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RC DAILY MEDITATIONS

June 26, 2026

26-06-28-PCOTW

A Week of Prayer for All of Our Priests and Consecrated Members: June 28th – July 4th

/ pray weekly, Regnum Christi News

Regnum Christi invites our entire spiritual family and all our friends to join us in praying especially for our brothers and sisters living the consecrated vocations of Legionary priests, Consecrated Women, and Lay Consecrated Men in our territory.

Each week throughout the year, we will pray together for a different group of Legionaries and Consecrated, spanning all the communities across the territory, as our “Priests and Consecrated of the Week.”

Our Consecrated members are men and women who have said yes to Christ’s call to follow him, leaving everything behind to dedicate their entire lives to him and to join him in the mission of building his Kingdom. We come together to support them with our prayer, asking our Lord to strengthen them, hold them close to his Sacred Heart, and give them his deep joy as they live their mission each day.

 

This Week We Pray for

Fr. Edward McIlmail, LC was born in Philadelphia and was ordained in 2001. Before entering the novitiate in 1992, Fr. Edward worked in journalism and was active in the pro-life movement. Throughout his vocation, he has served in many roles, including assistant publisher of the National Catholic Register and Faith & Family magazine, editor of the English edition of Zenit, and writer for ePriest. He is also the voice behind RC Spirituality’s Ask a Priest and a regular contributor to the monthly newsletter. Fr. Edward has worked in spiritual retreats in the Northeast, New England, the Midwest, and the South, assisted with mission work in Mexico, and recently served serves as the an assistant to the Territorial Secretary. He is currently serving as the parochial vicar for at Saint Thomas More Parish in near Pottstown, Pennsylvania.

Ramirez_headshotBr. Juan Pablo Pedraza Ramírez, LC is from Ofusagasugá, Colombia. In his search for the truth, Br. Juan was led to the Church, prayer, and the sacraments. When he attended a vocational retreat, he discerned immediately that he was not being called to the diocesan priesthood, but upon his first encounter with Fr. César Pérez, LC, he knew in his heart that he was meant to be a Legionary priest. Br. Juan entered the candidacy program and then the novitiate, and today, he is a first-year humanist at LC Cheshire. For him, seeing the life of a single Legionary priest revealed to him the entire charism of the Legionaries of Christ—Br. Juan hopes he can clearly reflect Christ and the Legionary charism in much the same way.

Segraves_headshotEleanor Segraves is from Atlanta, Georgia and was consecrated in 2007. After her formation years, she served in Kansas, Iowa, and Nebraska, supporting the Regnum Christi members and their works of apostolate. She has been working in Chicago since 2011 and has been full-time with the Archdiocese of Chicago since 2018. In her current role as Parish Renewal Leader, she works closely with two parishes in Vicariate 1, supporting and coaching the pastors and lay leadership teams to implement spiritual renewal and evangelization efforts at the parish. Heeding the call of Pope Francis in Joy of the Gospel, “In all its activities the parish encourages and trains its members to be evangelizers.” In her spare time, she also supports the Lydia Institute, an apostolate for professional women begun by Mary Maher, who also resides in the Chicago community.

Hoelzen_headshotFr. Brian Hoelzen, LC grew up in Seattle, Washington, and was ordained in 2015. He feels fortunate to have served and studied in exciting destinations both abroad and in the United States, including Spain, Italy, Mexico, New York, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Indiana, Georgia, Michigan, and Louisiana. Fr. Brian is a member of the Legionaries of Christ Territorial Directorate community in Atlanta, from which he collaborates in various territorial projects and serves as chaplain to the Regnum Christi developing localities. As a complement to his work, Fr. Brian is currently researching the interplay between charism, organizational health and personal flourishing.

Eo_headshotFr. Abraham Eo, LC was born in Seoul, South Korea and was ordained in 2024. He joined the Legionaries of Christ in 2007 in the apostolic school(minor seminary) of Center Harbor, New Hampshire. He completed subsequent studies in the United States, Ireland, Mexico and Italy, and did military service in Korea from December 2015 to August 2017, working as a chaplain’s assistant. After serving as a member of the ECYD directive team for boys in Cincinnati, he is now the head chaplain at Holy Spirit Prep School in Atlanta, Georgia.

