Louie has been joking around and asking, "are we dying?" With one of three people out of community.... it could seem as though we are. This past Saturday we met with Bro. Mike (who is journeying with Sobremesa) and the answer was a resounding NO!!!
In fact, we've been soaking (Marianating haahahahahah) in the Spirit.
Our Marianist Action this past week:
-Toni Messina (National Coordinator of LIFE) stayed with us for a couple of days... bouncing ideas off of and engaging in thoughts aobut community life
- MLFI (Marianist Lay Formation Initiative) Retreat was in San Antonio bringing in :Lay Marianists from all of the county (including my good friends from Hawaii).
-The MLFI cohort came to lunch with us at Sobremesa. We had a chance to talk about what is going on in our community. Which was especially nice for me... I finally got a chance to share with people I have known for 5 plus years my life...
-Sobremesa has begun to (slowly and surely) grow. We are inviting others into a new mission and vision and people are saying YES!
-I was given an opportunity to stay and host at Tecaboca.
-next week Louie and I will be traveling to the Mid-LIFE meeting in Burlingame, CA to talk about LIFE (Living In Faith Experience).
Louie and I have been working through our new mission. It's funny that we can read about all of these stages of community and mission writing etc... but it is a different beast when you are living it. Every "ah ha" moment makes us that much closer to understanding God's will and our choice to live in community that much more. This mission we're working on will truly be a "living" document... re-writing and reflecting on it often... making sure we are living it.
This is what we've got so far:
The Sobremesa Community of San Antonio, Texas, responding to signs of the times, seeks to bring committed people of faith together to seek God through the lens of Marianist spirituality and community. Working to support our families, each other and the larger Marianist family, we intend to live a common life of individual and communal prayer through the spiritual development and Marianist formation of Young Adults.
Soaking in the Spirit... surrounded by other Lay and Vowed Marianists gets me excited... fired up if you will. I just don't want to loose the drive... the fire :) Chaminade wrote in a letter to Father Jean Joseph Chevaux dated November 10, 1831:
"Moderate your labors and your zeal and never use up all the strength you seem to have at your command. I know myself how difficult it is at times to hold one's energy in check, especially when there are pressing needs. Nevertheless, one can succeed, by ridding oneself of all idea of self alone and of seeking only to accomplish the will of God."
Helloooooo Sobremesa!
ReplyDeleteMarianating!! I love it! You managed to capture exactly how I feel when such gatherings like LIFE, MLFI, and retreats come to an end and it's time to return to our real world and our own communities. At MLFI, we talk about our faith tethering from an ember to a burning bush, back and forth, to and fro. We are so filled with the Spirit when we are in community, sharing in laughter, prayer, and love but the real test comes when we return home. It can be challenging to bring back that burning bush to its fullest flame. And yet God's timing is so amazing that when one door closes, He surely opens another! He gathers a tapestry of hearts that are drawn together by His love, and allows us to marianate in it and LIVE IT! I am so grateful for your friendship! Visiting with you last week and experiencing just a taste of the community God has led you to; there is no doubt it is all part of His plan! He has surrounded you with incredible people that support and love you. Being in an intentional community has you "living it" and seeing it for myself was heartwarming!!! Thank you Sobremesa and SA for your awesome hospitality! I am in a season to LIVE IT and not let the turkeys get me down! Thank you Marianist family and thank You Jesus!
Marianating, gb
Thank You GAYLE!!!!! I love it :)
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