Is there something more than lenten fast and abstinence? That was what I wanted to find out. And so I find myself writing about how I witnessed the unity that is lived in these communities. As it has been said “they are not confraternities, nor parish groups”. The secular Augustinian Recollect are formed in fraternities, each fraternity receiving formation in the parish or ministry where they were appeared. Nevertheless each fraternity makes up the one and unique Fraternity. The members receive that Augustinian recollect formation which they need and they share a “Rule of life” which takes its inspiration from the Rule and teachings of St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430).
On asking if they were the so called third order we found out that yes, in other ti-mes, they did get that name, but in the last decades they have been called Secular Agustinian Recollect Fraternities since they form part of the Augustinian Recollect Family itself.
More than 3.000
Here in this country, counting the Distrito Federal and México itself, we have seven fraternities with 250 members. Ages range from 23 to 80 or more. Altogether some 3,400 secular Augustinian Recollects in 19 countries. Let’s call them SAR for short.
The SAR fraternities organised in small fraternities are a sign of the catholic Chris-tian life of today and relate to the first communities founded by the apostles. The members care for each other, help each other, share, study, prepare themselves, plan things together and praise God too. They come from different social conditions and all have a different story. We find married people, widows and single folk too. Each has a profession or job they prepared themselves to do, nevertheless in spite of the differences what stands out is their unity. Their motto is “to be of one heart and one soul directed towards God”.
Recollect emphasis
All the themes of this retreat spoke of the life of God in the human being and the willingness of a heart open to grace. The Christian emphasis of the Recollects is on the Mercy of God, prayer, fraternity and the apostolate. What catches your attention is how down to earth they are. This, as we said before, is because their spiritual life is human and humanising. “We are not going to change the world with human efforts. Jesus accepts God’s plan and shows us the love of his Father.”
The fruits of the recollect life are the result of the intimate relationship that each member keeps with God, and the relationship they have with their brothers and sis-ters in the fraternity. The Apostolate flows from this. Because of these relationships they are able to encourage their families, work colleagues, friends and acquaintances, in other words, all the people they meet, so they too can catch the excitement in all the different social environments they move in.
Popular devotion
Just to spend time with them helps you discover that beyond the social perception of a popular Mexican religiosity, within the boundaries of the Church, there are Chris-tians who are not only prepared through teaching, not just to reach heaven or gain points for heaven or radically change the world, but who are formed to give their heart to God.
When I, who am writing this, got to know the Recollects I discovered life in a part of the Church where everyone becomes one, where they put their trust in God and follow the Way of Christ. This is the great news. Christ is present in Mexico and in the world through people like the ones I have met today: the Augustinian Recollects.