Mary: experience of a simple yes
On 26 December, feast of the Holy Family, Herbert Ernesto Cruz Mejía and Luis Ernesto Guardado Salinas made first religious profession in the chapel of the School of San Alfonso in San Salvador. Father Prudencio González presided at the Eucharist, in the presence of Brothers Hipólito Pérez (Provincial of América Central) and Marco Antonio Vargas (Master of Novices).
The Gospel of the day reminded us of trust in the project of God, by means of the figure of Joseph, recognizing that he was attentive to the call of the angel to flee with the child and his mother to Egypt. We give flesh to this same experience in trusting in the call of God, allowing ourselves to be always accompanied by him. For this, in a manner simple and sincere, we have decided to surrender our lives to the Lord, as a way of thanking him for the wonders he has worked and goes on working in us.
With the gesture of receiving and accepting the Marist cross from the hands of our fathers, we have both decided to say a yes to the Lord, full of life and hope, for our new families and for the Province of América Central. Brother Hipólito Pérez, in the words he addressed to us, gave thanks for the gesture of freedom and confidence we had both made, and invited us to live as good Little Brothers of Mary.
Gestures of family and brotherhood were made throughout the celebration, in which brothers and family members formed a single large Marist family. As in the family of Nazareth, this implied sharing and living each moment of the celebration in which Jesus, who is bread and wine, shares himself and gives himself to his own.
Mary’s simple yes was able to radiate light to the lives and hearts of all those present at the celebration.
“I want to know that the truth is in the Gospel, and I have to give myself to others, to love will be my seal, and to lose my identity, and belong to them”. With this verse from the song “Sé fiel” (Brotes de Olivo), we closed our first profession. May Jesus, Mary and Champagnat keep alive the fire burning in our hearts, so as to go in search of the new lands prepared for us.
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Br. Herbert Cruz Mejía and Br. Luis Ernesto Guardado Salinas