HOUSE OF JOY!
Johnny is an excellent writer and he paints a beautiful picture of the day to day activities of his unique life behind the convent walls-which by the way-are lined with barbed wire. "Not to keep us in," he writes, "but to keep the outsiders from getting in. We are always free to leave."
He is living with the Sisters of Charity, an order founded by a French nun, St. Jeanne Antide and with ten other young men. They are a mixed group-Dutch, Italian, Irish, Slovakian and American. He says they all get along pretty well and even though most of them speak English, he prefers speaking Italian.
The house is called "Gioia" which means joy and there is a small grotto with a statue of the Blessed Mother and flowers which they call "Ave Maria." When Mother Elvira, the founder of Cenacolo, prayed for the desperate youth of the world, she received the inspiration for Community there. So you could say he is living in the birth place of the community.
Johnny says the grounds are serenely beautiful...There's a garden, a park and a fruit field. He and the other young men each have their work responsibilities, however there is also time for playing soccer and for some old fashioned exercise.
There are no computers or TVs or telephones, yet the rhythm of life is deeply satisfying. He writes, "When I first arrived I felt a lot of peace, like the right decision had been made. I had been mentally preparing myself for a really tough experience, but I see being here as if God is saying," "John don't worry, I know what's best for you, and I'm taking care of you now."
Johnny says he has more spiritual freedom, so he is now pushing himself harder. He fasts twice a week on Wednesdays and Fridays instead of once and he goes to adoration at two a.m. instead of 5:30 a.m. He says it's tough, "However, I have a good intention, and I really feel like I'm changing when I make uncomfortable decisions."
Johnny writes that he suffers every single day...mentally or physically...but "I appreciate it because, with God's help, I turn it into growth." And he's learning to accept himself, flaws and all, because "I am still loved by Jesus, if nobody else."
There is no better Christmas gift then to intimately know the unconditional Love of Jesus who came into the world to liberate each and every one of us from the darkness of our lives. There is nothing more satisfying than accepting this gift.
And so this Christmas I am so grateful for the gift of community and for the gift of my son Johnny whose powerful witness is filling our lives with authentic Christ centered hope and more joy than he will ever comprehend!
Comments