Regnum Christi

Ever since I was little, there´s been something about a library table being warmed by the sun through a big window. Specifically a library. When I´m surrounded by books, the sun´s warmth is especially magical.

Today there were a couple sprinkles on the donut: a crisp, clean breeze whispering through the open window, sweeping in the chirping of a few birds…munching on my granola bar…my mind feeling the way my body does after a workout—energized. Gosh, if I have to be studying for exams, this is the way to do it. Continue reading →

Once again I find myself looking at my obvious Lenten penance with hope that God will, once again, help me.  He is so faithful.  The big house we moved into in March 2009 (yes, we moved during Lent; it was perfect) has some serious housekeeping eyesores.  One of the biggest is a corner of our master bedroom that is piles on piles.

I have been chipping away at it for days now and just today I took a book off of one of the taller piles and smile.  The title:  101 Ways to Simplify Your Life by Candy Paull. Continue reading →

I recently saw this statue of St Francis of Assisi (outside the Santa Barbara Mission Church in California). It made me think think about how on the Cross, Jesus offers himself to each one of us. He invites each one of us to receive him as he is, and to share everything with him – and that means that we will suffer. But it’s a suffering out of love; it’s a suffering that has meaning.

Maybe another St Francis (de Sales) said it best:

“The everlasting God has in his wisdom foreseen from eternity the cross that he now presents to you as a gift from his innermost heart. This cross he now sends you he has considered with his all-knowing eyes, understood with his divine mind, tested with his wise justice, warmed with loving arms, and weighed with his own hands to see that it be not one inch too large and not one ounce too heavy for you. He has blessed it with his holy name, anointed it with his grace… taken one last glance at you and your courage, and then sent it to you from heaven, a special greeting from God to you.”

And that is just what they have done. One pair of boots can see a lot during a short 5 months in a foreign country. “Take with you no sack for the journey, or a second tunic, or sandals or walking stick” (Mt 10:10). These boots have walked more than 197 total miles and climbed between 96 and 212 stairs a day during the week. Unfortunately, the legs of their wearer don’t seem to show it. They have traversed Seville, Puerta del Sol, Cathedrals, historic sites, public offices and El Corte Ingles; have stood in line, have run to catch the “walk” signal at the corner of Calles Bailen y Mayor far too many times, have avoided various animal…things, have been on the metro and the bus, and have slipped and skidded through the mud to bring their wearer home. They have pushed the laundry cart up the hill in the rain, they have gripped the outdoor tile walkways at Cerro del Coto well when they’re dry, and poorly when they’re wet. (Some may think that ‘the rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain’, but that’s not true). They have been laughed at for being “short boots” and have faded dramatically with daily use. They’ve seen peaceful protests downtown, European ambassadors arriving in horse-drawn carriage to Palacio Real, and gypsies and refugees on street corners. They have veered around the tourist group that is always in the way near Mercado de San Miguel. They match only ¾ of their wearer’s outfits and have had to be worn with black tights, causing their wearer to feel a little bit of resentment toward them. They have walked through the mop water of apartamento #8 every Tuesday and Friday at 2:53pm bringing their wearer to be on a first name basis with the cleaning lady. Continue reading →

The liturgy to me speaks about walking with Jesus. The journey that the disciples made with Jesus up Mt Tabor, or how God took Abraham “outside”, or even as St Paul tells us that we are on a journey to heaven. I think of how many times I can be like the disciples and just want to stay at the moment of the time when Christ appears to them in splendor, and forget that it is the same Christ who is with them on the journey up the mountain. Lent is like this journey. God wants to take us outside as He did to Abraham and tell us about the promise He makes us. He wants to take us up the mountain to reveal himself to us. We have to make the journey with Him. We need to take away those things that don’t allow us to see Him clearly so we can follow Him more closely. Let Christ take you this Lent and remember the fact that He is with us as long as we are climbing the mountain. At the end of Lent He will reveal His promise – redemption.

