Marist Youth Ministry
Marist Youth Ministry in Venezuela opened this year in full force with the Marist Animators School, which ended on January 5. It was an opportunity to reflect, reconsider many things, and rediscover the reality of young people, who are yearning for someone to show them the meaning of life, a meaning that we convey through spirituality in its concrete Marist expression within the Institute.
We started the meeting by examining the changing pastoral reality of children and youth, who are our reason for being. Consequently, we cannot fail to understand our Marist animation role as constantly in change and demanding versatility when we deliver the Gospel.
In true Marist style, this meeting was full of joy. We celebrated the “Divine Office for Youth” several times – faith sharing in community around the Word – and we studied different documents, such as The Civilization of Love, Evangelizers in the Midst of Youth and Gathered Around the Same Table, which filled us with enthusiasm, and made us want to answer that strong implicit question: Who do you say I am?
The International Marist Youth Meeting held last year proposed only one thing: CHANGE! For us, the word change evoked the cry of youth today asking for reasons to face life with boldness. How did we apply that experience to our meeting? We found the answer in the very words of Marcellin: “Have the world say of you: ‘See how they love one another!’” This call makes each Marist Animator think and becomes an invitation to a worldwide fraternity between Marists and among all human beings. Christ is asking us to change, without undermining what people say: See how they love one another! So let us get close to young people as we walk along with Mary. Our conviction is that living in community, serving others, loving Mary, and staying in an active silence will be the fundamental pillars of our pastoral action.
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Daniel Sanabria