FINDING MYSELF IN EVERY RELATIONSHIP By Angie-Lee Vazquez

Lately, I find myself reflecting on my life and how it has changed. I’d be remiss if I did not acknowledge the role relationships have contributed to the ways in which my life has changed. Unfortunately, sometimes the busyness of life pulls me away from relishing the truth that the people God has placed around me are a blessing.
The Holy Trinity reminds me of this blessing. In the Trinity we see that love is not something God simply gives or feels; love is who God is. In self-giving and undeniable fellowship, the Holy Trinity exists and I am made in that image. You are made in that image. It humbles me to realize that if I’m made in God’s image, then I’m not designed to drift through life disconnected. I’m invited to receive love and practice it, the way the Trinity models it.
The invitation to receive and practice love comes in everyday relationships beginning with parents. The ones we’re still learning from, enjoying in new ways, or the ones we’re grieving.
Then there are siblings or cousins, aunts, uncles and other people with whom I have a shared history and experiences.
Marriage comes to mind too. Spousal relationships are more than shared routines because they serve as a daily invitation to reflect Christ through patience, presence, and faithfulness.
I am also reminded of our children and grandchildren. In stories told at the table, prayers whispered at bedtime, and simple moments shared across generations, legacy is being formed.
As I touch on these relationships, I realize that God has been working on me through them. Honoring my parents, son, and wider family has looked different in different seasons for me. There are moments when gratitude comes easily, and moments when it takes prayer to honor them with healthy boundaries, truthful conversations, and a soft heart. In prayer, I’ve learned that these relationships are imperfect and sometimes messy but always grace-filled and deeply rooted in love.
wo other kinds of relationships fill my life in undeniable ways: those with my chosen family (or friends) and those of my faith community. True friendship has reminded me of grace: it is steady, present, and willing to stay. It also challenged me with a hard question: am I offering the same kind of faithfulness that I’m grateful to receive?
And in my faith community, when I finally let a few trusted people in, I experienced something holy in the prayers that carried me, wisdom that steadied me, and the shared love for a God that doesn’t expect me to have it all together.
Perhaps because we are still celebrating Easter, I can’t help but reflect on the Apostles as they showed us what community looks like under pressure, grief, and in hope. This group of people, chosen by Jesus to learn, grow, love, and serve together, highlights what happens when we look both to and for God in our relationships. We need only look to the Bible to see the nature of the realness of what they shared. They misunderstood each other, they argued or clashed, they wrestled with fear and uncertainty. Yet they also show their dedication to not only Jesus but one another. I imagine in the years they spent together, there was a great exchange of forgiveness, patience, support, guidance, understanding and love. That is what moves me so much about them. The Apostles weren’t held together by perfect or effortless relationships; they were held together by Jesus.
In many ways, that’s what I have found in my Cursillo group: a faith community where we keep showing up, praying for one another, telling the truth, and being reminded (as many times as we need it) that God carries us, sustains us, and equips us for what is to come. Like the Apostles, we learn to walk together not because we have it all figured out, but because Christ is still forming us in love.
I invite you to pause and reflect on the ways in which God is inviting you deeper with Him. What relationships in your life require nurturing, attention and gratitude? In what ways are the relationships you have found in the Cursillo community reflecting God back to you?
My prayer is that we won’t rush past the people God is using to shape us. May we love with intention and remember we are not doing this alone. The same Jesus who held the Apostles together still holds us, too. May He continue to deepen your friendships, strengthen your family bonds, and renew your faith community so that your life continues to echo the Cursillo banner: De Colores.