MIRACLES IN GOD'S HANDS (A Pilgrimage of Hope)
Rekindling the Spirit, Nourishing the Soul
with Fr. Teodulo (Ted) Gonzales, SJ PhD
July 11-13, 2025
5:30pm (Friday) - 12:00noon (Sunday)
 
Rates:
 
Live-In Rate: $295
(Includes Supper on Friday, Brunch on Sunday, and 2 nights room accommodations).
 
Commuter's Rate: $195
(Includes meals (same above), no room accommodation)
 
Given the challenges and adversities of life, we invite you to PAUSE and find our sanctuary, to enter into the memories of the Galilee experience, to take responsibility, despite our vulnerabilities
and the natural temptations we may be swept into, to rediscover our vision and engage in the mission we are called to, held in a delicate balance of boundaries, bonding, and the boundless compassion of our God.
 
In other words, we are invited to enter into a moment of prayer and recollection (SPIRIT),
· like Bartimaeus, to SEE beyond the frustrations, anxieties, and restlessness of our lives,
· like Mary, to magnify and PRAISE God for the blessings and strengths we carry,
· like the prodigal son, to RESPOND rather than simply react or blame,
· like Jesus, to be grounded and rooted in the INTEGRATING principle and purpose of our lives - the Father’s will.
· And like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, to REKINDLE and nourish our weary, fearful hearts, allowing them to be transformed so that we, too, may become apostles who TRULY invest in our dreams and, with God’s grace, bring them to life.
 
This retreat follows the spirit of Pope Francis and Pope Leo XIII in sustaining the journey of synodality (participation, communion, and mission) into a Jubilee of Hope and Peace in the hands of God.
 
As Ignatius of Loyola reminds us:
 
“Few people realize what can happen to them if they put themselves in the hands of God, and the miracle that unfolds.”
 
The flow of the day will include moments of silence, prayer, and reflection. Where possible, we will also invite sharing, allowing each member of the community to listen for how God may be speaking through the different retreat modules.
 
 
3 Key Points
 
I. LOVE, LOST, AND RESTORED. Lessons from people recovering from addictions tell us how they hit bottom and how they bounce forward to a happier (Beatitudes) life. Arthur Brooks of Harvard summarizes the research on long lasting happiness from Martin Seligman’s Positive Psychology. Cardinal Ambo David reflects on the Presentation in the Temple, highlighting the image of the light and call of the Consecrated Life. Here, we are invited to move toward the Light (hope) of the heart of service. The more we serve, the more we shine. What is humility asking us to do?
 
II. LOVE WITH DISCIPLINE. Lessons from the Israelites and their Exile tell the story of how they were often distracted by other gods, and how patiently the Lord, through Moses and the prophets, taught them the secret of the Ark of the Covenant: the spirit and the order of love revealed through the Ten Commandments. An interesting metaphor comes from The Lord of the Rings, where Frodo and his companions struggle to surrender the Ring that controls all others in order to be free. The message is about becoming consistent in the responsible use of freedom. Ignatius of Loyola, in the Spiritual Exercises, speaks of “holy indifference” toward inordinate attachments. What is difficult to surrender in our own lives?
 
III. LOVE ACROSS THE STAGES OF LIFE. We draw reflections from the encounters with Jesus through the sacraments of life, from birth to death: baptism, confirmation, Eucharist, reconciliation, priesthood, matrimony, and the end of life. We reflect on the Emmaus story as a symbol of the Synodality of Hope. The transformation of the disciples into apostles, like Peter and Paul, gives us hope. We also draw inspiration from The Lion King, as well as insights from Roger L. Martin on the secrets of strategy, and from Ignatius on discerning leadership. What are the pivotal or transitional moments in our life’s pilgrimage that bring us hope?
 
About the Retreat Speaker
 
Fr. Ted Gonzales, SJ, PhD was ordained in 1987 and has since devoted his ministry to accompanying individuals, couples, and families through teaching, supervision, and counseling.
 
He holds an M.A. in Theology and an M.S. in Pastoral Counseling and completed his Ph.D. in Pastoral Counseling at Loyola College in Maryland, USA.
 
Fr. Ted is especially known for guiding young professionals through retreats such as Life’s Directions, which support spiritual growth and discernment.
 
He teaches at the Loyola School of Theology (Ateneo de Manila University) and serves at the Center for Family Ministries (CEFAM) as a professor, supervisor, and counselor. He has also served as Juniorate Director for Jesuits in formation and taught at Sanata Dharma University in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
 
Currently, Fr. Ted is assigned to both CEFAM-LST and the Arrupe International Residence, a formation house for young Jesuits from across Asia Pacific, as well as from Malta, Africa, the United States, Italy, and Croatia. He also serves as President of RMT-CEFAM, Vice-Chairperson of Cyber Guardians Philippines, and as a board member of the Philippine Council for NGO Certification (PCNC).
 
We are grateful to welcome Fr. Ted this summer as he leads us in a retreat that invites reflection, healing, and renewed direction in our lives.
 
For more information, kindly contact us at: 403.228.4215 or email us at info@fcjcentre.ca