Reinagel_headshot Maria Reinagel is a Consecrated Woman of Regnum Christi (1993) serving as Director of the Office for Consecrated Life in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, where she also ministers through spiritual accompaniment in the Ohio Valley. A poet whose writing was born out of her own journey through suffering and healing, Maria recently published her first book, Father, I Am Full of Your Glory: My Path to Healing Through Poetry. (can be found in the Regnum Christi store) She is continuing to discern how God is calling her to serve through this new ministry of writing — offering her words as a testimony to the healing love of Christ and a balm for those seeking meaning in suffering.

Prayer for Priests and Consecrated Members in Regnum Christi

God our Father,
We thank you for our spiritual family of Regnum Christi, and for those within it that you have called to total consecration as Legionaries of Christ, Consecrated Women, and Lay Consecrated Men.

We ask you to renew their encounter with your Son Jesus Christ,
who goes out to meet them and reveals the love of his heart to them.
Deepen their personal love for Christ
and their trust in his love for them.
Gather them close to him,
form them,
and send them out accompanied by your Son,
in the mission of forming apostles and Christian leaders who make your Kingdom present in hearts, in families, and in society.

Send your Holy Spirit to sanctify and strengthen them,
And to help them respond generously and courageously to their mission each day.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

A Week of Prayer for All of Our Priests and Consecrated Members: June 28th – July 4th Read More »

“United for Venezuela” Earthquake Relief Campaign: How You Can Help

/ Regnum Christi News

🇻🇪 Andrés Henríquez, a lay Regnum Christi  member from Venezuela, shares how he experienced the earthquake, how he surrendered himself into God’s hands, and how—even amidst suffering—he has discovered that the Kingdom of God continues to make itself present.

Regnum Christi is uniting globally to help the victims and those affected by the devastating earthquakes in Venezuela on June 24th.
 
With the “United for Venezuela” campaign, we seek to offer a coordinated, personal, and effective response to those who need it most.
How to Help
 

Several channels have been established to receive financial donations and material aid. Anyone interested in contributing can do so in various ways:

1. Make a donation

To facilitate international support, we have set up an account on the Give Seed donation platform. These contributions will allow us to provide direct assistance to those in need through trusted partners on the ground, including Mano Amiga Colombia and Venezuela.

Every contribution directly supports emergency humanitarian relief efforts for families affected by the earthquakes in Venezuela.

Funds are administered through a U.S.-based fiscal sponsorship structure.

Every dollar is used for humanitarian assistance, emergency response, and basic needs support.

MAKE A DONATION ONLINE

Regnum Christi has also opened direct donation channels in different countries:

United States (through Mano Amiga Venezuela Corp.)

Bank of America (BOFA)
Beneficiary Name: Mano Amiga Venezuela Corp
Beneficiary Account Number: 8980 9111 7994
Beneficiary Address: 21011 Johnson Street Suite #110 Pembroke Pines, FL 33029
Beneficiary Email: manoamigavenezuela@gmail.com
ABA/Routing Number: 026009593
Zelle: manoamigavenezuela@gmail.com

Mobile Payment: Banco Mercantil 0422 2494767 Tax ID: J-00351643-0
Transfer: Banco Provincial 0108 0049 81 0100075854 Mano Amiga AC – Tax ID: J003516430
Zelle: manoamigavenezuela@gmail.com

Colombia:

Andes Foundation: Online Donation  

Ecuador:

Red Misión Foundation
Current Account: 02005206071
RUC: 1792528682001
Produbanco

Panama:

Banesco Panama
Beneficiary Bank: Banesco, SA
SWIFT Code (BIC): BANSPAPAXXX
Address: Ave. Aquilino De La Guardia and Calle 47, Torre Banesco P.O. Box 0823-05799, Panama, Republic of Panama
Beneficiary Account: 201000163670
Beneficiary Name: Mano Amiga AC

Beneficiary Bank: Banesco, SA
SWIFT Code (BIC): BANSPAPAXXX
Address: Ave. Aquilino De La Guardia and Calle 47, Torre Banesco Apartado 0823-05799, Panama, Republic of Panama
Beneficiary Account: 201000163527
Beneficiary Name: Siempre Amigos, AC

2. Material donations

Collection centers in Caracas: We accept water, non-perishable food, snacks for volunteers, hygiene items, flashlights, ropes, sheets, medical supplies, surgical gloves, tools, helmets, clothing and shoes, AAA and AA batteries, and sturdy boxes and bags.

