On 12 April, Divine Mercy Sunday, Brother Cristhian Javier García made his first profession in the chapel at Ambato. The Eucharist was presided over by Monsignor Rafael Cob, Bishop of Puyo. The Brother added some personal words to the Institute’s traditional formula, which he read before the Assembly. Brother Fernando Cob, the Provincial Delegate, received the vows. He presented him with the sign of consecration, the insignia of the Institute, and the Constitutions which he undertook to live by from this day forward.
At the end of the celebration, messages of congratulations were read out from the Brother Superior General, the Brother Provincial and the Vice-Provincial of San José Obrero. When it was over, Cristhian delivered a moving message of thanks, drawing an analogy between his life, his novitiate and his previous experience of Christian life with the making of wine. “I am a wine which, after being racked and left to rest in the cellar of Nazareth, is ready to be served. The profession I make today is the sealing of this bottle that God has cared for so lovingly through the hands of all of you. May the aroma of Nazareth – that blend of sawdust from the carpenter’s workshop and the warmth of home – permeate my soul…”
Following the liturgical celebration, we shared a fraternal lunch. Present were members of his family, the Brothers of the Delegation, religious friends, and some members of the Fraternities. Each attendee was given an eco-friendly pen with seeds, on which was written Brother Gabriel’s thought, which also adorned the altar of the celebration: “The happiest religious is the one who possesses grace and friendship with God” (NG 1008)
