Paola with new Phillipina friends. Mika Mendoza is in the yellow sweater.
One of the things that have always attracted me of RC is the family spirit. No matter where I have been — and I have been around, from The Outback to the Far East, Europe, South America, North America, Oceania — I’m always amazed to find the same spirit of RC.
This week I had the blessing of being here in the Philippines on a “scout mission” for our future Mission Youth missions while being here I was invited to give a talk in a RC young women’s convention.
As soon as Fr. Michael Mitchell, LC (the Mission Youth chaplain) and I arrived, the girls greeted us as if they already new us, as if they were greeting someone from their family. Upon arrival we proceeded to Mass preside by Fr. Michael, LC Again I can explain it but it was infused with by the RC spirituality: the fervor, the songs, the music, renewal of baptismal promises, everything had the RC sea. I have to confess that I shed a couple of tears during the thanksgiving after communion. All the way here, as Far East as we can go, the RC charism was alive, the mystique was all over.
After the talk, which was about the RC spirituality at the center of the Church, we went out for break. Suddenly Father and I were surrounded by the RC girls. I just started asking them random questions, about RC and missions. I was blown away by their answers.
What RC is for you? In one voice the answered: home and family. One of them, Mika Mendoza shared a little more:
“RC is something that you hold onto. is always there, something that you can always fall back to. RC is like a monkey bar. You are hanging onto the bars, you swing with one hand for school, another for work — but RC is the one bar you never let go. It is always there to hold onto. RC changed my life and put a smile on my face and my heart.”
I left the RC convention giving thanks to God for the great gift we have in RC. I never take it for granted. It is a gift that we need to share with everyone, because as Mika said, it changes lives and we all need that monkey bar to hold onto.
