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RC DAILY MEDITATIONS
RC DAILY MEDITATIONS

December 30, 2025

“Ask a Priest: How Could All Species Thrive After the Flood?”

/ Ask a Priest
Q: I am unsure of my faith and have started reading the Bible recently. In Genesis 8:17 God tells Noah to “Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee … that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth.” My question is this: If everything on earth needs to eat in order to breed and grow and carry young, and animals need to either eat plants or animals, then how would all the species of animals survive? Let’s say a lion needed to breed. The lion will eat an elk or another animal and thus, the elk will not have a partner to breed with and won’t be able to “multiply” like God said for the animals to do. Am I missing something? This doesn’t make sense to me. – Adam

Answered by Fr. Edward McIlmail, LC:

It’s good to remember that the Bible has different types, or genres, of writing.

Some parts are metaphorical, some are symbolic, some are historical but in a stylish way.

In the case of Genesis 8, we need to be careful not to read it as a newspaper account of what happened. Scripture is much deeper and richer than that.

The verse about being fruitful and multiplying echoes the words of Genesis 1:28, when God blesses the man and the woman. The idea here is that the post-Flood age is a kind of new creation; God is starting over, so to speak, to revive the world.

This basic idea holds even if, as some commentators speculate, the Flood was a regional phenomenon (in that case, lots of animals elsewhere in the world carried on as normal).

So, don’t read this Genesis passage in too literalist of a way. Genesis is not a biological textbook; it’s trying to get across a spiritual and theological truth: that God hasn’t given up on mankind and that he can renew the face of the earth.

To get a good overview of Scripture, check out Father Mike Schmitz’s “Bible in a Year” videos.

I hope that some of this helps. Count on my prayers.

“Ask a Priest: How Could All Species Thrive After the Flood?” Read More »

Mission Ciénegas

The Regnum Christi charism lived out large in Cuatro Ciénegas, Mexico

/ Christian Life, International News, LC International, Legionaries of Christ, Regnum Christi, Regnum Christi News, Weekly Message Blog, Whole Territory

Nestled in the desert and known as the “Galápagos of Mexico,” Cuatro Ciénegas is a magical town home to rare ecosystems, crystal-clear springs, and a sacred pilgrimage path—St. Joseph’s Way. But beyond its natural wonders, this town holds something even more powerful: a living story of hope and change.

Here, two Regnum Christi members started an amazing project to break the cycle of poverty and ensure a brighter future for every single member of the community, through a program they developed called Plan 2040.

Mission Ciénegas 1

Plan 2040

Alfonso and Maricarmen made their first mission to Cuatro Ciénegas during Holy Week in 2005, and returned to the town year after year in the hopes of making a real change in the lives of those living in the community.

But after more than a decade of missionary visits to the town, the Gonzalezes saw that the poverty and social issues within the community not only continued, but were actually increasing year after year.

“After 11 years of doing missions, we saw that the main necessities still weren’t there,”

says Alfonso. “We were very happy with the missions, but afterward, Maricarmen and I said to ourselves, ‘If we dedicate another 11 years, the town is still going to be the same.’”  

Frustrated that their continual efforts were not having any lasting, systemic impact on the community, Alfonso and Maricarmen took the issue to prayer, and in 2016, partnering with Catholic World Mission and collaborating with local authorities, other charities, and public institutions, they established Plan 2040. Their mission: to truly transform the Cuatro Ciénegas community through long-term, holistic solutions that focus on health, education, family, spirituality, and employment, improving the lives of every family and helping every child meet their full potential.

Mission Ciénegas 2

Fr. Daniel Brandenburg, LC, has been joining the Gonzalezes on their missions to Cuatro Ciénegas for over five years, and over that time, he has witnessed a remarkable transformation in the town. “What I love about Plan 2040 is that it’s addressing the whole person: the cultural and structural elements around them, the family, the Church and the parish family, the local government, their health—all these different elements are coming together in an integral way. It’s a powerful example of how the Regnum Christi spirituality addresses the integral formation and development of the human person.”

One of the most important aspects of Plan 2040 is its goal to reach 100% of the children living in the community. Every child that is born in the town of approximately 13,000 people is adopted into a holistic program that provides personal accompaniment to the family, connecting parents and all members of the family to employment opportunities and access to healthcare, education, parenting tips, the sacraments, and spiritual formation. Full-time missionaries visit every family, every home, providing parents with real, practical support to build a strong future for their children.

