Prophets and mystics for a new beginning
From 23 to 29 April, Santa Eulalia, Peru, hosted the IX Meeting of the Inter-American Spirituality Network (XIX Meeting of the Latin American Spirituality Network), attended by 23 participants: 8 brothers and 15 laity.
The theme chosen by the Spirituality Subcommission of America was in harmony with that lived at the General Conference last year and was aimed at making a spiritual itinerary through the three icons proposed: Hermitage, La Valla and Fourvière.
The icon of the Hermitage challenged a review of our current context: Where are we as animators of the spirituality in America? What steps have been taken since the last meeting in Canada? We had the opportunity to do a review from the viewpoint of faith on the progress of the Network in the last three years and how the themes proposed have helped reflection in the Administrative Units on the necessity of living itineraries of personal and institutional conversion (Meeting of Curitiba-2011), conversion from the viewpoint of the poor child (Meeting of Guatemala-2012) and the theme of the new relationship between brothers and laity (Meeting of Canada- 2013). We feel that this reflection has brought us into harmony with the calls of the last General Chapter and, little by little, has been inspiring in our animation the challenge to go deeper into these areas.
The icon of La Valla allows us to connect with our sources and to reflect on our mystical, prophetic and fraternal dimension. The visit to the “Diorama” of the Marist places in the Villa Marista in Santa Eulalia allowed us to make a spiritual journey to return to the essentials of Marcellin’s call.
The icon of Fourvière permitted us to look at the service of animation in our Provinces, leading us all to say that we do not feel ourselves “spiritual leaders”, but rather limited reference points for other brothers and lay persons. There is much shared life in each Province and Region and there are many “foot soldier witnesses” who inspire and challenge us. We feel that, as the fresh water of the Gier runs through the vales of the Hermitage, so the spirituality has to run through all our being and work of our beloved continent.