We feel privileged by the call to be Marist
Saturday 17th February, Brother Pau Fornells, Director of the Bureau of the Laity of the Marist Institute, had a meeting with the four Marist fraternities of Badajoz, offering in this way his service of animation, of co-ordination and of support to the extension proc-ess of the spaces of communion with the laity and, according to the indications of the XX General Chapter, ?to widen the space of the tent?.
Prior to the meeting, the Fraternities had reflected on the subject proposed by Brother Pau in the European Meeting of Fraternities (August 2006), ?Some reflections from the Life Plan of the Champagnat Movement?, and throughout Saturday morning the most important ideas of the document were discussed.
The ideas that were mentioned the most were: we feel privileged and called; the voca-tions of brothers and of laypeople have the same importance; the common mission is not based on doing, but on living; we must know how to review our past life in order to prepare the future that the Spirit wants; we need to build an open fraternity more than a ?nest? fraternity; respecting the rhythms of each person is a richness but, at the same time, a risk; our life must be the permeating perfume of God; a vocation is a call to-wards others, to give your life.
Then Brother Pau highlighted some proposed ideas and suggested from his own experi-ence some pathways of dynamism and openness on new ways, inviting each group to put in writing its mode of incorporation and integration as a fraternity. And after a prayer in the college chapel, we shared a meal.
On this theme, there was a parody prepared by José Antonio Rosa and Carlos Ramos, in which they represented how the new relationships between the brothers and laypeople must be; it was a representation that was well received and applauded by all present.
In the afternoon, the ?mixed? Marist community of Badajoz (composed of Brothers Antonio Marin, Goyo Bartolomé and Pepe Tenorio, as well as the married couple José Antonio Rosa and Eva Cabrera, and their precious children José and Jaime), also met with Brother Pau to share with him their two years of community journey, analysing the different aspects of their life and mission, at the same time as their questions and dreams for the future. We finished this intense day with the participation in the Sunday Eucha-rist of our parish.
We, the Marist Fraternities of Badajoz (Brother François, Bethania, Nazareth and Emmaus) and the Marist community are very grateful for the contact, the affection and the accompaniment that our Brother Pau shared with us on this beautiful day.