Fr. Marcial Maciel, LC, our founder, spoke to the first group of consecrated men of the Regnum Christi Movement in Ireland one rainy winter night in 1978. He arrived early that day because he wanted to share with us the plans that God had inspired him with in that historic moment the Movement was living in Ireland.
Twenty months before I found myself asking my spiritual director how I could live Lent with greater fervor; I truly wanted to know how I could grasp on to all the graces God bestows throughout that beautiful time of year. My director said: "We are about to take a new step in the history of Regnum Christi and I would like to invite you to be a part of it." He then went on to explain the different levels of commitment within Regnum Christi and encouraged me to consider being amongst the first group of consecrated men in the Movement. I was completely drawn to the idea. I told Father that I would think about it, being that this was a life-changing decision that needed a lot of thought and prayer.
Just as a young man gets butterflies as he approaches the altar to get married, so I was a bundle of nerves not knowing where God was going to lead me on this new adventure. Yet as I left spiritual direction I experienced a great peace and an interior joy because I knew in my heart that I wanted to be a part of this new mission. I had already tasted the love of Christ during my last three years in the ECYD and the Movement. I knew my answer would be "yes".
"The directors originally thought that it was still premature to begin the foundation of the consecrated menīs branch of Regnum Christi here in Dublin, but obviously God was in a hurry and sped things up a bit," Father Maciel slowly continued in a simple Spanish as one of the other Legionaries translated his words to English. Each of the six young men who had just consecrated their lives to Christ were aglow as we heard our Founder confirm the decision we had just taken; a decision full of faith in God and his plan because we had left everything behind for him. Yes, God was behind this new foundation and we were his protagonists!
"When God calls a person, he tests them; itīs a strategy God uses to verify whether we really love him and trust in him or not." Father Maciel must have remembered his own youth as he spoke to us of all the serious difficulties that were placed in his path as he followed his vocation. Each one of us had his own personal story, replete with obstacles apparently blocking the path of his vocation. I was leaving my parents when they were already quite on in years; I was the fifth and last child to leave home. Another one of the young men was very much in love with his girlfriend. Another had a fabulous job in the government. Still another, his parents did not support him in his decision. "Why, my son?", they would continuously ask. Yet there we were, all six of us, in spite of the numerous difficulties along the way. As a mother challenges her little boy to walk on his own and calls out to him to walk toward her, so God had challenged us, teaching us how to walk toward him with that same childlike trust.
"Now you need to multiply yourselves by motivating other young men to give their lives to Christ here in Ireland and in other countries as well. The world needs the testimony of young men consecrated to God", Father Maciel continued. The United States, Australia, Mexico ... our imaginations soared as we contemplated the world thirsting for happiness. All they needed was someone to reveal that the secret to their longing for happiness was God.
Twenty-five years later, Godīs plan for his little group of adventurers is a reality. I am completely happy and very proud to be a consecrated member of Regnum Christi; I wouldnīt change my life for anything in the world. Some might question me: wasnīt it difficult to leave everything behind, your family, friends, pastimes, etc? Of course it was hard but I have inherited a beautiful and much more numerous family here in Regnum Christi . I have grown closer to the best Friend of my youth and I have been able to guide many people toward Him. My parents brought five children into the world; I have already brought at least the same number of "spiritual children" guiding them toward the fullness of their vocation as Legionaries or consecrated members of Regnum Christi .
The numbers donīt equate? Donīt worry ... Godīs math is not like ours.
For more information about Regnum Christi Consecrated Men, please write to: consecratedmen@regnumchristi.org.
Dermot Tennyson
