 GIFTS & TASKS
"DONS et DEVOIRS"
Helping each other live the Gospel at home & around the world |
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International Organization of Marianist Lay Communities (IO-MLC)
Region of North America, Asia, Australia, and Ireland
FEBRUARY - 2014
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Greetings!
Why PERU is important for YOU!
NOT:
- It's a beautiful country and while North America was freezing last month, South America experienced balmy summer. True, but you probably weren't in Peru.
- Machu Picchu is one of the New 7 Wonders of the World. True, but you didn't see it.
- You learned Spanish in school and want to practice it. Not a bad idea but not the right answer.
- The International Organization of Marianist Lay Communities (IO-MLC) meets for a delegate assembly every 4 years and last month that was in Peru. You probably already knew this, but it's not enough to make it important to you personally and your MLC.
BUT; the reason the Assembly is important to YOU is that your concerns were heard through your delegates, and most importantly,
- Priorities were set that have implications for your life as a lay Marianist and your local community. (See Peru Round-Up below.)
- You are not alone. You are part of something bigger than your local community. Around the Marianist world there are:
- Over 560 MLCs
- In 31 countries
- Almost 7,000 Marianist Lay men & women
We share a Marianist spirituality and mission. We can enrich and support each other. Only 73 delegates, assessors, and official guests were present but the spirit of the people and priorities (also known as Challenges) should extend for the next four years. If the message and spirit doesn't reach you, challenge your delegates to make it real for you.
Fondly,
Representative for N. America, Asia, Australia, Ireland
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PERU ROUND-UP
The most important thing that will probably impact your MLC and your personal life as a lay Marianist are the "Challenges." These are the priorities that delegates discussed and voted on in Peru. Although these challenges are for the International Team, they reflect the interests of local MLCs and national and local groups will be adapting them to their circumstances.
SYNTHESIS OF THE MAIN CHALLENGES FOR 2014-2018:
 1. SOCIAL JUSTICE/MISSION Because Social Justice is constitutive to the Marianist way, we encourage MLCs worldwide to energetically reach out to and serve the poor and marginalized by:  2. MARIANIST IDENTITY and FORMATION - Develop a process that is both unifying and flexible to identify who is a lay Marianist and what are constitutive elements of a Marianist Lay Community
- Develop guidelines for the official recognition of new Marianist Lay Communities as part of existing national structures.
- Support MLCs in new countries as part of the IO-CLM/MLC.
- Enhance our Marianist identity through encouraging common formation opportunities across branches of the Marianist Family. This may include using online courses in Marianist history and spirituality (such as NACMS offers) and other virtual resources.
 3. STRUCTURES THAT FACILITATE - In order to facilitate the performance of each regional responsible, we propose the creation of support teams for the Regional Responsible made up of representatives of the national teams. The support team would promote communication and accountability within each region.
- Work intensively at the integration of the different branches into one single Marianist Family through the following:
- Strategize which formation elements can be done in common--across all branches--and identify what is unique to each branch.
- Strengthen regional and national Marianist Family Councils and develop guidelines and orientation programs for countries and regions in which there are none.
- Share more equitably in the financial needs of the Marianist Family. Help our members understand the importance of their personal financial contributions as part of being Marianist laity.
- Find ways to support and connect individuals who feel drawn to Marianist life but who don�t belong to an MLC.
 4. YOUTH and YOUNG ADULTS Promote and strengthen the involvement of youth and young adults according to each country�s needs.
PLUS:
In addition to the Challenges, here are some other items that will enrich your understanding of all things Marianist and possibly provide resources for your local MLC gatherings. (For files that are in Spanish, use Google Translate for now.)
- Insightful presentations
- International Reports from Europe, Africa, Latin America, North America & Asia FRAN�AIS
- Helpful background reading:
- Marianist Prayers from around the world. This is a work in progress and open to additions and translations.
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BEYOND WORDS
Prayers & Pictures Prompted by PERU
INSPIRATIONAL VIDEO
Felix Arqueros (newly elected President of the Intl. Organization of MLCs shared this video at the Peru Assembly. It is a blend of the:
- Visitation scripture
- Charisma of Pope Francis
- Marianist Charism
- Mary's Magnificat
It's in all 3 official languages and definitely worth a look. Use it for prayer at one of your meetings.
POETIC SUMMARY OF THE PERU MEETING
At the end of the meeting, a poet observer took the sentiments from our meeting and summarized them in the format of Mary's Magnificat. Perhaps you'd like to pray it also. Here are some excerpts:
Lord,
You have called me by my name,
and you have brought Mary to my home.
I am here because of your grace...
Faith of the Heart is like music to my soul...
You have done wonderful things in me and in each lay Marianist; in my family and in my professional life - my place of mission in the world;
I am moved to affirm with Pope Francis "I am a mission on earth and for that reason I am in this world"...
Read the full Magnificat Summary in ENGLISH ESPA�OL
VISUAL SUMMARY OF THE PERU MEETING
Thanks to Beatrice Leblanc (newly elected Regional Responsible for Europe) for this visual representation of the meeting and surrounding area of Lima, Peru.
Click on the picture at right to go to the video. Then click the arrow to play.
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 For Lay Marianists all over the world and MLCs in countries who were not able to physically be in Peru (Australia, English speaking Canada, Congo Brazzaville, Congo Kinshasa, Cote D'Ivoire, India, Ireland, Japan, the Philippines, and Togo). May you all be inspired by the words, music, and photos in this issue. - For the repose of the soul of Mary (Mae) Bowes who died on February 1, at the age of 95. Mae was a faithful member of the Magnificat Community (Winnipeg, Canada)
- For people in countries experiencing political turmoil and violence like Syria, Egypt, Ukraine, Somalia... May there come a time when we don't need this never-ending list.
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AROUND THE WORLD
FRIDAY MAGNIFICAT - FEBRUARY
JFM Faustino is a French organization animated by both MLC members and Marianist brothers. Since 2004, French students have helped the Pilette School which is in a poor rural village in the north of Haiti. French children learn about Haiti and create ways to collect money to support the school.
 VIA LATINA - ONLINE
The following articles are found in the February #229 issue of Via Latina 22, the newsletter for the General Administration of the Society of Mary.
- Profession of Vows in India, Peru, Chile, and Korea
- Deacon ordination in Rome
- Ordination to priesthood in India
- Restructiring of the District of Mexico
- The Marianists in Cuba
- 6th International Meeting of MLCs in Lima
ENGLISH FRAN�AIS ESPA�OL #228 日本語
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