July 4, 2018
Dear Family and Friends!
Happy
Fourth of July! I write to you from a place of rest where my community and I
are so blessed to spend July together here in the Dolomite Mountains of
Northern Italy. After an intense period of exams and a research paper for my
philosophy seminar, I can finally breathe the fresh mountain air with the sweet
sense of freedom seeing before me a good three months of vacation from my
university studies in which I will split time with my community here in the mountains
and my family in Texas. I continue to thank you for your support in form of
prayers and material assistance. You are all important participants of my
journey and I couldn’t do it without you!
Important Events
- June 9 (Immaculate Heart of Mary) – I moved into the phase of formation that is in preparation for vows making a promise to live the spirit of the vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience that I could, at the earliest, officially make in two years.
- June 27 – Feast of Our Lady of Perpetual Help to whom I entrusted my vocation 5 years ago
- July – month of community time in the Dolomite Mountains
- July 15 – July 22 – week of a Come and See when some girls interested in our community will be with us to “see” a little more of our life
- August 5 – my flight home to Texas
- August 31 – the birthday of my brother Brandon
- September 3 – my flight back to Rome
- September 4 – the birthday of my dad Robert
- September 30 – October 7 – pilgrimage to the Holy Land with one of my sisters
- October 3 – 28 – Synod of Bishops for Young People: The Faith and Vocational Discernment
- October 8 – first day of school: after finishing Philosophy I will start my theological studies
Story Time
“The Church
is asking something that only you two can do” said Janel, our formator, one day
early this year as Briana and I sat on the couch in our living room. Seeing my
confused face she adds “…or if you prefer it’s a request of Pope Francis.” And
after we finished some nervous laughter she began to explain to us an
opportunity that would become for us one of the most unique and beautiful of
our lives up to date…
From March
19 – 25 Briana and I lived a week of encounter with young people called
together by the Pope and Church from all of the world in preparation for the
Synod of Bishops for Young People, the Faith and Vocational Discernment that
will be held this October. The goal was to reflect over 15 questions asked by
the Synod Fathers themselves (a group of Bishops from all over the world who
will participate with the Pope in this Synod) and to produce a short document
that would be used by them in their reflections in October. It is the first time that the Church does such
a thing and gives voice to young people on such a level.
Briana’s
and my role was that of representing the voice of the over 2,000 English
speaking young people participating in the Facebook group created specifically
for the event. Our job was to read their responses to the same 15 questions
being reflected on in person by the over 300 delegates present in Rome and make
a synthesis to be used in the writing of the document to be presented to Pope
Francis at the Palm Sunday Mass on Sunday.
In true
young people fashion, the week was filled with much energy and joy. Everyone
took this opportunity seriously and openly shared their ideas and desires as
the Pope himself encouraged in his visit on our first day of the Pre-Synodal
Meeting. Present were young people of all continents, languages, ways of life,
and religions. While the most were Catholics, there were those of other faiths
and those who declared themselves atheists. And even amongst the Catholics
there was a wide variety of needs according to where one was from and what
events were more present in their country (persecution, pro-life matters,
freedom of religious expression, interfaith dialogue, immigration, etc…). We
had all meals together and it was an amazing experience to sit at a table with
people from several different countries and even continents. My knowledge of
English and Italian helped me to be able to communicate with many people but I
still felt a great need and desire to study other languages to be able to
encounter the others.
I was most
touched by these encounters. All those present were ready and available to
listen and to share on a deep level. I don’t know how many times I shared my
personal story of encounter with God and about my community. I myself was also
edified by the stories shared with me and by the witness of faith and joy that
challenged me to grow. I saw many different sides of the Face of God that week
and at the end of it, kneeling in our chapel at home, I couldn’t help but
think: “how beautiful You are Jesus.”
With what
imagination God created us all; each of us as a different expression of His
beauty; each called to a different mission, a different way to serve, to love,
to announce His Name. My life was deeply enriched by those few days that were
full of a quantity of experiences one would expect to need months for. I got to
live what it means to be a part of the universal Church in all of its different
expressions and ways to worship the One True God. I will be ever grateful for
this opportunity and forever changed because of it.
