Meet Carlos Vernet
This week’s ‘Faithful Servant’ is Carlos Vernet.
Carlos will be sharing his faith story at Masses across the parish this weekend. Carlos has had a powerful encounter experience with Jesus, transforming his life.
If you would like to hear more about Carlos’ personal transformation journey you can hear Carlos’ testimony at the 5.00pm Vigil Mass or at 9.30am Sunday Mass at Caloundra.
How long have you been a parishioner?
Although I’ve been on the Sunny Coast for a few years, I would say I became a regular and faithful parishioner in June 2022. At that time, I felt something akin to an inner fire kindling deep within me, spreading like the Pentecost’s Tongue of Fire. A couple of days later, I realised that this experience had actually occurred on the day of Pentecost itself.
Recognising it as the Holy Spirit’s prompting, I decided to let Him guide me.
Where is your place of worship?
My place of worship is undoubtedly The Tabernacle.
Since I started visiting the Blessed Sacrament, I have developed an intimate relationship with our Father, or as I privately call Him, “my Father, Master, and Friend.”
There is no better place of worship as He is always there, waiting for us to visit Him. He needs our love, hence what better place of worship could there be other than where He is present?
What is your favourite prayer/devotion?
Personally, I find that praying is the most beautiful and pleasing path to adore Our Lord and make reparations to the Sacred Heart of Our Lord Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Our Holy Mother, not only for my sins but also for the world’s.
As a faithful person on my way to consecration to Our Blessed Virgin Mary, who is not only Our Holy Mother but also Jesus’ Mother, I believe she provides the best and fastest path to receive Our Lord’s graces. Therefore, I love following what Our Lady in Fatima asked us to do, such as attending Sunday Mass, confessing, and receiving the Holy Communion on the first Saturdays of the month, praying the Holy Rosary, and making regular visits to the Blessed Sacrament. In doing so, I have learned to be more humble, to adore, remain in His grace, and get closer to Our Lord.
How do you like to love out your faith?
My foremost practice for living my faith is to receive “The Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ on my knees and on my tongue” in total physical and spiritual adoration. I view this as a way to thank and praise Our Lord during the Holy Mass in the Eucharist for His Sacrifice for our salvation.
After watching Mel Gibson’s ‘The Passion of the Christ,’ I found myself reflecting on what I would have done if I had been present at Jesus’s crucifixion. Jesus endured unimaginable suffering for my sins, and His mother, the Virgin Mary, had to witness her son’s self-sacrifice for my salvation.
In light of Jesus’s incredible sacrifice, I realized that I would kneel in profound adoration of Him, much like I do when receiving His Body and Blood in the Eucharist.
As Padre Pio once said: “The Mass is the immortalized sacrifice of the Cross. If we truly understood its value, we would be willing to give everything for it…”. In the Eucharist, I believe that Jesus is truly present before us, and participating in this sacred ritual becomes an act of both physical and spiritual adoration.
What is your experience of God’s love?
The peace that I find, either when I visit Him at The Tabernacle or when I pray The Holy Rosary to Our Holy Mother, is indescribable.
When I hold The Rosary in my hands, I cannot describe the profound and lasting peace I feel, nor contain my need to kiss it, as I deeply know that when I am doing so, I am kissing Our Lord and Our Holy Mother, and this is truly divine love. Furthermore, when I kneel in front of The Tabernacle, I genuinely feel the presence of Our God Father, Our Lord Jesus, The Holy Spirit, and Our Holy Mother.
The first thing I tell them when I get there is “Good morning Father. Good Morning Mother. Thank you for this day, and Your endless graces and love.”
The profound and beautiful peace I feel when I say so can be nothing else but God’s love.
What do you most enjoy about being a part of the parish community?
What I enjoy the most is the very sincere, open, respectful, and very welcoming brothers and sisters I have got the blessing to meet and engage with, and who have been guiding me in my journey. From the early days, Anne has been there for me to share a word and more, as a devout Marian faithful of Our Lady in Fatima, similarly to Eileen. Further, Robbie, Elaine invited me to become an altar helper and sacristan. Many brothers and sisters have been blessing me, extending their hands and Christian love to me here in the Church, such as Jenny, Nelly, Janice, Michael, Cath, Caroline, Dorothy, Tess, Mary, Patricia, Hermann and many others who should know that each of you holds a place in my heart, and of course, our beloved priests.
Faithful Servants is a regular feature of the ever-present ‘servants of the faith’ across our local parish community.
Please email Bernadette Bain, if you would like to nominate someone for this feature.
