Opportunity for thanking them for their service to the mission of the General House

On 22 December, all the lay persons working in the different services in the General House joined the brothers in a true feast on the occasion of the Lord’s Nativity.
It began with a celebration directed by Br Pedro Sánchez de León, Secretary General. He emphasized how the work of the laity, carried out within these four walls, is open to the world.

Then Br Joe Mc Kee, Vicar General, in the name of the Superior General and his Council, expressed his appreciation “for the gift of your persons, talents and work made faithfully every day. Together, they make it possible for us to carry out our mission in the Church. Thank you for your dedication and your friendship”. And using the Christmas message of Br Emili, he emphasized the following: “Christmas: an invitation to take the road which leads to one’s centre, … where each person can encounter himself and contemplate in silence the mystery dwelling within him”. There are many things that draw us away from this road. “The Son of God, by his incarnation, unite himself in a certain way with every person!”. The Nativity is a call to comprehend the profound significance of a God made man. In the most intimate part of our humanity we find ourselves, we find God and also the others. “If this journey (to the interior of oneself) is authentic, it manifests itself in signs such as peace, equilibrium, self surrender to others”. We see this in mature people, who seek balance in their lives and radiate peace, goodness, acceptance of others… “Everything egocentric men have destroyed can be reconstructed by men centred on others”. This phrase of Martin Luther King, quoted by the superior general, is a message of hope. In our world, with so much egotism and seeking personal interest, the Nativity is an invitation to go beyond the self and offer and share with others all the good we have in ourselves. Before presenting the gifts of the General Council, Br Joe said that “your little Christmas present is also a gesture of solidarity. We do not find this in the great wholesale stores, but in that solidarity. In offering this representation of the mystery of the Nativity, made in the lands of the south, we know that, indirectly, we are helping people who need us”.

Then the Councillors Antonio Ramalho, John Klein, Michael De Waas and Pedro Sánchez de León distributed the presents to the laity.

In his turn, Br Pietro Bettin, superior of the community, expressed his gratitude to all the staff who, through their various services, collaborate in the work of the General House. The   Nativity, he said, “invites us to put away fear, is a message of joy and hope, which reminds us that God is among us and became man”.

Finally, as usual, there were the Christmas toasts and the festive meal.