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| Shaking hands with the Pope!! |
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| The social media team for 6 different languages! |
Another article about Briana’s and my experience:
The final document produced by the young people: http://www.synod2018.va/content/synod2018/en/news/final-document-from-the-pre-synodal-meeting.html
The synthesis used to make the document: http://www.synod2018.va/content/synod2018/en/news/summary-of-the-small-groups-at-the-pre-synodal-meeting.html
The Instrumentum
Laboris to be used by the Synod Fathers in October: http://www.synod2018.va/content/synod2018/en/fede-discernimento-vocazione/instrumentum-laboris-for-the-synod-2018--young-people--the-faith.html?platform=hootsuite
For more general information:
Where’s my heart?
With much simplicity I must honestly say that
this year has been one of the best years of my life. Being my second year
living in Rome, I found myself to be more comfortable with the language and the
rhythm of life allowing me to enter into it on even a deeper level. The Lord,
as usual, was much too good to me enriching my life with many beautiful
encounters, friendships new and old, opportunities I could have never even
imagined to have, and many spiritual gifts in prayer as well.
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| "Io prometto...": promise to live the spirit of the vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience |
What effect
has this had on my heart? More than ever before my heart feels full and fully
alive; by means of friendships and experiences I’m discovering more aspects of
my heart in its fragility and humanity. And I’m learning to accept myself in my
sensibility without self-judgment. My heart is, after all, a human heart and
that of a woman. It is a heart that moves in specific ways before certain
people or certain situations. It is a heart that knows tears as well as it
knows laughter. It is a heart that deeply suffers loss especially of a friend and
a heart that rejoices in simply being smiled at. It is a heart that longs to
love and to be loved…as I am.
I continue to discover new angles of this heart of mine that feels ever the more little and weak. But, as St. Paul tells us, when I am weak, then I am strong (2 Cor 12:10). In my humanity and my littleness I feel closer to the heart of Christ than ever before. The heart of Christ is human after all, as well as divine. We do not become holy leaving our humanity behind but rather embracing it and entering more deeply into it. Purification is not about ridding ourselves of our humanity but rather of that which we have added to it over the years: sinful tendencies, selfishness, pride, bad habits, etc... The walk to holiness should not bring us away from but rather into the depths of our humanity to the roots of who we are: made in the image and likeness of God, in our humanity.
This is where my heart is: on the journey. Or rather, I am on the journey to the deeper discovery of my heart. And my desire is that this journey does not only lead to discovery but also to transformation. That my heart may ever more intimately resemble and be united to the Sacred Heart of Christ and the Immaculate Heart of Mary: two human hearts who were never afraid of their desire to love and to be loved, and who, consequently, loved with their whole hearts holding nothing back and leaving themselves vulnerable to receive the love of others at the risk of even being wounded sometimes.
A blog post on this topic can be found here: http://cheriseklekar.blogspot.com/2018/03/the-beating-of-consecrated-heart.html
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| Some of my classmates at the end of our 2 years of Philosophy together! |
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| The puppy who came to my birthday party! |
Prayer Intentions
·
For this month of community time: that it may be
lived to the fullest (and with good weather!)
·
For the girls coming on the Come and See this
July: that their hearts may be open to what the Lord has to speak to them in
these days with us.
·
For my time at home in August: that I may
cherish each moment with my family.
·
For my pilgrimage to the Holy Land: the grace to
simply let Him speak to my heart as He desires.
·
For the start of a new school year with its new
challenges and new encounters.
·
For the Synod of Bishops for Young People, The
Faith and Vocational Discernment: that the Holy Spirit may truly be present and
lead the Bishops to a deeper understanding of how the Lord desires to speak to
young people through the Church today.
·
For my transition into this new phase of
formation in which I begin to reflect more deeply on the vows of chastity,
poverty, and obedience.
·
For Alexa who has moved to Rome and will begin
her years of formation here this year.
·
For Kate who continues her first year of
formation in Lawrence, KS.
·
For Sarah, Liz, and Sam who are doing a year of
volunteering with our community in both Kansas and Texas to further their
discernment.
·
For the other young women looking into our
community and for an increase in vocations.
I thank you
all again for your support and for joining me in my journey. My prayers are
with each of you and please know that you are always free to email me specific
intentions. May you ever continue to discover your own heart and, in its
deepest point, find your only desire to be for Love Himself. May God bless you
and keep you and your loved ones close to Him.
United
under His gaze,
Cherise
*to be added to this email list serve email me at: cheriseklekar@gmail.com
**for more information about my community: www.apostlesofil.com
