Water from the Rock
From 17 to 21 September there was a week retreat for the postulants of Mtendere (Malawi). The theme of the retreat was focused on Marist Spirituality, taking as a starting point the book Water from the Rock.
The initiative was very positive according to the evaluation of the whole week that was done by the postulants. They are 13 postulants at the moment: 2 from Zimbabwe, 2 from Mozambique, 3 from Angola and 6 from Malawi. The formators are Brothers Gilbert Zenda (master of postulants) and Nicholas Banda and Br. João Reis.
The facilitator of the retreat was Br. Teófilo Minga.
As a summary of their ideas we may present the five following points.
To know the book WATER FOM THE ROCK
The retreat was a very enlightening moment for me: I have been enriched during the whole week. I want to put into practice even more deeply the elements that have been offered to us on Marist Spirituality. I had the impression that not everything was said. We should have another week or so to deepen even more the elements of our Spirituality. Or, I would propose to have a similar retreat next year. I have, as from now on, a more perfect understanding of what it means to be a Marist. The week of retreat gave me the will and desire to continue reading the book Water from the Rock.
(Felix Mukalakala; William Junior; Evance Masangano; Necas Pululo)
Mary in our life and "to be bread for others"
A better understanding of the book Water of the Rock helped me to understand two important points in my life and in the life of any Marist: 1) Mary in my life and the responsibility of being in the Church an active element to show the Marian Face of Church; 2) From Chapter 3 of Water from the Rock I retained the idea of being "bread for others". I understood that this aspect is closely related to the Gospel that we meditated on one of the days of our retreat: the Lord came to serve and not to be served. As a Marist, this is what I must be in my life. I must give myself, with all good will, for the good of the community. We must be available to the Lord and to others "full time."
(James Masikiya; Tapiwa Chirume; Evance Masangano; Necas Pululo)
The value of personal and community prayer
The retreat was a very good time in my life because it helped me to look at myself and reflect on some aspects of my life. I enjoyed in a special way the time given to personal prayer and I learned that it is one of the elements of Marist Spirituality, as well as community prayer. The retreat was a challenge for my past life and gave rise to a great thirst in me to give joy to others and serve them the best I can. Time was too limited to know all the contents of the book, but it opened the doors for me to read it personally. I learned many things that will help me in my vocational journey.
(Joseph Chiota; Eulálio Celestino)
Appreciate the Sacrament of the Eucharist
This retreat helped me to have an ever greater appreciation of the Sacrament of the Eucharist. The insistence on this point in different numbers in the book Water from the Rock helped me to better understand the richness of this sacrament, as well as its consequences: that I become bread for others. In the same way I also understood the importance of having a great love for the Word of God. In both, in the Eucharist and in the Word God is present and in God our trust must be. This is what our Marist Spirituality invites us to do. And she invites us to be, in the Church, men of faith, hope and love, as well. I was struck by nº 119: in there we may find a definition of what it is to be a Brother: someone who is available, attentive, respectful, and hardworking; a man of prayer.
(Paul Andrew; Aubrick Thokozani; Cornélio Catumbela)
We give thanks to the "Brothers Today" Commission for giving us the opportunity to have this retreat. Almost all participants have voiced the possibility of having more actions as the one we did have this week.