[Carnaval(sic) in Brazil is the famous celebration that precedes Lent, however, like here in the United States at Mardi Gras, Carnaval is also known for behavior that is not related to any form of Catholic life. Canção Nova every year has a Catholic celebration of Carnaval as a form of retreat. This is a report from this celebration.-ed.]
“A priest needs to update his experience with God to stand up”
Elcka Torres
CN Newsroom
Pilgrims from all regions of Brazil opted to spend Carnaval at the See of the Canção Nova Community, in Cachoeira Paulista (SP) Brazil, to participate in the “Come Praise – Prayer Encounter”, which is ongoing from the 6th to 10 February.
Father Igor, of the Archdiocese of Rio de Janeiro, chose to spend Carnaval at Canção Nova to update his experience with God. He says that he felt called to the priesthood during the 2004 Carnaval encounter.
“We, priests, if we do not seek the source of our spirituality, our vocation, we’re do remain not standing, we are just pretending that we are serving God, but we’re not immersed in what is the essence of the call. So, it is crucial that one consecrates himself in a way, that deepens his experience. “
I chose to come to Canção Nova to live a different experience, at the same time updating an experience that I did in the 2004 Carnaval. During the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, Salette Ferreira ministered with the song: “Adoring”, in: “Plans, dreams go, only remaining in the Lord do we begin anew without thinking about what happened” at that time I felt a great burning in my heart and the call of God to serve him in the priesthood. Also during the encounter, in the preaching of Dunga called “So it was” he said Jesus was with some people of the Bible, especially with the young Rich man and Matthew, it was then that I had no doubts of my call. “
First day of Carnaval
The encounter”Come to praise” began with mass celebrated by a priest of the Canção Nova Community, Father Roger Louis. During the sermon the priest stressed that more one listened, the more one needed to experience God. “The story of David is a model for us. His story was unlikely, that puny little boy, the youngest of Jesse’s House. A boy who killed bears and Lions in the herding of sheep, after being chosen was there and killed the giant Goliath after invoking the name of the Lord. David was a man after God’s heart.”
Everything about David was praising the Lord, he placed the singers at the altar to offer praise to God with him.David did what we were asked to do that is to express our joy to the Lord. “said father Roger Luis.
On the first day of the event, father Igor stated already he discovered the true joy. “First day of Carnaval I’ve rediscovered the joy of the spirit, in the midst of the struggle for Holiness, amid so many compromises I rediscovered that God loves us most of all, he wants more than to serve him, but to love each other.