On Saturday, May 23, a little over 80 members of the Augustinian Recollect Secular Fraternity residing in the center of the Mexican Republic (Mexico City, State of Mexico, Querétaro and Morelos) met in the community of Saint Monica, Colonia del Valle, in the Mexican capital, to celebrate the traditional Pentecost retreat.
The Holy Spirit and his gifts, the Augustinian Recollect Missionary Year, the Augustinian Recollect charism, the shared mission, the restlessness of the heart, and personal and communal vocation were some of the aspects that were addressed in the main talk, given by the Augustinian Recollect Hugo Badilla and entitled “Pentecost and Augustine: The fire of charity in the Missionary Year of the Order.”
In his conclusion, he encouraged everyone to get going, because more than being specialists or experts on Saint Augustine, the members of the Augustinian Recollect Family must be “living Augustinians” who, even recognizing their own limitations, allow themselves to be inflamed by the gifts of the Holy Spirit and go out on mission to make the world a better place.
The Secular Fraternity of Our Lady of Guadalupe of the Hospitals then led a dynamic that included a reflection on two specific questions: which gift of the Holy Spirit is most present in each person’s life and which one each person should seek more.
Next, José Luis Sánchez and Roberto Alcántara, members of the Fraternity, reflected on the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, offering an explanation to encourage a deeper understanding. They based their reflections on Scripture, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and a catechesis by Pope Francis from 2014.
The retreat ended with a Eucharist presided over by Friar Hugo, the family photo, and the joy of the human, spiritual and charismatic encounter, celebrated by all those present with great joy and consideration.
