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Spirituality of Refuge Veritas
“We have fallen into the temptation of separating ministry from spirituality, service from prayer. Our demon says: “We are too busy to pray, we have too many needs to attend to, too many people to respond to, too many wounds to heal. Prayer is a luxury, something to do during a free hout, a day away from work on on retreat...” To think this way is harmful for ministers as well as for contemplatives.”
- Henri Nouwen
As members of Refuge Veritas, we strive to remain in a constant state of abiding with the Divine. If we are to minister to others, we must first remember that nothing can come through us, but the Holy Spirit must lead us and guide us. If we begin to feel anger, frustration, stress, etc., we must pause and discern if we are aligning with God’s will or our own.
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"Open my lips, Lord and my mouth
will proclaim your praise!"
- Psalm 51:15 NIV
Each word Refuge Veritas members speak must be directed towards Christ - in remembrance of Him, knowing He is with us at each moment, in reverence of Him, that we live our day in purity of mind, heart, body and spirit, and in praise of Him - being a witness of His love and merciful heart.
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"You cannot be half a saint. You must be a
whole saint or no saint at all!"
- Saint Therese
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Each member of Refuge Veritas strives to be a perpetual representation of Christ - whether we are praying with individuals, filling out spreadsheets, or at home making dinner. To be perpetual means that we are to practice the presence of God at each moment, recognizing that He is always and forever with us, and we are to strive for virtue even when it appears that no one is watching.
“The world passes quickly, and life passes even more quickly. There is nothing stable and permanent in the world’s judgment and friendships; there is nothing completely satisfying in its delights. Those who are applauded today are criticized tomorrow; the evil prosper, for they have their reward in this world. But Christians, who realize that they have not here a lasting city but are travelers to the eternal fatherland, know that only God is changeless and only His justice and truth will remain forever… One who desires to reach sanctity must be absolutely indifferent to what the world may think or say. One’s only concern must be to do the will of God, cost what it may.”
-Spiritual Theology, Fr. Jordan Aumann O.P.
Refuge Veritas members ask the Lord to reveal to us our places of brokenness and resolve to live a life free of sin. We frequently attend the sacrament of confession and receive the Eucharist weekly, if not more. We study church teaching and do everything we can to step deeper into our Interior Castles.
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“Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'Whoever
wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.'”
- Matthew 16:24 NIV
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Members accept the sufferings given to them by Christ and offer them back to Him as led by the Holy Spirit.
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Like St. Francis, who left behind a life of luxury and wealth to pursue a life lived according to the Gospel (Luke 18:22), Refuge Veritas is able to reveal it’s charism of simplicity through its concise and powerfully simple concepts of retreats, resources, and prayer ministry. In this way of simplicity, we can best ensure that those coming to use do not leave confused due to lofty doctrinal dissertations or feel overloaded with information on who God is or what to do next. What people are seeking is a relationship with the Divine, so through us providing a very simple, structured prayerful environment, we can best ensure they leave empowered and with the right tools to walk in right relationship with God.