Mission Ciénegas 3

St. Joseph’s Way

Several years after founding Plan 2040, the Gonzalezes acquired the property of Las Playitas, a desert oasis that features a lagoon of crystal-clear turquoise water and white sand beaches in a protected area of the Cuatrociénegas Basin. While Alfonso and Maricarmen felt called to take on the care and preservation of this land, they wondered how God wanted them to use it as part of their Plan 2040 mission.

“We wanted to keep our hearts in God’s heart,” says Maricarmen.

“We asked God, ‘What do you want to do with this?’”

The answer was St. Joseph’s Way, a 12-mile hike through the middle of Coahuila’s desert, where 14 stations, drawn from Fr. Daniel’s book Lessons from the Workshop of St. Joseph, take pilgrims through unique landscapes and invite them to meditate on moments of the Holy Family through the eyes of St. Joseph (who also happens to be the patron saint of Cuatro Ciénegas). Ecotourism activities at Las Playitas—such as wine-tasting, stargazing, biking, and kayaking—provide employment opportunities for the families of Cuatro Ciénegas, and 100% of the proceeds from the local hotel go back to the community.

Mission Ciénegas 4

Groups of pilgrims who make their way to Cuatro Ciénegas can now volunteer in the community and spend time at Las Playitas, making a pilgrimage along St. Joseph’s Way. For Alfonso and Maricarmen, this opportunity for service, prayer, and rest is the ideal way for pilgrims to grow both in their faith and in a sense of mission and purpose in their own lives.

“Pilgrims say they get nearer to God’s heart through St. Joseph’s Way, and that’s what they are most looking for—to realize who they are and what they need to do in their lives to stay in God’s heart,” says Maricarmen.

Mission Ciénegas 5

. “And then, entering the humble homes of the people, the families, hugging their babies, you see hearts so humble and so big, how they love God. It’s really the best combo: to rest and to be with God, and to help people, creating opportunities for each person to have God in their lives and live in dignity.”

Join Fr. Daniel on his next mission trip to Cuatro Ciénegas!

Fr. Daniel has been bringing groups of Regnum Christi, Lumen members, and others to Cuatro Ciénegas for several years, and he’s got another trip planned for March 11–15, 2026. This mission trip with Lumen Action, in partnership with Catholic World Mission, invites you to step into the heart of Cuatro Ciénegas. There, you’ll connect with local families, serve through meaningful missions, walk the 12-mile St. Joseph’s Way over three days, and gain insight into how sustainable support—when done with love, faith, and purpose—can spark deep-rooted change. This trip is more than a visit—it’s a call to action, and a chance to grow spiritually, serve meaningfully, and discover the power of a united community working toward a shared dream.

Mission Ciénegas 6

For more information or to join Fr. Daniel on this amazing journey of purpose, connection, and transformation, contact him at dbranden@legionaries.org, or watch highlights from the Lumen Action pilgrimage to Cuatro Ciénegas from March 2025. Click here to register for the March 2026 trip!

Besides being a prolific author and speaker, Fr. Daniel currently serves as the chaplain for the Lumen Institutein Atlanta, Georgia and Jacksonville, Florida. He also serves as board chair for Catholic World Mission, with whom he has two mission trips lined up in 2026: to Cuatro Ciénegas and to Vietnam.

Alfonso and Maricarmen Gonzalez live in Monterrey, Mexico, about 175 miles from Cuatro Ciénegas, and have been married for 35 years. They have six children and nine grandchildren, and one of their sons, Br. José Andrés, is a third-year Legionary seminarian currently spending his internship in Guadalajara. Maricarmen also has two sisters and a niece who are Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi.

For more information about their missionary work, visit Plan 2040 – Dreaming Together.

The Regnum Christi charism lived out large in Cuatro Ciénegas, Mexico Read More »

25-12-30-DM

December 30, 2025 – Encounter with the Prophetess Anna

/ Daily Meditations

Tuesday, the Sixth Day in the Octave of Christmas

 

Luke 2:36-40

There was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived seven years with her husband after her marriage, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple, but worshiped night and day with fasting and prayer. And coming forward at that very time, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem. When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.

Opening Prayer: Lord Jesus, I am so grateful that I don’t need to wait to encounter you. You are right here waiting to fill me with love and shower me with your grace, so I can lift my heart and my mind to you. Free me from distractions and remove all obstacles that will keep me from encountering you in this moment. Fill me with a desire only for you. This time is ours.

