“Nature, a simple chapel, or anywhere. It can surprise me where I find myself when I am all of sudden in the presence of God. It has happened to me in the solitude of my own house. Other times I can find myself having a mystical moment on the city bus. It has even happened to me while I am in the middle of a social setting discussing topics of faith with others when a sense of divine inspiration suddenly makes itself present in the conversation.

However there are two consistent places that I can go to be in the presence of God. Both of these locations are conducive to my spiritual experience especially when I am in solitude. The one place is with nature, whether it’s a running stream, a meadow, or a mountainside, especially where it is visibly close to a city. That way I feel in the presence of the Divine while being conscience of the world that I live in. The other place is a small and simple chapel. This humble setting feels spiritually appropriate to me as the place where I can find God who humbled himself for our humanity.

I am fortunate to be able to enjoy both of these settings in a Passionist retreat center.”

John Gonzalez, 2.29.08


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