The Spirituality of the Heart program ends in Florianópolis

From January 31 to February 22, 49 participants from 13 Marist Provinces: Spanish and Portuguese speaking, met to share life and spirituality in the Marist house of Florianópolis (Brasil Centro-Sul), in a program coordinated by the Team of Ongoing Formation of the Institute.

“Descend to the heart, and go out to meet others”

An experience, not only to have references or to know our spirituality better, but to embody it, and make it life. We began our itinerary with Brother Óscar Martín Vicario, who placed us in the spirituality of the heart as unifying, incarnate and inclusive. He invited us to look deep within us, at the fire that excites us, and that leads us to look at the world, in a peaceful, humble and compassionate way, and to recognize the presence of God that dwells in it.

With Gustavo Balbinot we pray with our hearts. A workshop that served us for a deeper connection as a group, based on the encounter with the God who inhabits us.

The second week, Josean Manzanos took us into the world of interiority, as a path to reach what is at the core of our heart. Experientially, and anchoring ourselves in full attention, silence, and stillness, we began to recognize what was in our mind, how we lived in our body, encountering our emotions, and looking at the meaning, the existential consciousness that we have, from the depths of our hearts.

With Brother Ismar we delve into the reference of Mary in our spirituality, Jewish woman, mother, and disciple who invites us to, as She did, from our concrete reality, be open to what God wants from each one, which probably It challenges us, it questions our being and vocation. As in Her, a spirituality of the heart, which invites us to embrace what we are, and to live it in depth, to respond from our weaknesses and difficulties, and to be fully what God calls us to be.

In Curitiba, led by Ángelo Ricordi, we visited the Marist Memorial, where we looked at our origins, and at the spirituality of Marcellin and the community of the first brothers. Let’s see how his intuitions and ways of being open ways for us to be deeper, to live in the presence of God; and also, to be more human, closer, to be a true Marist family.

We have lived the last week of the program with the reference of the encounter with the poor and most disadvantaged, led by Father Wilson, and the recognition of being a Synodal Church, which calls us to live our Marist mission and spirituality in today’s world. , through the words of Brother Ernesto Sánchez. We end with a retreat and sharing what these days have meant to us.

We can affirm that our hearts have moved these days. We feel like family, we find ourselves in deep communion with each other. And this program, on a personal level for each one, has been about “anchoring ourselves in what we are and what we live”, and wanting to continue living from there, from that heart, and from the God who lives in it.

Something that is very beautiful about these days is how we relate, how we share, how we are silent and pray together, how we have come to know each other calmly and deeply, the rich dialogues and encounters that we have experienced, the continuous looks and gestures of affection. , to know ourselves as beloved children of God, to build ourselves as a Marist family with a spirituality of the heart that makes us more human, and more brothers.

Eladio Díez – Province of Compostela

Witnesses

My experience has been an opportunity to reconnect with my deep desire to live God, experience his presence, manifest him, and perceive him in my daily life and in the Marist mission. I have felt that being in Florianópolis these days has renewed my desire to provide the means to continue cultivating the spirituality of the heart, that is, that which goes to the core of myself, of others and of everything that exists. I feel that the path that I can take, and that each one can take, is heritage for our Institute and for the world. It is as if each of us, from our places, could continue to advance life by advancing it in ourselves and in the place that surrounds us.

Br. Juan Antonio Sandoval, America Central

I leave Florianópolis lighter and more serene and with the conviction that true brotherhood springs from our hearts. As a brother, I have to live this spirituality of the heart in my daily life, being myself, respecting people, showing solidarity and, above all, being human. It was an honor to be able to live this experience with lay people and brothers who speak Spanish and Portuguese.

Br. José Aderlan, Brasil Centro-Sul

The “Spirituality of the Heart” course has been a life experience in which I have been able to share not only the encounter with myself, but the encounter with others. It is wonderful to see the passion with which the love for Jesus was lived, keeping in mind the charism of Champagnat through dialogue and the sharing of diverse cultures, in which brothers and lay people agree on the importance of a spirituality incarnated with a vision towards the other. I thank the institute for giving me such a beautiful experience.

Shirley Nieto, Norandina

Meeting Brothers, Lay Men and Women from different countries and cultures for more than three weeks is a richness and a grace. Being able to share the Life, Spirituality and Mission that unites us as Marists of Champagnat leaves a significant mark on me.

The challenge-commitment remains to bring to life the calls that have arisen here so that the Spirituality of the Heart continues to generate life in us and our environments.

Br. José Luiz, America Central

For me, one of the outstanding experiences was the emphasis given to the cultivation of interiority as a way to enhance the cultivation of a unifying, incarnated spirituality, even sensitive to the other; especially the most vulnerable children and young people. The challenge remains to grow and help others to grow interiorly, recognizing God as Love in daily life, following in the footsteps of Jesus, in the way of Mary, as Saint Marcellin Champagnat did.

Renato Biasi, Brazil Sul-Amazônia