When the volunteer coordinators met in early January, we had fewer volunteers registered than we needed to run the areas smoothly. Our friend Suker expressed an important question for us: I want to see how Christ is manifested in all of this. His question led to an important reflection on why we all do this. We volunteer for the glory of God, but Wanda reminded us that what is the glory of God if not our true happiness? And I realized that I wanted to contribute to New York Encounter because it is a place that has allowed me to learn more and more what my true happiness is, which is that I can encounter Christ and that the world – everyone – can also meet him!

As I listened to the testimony at the volunteer preparation meeting, I realized that we are indeed a physical and tangible part of the Church. The image came to my mind that we, the New York Encounter volunteers, are part of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, as if we were the living stones that built it. I understood this because I realized that through our work we are making the presence of Christ real and tangible to the world, right in the middle of Manhattan, at that very moment in history. Without us, the people of the Church, the walls of St. Peter's – or any church – would be meaningless, empty, just stones.


I confirmed once again that the New York Encounter is a place where I find faces that respond with their lives to my most pressing questions of the moment: is there hope for the future given the dramatic circumstances in which we live? Can unexpected and painful circumstances be good for me? Many of the talks shed light on the answer and even gave me gladness in front of my sudden unemployment. And this important realization I had for my life was possible thanks to each and every one of the volunteers and leaders of the NYE who contributed with their work to make this encounter happen.

Angelina, Bethesda, MD

***

My husband Gabe and I were really excited for a mini vacation to the Encounter this year. We left our two toddlers with my parents for the weekend and felt that this trip was a well-timed break for us in an intense season. When our friends first invited us to volunteer, we honestly were hesitant because, well, we wanted a break, with no obligations. But on the other hand it was clear that we needed to respond, “yes,” because there was a need for more volunteers, and this was an opportunity for us to grow in our desire to give something of ourselves outside of our immediate family’s needs.

We were assigned the late shift with the bag check on Friday night, which turned out to be our sole experience of the Encounter this year as we decided to fly home early on Saturday to be with our son who got pretty sick soon after we left home. I experienced so many emotions on that long, unpredictable journey home: it was obvious to us we needed to go home, but at the same time I was so resistant to giving up “something for myself” (this experience of the Encounter together and with friends) that we had anticipated for so long.

Shortly after arriving home, I called a friend who reflected back to me that it is clear this experience has taught me at a deeper level how much we love our son, that for his good we would sacrifice what we want. And also I realized our love for my parents, to relieve them of the hardship of caring for a child with very specific health needs. This experience of self-sacrifice sheds light on God the Father’s experience of sacrificial love for us, sharing in our nothingness and asking nothing in return. I realize now too that I am drawn to volunteer with the Encounter out of love for our companionship, the event, and Fr. Giussani’s charism.

We do charitable work to live like Christ, as Giussani says; charity, or communion, is the law of existence. I continue to wonder and marvel at how the Lord uses our “yes” to the invitation to sacrifice. Somehow I was freer volunteering than I would have been the rest of the weekend were we there the entire time and not as volunteers, otherwise hustling to try to find old friends and making it to the various talks and exhibits. There is freedom in obedience. And of course the few hours we had at the Encounter as volunteers were quite full, greeting people who were coming and going, and getting to see and catch up with familiar faces throughout the shift, who we might not have been so available to were we “normal” attendees, distracted as I’ve been in the past by the next event or the next person to see.

On one hand it’s ironic that our “vacation” away involved one volunteer shift only to soon go back home to the mundane yet intense needs of family life. But in the end I’m grateful that this year the Encounter was that one experience volunteering. The freedom discovered through sacrificing what I initially wanted made clearer to me that truly the law of existence is to give of oneself, which is not only for the other, but also somehow for me. I look forward to seeing how the Lord continues to use this experience and invigorates me in front of the constant little sacrifices asked of me in my vocation, at work, and for my family.

Emily, Evansville, IN

***

This year was my very first time at the Encounter. Since I grew up in a Movement family– for which I’m grateful – and I attended the Meeting in Rimini since I was little, I thought I knew what to expect and the Encounter. But honestly, I wasn’t prepared for the fullness and gratitude I experienced.

The theme of the Encounter made me question what/who brings a "new life" into my everyday life. During those days, I realized that true renewal is only possible within a relationship where I know I am fully loved and where even the smallest things show me that God had made a good design of His plan for me.

One afternoon, I was rushing out of a talk when Peter, a volunteer, came up to me and asked if I wanted to donate to support the Encounter. As we chatted, we discovered that we have a mutual friend, who had done a research stint in Philadelphia – the city where Peter lives – and who now teaches in Rome at the university I studied at. It’s happened before that I’ve met people and found mutual friends, but never have I felt so at home. Meeting Peter felt like encountering the face of the Lord telling me: “With all your running, you’re missing Me. Just stop and look at what I’ve prepared for you.” If He’s coming to get me on a New York afternoon, passing through Philadelphia and Rome, He must have good things planned for my future.

Lucia, Rome, Italy