"The life of faith helps us to open our horizons, to see our life as God sees it."

December 29, 2010. In a Christmas letter addressed to the young men and women who volunteer one or several years as Regnum Christi coworkers (also called Mission Corps volunteers), Fr Alvaro Corcuera encourages them to make the most of their time by letting God lead.

“Dear coworkers, we all have a special path to the holiness to which God calls us. Only in prayer and closeness to him in the Eucharist can we discover this path,” he writes.

“Being holy is the best way we can help the Church and the immense mission of evangelizing culture and society. Do not be afraid of the holiness God is asking of you.”

The complete letter is printed below and can also be downloaded in pdf format here.

***

Thy Kingdom Come!

ALVARO CORCUERA, L.C.

December 21, 2010

To the Regnum Christi coworkers

Very dear friends in Christ,

     I write these words of greeting with a lot of joy, hoping that they find you full of the peace and happiness that come from dedicating our lives to proclaiming the Gospel. First of all, I would like to thank you in all sincerity for the example of generous self-giving that you give us each day. Among the countless possibilities that you had, you chose to dedicate a year or more of your lives to God, sacrificing your studies, families, friendships, etc. I am sure that your self-giving has eternal value in God’s eyes.

     I also thank you for the trust you have had in God’s plan through Regnum Christi. We are not living through an easy period and you have not been afraid of the misunderstanding or the criticisms that may sometimes come with being coworkers in the Movement. All of these difficulties have to lead us to focus more on Christ and try to respond to him with greater holiness of life, no matter where our work takes us.

     Just as in previous years, I would like to take advantage of this occasion to reflect with you on some points that can help you to get the most out of this period as coworkers, and especially these days before Christmas. A few months ago, the Holy Father wrote a message to the youth as a preparation for the World Youth Day that will take place in Madrid next August. In his message, the Pope told them:

     “The victory born of faith is that of love. There have been, and still are, many Christians who are living witnesses of the power of faith that is expressed in charity. They have been peacemakers, promoters of justice and workers for a more humane world, a world in accordance with God’s plan. With competence and professionalism, they have been committed in different sectors of the life of society, contributing effectively to the welfare of all. The charity that comes from faith led them to offer concrete witness by their actions and words. Christ is not a treasure meant for us alone; he is the most precious treasure we have, one that is meant to be shared with others. In our age of globalization, be witnesses of Christian hope all over the world. How many people long to receive this hope!” (cf. Pope Benedict XVI, Message for XXVI World Youth Day, August 6, 2010).

     I think that these beautiful words can help us to understand the meaning of being a coworker. It is a marvelous time to form ourselves and to grow spiritually, especially in the theological virtues. The life of faith helps us to open our horizons, to see our life as God sees it, to transform our criteria so that they will be more in accordance with Christ’s criteria in the Gospel. Thus, under this perspective of faith, an apostolic failure, an unexpected assignment or change of assignment, a “scolding” from my director, or even my own defects or internal difficulties that I might be going through can become an opportunity to grow, to cling more tightly to Christ and his grace.

     This is the experience of the great saints. A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to see a movie about the life of St Philip Neri. The movie showed us a man of joyful and simple character who could easily have let himself be carried away by superficiality; nevertheless, he was able to trust in Christ and put his good humor at the service of the Gospel. Even his relationship with God was permeated with that humor. Dear coworkers, we all have a special path to the holiness to which God calls us. Only in prayer and closeness to him in the Eucharist can we discover this path. Being holy is the best way we can help the Church and the immense mission of evangelizing culture and society. Do not be afraid of the holiness God is asking of you.

     In this sense, the Movement puts within your reach a great variety of means that can help you to grow in holiness. I invite you to value them and make maximum use of them. Think about the grace of being able to receive Christ in the Eucharist every day, or of having access to a good confessor and a good spiritual director. Remember that being a coworker is not a goal, but rather a period of time that God gives you to mature in your vocation to holiness, to form yourselves as apostles of Christ within the Movement, and to strengthen your Christian convictions in faith, hope, and charity so that you can be true torches, beacons of light in the midst of the darkness in which so many people live. Christ calls us with urgency, just as the Holy Father tells us, to be witnesses of that victory of Love in our personal life and in the life of Regnum Christi.

     In conclusion, I would like to thank you again for your self-giving and the example of generosity that you give us every day. I encourage you to place your apostolates in Mary’s hands and to learn from her to love your souls and give yourselves without reservations to the mission God has entrusted to you.

     With a constant remembrance in my prayers, I remain yours affectionately in Christ and your servant,

Fr Álvaro Corcuera, LC