On September 16th, my husband, Ken, and I took part in the “Regnum Christi and Friends” kickoff Mass and celebration at the house of the Legionaries of Christ in Rye, NY. This event always brings fond memories, as we are gathered to the cozy “front porch” of the Fathers’ house for the Mass and fellowship, before being sent back into the world to continue what Christ has begun in us.
When Ken and I arrived to the house, we experienced that familiar, cozy, “front porch” feeling which characterizes the distinctive RC spirit. It’s the spirit of family comfort! For starters, there were so many young people, and couples with young children present, who are RC members!
However, not everyone was so young. For example, one Regnum Christi member, Lisa Rooney, brought along her soon-to-be 91-year-old mother to celebrate along with us, and receive a birthday blessing from Fr. Eric Nielsen. This really made it an event for the whole family, across the generations.
The heart of the evening was the vigil Mass, concelebrated by Legionaries of Christ: Fr. Daniel Ray, Fr. Eric Nielsen, Fr. Mark Haydu, Fr. Fransico Sunderland, and a visiting Fr. Jason Smith. The Legionaries celebrated the Liturgy, and Christ prepared us to go out into the world again!
Fr. Francisco’s, homily gave deep personal meaning to Christ’s love and mercy toward each of us. It reminded me that I must show His mercy to the others entrusted to my care, especially to my Ken.
The mission we share as a Regnum Christ family is compelling. It’s also full of surprises. Just thinking about the last time we were on the “front porch” at Rye, in June, and coming back in September, Ken and I noticed something different. Off to one side of the yard was a bulldozer. “Oh!” I thought. “Something new and different is going on.” Plus, there was a huge, beautiful, white chapel tent off in the side yard. Expanding Christ’s Kingdom sometimes takes you and me to new and different places! On this occasion, it took us to Mass in a tent!
To me, both the bulldozer and the tent have separate and complementary meanings. The bulldozer is a symbol
for digging deep and discovering new opportunities in my heart for reflecting Christ. As wonderful as it is to experience the “coziness” of these “front porch” experiences in RC, I know that the temptation to stay cozy is opposed to the mission the Holy Spirit has given me. He gives us His light and warmth – “coziness,” if you will – so we can in turn bring them to the world. I am called to accompany Jesus along the road, decreasing while He increases in me, for the sake of those entrusted to my care in my marriage, family, team life, apostolates, and the world around me. Pope Benedict said it beautifully. “You were not made for comfort [“coziness,”]. You were made for greatness!”
The tent, on the other hand, is a place for gathering a growing family. I’d never seen this new feature at the Legionary residence before, but I’m told it’s going to make regular appearances. To celebrate the Church’s “Eucharistic Revival,” the Legionaries will be inviting people over for Holy Hours, with Confession, food, and fellowship available, starting on October 26th.
We were not made for comfort. But it’s certainly nice to know that it’s there for me whenever I turn to my Regnum Christi family!
-Maddy Swartz
