A joyful step
On 22 January, Milton Pardo, from Las Mesas-Nariño, Héctor Tusarma from Armenia-Quindío and Rolando Vega from Ciudad Quesada, Costa Rica, arrived at the novitiate house of “La Valla”, in the Barrio Villa Hermosa, located in the beautiful city of Medellín, to continue the adventure begun approximately two years ago when they decided to enter the Postulancy.
Given a warm welcome by our second year brothers, we felt at home in our house from the first moment. Since then, we have spent a period of induction, allowing us, among other things, to make contact with the city and the other places where we will carry out the apostolate. We have also performed various activities for group integration and had a progressive introduction to times of interiorization and centralization of the new process. In this first stage, we count on the support of our second year companions, Duberney and Henry, as well as our formators, Brothers José Miguel, Rafael and Rodrigo.
To conclude the period of induction, we were invited to make a retreat. This was an opportunity for us to keep silent and listen within to our most deep desires which have brought us to make this step. These desires have found shape in the choice of our group dedication: “Mary the Joyful Face of a Generous Fiat”, which sums up what we wish to live in this formation experience.
After preparing with joy and passion our celebration of entry into the novitiate, we had the opportunity to experience our official entry on the second of February, feast of the Presentation of the Lord, on which the Church celebrates the gift represented by the Consecrated Life.
We celebrated our entry with a Mass in a family setting, with the brothers of the community of Santo Domingo, the mother and sister of one of our companions, and Br Libardo Garzón, provincial of Norandina. The celebration was accompanied by some gestures expressing our beginning a new stage: the presentation of the Constitutions, an image of the Good Mother and the Marist cross. Then we shared a meal in an atmosphere of fraternity and joy.
We want to finish by commending our formation process to our Good Mother by means of our dedication and motto:
Mary, joyful face of a generous fiat: Pray for us
Woman with hands full of love, guide us on the way to the Lord!