  • Caracas: Instituto Andes — Second building (high school), from 12:30 pm to 6:00 pm. We also accept supplies to prepare food to go (sandwich bread, sliced ​​cheese and turkey ham, mayonnaise, butter, water or juice in individual containers, and aluminum foil).
  • Caracas: Cumbres Institute — From 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. 
  • Barquisimeto: There are collection points throughout the Archdiocese, with Caritas officials in each parish: the Barquisimeto Cathedral, Santa Rosa de Lima (Sanctuary of the Divine Shepherdess), El Salvador, San Juan Bautista de La Salle, San Pedro Apóstol and the Archdiocesan Curia.
  • Maracaibo: Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, from 8:00 am. They receive non-perishable food, drinking water, medicines for discomfort and pain, and medical supplies.
  • Valera: Collection of essential supplies at Palma Real Building (Av. 6 between streets 28 and 29).

The collection centers outside of Caracas work in coordination with Caritas Venezuela, so what you donate reaches those who need it most right now.

3. Volunteering

Through Youth and Family Missions and at the Instituto Cumbres and Caracas collection centers.

4. Prayer

Above all, please pray. More than food, water, or medicine, which are desperately needed, what truly sustains us is knowing we are not alone. As a family, we support each other when one of us falters, and that is precisely what Venezuela needs these days.

Saint John Chrysostom said it this way: “Nothing is as valuable as prayer: it makes the impossible possible and the difficult easy.” That is why we ask you to pray. For the families who have lost loved ones, for those who continue searching through the rubble, for those who have lost their homes, and for all those who are giving their all to help. No prayer is too small. When we pray together, no one bears their pain alone.

“United for Venezuela” Earthquake Relief Campaign: How You Can Help Read More »

Regnum Christi Spirituality Center Uncle Eddy

St Anthelm

/ Uncle Eddy

Dear Ann, Don’t think like that; you’ll just tie yourself up in knots.  The way to decide whether to consecrate your life exclusively to God in the service of the Church or to sanctify the world by entering into it like a torch in the dark is not by mere calculation.  You can make as many diagrams as you want, as many lists as your lively imagination can come up with, and as many permutations as advanced calculus will permit, but it still won’t give you the clarity and assurance you’re looking for.  God has given you talents, and he has given you desires (of course, all your desires don’t necessarily come from God, and seemingly contradictory desires can easily reside in our heart together – that’s what makes loyalty and fidelity such beautiful qualities), but, ultimately, you get to choose how to use them.  He has made mighty saints out of kings and merchants and farmers and lawyers and chemists, but he has also made mighty saints out of people who could have been all those things but chose to invest their mind, skills, and strength in being monks and nuns and priests and missionaries. Just because you have a talent for architecture doesn’t automatically mean that God wants you to serve the Kingdom as an architect.  It could, but it doesn’t have to. Take today’s saint, for example.  Anthelm came from noble stock and inherited (or learned) the traits of organization, economy, and prudence that had made his family prosperous and respectable.  He spent his first years as a priest putting those talents at the service of his own comfort and “career” (clergy often viewed their vocations as careers in the Middle Ages, when the Church still played a direct and important role in civil affairs).  A few visits to relatives in the Carthusian monastery nearby changed all that. He felt God calling him to give up his comfortable and self-indulgent ways, which he did, taking the monastic habit when he was 30. Soon the same talents that had won him success in mundane affairs yielded extraordinary fecundity in ecclesiastical affairs.  He served as prior of two monasteries, restoring and rejuvenating one and positively reforming another, founded a third, took a central role in resolving rival claims to the papacy, and thoroughly revived the derelict Diocese of Belley. Of course, all the while he longed for the silent austerity of an obscure monastic cell (he fervently, even tearfully, beseeched the Pope not to appoint him bishop, to no avail), but Providence saw fit to make ample use of this man’s earthly talents precisely through the mediation of his consecrated status. So you see, my dear sister’s daughter, it’s no use trying to figure out where your abilities will get the most mileage – let God take care of that.  You just get down on your knees and tell him that you’re ready to do whatever he wants (even though it will be scary to say it), then peacefully and confidently follow wherever he leads, at whatever pace he chooses.   Ciao, Uncle Eddy

St Anthelm Read More »

Could Catholicism and Judaism Be Equally True?

