There were 22 Parents and 37 Kids, which is, for someone like me, (jokingly) hell on earth! However, to my surprise, it was not only a beautiful experience for both of my kids (which was my hope), but also for me! Returning to the memory of that great weekend, I recalled a piece of Matthew’s Gospel (18:3), which states:

“Jesus invited a little child to stand among them. ‘Truly I tell you’ He said ‘Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.’”

The friendship between Fr. Roberto and the Knights struck me the most, as I saw these kids attracted to him to the point of following his proposal for being together. The proposal was to live the memory of Jesus through living and sharing our lives, whether it’s going on a hike, playing games and having fun, cooking together, praying, or singing around the fire…you name it!

Fr. Roberto also did not miss the opportunity to make us all note the beauty that surrounded us, especially the nature that we were immersed in, by affirming that it is Another who is gifting it to us as a sign of His love.

It was so nice to see the unity among the kids, so much so that it drew me into closer friendship with the dads and moms who were also there witnessing and serving this Beauty. Yes, serving this Beauty, because it is a source of joy to belong to a place where the destiny of both our children and ourselves is not forgotten. Instead, love for our destiny is shared with interest. This is a humbling experience because it makes you recognize that even your loved ones are in the hands of Another.

The friendship amongst the Knights, which we all witness, including when they connect via zoom on a weekly basis, invites us parents to see more clearly the origin of their bond, which is His face. This would be impossible to realize with our efforts, but He continually reveals and expresses Himself through our communion in CL.

I enjoyed that moment with its proposal as much as my kids.

Matteo, Miami, FL