In the Jubilee Year of Hope & coinciding with the dates dthe Jubilee of Adolescents in Rome, a group of young people from CRegnum Christi collaborators lived an extraordinary moment of communion and international fraternity. Coming from different countries countryes, they met a few days dthe month of May to share experiences, strengthen their vocation and discover - in their own words and from their concrete experiences - what it means to be sent by Christ, highlighting the spiritual richness of this unique experience and the value of a life dedicated for a full year to the mission.
A meeting in the Eternal City
Cristian, from Atlanta, but on mission as a collaborator in Louisiana, sums up the heart of the experience. of these days: «It is not easy to see missionaries from other parts of the world. Sharing with them has taught me a lot». For him, living with co-workers who have left not only their homes, but also their languages and cultures to respond to Christ's call has been profoundly revealing. What in the United States is usually lived within the same culture, in other countries becomes a “salir”to find a new way of life spiritual and cultural. Such dedication, he says, deserves admiration and reveals a faith that is renewed when put to the test.
Henry Grzeski, originally from Germany and currently collaborating in Madrid, offers to reflection of what this call means: «To be a collaborator is to be a missionary», says. His daily life is marked by prayer, the Eucharist, retreats and constant closeness to the apostolates.. Contributor year lor defined as «a giant retreat» where the difficulty does not lie in the external effort, but in living a deep surrender as part of everyday life. For him, este year has been key not only to know Christ better, but also to discover himself.
Maura Henkel quand began your year in Chile and concluded ite in Atlanta, underscores the cultural impact of the meeting. «We are all missionaries, but it is different according to cultures and countries.». She grew up in the ECYD and in a familia which was already dthe Regnum Christi, always surrounded by collaborators whose witness marked her from an early age. Today, living what they lived, and discovering how the charism is lived in other parts of the world, has given her a new perspective and a deeper identity as a missionary.
Family that transcends cultures
Edoardo, from Brasilia and currently on mission in Palermo, Italy, lived his call in the midst of decisions about his academic future. It was his spiritual director who helped him discern this step. His year as a collaborator has been, he says, a total immersion in a new culture, a new language, and an apostolate where he has learned to be «Jesus for our neighbor». He emphasizes the value of these international meetings as an opportunity to learn from other realities: «In Brazil it's different from Italy, but deep down we are a family.». This unity in diversity has broadened his view of the Regnum Christi and about their role within it.
Lucrecia, from El Salvador and currently as a collaborator in the ECYD from Rome, underlines the essence of this international community. For her, this meeting has been a space for mutual learning, where sharing both joys and difficulties strengthens the spirit. «It is a year in which we have received many blessings from Jesus.», She says, and being able to share those blessings with other collaborators in an environment of trust and growth has been a real gift.
Lú Perez, consecrated and responsible for the program of collaborators in North America, explains the heart behind this meeting: «The most important thing was to deepen their understanding of their encounter with Jesus Christ.». She sees this year as a transformational adventure, where co-workers not only encounter Christ, but learn to share Him, live His love full time and return with a heart ready to continue giving.
Carism that transforms lives
El Br. Daniel, legionary of Christ Chilean who now lives in Rome & was a contributor in 2014, andto year as a collaborator was decisive in discerning his vocation. «It was a year where God spoiled me a lot», he recalls. That stage left him with an intimate relationship with Christ that still marks his life today. on the road to the priesthood. And looking at the new generations of collaborators, he is filled with hope: «I see them with an enthusiasm and a trust in the Lord that is admirable.». It highlights how these young people, after their year of mission, take the Gospel to their universities, families and friends, making their experience an important part of their lives. kind of permanent mission.
Se collaborator in the Regnum Christi is not simply a year of volunteering. It is follow a vocation to give a year to God, a time of spiritual, human and apostolic formation that will you can transformr the hearts and ignitesr new lights wherever they are sent. And encounters like éThis in Rome, in the Jubilee Year, are living reminders that this mission, although personal, is never a solitary one. but community.
The different vocations ofl Regnum Christi family come to a young, courageous and deeply committed face in the collaborators. In every corner of the world where these young people serve, their presence is an invitation to look at Christ with new eyes and to respond with generosity. And although their paths will once again diverge after this encounter from Rome, the experiences shareas and the faith lived will keep them united in the mission.
In times when many seek immediate certainties, these young people have chosen a different path: that of surrender, faith and love of Christ. And in this generous step, they have found not only answers, but also a community and a mission that has marked their lives.
