Youth and Rural Easter 2011

Murgia, Easter 2011

A group of 26 people from the province of San Sebastian, we have met in Murgia (Vitoria-Gasteiz) to celebrate Easter in family. This was for us a very enriching experience which we would like to share.

All participants (Fr. Pavol, sisters, youth and adults of VMY) have come closer to Jesus Christ and accompanied him in the most important moments of his life, his death and Resurrection. What a joy to live these moments in family! Without this sense of fellowship, we could not live in the same way the experience of Easter.

We were celebrating, singing and praying together. All were participants in the celebrations, making them active and enriching.

We reminded us the love that God has for us, he is crazy for us, and “we are precious to Him”. This has become the slogan of Easter, and we would like to say it to the poor and to all people: “You’re beautiful”

In truth, this Jesus is real, he doesn’t like doing things by halves, and gives everything, whatever it takes; what more he can give … LIFE.

There have been many important moments. We could point out the washing of the feet, which reminds us that a Christian has no other purpose than service to others, nothing but kneel and love, for that God has given us life.

We shared the sense of the cross, death and life. We also had the opportunity to live the Sacrament of Confession, which has brought us closer to God, strengthening the rope that binds us to Him.

In the end, all this for celebrating together what is the most beautiful, and what really gives meaning to everything … the RESURRECTION of Jesus. In Murgia we were singing it and we want to sing it forever, HE IS ALIVE! This is a feast; we must live festively…

As youth and adults of the Vincentian family, want to live that, we want to be authentic. We want that our commitment is noted, that we believe in Risen Lord, crazy of Love that helps us to find happiness in this passion for Jesus, the brothers and life.

Thanks very much to everyone; we have taken the strengths to love.

Joane Rodríguez

Rural Easter 2011

From the VMY International Secretariat, each year during the Easter season, we try to participate with some of VMY and DC’s provinces of Spain. This year we were invited by the province of Granada to live the Rural Easter in the villages of Malaga – Benaque and Los Íberos, and Youth Easter with the province of San Sebastian. We divided us this way – boys (Cleber and P. Pavol) to the North and girls (Argelys, Anh, Katarina, Sr. Bernardita) to the SouthJ.

After a long journey to the famous village of Benagalbón (place of great importance for the VMY Spain), we are delighted to see the first familiar face – Fr. José Luis Castillo, who was accompanying the young people at Youth Easter in Benagalbón Tower. As soon as we arrived, the youth team was presented to us: Pedro Rodríguez, Juan Antonio, Barto, Pedro Mendoza, Antonio and Sr. Alicia, the team we’ll form part in the coming days.

On Wednesday, we participated in the night prayer with the youth of the Youth Easter and from there through a beautiful Mass; we have been sent to the Rural Easter. In celebration of Shipping were given to us pins with word LIGHT or SALT of different colors and; of course were given us wooden crosses, the symbol of our missionary service. It was a beautiful celebration.

The next day – on Holy Thursday in the morning we left to the villages making the invitation to people. We split into two groups.  The seat was installed in the village Los Íberos, home of Mercedes, a wonderful woman who let us use her house for what we needed. One half of the team stayed at the seat – Anh Thu, Sr. Bernardita, Juan Antonio, Barto and Antonio and the other half – Argelys, Katarina, Sr. Alicia and two Pedros we went to another village called Benaque which was smaller, but had a huge and beautiful church. After distribution of leaflets with the schedule of the Easter Triduum celebration, we returned to the seat and ate richly everything what was prepared by our colleagues. And I must say that guys were cooking as professionals all Easter. In the evening we celebrated the Eucharist with the people in the villages and at night all together, we celebrated the Jewish dinner.  In the morning of Good Friday, we prepared the Via Crucis with children and youth which in Benaque was conducted within the church for the rain and in Los Íberos through the streets of the village with the big cross of the chapel the Miraculous Medal. The next day, on the morning of Holy Saturday, we organize visits to the sick and games for children of Benaque and in Los Íberos took place distribution of food to families, decoration of the chapel with flowers, playing with children and youth.  Evening Easter Vigil was celebrated in every village and then we shared a cup of hot chocolate, then also our personal impressions of what we had experienced.  Then we returned to Benagalbón where we also participated in the Easter Vigil with youth. It was very positive to participate in the two Vigils, both Rural and Youth VigilJ.

Thanks be to God for so wonderful days! It has been an extremely enriching experience for all who participated in the Rural Easter, for us from the VMY International Secretariat, youth of VMY Spain and the people in the villages who participated so generously and accepted us with such simplicity and warmth in their homes, made we felt really like a big family. Despite the rain and some dizziness along the way we enjoyed every moment of the Easter in the villages and sharing with each other.

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