Many times throughout his pontificate, Pope Francis has called us to "go to the periphery." In the Northwest CL community, we often joke that he's talking about us. Out here where dinner after the Beginning Day has gluten-free and vegan options. But this year, Holly, who recently moved from California to New York, came to the periphery: Seattle and Portland.

Holly spoke at the Beginning Days about our need for a Father, especially in this time of deep confusion and crisis in our country and around the world. Quoting Fr. Giussani, she told us that "the circumstances through which God has us pass are an essential and not a secondary factor to our vocation." We see in the example of Fr. Ibrahim and the Syrian Christians what it means to know, as a fact upon which we can depend, that we have a Father who loves us. Only then can we remain in the face of circumstances that seem impossible.

When Pope Francis visited the United States last month, Holly had the opportunity to participate in many of the public events. She told us about the witnesses, from both Christians and non-Christians, of the importance of this visit. "Pope Francis comes as a Father to show us again our relationship with the Father, which is the source of our dignity." Only with this awareness, brought about by an encounter, is true conversion possible.

Listening to Holly's talk at the Beginning Day in Oregon, I was reminded of a line from the film Office Space: "Sounds like somebody's got a case of the Mondays!" Monday - the dreaded day when we have to go back to work, to confront our circumstances, when the weekend is furthest away. Juxtapose this idea with the words of Fr. Giussani that Davide quoted to us in the introduction to the Beginning Day: "The most beautiful day of the week is Monday, because on Monday you start again, you start again the journey, the design, you begin again the actuation of beauty, of affection”

With this visit to our little periphery, we've been reminded of our need to begin again, and of the excitement of doing so every day.