The annual meeting of local superiors of brothers and sisters took place this year in the house of the Sisters in El Escorial, from February 13 to 15. Luis Alberto Gonzalo Díez, Claretian, editor of the magazine "Vida Religiosa", accompanied the meeting. He provided an update on the current situation of the consecrated life and its current challenges. With a sense of humor, he was saying " I know that it does not happen to you but in other congregations ... " drawing a picture and a lifestyle in which was very easy to be identified .
He very freely said phrases such as "religious life has a flawed language, but responsible and busy people", "the last decade we have worked well, but falling in dynamics proper of companies that do not get along with religious life", "we are in a situation of institutional and personal wearing out", "we are not as believer as we say we are", "our efforts have to be loaded with mystic, non to get wear out in adapting ourselves to the milieu", "we should not confuse fecundity with effectiveness”, “we have to overcome an “inbreeding” speech and to embrace the centrality of the Mission" ...
The richness of this content, the clever and provocative analysis, and the so entertaining and well brought examples, made his speech generally much liked, which certainly gave plenty of light to interpret our situation. As a vision he proposed 5-axis that we worked in small groups: other leadership style (more spiritual than management, harmonizing firmness and tenderness, listening and viewing), frugality (groups caring community poverty and living together for the mission will have future), community relevance in the community we play all; it is a great richness and the biggest challenge of religious life), co-responsibility in the mission (from the mission of the community, open to the “inter-“ and sharing the mission with the laity), and a dialogue with youth (which embrace the dramatic change that is the Internet, listen to their demands without imposing our heritage and providing our wisdom) .
The next day we worked in groups these 5 axes. We shared them together in an interesting dialogue and conclude the meeting to participate together as a family at the funeral of our brother Samuel Uriel.
Next year, 2015, has been declared by Pope Francisco "year of religious life", so we will dedicate to this topic the next meeting.
02/17/2014