To the rhythm of rap and around the fire
In our recent meeting in Rome, the young people of Nigeria expressed their desires and hopes to us to the rhythm of rap. The power of their chant and their language stirred us in facing up to the challenges the Marist mission has to take on in our world. We have accepted their chant as one of the hymns for the Assembly. If the rhythm of their song invites us to get moving, their message becomes a challenge and provocation for the main axes of reflection for the preparatory process: spirituality, vocation, new brothers-laity relationship and evangelisation. The traffic lights on the road to Nairobi will be given us by the contents of ten sub-themes, which will be so many spaces for meeting and dialogue for all the Marists engaged in the process, ready to move to the rhythm of the voices and the music of our children and young people.
As members of this commission coming from five continents, we gathered for the second time in Rome around the fire, which means so much in African culture. It is the fire which surges in every Marist heart, the fire of Champagnat’s apostolic zeal, the flame of the Spirit which inspires our mission. The logo proposed for the Assembly unites all these aspects. By the warmth of this fire, we have worked out the aids which will guide our steps as far as the Assembly : a guidelines manual, logo, hymns, prayer, symbols, celebrations, letters, delegates, calendar…
It was in the spirit of Advent that we lived these five days, with the green of joyful expectation and the green of African vegetation. The green of vitality. The call of God to foster a new epoch for the Marist charism. The summons to begin the path towards the 2nd Internationale Mission Assembly which seeks to launch new Marists on mission.