The course was directed by Fathers Enrique Eguiarte, Carlos González, and Jairo Soto, members of the revitalization team of the Order of Augustinian Recollects.
On the first day, Father Carlos González invited the participants to express their evaluation of the progress of the retreats and the prayer workshops so far, and many of them shared their experiennces, which they described for the most part as “extremely positive.”
That afternoon, Father Eguiarte explained the general outline of the retreat for 2015, which will have as its theme “Revitalization and Interiority.”
The Work of the Retreat Director
The second day of the encounter was dedicated to reflection in silence on the topic of the retreat director and his involvement in the dynamics of a retreat. Father Jairo Soto directed the reflections throughout the day. In the afternoon there was Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and celebration of the Eucharist and Evening Prayer.
The third day, after the day of silence and reflection, was dedicated to the topic of Augustinian spiritual accompaniment, a new tool which aids in the living of Augustinian retreats.
The entire morning was taken up with Father Eguiarte’s presentations on this topic. In the afternoon, Father Carlos González directed a workshop of reflection on spiritual accompaniment in the light of several Augustinian texts. The day ended with the celebration of the Eucharist and Evening Prayer.
Visit from Father Miguel Miró
The Prior General, Father Miguel Miró, visited the encounter during the morning of the fourth day. He encouraged those present in their work of diffusing Augustinian Recollect spirituality as part of the process of revitalization that the Order of Augustinian Recollects is promoting at the present time.
Afterwards, Father Eguiarte presented the new volume on workshops in prayer with Saint Augustine and explained their internal dynamics.
That afternoon the participants had their first practical experience of these new workshops on prayer with Saint Augustine, and in the evening they paid a fraternal visit to the monastery of the Augustinian Recollect nuns there in Cuernavaca.
The final day of the encounter was dedicated once again to the practical experience of the workshops in prayer with Saint Augustine, this time directed by Fathers Jairo Soto and Carlos González. Later the various teams met to coordinate their activities and to schedule the retreats in each of their respective sectors.
The Trainer’s Cross
During the closing Mass at midday, each of the particiapnts was vested in the “trainer’s cross,” a unique Augustinian cross that from this time on is to distinguish those who have taken part in these training workshops.
Participants in the course included relgious from the ministries in Mexico and Costa Rica, among them the delegate of Costa Rica, Father Víctor Marín; seven Augustinian Recollect nuns from the monasteries in Tecamachalco, Mimosa, Ahuacatlán, Morelia, and Cuernava: one Missionary Augustinian Recollect sister; and four lay personas from Costa Rica, seven from Chihuahua, two from Querétaro, and five from Mexico City.
The course in Mexico was the first of several that will be given in various sectors of the Order. The next one will be in Monachil, Granada, Spain, November 3-7.