Dear
Family and Friends!
Merry Christmas! It’s, by now, my
third Christmas in Rome. I can’t believe it! How time sure does fly by! I hope
this Christmas season finds you surrounded by many loved ones. I know it’s hard
for me to be away from my family but I also know that I have found here, in my
community and the friends God has gifted me with, a much larger family than I
ever imagined possible to have. How blessed I am!
Important Events
Dec 11 – my first nephew, Shepherd
James Klekar, was born!!!
Jan and Feb – my period of exams for
my first year of Theology (please pray!)
Feb 10 – my 26th
birthday…another little prayer for me please!
March 2 – my Mom’s birthday
March 25 – Brandon (my brother) and
Jen’s 2nd wedding anniversary.
March 29 – our founder, Fr.
Salvatore, celebrates 67 years of priesthood.
May 25 – our AVI brother, Deacon
Joel Haug, will be ordained a priest in Kansas City, KS.
Story Time
For those of you who don’t know,
this year I was given a HUGE gift: a pilgrimage to the Holy Land! I could share
many things about that trip and already have in my blog a few months ago (see
blog post here). So
to change things up, I’ll share a little story that I didn’t include in that
post.
The first day of the trip Sr. Clara
and I found ourselves with a free morning, as we awaited the arrival of the
last part of our group. Not wanting to waste any of the precious time we were
allotted in this most holy place we did a little research and found that our
hotel was right next to a pilgrimage destination: Mount Precipice.
If you open up your Bible to the
Gospel of Luke chapter 4 you will find a passage in which Jesus preaches from
the prophet Isaiah in the synagogue at Nazareth. After He finishes and
proclaims the Word fulfilled that day, the people begin to marvel at this and
to question: is He not the son of Joseph?
After explaining that no prophet is accepted in his hometown with examples from
the Old Testament, He is immediately taken away to a nearby mount by the crowds
who want “to hurl him down headlong” (v. 29) before He “passed through the
midst of them and went away” (v. 30). We were on that mount.
Praying with this very passage
looking out upon the valley below I had a very simple and beautiful moment with
our Lord. First, I was marveled at Him wanting to bring me there and share with
me the place where He grew up. When I think of my hometown, of the memories
each corner holds, of the sounds and smells that call to mind faces and voices,
of the failures and triumphs, laughter and tears that all made me who I am
today, I realize how precious of a place it is to share with someone. Here was
the Son of God making Himself vulnerable with me – His small, unworthy
creature. Here was Jesus of Nazareth giving me the “local’s tour”. Wow. What a
gift. What a humbling moment.
Then, more specifically in the passage I was struck by the
last line from Isaiah that He chose to preach that day: He has sent me…to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord (v.
18-19). In the Italian translation, with which I was praying, it says “a year
of grace in the Lord”. Upon reading these words and imagining them preached to
me from the very voice of Jesus I felt a huge wave of consolation in my heart.
Here was Jesus making me a promise: this year will be filled with grace. He was
not promising me the best year of my life, nor the year filled with the most
success or joy. No, He was promising me something much, much greater: a year
filled with His grace, with His presence…a year filled with Him.
This message for me was very important seeing as I was
about to embark on a year so full of novelty as to frighten me a bit. Even more
so than other years I felt unprepared before many unknowns. Without previous
experience to depend on I just had no idea how things would go. What would the new university be like? Would
I like my professors? Would I make new friends? Would I lose my old friends?
After years of always being the “littlest”, how would I handle the “big sister”
role? What would it be like living with six other people? How would my
relationship change with the sisters who still go to my old university? What
does the formative journey look like for someone in “preparation for vows”?
What will it be like having more responsibility in the apostolate? And so
on and so forth…
In that moment these questions were not answered but they
found a new location. No longer were they at the forefront of my mind but
rather behind a much more important affirmation: “I am with you.” And so it was
that my heart found peace and my Holy Land trip was off to a great start!