Encountering Christ:

  1. Persevering Spirit: Anna persevered with incredible trust and hope and patience. In fact, her spirit was strengthened over time by her waiting. The Lord is at work in our souls even when we don’t see or feel him. He has called us to live a specific mission. Does it sometimes feel like so much time has gone by that we’ve forgotten that initial zeal and desire to live for the Lord? Let us ask the Lord for the grace to persevere like Anna and serve him with a fresh heart and a new attitude, starting today.

     

  2. Fasting and Prayer: Anna worshiped with fasting and prayer. She spent her life detaching from the pleasures of the material world in order to draw closer to the Lord in every moment. What keeps us from drawing close to the Lord? To what material goods are we attached? What can’t we live without? With fasting and prayer, these obstacles, large or small, will disappear as we draw, perhaps imperceptibly, each day closer to the Lord.

     

  3. Sharing the Good News: As soon as Anna encountered Jesus, she could not contain the joy in her heart. “She spoke of him to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.” Those who knew her had witnessed her spending every moment in the temple. She had a reputation for fidelity, faith, and hope. When she spoke of Jesus, they believed her because she had earned their trust by her witness. Like Anna, we desire to share the joy in my heart that comes from knowing the Lord and we want to be trusted by those in our lives. What is our witness to family and friends?

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, strengthen my resolve to persevere in the mission to which you have called me. Remind me of that initial zeal and desire, and increase my faith and hope so that I may bring the joy of knowing you to all of my relationships and encounters with others.

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will fast from one small pleasure, offering the sacrifice for the souls you have entrusted to me.

For Further Reflection: Catechism of the Catholic Church 1434, “The Many Forms of Penance in Christian Life.”

Marjorie Davin is a lay member of Regnum Christi who has served as director of the Women’s Section in the Washington, D.C., area. She and her husband have been married for over 30 years and are the parents of four adult children.

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Bridegroom-WM

The Bridegroom Comes

/ Weekly Message

Dear Friends,

 

During my monthly retreat, I contemplated the mystery of the Incarnation, and these words of Jesus came through in my prayer: “I desire to wed you to myself, to unite myself to flesh.” The response of my heart? “Come, Lord Jesus!”

Come into my reality, my struggles, my sin, my hopes and desires and wed me to yourself. Graft me into you as a dying branch is grafted to the vine, so that your eternal life will pulse through me, for the sap of your divine life can make me new. (Jn 15)

Jesus grafts us to himself and pours out new life in his sacraments. He does not hold back any grace. We are the ones who build walls, who unwittingly cut ourselves off, hiding in shame, or strive to merit his love in willful pride.

The mystery of Christmas lies wide open before our eyes. Contemplate he who comes and welcome this mystery of Love who comes to save.

Will you let him wed you to himself a little more this Christmas?

“The Bridegroom came to the Bride.
He came to her when the Word was made flesh.
He united Himself to human nature in the womb of the Virgin,
and thus the wedding was celebrated:
when God was united to man
and man was taken up by God.
The bridal chamber was the virginal womb,
and the fruit of these nuptials is the salvation of the world.”

St. Augustine of Hippo, Sermon 185, 1

I pray that this Christmas is filled with his joy and peace!

Yours in the heart of Jesus,
Glory

The Bridegroom Comes Read More »

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Alex Kucera

Atlanta

Alex Kucera has lived in Atlanta, GA, for the last 46 years. He is one of 9 children, married to his wife Karmen, and has 3 girls, one grandson, and a granddaughter on the way. Alex joined Regnum Christi in 2007. Out of the gate, he joined the Helping Hands Medical Missions apostolate and is still participating today with the Ghana Friendship Mission.

In 2009, Alex was asked to be the Atlanta RC Renewal Coordinator for the Atlanta Locality to help the RC members with the RC renewal process. Alex became a Group Leader in 2012 for four of the Atlanta Men’s Section Teams and continues today. Running in parallel, in 2013, Alex became a Team Leader and shepherded a large team of good men.

Alex was honored to be the Atlanta Mission Coordinator between 2010 to 2022 (12 years), coordinating 5-8 Holy Week Mission teams across Georgia. He also created and coordinated missions at a parish in Athens, GA, for 9 years. Alex continues to coordinate Holy Week Missions, Advent Missions, and Monthly missions at Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Cumming, GA.

From 2016 to 2022, Alex also served as the Men’s Section Assistant in Atlanta. He loved working with the Men’s Section Director, the Legionaries, Consecrated, and Women’s Section leadership teams.

Alex is exceptionally grateful to the Legionaries, Consecrated, and many RC members who he’s journeyed shoulder to shoulder, growing his relationship with Christ and others along the way. He knows that there is only one way, that’s Christ’s Way, with others!