II Marist International Mission Assembly
Voices of Fire
The morning prayer dubbed “Voices of the Fire” sets the beginning of each day for the participants. The reflection of this morning was set with the narration "The Bright Mountain" from which the name of Kenya comes. This story says that "if you climb the mountain with a clean heart it will then grant you whatever you ask from it." Waku, a very pretty girl, spent a long time talking to the mountain. The more it heard the words of Waku the brighter it lit. The animator of the day told us that "the mountain of our life, of our assembly, the mountain of our mission will shine more and more with our prayer."
On the lawn a line made up of stones drew the map of Africa. Within this map, each participant placed a stone brought from their country of origin. This map represents the diversity of the lands the global village is. With this gesture, the participants welcome the diversity of backgrounds in the unity of the one loving plan of God for the mankind. In the diversity of land grows the Marist charism.
Sharing our roads
The first meeting space of the small communities was dedicated to sharing "the experience of the journey made to reach the II MIMA". Within this itinerary an experience of solidarity had to be included. It was to take a step back to become aware of the flow of life from our communities and provinces that is present in this Assembly through each one of the delegates.
To have a better understanding of the contribution made in the preparation of the Assembly we provide some indicators. In the local phase of the preparation process 21 administrative units were involved and 1,123 groups were formed. 25,210 people participated in this process. Teachers formed 361 groups in which 7,751 people participated. 140 fraternities with a total of 1,617 people played a role too. Parents integrated 38 groups in which 569 people worked. 191 communities, with a number of 1,627 brothers made their contribution as well. Young people formed 111 groups in which 9,650 people participated.
Other groups have participated in the contributing to the spirituality, volunteering, groups of life, assembly of educators, provincial teams, alumni, social units. In total there were 305 groups who made their contribution through 4,054 people.
After the break the small communities gathered to witness the contribution of the regions in the preparation previous to the assembly. The work was to focus in detecting sprouts of life and dreams of the administrative unit they belong to. All this content had to be presented in the plenary through a graphic expression.
The work of the evening began with a Marian prayer. The Assembly accompanied Mary in the key moments of her life from the Annunciation to Pentecost, and they proclaimed the Ave Maria in different languages.
A first overview
The experiences of the small communities that were shared in morning were presented in the afternoon to all the Marists from the same region. This was a first approach to the contributions the Marist world has sent to the Assembly. This contribution was shared in the plenary with all the participants through a graphical presentation. These five summaries bring up the echoes from the continents. Thus, a voyage that started with a reflection of the personal, provincial and then the region itinerary concluded.
After the presentation, there was space for a round of spontaneous reactions after listening to what was shared in the assembly. Little by little, the sensibility of the participants is taking form in regard of the most important topics. However, we are still getting there.
Next, the participants were given quite some time to listen to the voice of the Spirit. This space is devoted each evening to fill the pages of the journal. The proposal is for the participants to collect their personal motions that the Spirit raises day by day.
The work of the day ended with a prayer, thanking the Lord for mother earth. The event started walking part of the way in silence, in contact with nature. Those who wish to go barefoot can do so. We walk to where the stones we brought from our home countries were placed. Stones loaded with stories, dreams, gifts and talents as part of a deal. Along the way two gestures were performed. The first, taken from the Andean culture, is to build community in what the native people call "apacheta". In significant parts of the road each one deposits a stone to remember something important, a direction, an event, a memory. This construction has the added value of being a community fulfillment. This gesture starts with the reading of the text in which Jacob woke up early and took the stone on which his head had rested during his sleep and placed it as a sign of the vision he had seen pouring oil over it. With this gesture, the participants are invited to "mark, to leave a sign in this blessed land of the II MIMA".
The second act was to dig a hole in the ground and "with permission from Mother Earth" everyone has offered grass, cereal and drink to the "Pachamama" with a grateful attitude to give back much of what she has given us. Each offering expressed the "desire to multiply the divine gifts we have received." And to make this gesture in community expresses our "commitment to justice, made of abundant tenderness to the poorest."
The day concludes with a folk, food, craft and cultural displays of the peoples of America where the Marists are present.
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AMEstaún – September 18