One way to explain the mission and spirituality of the Regnum Christi Movement is through the light of the Gospel and the contemplation of the mysteries of Christ’s life and teachings. Two passages that help us to do this are “I am the way, the truth, and the life,” (Jn. 14:6) and the account of the Transfiguration (Mt. 17:1-9). Together these passages help us to see 3 main components of Regnum Christi: having a personal experience of Christ, which leads us to form convictions, which then affects our actions and decisions and leads us to share this experience with others, all guided by God’s grace. In this way we discover the role of Christ in our lives and can then make His kingdom come on earth.
I am the way: “Jesus took some of the disciples and led them up to a high mountain by themselves. There He was transfigured before them.” (Mt. 17:1-2).
The first step of making Christ’s kingdom come is having a personal experience of Christ. However, it’s important to remember that we can’t make a personal experience of Christ happen through sheer willpower or what we think is “perfect piety”. It’s ultimately a grace that comes from Christ. Just as Christ leads His disciples up to the mountain, we need to let ourselves be led by Christ to prayer. Christ himself is the way to this experience; our part is being open and responding with trust to his invitation of an encounter with His love. This personal encounter with Christ is central to the Christ-centered spirituality of Regnum Christi. Looking at the Movement’s “contemplative and conquering” mission, this prayer and dialogue with Christ is the contemplative boost which helps prepare us for the apostolate.
I am the truth: “Peter said, ‘Lord, It is good that we are here. If you wish, I will set up three shelters…” (Mt. 17:4).
Here, Peter experiences Christ’s love and glory and responds to this with an initiative of service. In the same way, we need to recognize that our personal experience of Christ is not meant solely for our own gratification. Instead it should spark a realization of our place in the bigger picture of Christ’s plan for the universal Church: the realization of our call to serve and to be apostles. In this we see that a relationship with Christ is where we discover the truth on which we should base our convictions, those principles which direct our lives. This transformation of experience into certainties moves us toward the “conquering” aspect of the spirituality and mission of Regnum Christi.
I am the life: “‘Get up. Do not be afraid’…and they came down the mountain.” (Mt. 17:7, 9).
Once we have had an experience of Christ and His love, and formed convictions based on this experience, we are impelled by grace to share this experience of Christ and to bring His love to every soul we encounter. Although it may be easier to stay up on the mountain and maintain only a “me and Jesus” mentality, Regnum Christi calls us to obey Christ’s command to get up and not be afraid to go down the mountain. Under the guidance of the Conqueror of sin and death, we can conquer the world for Christ through our words, and more importantly our actions and universal charity; with our cooperation, the grace of God can transform even the hardest and most wounded hearts! The various apostolates of Regnum Christi, and a continual dialogue with Christ through prayer and the sacraments, help us to accomplish this mission. In essence, our very lives become a reflection of Christ who is the Life.
Thy Kingdom Come!
As one can see, the Transfiguration and the proclamation of Christ as the way, the truth, and the life is beautifully reflected in the mission and spirituality of Regnum Christi. The Movement’s mission to make Christ’s kingdom known to all people is accomplished first through a personal experience of Christ, which blossoms into convictions on which we base our decisions, and finally bears fruit in the sharing of those experiences and attitudes with all the souls we encounter and bringing them to their own experience of Christ. In each moment Christ infuses us with His grace and gives us the strength we need to take the next step in our journey. Regnum Christi gives Christians the tools to start and continue on this journey toward building Christ’s kingdom in the world, with Christ as the way, the truth, and the life. Although Christ is the center and supplies the grace in this mission, how beautiful and incredible it is that He asks for and invites our free and total cooperation in His plan for mankind. As the apostles let themselves be transfigured by their experience of Christ’s love, let us too beg Christ for the grace to be transformed by His love! Once we have seen with our own eyes the love of Christ, and felt this love stirring in our hearts, the only true response is to exclaim, through the example of our very lives, “Thy Kingdom Come!”