I met a man who killed his girlfriend. I do not know his name, but I do know that the confirmation name that he chose was Ignatius, one of my favorite saints. Ignatius was a marine and struggled with post-traumatic stress after service. One day, he killed his girlfriend, probably with a punch to the head, though he does not remember it. He turned himself in when he became conscious of what he had done.

Ignatius was one of the 34 prisoners that received baptism and confirmation after preparation with the chaplain for almost a year. Men with no plans for the next 40 years never complain about one year of preparation. In that mass, Christ forgave them of their previous sins and all of the punishment for those sins. Really, they were new men, reborn.

Rebirth sounds very nice and good, but that was the limit of my understanding – that is, until I heard the homily. Fr. Robert preached the homily in which he said that their baptism marked their souls as God’s, made them sons of God, and made them part of the Church. That last part surprised me a bit. When I thought of the Church, I thought of my parish back home, the Pope in the Vatican, and my religious community; but I never pictured a white-plastered auditorium of prisoners. What a shame that I excluded them! If the Church is able to span national boundaries, seas, and languages, why would a few layers of barbed wire be able to keep it out? These men are indeed part of the Church, and I am thankful to Ignatius that he opened my eyes a little wider. May God bless him and shower his grace upon him.

Hello! We had another wonderful day, with a deepening sense of joy and gratitude. The morning and early afternoon were as usual, interrupted by some rain, which today was much more “mild”. We got to show the Dzib brothers the rappelling and zip-lining equipment that we were able to bring thanks to many of you, and their gratitude and humility were amazing; they’ve been working for years, trying many different avenues for their project, without finding a way to go forward, and now they are able to see some advancements. Our Lord is “using” us to help them move forward, and “using” them to teach us what community and Christianity mean; a blessed interchange to say the least. Continue reading →

Everyone is doing so well, inside and out! It has been beautiful to witness how the mission team has come together and each one is finding their place. The building projects are coming along at fast speed, and the communion with the locals is very apparent. This is the third mission team from southern Ontario in 13 months, and the affinity is a huge grace!

We had a wonderful day, very unexpected and very blessed. All night it was pouring rain, and we woke up to a continued storm that didn’t look would be passing anytime soon. We had a cold breakfast and no electricity, but tried to keep up our spirits. After breakfast we had a Holy Hour, waiting for the rain to pass or for Our Lord to inspire us the plan for the day (and the week if it were to continue raining!). It cleared a bit around mid-morning and we went to the worksite, but as soon as we arrived it started pouring again! Continue reading →

A rumored photo of Victoria’s study area

Dear Spain, why must you thwart my every move?!

Sound dramatic? Yeah…it is….

I have recently come to the point in my transition to life in Spain where certain items I brought with me from the States are running out. You know, those little things you took for granted but are actually playing a semi vital role in your life. Well, a couple of weeks ago I came to the realization that in order to complete a project I am working on I need some post its. After leaving my makeshift office to search for the goods, I began to see that post its might be a hot commodity here. I first checked the house’s “procura”- that wonderful room of hygiene and personal products with the extra shampoo and soap, a calendar from 1998, razor blade refills but no razors, deodorant cream (it’s even worse than it sounds) and sometimes, if you’re lucky, panty hose in your size. But, while I found delightful little squares of paper with a picture of Our Lady in the corner, they didn’t stick, defeating the purpose that I needed them to fill. (And there isn’t much tape in the house either, so whichever way I went, I was going to have to buy something). So I took advantage of a break in my schedule at the University run my errand.   Continue reading →

Greetings from the City of Joy in Cancun! After an uneventful flight, and a long time through customs (few tourists bring 36 bags of tools, supplies and kitchen ware!) we made it to our lodging for the night in the City of Jot at 2:30 am. However the excitement for our mission got us up bright and early, and most missionaries were talking a walk in the compound at 7:30 am.

We had some time for coffee and to get to know each other, then morning prayer where we reflected on how as Our Lord goes into the desert, he invites us to this mission site as our “desert” to get to know him and ourselves better, to prepare us for our mission by being available to whatever He permits in the day by day. Continue reading →