A spiritual journey for 19 brothers coming from different countries of the Marist Provinces.

« Los Negrales » is a little locality depending on Villalba and Alpedrete, a locality situated in the environs of Madrid and about 12 km from our house of San Lorenzo de El Escorial . The HORIZONS course, now under way, is being held in the house of the Claretian Fathers.

We began the encounter on the afternoon of 5 February with a warm welcome to Brothers Javier Espinosa Marticorena « América Central », Afonso Levis « Brasil Centro-Sul », and Alfredo Villanueva Sainz « Ibérica », members of the directing team. The 19 brothers participating come from different countries of the Marist Provinces : Fernando Alés Portillo « Mediterránea », John Arrieta López « Norandina », Andrés Barrera Boatas « L?Hermitage », Murilo Bertoldi and Antonio Martins Teles « Brasil Centro-Sul », Cláudio Jairo Gomes Espínola and Vitor Pravato « Brasil Centro-Norte », Eduardo Brondo González and Ernesto Nande Guzmán « México Occidental », José Luis Castillo Núñez, Juan Jesús Franco Hernández and Salvador González Cardona « México Central », Manuel Jesús Matilla Valdueza, Gerardo José Munguía González and Francisco Javier Otero Petite « América Central », Ángel Cuevas Pérez and João Pedro Santos Pereira « Compostela », Germán Rozas Nesprías « Cruz del Sur » and Rubén Velázquez Coronel « District of Paraguay ».

The first days we explored the house, organised the timetable, the services and employments in order to create a favourable atmosphere for two months of work and reflection.

To establish confidence and create family spirit, we made our first community excursion to Segovia where we were able to discover the historical features of the Roman, Moslem, Jewish, and Christian periods. We visited the majestic aqueduct, the cathedral, the alcazar, the « royal site » of Saint Ildefonso and the church containing the remains of one of the greatest mystics in history : Saint John of the Cross.

Horizons tries to help us get in touch with our personal life in order to discover the presence of Jesus in our history and thus to be able to go where the Master?s Love is leading us.

After two weeks of intense work , we have begun the exciting process of climbing each week one of the sacred mountains of the Judeo-Christian region mentioned in the Bible to discover the horizon enclosing each of them. Mount Nebo allowed us to perceive our life as sacred history. Javier invited us to discover, recreate, and pray about the different aspects of our life, thanks to these symbols. Mount Horeb permitted us to recognize who we are. Father José Luis Martínez (Augustinian) helped us to enter into contact with what is specific to our evolutionary stage and with the possible dynamics for taking care of the self and opening oneself fully to others and to God. Brother Lluís Serra explained to us the enneagram (model of the structure of the human person) to discover the elements of knowledge of the self and spiritual growth. Mount Sinai invited us to turn our hearts towards Jesus and to do some reading on our Marist and apostolic spirituality. Brother Benito Arbués guided us in this beautiful process of discovering the footprints of God in our life and in that of the men and women of the world.