From the morning of the 20th to midday on the 25th, a spiritual retreat was held at the Bucoli Scholasticate community. Father Rubem Martinez, OP, led the retreat, which centred on the theme of Consecrated Religious Life, focusing on the first three chapters of our Constitutions: Identity, Consecrated Life and Community Life. With great skill as a teacher, he used simple words and a smile to explain and encourage the Brothers to always seek to be prophetic signs as consecrated persons in today’s world, finding their safe haven in the three great pillars of a religious’s life: namely, the living out of their Identity and sense of belonging; Consecration based on the evangelical counsels; and community life as a fundamental criterion for bearing witness through one’s life before society, the Church and the world; and never to be afraid to be and to convey the evangelical and prophetic joy in today’s world. On Friday afternoon, Confession was also held from 4.00 pm and continued until 5.00 pm, followed by a talk and personal and small-group reflection, as on previous days.
At the closing Mass, at 11.30 am, 12 scholastic Brothers renewed their religious vows for one year and two Brothers for two years. During the sign of peace, all the Brothers prayed the prayer of mutual forgiveness in unison and exchanged the sign of peace. After Mass, there were some photo sessions and a Nazarene fellowship lunch.
