Francis Cabildo

I grew up in a Catholic home but I couldn’t say that I had an active faith life nor was I living a good moral life. It wasn’t until the summer going into my senior year of high school that I was introduced to the person of Jesus. Up until that summer my experience of “church” was going to Mass and making fun of the priest’s hair, his voice and getting in trouble for laughing out loud along with my siblings.

That summer, my mother had signed me up to go on a week long retreat. I didn’t know what a retreat was nor did I want to go on one. She insisted and she packed my suitcase, sleeping bag and pillow and threw me in the car. That retreat changed my life.

I wasn’t totally into it at all - at least that’s what I wanted people to see. But in reality little nuggets of truth were tugging at my heart. I had a profound encounter with the gentle mercy of the Father in confession and sitting before the Blessed Sacrament in Adoration, I had said a prayer that I truly meant. I prayed, “Jesus, I give you my life”.

This journey has had it’s ups and down, victories and defeats but one thing for certain is that through it all, Jesus was with me and He has never let me down.