Prepare the pathways of the Lord

On the 10th December in the Marist residence of Benalmádena seventy brothers gathered together to celebrate the feast of our Brothers Jubilarian: Brother Javier García Terradillos (Ruby anniversary), Brothers Julián Pérez Mayor, Antonio Pérez González, Benjamín Barga López and José Pérez Peña (Diamond anniversary) and Brother José María Mateo Cumba, (Golden anniversary).

Brother Charles Rubio, superior of the community, welcomed everyone at the start of the Eucharist and each of the jubilarians lit a candle with his name; another was added for Brother Luigi Diemoz (Ilario) who is hospitalised in Lebanon and thus was present in our memory. Brother José María Mateo Cumba could not attend due to his illness.

In the homily given by Father Donato, the community chaplain, the topic was the Gospel of the second Sunday of Advent ? ?prepare the pathways of the Lord? ? showing that life is a pathway, a pathway in the biblical sense, a pathway travelled by the jubilarians being celebrated on this day united in the Lord.

The Brother Provincial highlighted for the brothers the three violets in the jubilee commemoration: to live with the heart of Champagnat, to thank God for the good things that are in us and that we have realised throughout these years and to ask to be merciful men to others. He offered a double gift to the brothers: Article 18 of our Constitutions: ?he offers himself to God and to his brothers without reserve? and the first place in the love near the portal of Bethlehem symbolised by a representation of the Nativity which from this moment presided also on the altar.

Brother Julián Pérez Mayor recalled the thirty-four novices of his first profession in 1946 and a few brothers separated by distance: Brother Arthur Moral at Torrent, Brother Celso García in Bolivia and Brothers Aquileo Manciles and Cruz Bujanda in Madrid.