in “Amazing Grace.” Take a moment to sing it or just read it and reflect over it.
I encourage you to take a few moments each day of this week to say, “Yes” to God and God’s way! Pray for God’s grace for you to remain faithful to your “yes”. Pray for those who are struggling to say “yes” to God and God’s way and pray for the conversion of those who have said “no” to God and God’s way.
God bless you and your family.
Fr. Gus Tharappel, msfs
WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT DURING DIFFICULT TIMES
Do not anticipate the unpleasant events of this life by anxiety; rather anticipate them with the perfect hope that, as they happen, God, to whom you belong, will protect you. He has protected you up to the present moment; just remain firmly in the hands of His providence and He will help you in all situations and at those times when you find yourself unable to walk, He will carry you.
St. Francis de Sales
daily meditations
Click on the date to read Fr. Gus' meditations
on the daily readings of the church.
