On the 12th and 13th July the Augustinian Recollect youth groups of Mexico, accompanied by men and women religious of the Order, celebrated a very intense two days as part of the programme of the Augustinian Recollect Vocations Year.
The auditorium of the Mexican College run by the Marist Brothers in the Distrito Federal was the stage set for the seven hour long Music festival and Prayer Vigil. About one thousand young people from the parishes, schools and ministries run by the OARs in this American country took part. Music, witnessing, contemplative prayer followed one on another interspersed with games, varied dynamics and food.
Guadalupe
On Sunday, around 10 in the morning a group of some 800 young people gathered together at the Glorieta de Peralvillo to walk for nearly two hours to the best known Marian shrine of the Americas. The Augustinian Recollect, Rafael Gutiérrez, coordinated the procession and with megaphone in hand, livened up the group after handing out caps, neckerchiefs, and other souvenir items of the Mexican Vocations Year.
The celebration of the thanksgiving Mass at the feet of the Virgin of Guadalupe started just after midday. The Recollect Bishop Carlos Briseño presided at the Mass. With him there were also 15 priests, 2 deacons, all Recollects. Besides the 800 young members of the OAR Youth groups from Mexico, around 8,000 of the faithful joined in the Eucharist as it was Sunday
In the homily, Bishop Carlos Briseño encouraged the young people “to be filled with gratitude to God and to our Mother, Mary of Guadalupe, the black lady of Tepeyec, for the gift of their vocation: to life, to a Christian life, to the religious and priestly life.”
The Bishop insisted that “ vocation is the very heart of the new evangelization”. We have to listen to God so as to be filled by him. In a desperate world, where there are “living dead” Christ invites us to be sowers of hope in communion and in community, At the feet of the “little black Lady of Teyepec” the 9000 who shared the celebration asked our Lady for the strength to do Jesus’ will following the charism of Augustine and the Recollect tradition.