Maracaibo ? January 2013
On Saturday 5 January, the closing of the School for Marist Animators took place in the town of Maracaibo, Venezuela. A privileged time for reflecting about the evangelization of children and young people, with the aid of Marcellin and Mary, our good Mother.
Animators of all ages met in the town to confront the new challenges for Marist Youth Ministry and respond to the demands made each day at the level of formation.
The year 2013 promises to be rich in activities of extreme importance and with very special characteristics, such as : the World Year of Marist Youth and the World Day of Marist Youth in Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. Our meeting was a favourable moment to revise and co-ordinate the processes of the « Remar » and « Amis en Marche » Movements, flagships of our Ministry.
During the three days of the meeting, some questions surfaced : What is needed to be a better animator ? What is the real mission of the animator in the evangelisation process ? By means of these questions, and others, the young people reflected on the work within the movements and their commitment vis-à-vis society. They discovered that it is necessary to follow the invitation of Jesus to take a break, to reflect : «You must come away to some lonely place all by yourselves and rest for a while» (Mk 6 : 31).
There is still much work to do ; it is the young people who have the energy and motivation to accomplish it. Each of them is an « engine » driven by the love of God. It is Jesus who guides them to carry out His mission on earth.
We wish to thank all the persons who made this experience possible. We departed, conscious that it is God who calls us, who truly entrusts us with a mission : to be a light in the darkness, the darkness that lies in wait for the young. It is always good to recall that if God entrusts us with a mission, he will also give us the tools to carry it out.
« I cannot see a child without having a strong desire to tell him how good it is to live, how great is the love of God in our regard », we would be able to say in the manner of Saint Marcellin Champagnat.
May Mary, our good Mother, guide us on our way.
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Daniel Sanabria/ Leiddy Colina