Open letter from the Provincial of Mediterránea

LOOK! SOMETHING NEW IS SPROUTING

“Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert” (Is 43:18-19).

To all the Marist family of the Province of Mediterránea

There are moments that wound the soul and words cannot express the feelings. On October 29 the sky broke over Valencia and a storm of pain and mud covered the hopes of thousands of people with shadows. The people are suffering and we, with Marist communities and works in the area, are also suffering with them.

Barely a month before that date, the fuse of violence already lit for years in the Middle East once again expressed itself with a truly threatening force in several countries and, this time, especially in Lebanon. I am in daily contact with our three communities in this country: Fratelli (Rmeileh), Champville and Jbail. Every day I follow the news with concern, as do all of you from anywhere in the Mediterranean Province.

There are moments that wound the soul and fill it with questions: Can anything new sprout in a context of so much destruction? Can anything good emerge?

Today, at the beginning of this time of grace that is Advent, I reread the prophet Isaiah. His writings have always struck me as those of an exceptional poet, capable of finding harmonious images and precise metaphors to reach far beyond where words can reach. “Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.”

• Amid the tragedy and bewilderment caused by the DANA, something new has sprouted: the solidarity of the Valencian people and of thousands of young people coming from everywhere. Also from our Marist environment, inside and outside the province, hundreds of people have turned to help in the most affected areas.
• Our “Fratelli” community, located a few kilometers from Sidon, has launched a special plan of humanitarian aid while trying to continue its educational mission. In the same way, our communities and schools in Champville and Jbeil are struggling to continue the school year as normally as possible, while at the same time coordinating projects to help the most vulnerable.
• Our blue Marists in Aleppo are also continuing their solidarity projects, these last few days in a very unstable reality.

Testimonies

“I never imagined how strong we could be. In the darkest moments, there is always an inner strength that drives you on. Every small daily victory becomes an important step forward. Solidarity has touched me deeply: people from different places and stages of my life have not hesitated to show up to offer their help. I have learned that material things come and go, but what really matters are the people. Amid everything, a hug has meant more than anything else” (Joan Pere, teacher at Maristas Algemesí).

“In all this time of war between Hezbollah and the Israeli army what I value most is the experience of being next to the people. We want to listen to them, discover their needs and organize ourselves to try to offer them basic help. We have changed our plans and priorities, we have become flexible and learned to live in temporariness. We have been touched by pain and need. They, the suffering, have transformed us with their humanity” (Br. Juan Carlos, Fratelli community)

Read, in Spanish, other testimonies

There is land that is so dry that it barely harbors the slightest hope of something being born. But life always springs forth from the hand of the God who makes everything new. Sometimes they are small shoots, discreet, barely visible signs. But the truth is that new life is springing up at every moment. Look! Something new is sprouting. Happy Advent!

Br. Aureliano García Manzanal
In Alicante, on December 1, 2024