/ Ask a Priest

Q: Does the Catholic faith categorically believe that one religion is true for everyone? Or are there elements of truth in all religions? If my mother was born Catholic and my father is Jewish, how do I know what the true religion is? I grew up Jewish, but through suffering I have questioned my faith. Is it possible that both religions are equally true? Besides the Old Testament, are there any Jewish beliefs than can be reconciled with Catholicism? Thank you. — Hannah

Answered by Fr. Edward McIlmail, LC:

A: Great questions!

Catholics believe that Jesus was the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies that pointed toward a messiah.

We believe that Jesus is the Son of God. He is “the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6).

One of the most remarkable things the Almighty revealed through Jesus is this: God is (note the singular verb) a Trinity of three Divine Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Here, “persons” doesn’t mean human persons like you and me; rather, the Divine Persons are subsistent relations (the technical term).

Don’t worry if you can’t wrap your mind about this. It’s the core mystery of Christianity that we will never totally understand, even in heaven.

Since Jesus is God, and God is truth, there is only one, true Church — the Church founded by Jesus, that is, the Catholic Church.

The Church, however, recognizes that other religions have elements of the truth. But that doesn’t put them on the same level.

A passage from the Second Vatican Council’s declaration Nostra Aetate is worth quoting at length here:

“Religions, however, that are bound up with an advanced culture have struggled to answer the same questions by means of more refined concepts and a more developed language. Thus, in Hinduism, men contemplate the divine mystery and express it through an inexhaustible abundance of myths and through searching philosophical inquiry. They seek freedom from the anguish of our human condition either through ascetical practices or profound meditation or a flight to God with love and trust.

“Again, Buddhism, in its various forms, realizes the radical insufficiency of this changeable world; it teaches a way by which men, in a devout and confident spirit, may be able either to acquire the state of perfect liberation, or attain, by their own efforts or through higher help, supreme illumination.

“Likewise, other religions found everywhere try to counter the restlessness of the human heart, each in its own manner, by proposing ‘ways,’ comprising teachings, rules of life, and sacred rites.

“The Catholic Church rejects nothing that is true and holy in these religions. She regards with sincere reverence those ways of conduct and of life, those precepts and teachings which, though differing in many aspects from the ones she holds and sets forth, nonetheless often reflect a ray of that Truth which enlightens all men. Indeed, she proclaims, and ever must proclaim Christ ‘the way, the truth, and the life’ (John 14:6), in whom men may find the fullness of religious life, in whom God has reconciled all things to Himself.” [boldfaced mine]

In the case of what we now call Judaism, God began to reveal himself to a chosen people. The fullness of what he intended to reveal was revealed in Jesus.

Thus, there is a close link between Judaism and Christianity. As for what Jewish beliefs outside of Scripture are compatible with Catholicism, that would depend on the topic. I’m guessing that you are thinking of the Talmud, the central text of rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law and theology.

A few books that might help you connect the dots between Judaism and Catholicism are Salvation Is from the Jews and Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist. The Youth Catechism could give you an overview of the Catholic faith.

I realize that this reply only touches on the tip of an iceberg. But I hope that some of this helps. Count on my prayers.

Could Catholicism and Judaism Be Equally True? Read More »

26-06-26-DM

June 26, 2026 – More Than a Crowd

/ Daily Meditations

Friday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time

 

Matthew 8:1-4

When Jesus came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. And then a leper approached, did him homage, and said, “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.” He stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, “I will do it. Be made clean.” His leprosy was cleansed immediately. Then Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one, but go show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them.”

Opening Prayer: I come before you today, Lord, just as I am. To be honest, I would like to come before you with keener attention, more fervent adoration, and more ardent determination. But I bring you what I have: my weakness, my blindness, my brokenness. I bring you my heart, small and fragile and confused, but sincerely open to you. I know you are with me and eager to share your grace with me. Thank you, Lord. Speak to my poor heart, because I am listening.

