Welcome to the story of Sobremesa!

Hello!

Thank you so much for taking the time to access our blog, and join us on this journey upon which we have recently embarked.

You might be wondering what "Sobremesa" is, or what "intentional community" is, or maybe you haven't ever heard the word "Marianist" before. Throughout our entries on this blog, we will attempt to explain - or probably more accurately, share our own exploration of - what these terms mean (and in some cases, maybe what they don't mean). Sometimes we might have a clue, maybe even an answer... other days, we're likely to be just as, if not much more, confused than you are about the whole thing.

But first, a little background:
Who are we? Well, we are three young adults (some of us will still hold on to claiming our last few precious days of "late twenties" just a short while longer) who are trying to figure out what it means to be in community with each other, and what it means to try to create intentional Christian community (with a specific Marianist spirit) in our often very individualistic, often very secular, often very chaotic, difficult, and unjust society. Our world is all of those aforementioned adjectives, ripe with struggle and pain - but it is also beautiful, grace-filled, and joyful, in some of our better moments.

Over the course of the many blog entries to come, you will get to know each of us, and - if you accept the invitation - gain some insight into the stirrings of our minds and hearts. You'll probably, by default of us living in a big city with a small town feel, also get to know the names of a few key players, "friends of the community," who have had and will continue to have great influence and impact on how we shape our home, our shared life, and the manifestation of our mission.

To give you a brief snapshot of who these three people are, living what many consider to be a quite counter-cultural way of life, we'll let you in on a few very short biographical pieces that have led us here today.

First: Jen, aka Broph, Brophessor, and on occassion Brophinator, grew up in the St. Joseph Catholic Community of Eldersburg, Maryland.  Not knowing what all it meant that the parish was Marianist, the Pastor asked Jen to take students to Marianist LIFE Pacific. (LIFE = Living In Faith Experience - an opportunity for high school students from around the country to come together with others to learn more about their faith, discover what it means to have a relationship with God, understand more about social justice and the world, and gain some key insight into being with others, all from a Marianist lens.)  Jen has not stopped discovering her Marianist identity since this important introduction in 2007.  Her reason for being a founding and committed member of the Sobremesa Community is simply her desire to live and learn more about what it means to Marianist as well as her faith in general.

We've got Luis, often called Louie, Luisito, or "El Guapo," as he oh-so-modestly most prefers, recalls his first introduction to this whole "Marianist thing" dating back to LIFE South 2000 (LIFE happens in three different locations around the country, hence the Pacific and South distinctions between Jen and Louie's stories).  LIFE planted a seed, unbeknownst, that has bloomed in a plethora of varied ways.  Luis “has been around” the Marianist world working at various Marianist High Schools, attending various Marianist Universities, and even spending some time discerning his life vocation with the Marianists.  What led him to be a founding a committed member of the Sobremesa community is a belief that the Marianist Laity must take a more conscious and active leadership role in working for justice and peace.

Then there's Clare - loved ones often call her Clara, Clarita, and a select few Strockbine de Acosta, as per her current engagement; her future last name will be Acosta, thanks to a wonderful man from the Dominican Republic who is a huge source of support, light and love in her life. For Clare, living in community has become somewhat of a lifestyle.  After attending the University of Scranton, Clare volunteered in Ecuador with Rostro de Cristo (Face of Christ) from 2004-2006.  This experience of the Latin American culture coupled with her Jesuit and Marianist (University of Dayton , 2009) backgrounds have given her the inspiration to be a founding and committed member of the Sobremesa Community.

The community was physically formed in August of 2011 when Clare and Luis began living together in community.  After much mutual discernment, Jen moved into the house in February 2012. Discernment continued as the three tried to remain open to the grace of the Holy Spirit and the call of Chaminade; in July, in an attempt to follow Mary’s “yes,” things became formalized. In addition to writing a mission statement and a covenant, the community picked the name Sobremesa: “Sobremesa” is a Spanish word with no known direct English translation. In Latin America, it refers to the time spent around the table after a meal - before the dishes are cleared, before companions disperse - the time when loved ones share in conversation, with no hurry and no worry about what comes next. It is social, relaxing yet energizing, it is communal. The sobremesa is sacred time. 

 

Over time you'll get to know more about what we do on a daily basis (in our spare time when we're not struggling with the whole how-to-live-the-Gospel-in-some-sort-of-way-somewhat-resembling-what-Jesus-did thing.. we actually do all have jobs, as much as we might like to sit around theorizing and reflecting upon community), how we spend our free time (though, in total transparency, we're three pretty busy people, so free time doesn't come all too frequently around these parts - but as Jen will often remind us, choice [oftentimes] determines situation. We can't complain all that much.), what kind of faith we have both as individuals and as a group, how well we get along (and how well we sometimes don't get along), and in general, just how goofy (and clueless) we can be. Hopefully we'll also be able to bring to the table a few fleeting words of wisdom too, and maybe plant a few seeds for thought and reflection out there in the big virtual world of interactive reflection (blogging).

We'll leave you today on this last note, that of our mission statement, which took us quite some time (and some annoyance, grammar arguments and a beer or two) to finally nail down. Worth it though - we're pretty satisfied, for now, with what we commit to trying to live, day in and day out.

The Sobremesa mission statement reads as follows:  

We give of ourselves wholly to the pursuit of education, ministry, and challenge of ourselves and others, rooted in a faith that lives justice.  Through our work, personal choices, shared daily life and continued discernment, with Mary as our model we strive to offer a radical hospitality. We aim to serve those most in need, witness to and inspire in others an openness to God’s will, and communicate Grace.

Thanks for reading!