Where's my heart?
My heart is on a journey. The destination is freedom. And although I have caught glimpses of the finish line and tasted the glory just enough to be encouraged to keep going, I have yet a long, long way to go. In this journey I have a Guide but our means of transportation is not a taxi. No, this is not a passive trip but one that asks of me a very active participation. In fact, I often look down and find the reigns laying in my young, unexperienced hands. And this happens much more often than I'd think necessary. Clearly my Guide is not as rushed as I am to arrive.
As it is, the control is often mine. At least it is left up to me many crucial elements of the trip: the speed, how long (and how often) we stope to rest, which road we take...etc. I'm learning that by continually choosing to remain by my Guide's side in this journey I've accepted His invitation and am guaranteed arrival at the much desired destination of freedom. I am also learning, however, that there is no set length or time limit. The level of difficulty is not standard, and the enjoyment factor is really hit or miss. Some days I'm happily going full speed ahead and the next, I could easily be setting up camp for an undetermined amount of time not wanting to even look towards the direction the path is leading me.
The one constant in this journey is my Guide. He never leaves me, even when I think to have left Him. Although He asks of me to make the decision, He is always suggesting to me which path to take. Often I lack in trust, and don't believe that the road leading into the tunnel - dark and lurking with the unknown - could really be smoother and quicker than the open air mountain pass. But even then, when in mistrust I don't follow His advice, He remains with me and lives with me the consequences of my choice. Up the steep incline He holds my heaviest bag, and when the snows begin to fall at the mountain top He gives me His every coat. For me He finds wood to build a fire, and when food and water run scarce He nourishes me with His very self. He never ceases to seek my comfort and joy even when I am too absorbed in myself to notice. Along the driest of paths He plants a clump of colorful daisies (my favorite flower) just to make me smile. And in the harshest of winters He sets a flight a chorus of little birds that accompany me in song. He delights my way by filling it with numerous unique encounters: each person as beautiful as he/she is diverse. And when I feel all alone He sends a sweet breeze to brush my cheek and draw my attention back to Him who is forever whispering encouragement and love into my heart. He paves my way with His peace.
Yes, my heart is on a journey, and the destination is freedom but I have a long, long way to go.
Prayer Intentions
·
For my brother Brandon, his wife Jen, and their
newborn baby boy Shepherd James.
·
For our exams between Jan 21 and Feb 15 (I have
no exact dates yet).
·
For the House of Formation here in Rome…for
continued growth in unity and sisterly love.
·
For all the girls in formation with our
community in both Rome and the USA.
·
For new vocations to our community and to the
Consecrated Life.
·
For our apostolate: retreats, missions, and
moments of evangelization we have planned this year.
Thanks for patiently awaiting this
newsletter that I got out a little late this year. I justify it by reminding
myself that we are still in the Octave of Christmas – the eight days of
Solemnities, one after the other, in which each day’s Mass is celebrated like a
Sunday Mass singing “Glory to God in the Highest” and celebrating this great
event of our Lord’s birth! I encourage you all to live according to this as
best as you can with the demands of your daily life. Mass during the week is
not obligatory but would be neat to go to anyways in these days as it is the
highest form of Thanksgiving we can make to God. Also, I pray that you still find
time to relax, rejoice, and continue to unite with family and friends to spend
these days in an extra special way. They are not like any old day of the year
after all!
Sending you all a hug and a big
Thank You for your continued love, prayers, and support. These unique
experiences I am having, my journey to greater freedom, and my all around joy
would not be possible without each and every one of you! I will never be able
to thank you enough but I assure you of my prayers and remind you that you may
send me specific prayer intentions any time! Merry Christmas, Happy New Year,
and God bless!
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| The young women in formation with our founder, Fr. Salvatore. |
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| Everybody on Christmas Day! |
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| Outside the walls of Jerusalem |
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| In front of the Trevi Fountain |
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| Florence, Italy |
