The two Augustinian Recollects, from Colombia and Guatemala, made solemn profession last January 29 in Colombia.
After months of preparation and reflection, Nairo Hernan Lara Malagon and Alejandro Juan Vasquez Puac made their solemn profession as Augustinian Recollects last January 29. In this way, in a celebration that took place in the church of St. Nicholas of Tolentine in Bogota (Colombia), the two religious decided to give their lives completely to Christ, a difficult decision, as the Prior Provincial of the Province of Our Lady of Candelaria, Albeiro Arenas, reminded them.
Nairo Hernan Lara, of Colombian origin, and Alejandro Juan Vasquez, born in Guatemala, gave their definitive and perpetual yes to God accompanied by the Augustinian Recollect Family: religious, nuns, Secular Augustinian Recollect Fraternity, Monica Mothers and Augustinian Recollect Youth. Now they will continue their journey to Bajos de Haina (Dominican Republic) and Bocas del Pauto (Casanare, Colombia).
As the rite indicates, during the solemn profession there was the interrogation, the litany of the saints, the formula of profession and the solemn blessing of the professed. Afterwards, the Augustinian Recollect religious embraced the religious.
In his homily, Albeiro Arenas looked at the Gospel of the celebration to recall that to follow Christ one must deny oneself, even though this decision brings difficult consequences: “This is the cross that the Lord tells us to carry”.
He wanted to remind the two young professed: “You have concluded that following the Lord is the most important thing in your life, but this will bring you some consequences”. In this sense, he asked them not to be “cowards” and asked that “the Lord help you and give you the grace not to lose heart”.
