"VERIFICA" COMUNITA CENACOLO
It was mesmerizing poetry in motion...Watching my oldest son wade through the halls of his childhood, and for the first time that I can ever remember, scrub the bathroom floors on his hands and knees no less, because cleanliness is "Godliness!"
Johnny returned home for his first visit in more than two and a half years, and for me-it was as though he never left. He's nearly 27 years old yet, he still reminds me of that baby faced boy wonder-who slipped into my world and immediately taught me the true meaning of loving someone, unconditionally.
Johnny "boy"-has been living in Comunita Cenacolo in Borgoro Italy, amid an international group of men from Italy, Poland, Bosnia, France, and the U.S.A; inside a convent where the nuns lead and the boys follow-in Italian of course. The community learns Italian because that is the universal language in all the european houses...and I'm happy to say, Johnny is proficient, though he pretends he's not.
His return to the nest is called "verifica"-a time to verify what he has learned about himself and an opportunity to discover which issues he still needs to conquer. It was his chance to honestly look at the man he's becoming and the one he left behind. I imagine it was quite unnerving to be back in the "real world" free to roam the highways and byways after having lived for so long in the sacred center of monasticism.
We celebrated his return with friends and family who came to our home for a Mass celebrated by a wonderful priest, Fr. Dennis Hayes-who gathered all five of my sons before the altar of Christ for a special blessing-and a call to become christian men of character. It was absolutely one of the most precious moments I haver ever witnessed!
You see, the Cenacolo journey is not just for my oldest son, it is our family's journey; an opportunity to transcend the things of this world which have left us feeling fearful, cynical, hopeless and overwhelmed, in order to embrace the supernatural gifts of the next; which will free us from the chains that bind and hopefully-transform us into life giving stewards of God's everlasting Love.
I am so grateful to my son for the sacrificial giving of himself, for staying the course even when the road gets rocky, and for offering his ole mom sage words of wisdom that make me want to be a better person. How often do we parents find ourselves in a role reversal, where our child thinks more clearly or speaks more authoritatively than we do?!
It is quite humbling-and I have to tell you, his community walk has stirred within me-the desire to avoid settling for mediocrity, while his profoundly committed witness has renewed my commitment to the author of truth and mercy, justice and human dignity; the infallible source of authentic peace and hope, the merciful person of Jesus Christ.
Johnny returned home for his first visit in more than two and a half years, and for me-it was as though he never left. He's nearly 27 years old yet, he still reminds me of that baby faced boy wonder-who slipped into my world and immediately taught me the true meaning of loving someone, unconditionally.
Johnny "boy"-has been living in Comunita Cenacolo in Borgoro Italy, amid an international group of men from Italy, Poland, Bosnia, France, and the U.S.A; inside a convent where the nuns lead and the boys follow-in Italian of course. The community learns Italian because that is the universal language in all the european houses...and I'm happy to say, Johnny is proficient, though he pretends he's not.
His return to the nest is called "verifica"-a time to verify what he has learned about himself and an opportunity to discover which issues he still needs to conquer. It was his chance to honestly look at the man he's becoming and the one he left behind. I imagine it was quite unnerving to be back in the "real world" free to roam the highways and byways after having lived for so long in the sacred center of monasticism.
We celebrated his return with friends and family who came to our home for a Mass celebrated by a wonderful priest, Fr. Dennis Hayes-who gathered all five of my sons before the altar of Christ for a special blessing-and a call to become christian men of character. It was absolutely one of the most precious moments I haver ever witnessed!
You see, the Cenacolo journey is not just for my oldest son, it is our family's journey; an opportunity to transcend the things of this world which have left us feeling fearful, cynical, hopeless and overwhelmed, in order to embrace the supernatural gifts of the next; which will free us from the chains that bind and hopefully-transform us into life giving stewards of God's everlasting Love.
I am so grateful to my son for the sacrificial giving of himself, for staying the course even when the road gets rocky, and for offering his ole mom sage words of wisdom that make me want to be a better person. How often do we parents find ourselves in a role reversal, where our child thinks more clearly or speaks more authoritatively than we do?!
It is quite humbling-and I have to tell you, his community walk has stirred within me-the desire to avoid settling for mediocrity, while his profoundly committed witness has renewed my commitment to the author of truth and mercy, justice and human dignity; the infallible source of authentic peace and hope, the merciful person of Jesus Christ.
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