I’ve had a good experience in Communion and Liberation in my life. I’ve been going to these family vacations since I could walk, and they’ve been a good time. Sure, I didn’t really know what was happening till I was 11 or 12, but I always knew that CL was special. It held–and holds– a special place in my life. For better or worse, it is distinct from Catholicism in my day-to-day life, like at school or parish. As I grow older, I start to understand it more, and discern my own desire for it. At the same time, this means growing in maturity in CL, and gaining a higher degree of responsibility. What is maturity, but the acquisition of more and more things to be responsible for. This leads me to my most recent CL Family Vacation for Florida, coincidentally held in Not-Florida, e.g., the Georgia Mountains.

The theme of the vacation was the fact that freedom is dependence on God. With that, songs were sung, presentations were made, and talks were had in accordance with that theme. That included a short introduction to the hike we took on Friday, of which I was responsible for giving. I was told this the day before and kept telling my dad I was thinking about it, and that I’ll come up with something, and these were total lies. I really didn’t give it much thought until the moment came that I had to share with everyone. But, from what I heard, it went over well. I was even able to touch on the theme a bit.

So, what does this mean? What am I getting at? Essentially, I want to convey how CL, and the experiences I’ve had at the vacation, have taught me – shouted at me – to do two important things. These should be very familiar, at least from how much dad talks about them, but they are: to judge your experiences, and then to share your thoughts with another. I know that’s a very simple version of things that go much deeper and wiser, but I’m only 15. I do not know the readings and I’m not quite up for that right now. But, that’s what I’ve learned. When I can properly judge what I’ve experienced, that is when I learn about myself. By knowing why some things make me happy, and why I like talking to this person, or why that place makes me feel sick, I can discover what makes me human, and uniquely myself at the same time. Judging my life also helps me to discern my desires. I realize what draws me to things, and what draws me to Christ. I recently realized that I desperately want a space where I feel free amongst other Catholic teens, and for Pete’s sake I’m going to try and start a GS! And so, I told someone about it. I was taught this summer that beauty does not become real until shared with another person. Now I understand the necessity to share what is beautiful in our lives, which is also how Matteo Tinti motivated me to write this. And so now I share my discovery with the newsletter.

Liam, Tampa, FL