Almost three months ago I arrived to my new community: Chicago, the Windy City! After four years in Dallas, the change has been “interesting.”
At times it may seem that we consecrated people have no heart. But I can tell you that we do, and it really hurts when you have to uproot and leave friends, sisters, companions in the spiritual battle and settle into your new mission, in your new center.
What a surprise when I arrived to my new community: 13 consecrated, eight nationalities. That’s not a typo. We have eight nationalities in our Chicago house: South Africa, Australia, Ireland, France, Germany, Canada, United States and a feisty Mexican (me). As I mentioned, I just arrived, but I can already see the richness of it all.
This change, as any change and transition in life, is hard. So I need a lot of Christ time, a lot of prayer, a lot of time with the One who can console and give me the right strength to keep on going — but not with a gloomy face, but joy, enthusiasm and love.
Here in Chicago we live in a former convent. In the left wing, just 20 feet away from my office, there’s a door that leads to the Perpetual Adoration Chapel; that’s a big grace. I have spend a lot of time before Christ in the Eucharist and have amazed by the “internationality” of people from the parish who come to pray: Vietnamese, Philippinos, Mexicans, Chinese, Polish, Italians, every sort of Central American – and many folks who would simply call themselves Americans.
But one afternoon in prayer it clicked. All these people united around CHRIST, praying in their own languages with fervor. It clicked; Christ unites us all, and we all can relate because our center is HIM. We belong to a big family where LOVE is the universal language. Faith, hope and love are the pillars of our life and the Eucharist is the Bread of Heaven that keeps us nourished, keeps us alive.
So no matter if is Dallas, Chicago, wherever I go, Christ will always be there with me, and that’s what unites me to all! And now after three months I can tell you, I am at home with my Regnum Christi family of Chicago, where CHRIST IS THE CENTER OF US ALL!
