National Gathering of Marist Laity
On April 12-14, 2019, forty-two lay people from across the Philippines convened for the 1st Champagnat Marist National Weekend Encounter held at the Marist Asia Spirituality and Mission Center, Lake Sebu. The Weekend Encounter was an engaging experience of discovering, nurturing, and appreciating Marist lay life. Spearheaded by the Philippine Sector Laity Committee, the event was organized to respond to the suggestion of the 22nd General Chapter particularly on “Promoting a culture of encounter through programs and meaningful experiences of encounters with God, with oneself, and with others.”
In this weekend program of communion, learning, sharing and praying, the participants were engaged in reflections on themes on Communication, Communion, Nurturing Marist Lay Life, and Deepening Prayer: A Life-Giving Experience of the God Within.
Participants joined the Palm Sunday Celebration at the local parish, where their presence was symbolic of Marist lay life as gift to the Church. Following the Mass and concretizing the commitment to take care of our “common of home”, twenty fruit-bearing and hardwood trees were planted on the grounds of the Marist Asia Spirituality and Mission Center.
The event concluded with the participants looking forward to nurturing and growing more the gift of being Lay Marist in the concrete circumstance of life.