?Being the face and hands of your tender mercy?
Nine brothers of the provinces of Norandina, L’Hermitage, Compostela, América Central, Ibérica, Brasil Centro Sur and Santa María de los Andes have lived the Thresholds spirituality course. Brothers Antonio Peralta and Joaquim Sperandio are the animators and coordinators of the course.
For eight weeks, from Feb. 8 – April 4, we stayed at the Marist Spirituality Center of El Escorial, Spain.
We dealt with seven thresholds that we needed to go beyond with respect to our personal reality.
This differential transformation is based on rebalancing two experiences: thedoing and the being.
Key factor to live this experience is to be open to something new that can be born in oneself and, like Nicodemus, ask ourselves: how can an old man be born? Our community experience has led us to live harmoniously, projecting us to live the challenge proposed by the 22nd General Chapter, “A new beginning.”
The human, the spiritual and the Marist have been the areas in which we have tried to grow, each one from his own personal, pastoral, professional, religious situation… and all framed in a climate of openness and fraternal community. The process of living, feeling and expressing has managed to create a climate of sincerity, trust and quality fraternal life.
The themes, contents, activities, meetings and experiences have been well harmonized and balanced, by the managers and exhibitors, in times and forms.
These are the THRESHOLDS covered in this course: My story is a sacred story. Integrate my reality. Be good news. My way in the Holy Spirit. A new Marist religious life. Growing in interiority. God’s dream for me.
These are the stages, processes, experiences and encounters that have helped us to cross the seven thresholds: We begin with an approach to the mysticism of Saint John of the Cross in Segovia. Days of personal retreat. Care and respect for the person. Know yourself and your interrelationships (Enneagram). Contemplative prayer. Ecological conversion (The common house). Defense of children’s rights. Spirituality and exegesis (Fray Marcos – double edged sword). The 22nd General Chapter (animated by Brother Ernesto Sánchez). Pilgrimage on St Marcellin’s paths in L’Hermitage. Cultivating interiority. Easter solidarity in Basida host communities. We concluded through the lands of Ávila, reliving the mysticism of Saint Teresa of Jesus.
We would like to thank the Marist communities where we have felt the welcome and closeness of our Brothers: Villalba, Córdoba, Rosey, La Valla, L’Hermitageand the community of El Escorial, which has spoiled us.