LOCATION: SAN JOSÉ RETREAT HOUSE, OF THE OBLATE SISTERS OF JESUS THE PRIEST
A REFLECTION FROM BR. RAFAEL
Thy kingdom Come
Every year during the first week of Easter, the brothers in formation in the region of Mexico gather together to meditate on a text of the church or of the congregation. More than a retreat, it is a fraternal gathering to get together, reflect and share a moment away from our daily activities.
On this occasion, we decided to meditate on the letter of Father General Benoît Grière on the coming of the Kingdom of God. We are called to be witnesses of the Kingdom of God before a restless society, before those who are in search of meaning. I would like to highlight three important points for the coming of the Kingdom: interior life, life of vows and unity.
The interior life opens us to the experience of union with God through prayer. The kingdom within us is the intimate communication with God, this relationship depends not only on us, but also on the enlightenment we may receive from God. Prayer is the basis of our encounter. Therefore, it is not possible to extend the kingdom of God around us if we do not work at the same time for the kingdom within us. This is our contemplative facet. As Assumptionists we must strive to let God reign in our whole being.
The life of vows is the manifestation of God’s reign among us. The vows are a way of directing our will and all our faculties to the extension of God’s kingdom. It involves growth and maturity. The commitment we freely make through the vows must be made with conviction to work for the kingdom. Concretely, the kingdom of God through the vows is reflected in service to the brother, docility and apostolic work within our communities.
The kingdom of God is unity. The unitary dimension is found in the theological virtues: faith, hope and charity; at the same time it is united to the vows we profess: poverty, chastity and obedience. It is not only in this environment that unity is recognized, but also in everything else that implies our being Christian and Assumptionist. For example, the unity of the church, the unity of all human dimensions, unity in the community, etc.
At the end of our meeting we committed ourselves to continue to grow as brothers, to support each other and to be constant in observing our religious being through prayer, the Eucharist and the re-reading of the Rule of Life. At the same time we became aware that the kingdom of God is built little by little throughout life.