Regnum Christi

The most important delegate is always close.

The North American Territory is really big – geographically, at least.

It is so big that some of its parts are not even in what a geography professor would call North America.  As a result, the Regnum Christi Renewal Convention has people from a vast expanse of planet earth.

Rather than explain this vastness by a standard map/geography lesson, let me set the boundaries by talking about some of the delegates.  Anyway…you can always go to Google Earth if you want to look at actual geography. Continue reading →

A delegate poised to vote.

We are in the American political season.  Wasn’t Super Tuesday a thrill?  Well…maybe not.

Politics seems to be bringing out the worst in already contentious personalities as candidates for President take turns calling each other names and claiming the moral high ground while descending into the gutter.

But here at the RC Renewal Convention there are no presidential candidates.  No name calling.  No profanity.  No bloated claims of superiority.  No person claiming to be the big dog everyone else should follow.

It isn’t like the delegates don’t have important things to discuss: Continue reading →

The convention is happening at the conference center at The University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary, Mundelein, Illinois.  They use really wide business cards.

The convention materials say the event is in Chicago, and, indeed, we are in the Archdiocese of Chicago.  But to be politically and geographically precise, we are in the northwest suburb of Mundelein. Continue reading →

Kerrie Rivard

The communications director for our organization has many inspiring and fun opportunities.  And, yes, sometimes there are yucky things to deal with, but the hope and joy of the mission ALWAYS outshines the not-so-fun stuff.

Well…this week is the Regnum Christi Renewal Convention 2016 (North American Territory).  And my assignment is to be an observer and share some thoughts on what is happening.

I am so blessed.  I’m spending the week with more than 120 beautiful people who love their Catholic faith, love the Church and love Regnum Christi.  These are my kind of people, precisely the people who ought to be sorting out the future of our Movement. Continue reading →

Silence isn’t always golden. We expect silence from certain people and in certain situations. Mimes, for example, are generally silent. But God isn’t supposed to be silent; his apparent silence is the source of suffering. When we cry out to God and he doesn’t seem to come through, we’re left asking, “Does he actually care?” I know he’s supposed to care – after all he’s God – but does he really?

This is why Jesus cried out on the Cross, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” In other words, “Why don’t you answer me? Why are you silent?” The eternal dialogue between the Father and the Son is interrupted, but by entering into a suffering silence Jesus redeemed it. In the silence of God, we find the cry of Christ. In the silence of God, if we allow it, we find Jesus at our side.

Silence isn’t always golden. But, with Christ, it becomes a word from God.

“You are the delight of my Heart.” Christ soothes the heart of St Faustina Kowalska with this tender whisper. She writes of it often in her diary. We are all the delight of his heart. You are. Do you believe it?

Last month I accompanied my brother (who is also a Legionary studying in Rome with me) to have dinner with a priest he knew who was in town. We went to a restaurant a couple blocks down from the Pantheon called Alfredo’s. It is actually the “birthplace” of fettuccine alfredo—and they made sure we knew and experienced it! On our way home, we missed the 9 pm train, and the next one wasn’t until 10:30. It was a pretty brisk winter’s night, and the sun had set long ago, so I paced up and down alongside the tracks to keep warm. On the last bench of the station was seated a woman, Maria Luisa. She must have been in her early 60’s, and she didn’t look too good. She looked cold, but worse than that, her bloodshot eyes were a window into what seemed a sad and lonely heart. I smiled at her every time I passed by. After pacing a bit, I noticed a bottle of liquor at her side that she had been drinking from and continued to do so. My heart couldn’t help but go out to her. I felt Jesus wanted to tell her too, “Maria Luisa, my daughter, you are the delight of my Heart.” Continue reading →

I love being part of a big family. Well, to some, six might be more medium-sized, but I guess adding in the aunts and uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews gives me that big-family feel. And funny thing is, at Regnum Christi events like the open-house Mass we have here at our house one Sunday a month, I perceive a similar flavor as there is around the dining room table at a family get-together. No matter the city I´ve been in, mind you: kids sticking their fists in the potato chip bowl in between games of soccer…adults laughing and catching up…groups of teenagers waffling between the soccer games and the adult conversations…babies being passed from arm to arm (with the consecrated women usually maintaining a monopoly). And there´s nothing like the little ones toddling down the aisle toward the altar full of Legionaries, being followed by big sister or patted on the head by Mom or Dad. Somehow I feel like I know them all, each and every one, even without their names and stories. That family flavor isn´t “just anything.” It comes from somewhere deep down—or, should I say, Someone.

Today in the context of Lent we are reminded of no matter how many sins we have done God is willing to take care of us like the tree that hasn’t yet produced fruit. Sin is what kills life in our soul and stops fruit from producing. God doesn’t ever give up on us. His mercy is eternal. He looks on us with hope waiting patiently for the moment when we are ready to dig our roots deep in Him and produce the fruit that we were made to produce. In the first reading, Moses receives the command from God to free Israel from Egypt. Israel was in a sense dead with no hope of bearing fruit. Moses was the instrument of God’s mercy for them. God sent Moses to free Israel from their exile and lead them to the Promised Land where they could take their root in God and produce the Fruit of Life. This Lent, appealing to the mercy of God, we must let Him guide us to new life in Him.

Recently at a workshop in Michigan, I bumped into a young woman whom I knew when I was chaplain at her high school. She told me that she has been looking for someone online, so I took advantage to pick her brain about themes I could write about for young adults in her situation. After a minute of thinking, she came up with an idea: the fear of commitment. I asked her for more insight. “Well” she said, “I would really like to find someone, but when I do and I begin to suspect this might be the one, I really get scared at the thought of losing my freedom.” Continue reading →

Over the past years during Lent, with a group of fellow seminarians, I have been walking the streets of Rome visiting churches praying for your intentions for a day in what we call the “Church-a-thon”. We visit 30 churches, praying and offering the 18-mile walk for the intentions that you send. This year we will be making our pilgrimage on Saturday, March 5. This will probably be the last one I have the opportunity to do. Please send your intentions before Friday, March 4:  agronotte@legionaries.org Continue reading →