Encountering Christ:

  1. My Place in the Crowd: “Great crowds” followed Jesus as he came down from the mountain. Great crowds gathered around him wherever he went, except when he went to the Cross. When he was nailed to a cross, dying a humiliating death in excruciating pain, the crowds were nowhere to be found. Even his closest friends and followers, the Apostles, abandoned him. Some went into hiding. Some watched from a distance. Only one, John the Evangelist, stayed with Jesus on Calvary. Each person in the crowd had a reason for following Jesus during his popular days. But that reason was put to the test on Good Friday. The same thing continues to happen today. Great crowds follow Jesus. The Catholic Church has more than a billion members throughout the world. And yet, how many of us stay close to Jesus through thick and thin? Fewer than we would like to admit. We know that only a tiny percentage even go to Sunday Mass. We can guess, then, that even a smaller percentage stays faithful to Christ’s friendship when life’s inevitable crosses make their appearance. Where am I in that crowd? Why am I following Jesus? Today, while watching the crowds follow Jesus as he descends from the mountain, is a good time to reflect on why I am following the Lord and what I am hoping for from him.

     

  2. The Leper’s Advantage: The leper showed stunning courage by approaching Jesus. At the time of Christ, leprosy (a disease which gradually rots a person’s flesh from the skin down) was considered highly contagious, as well as a punishment from God for sins. As a result, lepers had to live separated from the community in pitiful colonies on the outskirts of inhabited areas. They had to carry a little warning bell they would ring in case an unwary traveler mistakenly approached them. They were physical and spiritual outcasts, unwelcome and without hope. But this leper saw something in Jesus that sparked enough courage to overcome all social norms and psychological fears. Maybe it was his own misery that opened his heart and mind to the light of Christ. His own utter helplessness and undeniable weakness opened him to the gift of faith. He had no arrogance left, no vanity, no attachment to the pleasures of this world—he was free from all the usual distractions that make us blind to God’s goodness. He saw something in Christ’s eyes. He heard something in Christ’s voice. Something gave him hope for a miracle. Something convinced him that Jesus would not reject him or be afraid of him, like everyone else. Something convinced him that Jesus would look upon him and see his true self, the identity that God had given him at the beginning and which still dwelt deep within. And he was right. What is holding me back from seeing the truth of Christ’s love for me more clearly? Am I ashamed of my own leprosies? Can I learn from this encounter to see them as a gift, a place given by God’s providence where I can encounter the infinite mercy and power of my Creator and Redeemer?

     

  3. Jesus Untamed: Jesus “stretched out his hand” to the leper and “touched him.” This is why Jesus decided to save us by becoming one of us. He wanted to touch us. He wanted to come down into our messy lives, into this fallen world, and meet us here. He wanted to prove to our stubborn and wounded hearts that God has not and will never abandon us, that we truly are worthy and lovable from God’s perspective. Jesus touched a leper. Imagine the reactions of the crowd as they fearfully backed away from the leper and then watched Jesus reach out and touch him. Imagine the surprise, the shock, the fear, the confusion. And then they saw that the touch of Christ actually healed the leper. Imagine the awe, the reverence, and again the confusion. Jesus was not just another wise teacher or eloquent rabbi. Something else entirely has come into their lives in Jesus. Does Jesus still impress me, challenge me, awe me? Have I perhaps tamed the real Jesus in my own mind and my life? What is Jesus saying to me today through this amazing, earth-shaking encounter with the leper?

Conversing with Christ: I believe in you, Lord, but you know that my faith is so weak! I so easily forget the infinity of your goodness and the immensity of your power. I so easily become distracted by the glitter of the good things of this world. I want to have the clear sight this leper had. I want to approach you in my brokenness and need with the hope and confidence this leper showed. I want to leave behind all vain fears and worldly thoughts so that I truly encounter you afresh every single day. I want to become more like you, so that your goodness and power can shine anew through me. Thy will be done, Lord, in my life; thy Kingdom come.

Resolution: Lord, today by your grace I will treat someone who is considered an outcast with Christ-like love.

For Further Reflection: Miracles of Mercy: A Do-It-Yourself Retreat on the Healing Touch of Jesus

 Fr John Bartunek, LC, is an author, speaker, and Creative Director at RCSpirituality, an online spirituality center providing a variety of resources for spiritual growth.

June 26, 2026 – More Than a Crowd 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!