Feast of Mary Queen of the Apostles

Bienvenidos! Okay, so the connection is a bit better today, so I thought I would quickly write a few thoughts.

So this past week was a good week at school.  I feel like I am learning a lot and also re-learning many of the things I studied when I was in high school.  My time of classes changed this week, and so I only attend Morning Prayer with the Brothers in the morning and then head outside of the community to take the bus at 7:30am.  Every day is different, but the bus is always crowded at some point during the journey.  Most times I have to stand for about 25 minutes of the ride and then I can get a seat during the next 20 minutes of the ride.  Only once was I lucky enough to have a seat the entire way! As, I've indicated before, after I take the bus to the Centro (Downtown Queretaro) I have to walk about a mile to the school.  During my walk I encounter many plazas, statues, and reminders of the history of Mexico.  Here are a few points of interest:

The entry way to the Alameda (the park I walk through each day on the way to school)

 

A plaza

In the Almeida

 

Another Plaza with Fountain

 

 





Each day, I have 2 hours of grammar followed by 1 hour of conversation.  There are three of us in our class, each with different abilities in speaking the language, but I guess we are together because we are within a range of abilities in the command of the language.  I do enjoy having others in the class, so when someone is not understanding the question or the topic, (normally very frustrating for me) I am able to just let it go and remember the times when I am at table with the Brothers and I am having a difficult time understanding.... maybe baby steps in growth for me!

 

I am still mentally exhausted by the end of the day, and I still find myself better at speaking Spanish in the morning, but each day I try and make many mistakes.  The Brother's have continued to be good at correcting my Spanish and again, I am happy to be corrected because at some point I want to be able to speak fluently and without hesitation. 

This week also brought about a new phenomenon in my life.....ZUMBA! Since it is difficult for me to get to a gym, one of the Brothers does ZUMBA in the afternoon, so I have joined him for the past two days and will join him again this afternoon after La Comida.  It's been fun, and you can really work up a sweat! I'm trying to convince the whole community to have a community meeting in which we all participate in ZUMBA.  Now that would be a great picture for Family On Line!

 

Yesterday I had my first meeting with the group of people who have been planning the new project of opening a primary school  for the poor children here in Queretaro. The people in attendance included one of our Brothers, Juan Pablo and two women who understand and work in the Educational system in Mexico, Karina and Millly.  The meeting lasted two hours and 95% of it was conducted in Spanish.  There were a few times when I had to change to English because of the complexities of some of the issues and my limited vocabulary which does not yet account for nuances.  I really felt like I understood the reality of the project and the hope's for the future because of this meeting.  I was actually pretty happy with how the meeting proceeded and really could have used a drink after it was all over!  But alas..... no drink was to be found in my hand, which I guess was a good thing!

 

Today is a Feast Day for the Society of Mary. Today we celebrate the Profession of Vows of our first members in 1818.  I presided at our Mass this morning, so I will leave you with the homily I gave for the Mass.  I will include both the English and Spanish translation.  I did use the assistance of google translator, and if you know anything about the translator programs, you need to go back and re-check the translation because sometimes the choices provided do not really make much sense.  So, enjoy the long weekend (not here!) and continue to pray for us in Mexico.....

 

Feast of Mary Queen of the Apostles

 

Today we Marianists celebrate this Feast of Mary, Mary Queen of Apostles as an important feast as part of our founding story.  For today we remember the first seven members of our community who professed vows as Marianists.  What were their hopes? Their dreams? Their aspirations? Their fears at starting something new? It is a day for all Marianists to reflect upon their own day of First Profession.  So go back in your memory to your First Profession, for some it was not too long ago, and for some of us here it was a long time ago! What did you feel on that day? What did you hope to accomplish as a Marianist? What have you realized so far? What more do you need to do in order for your hopes to become a reality in your religious life?

Reflecting upon our zeal at the time of First Vows is especially important for the members of the sector of Mexico, for just like the first seven men who professed vows on this day, we are being asked to start something new.  If we do not bring zeal to this mission of opening up a school here in Queretaro then perhaps we will live in fear rather than in faith.  The title of the Feast should bring us comfort, Mary Queen of Apostles…. Mary is with the apostles, beside them, comforting them as a mother comforts and guides them too.  When we have fears, lets us remember that Mary is with us, not leaving us alone but standing and praying with us as she did in the Upper Room at Pentecost. 

The words of Paul to the Colossians today may be a reminder to us of the commitment we made when we professed vows as Marianists, “ persevere in faith, firmly grounded, stable, and not shifting from the hope of the Gospel you heard.”  These words are important for any commitment in life, but especially true for us Marianists who remember our ancestors in faith this day, and who call to mind our own hopes and dreams at the time of our own First Vows. 

 So, Brothers, do not be afraid. Mary, Queen of Apostles is standing with us.  Hold on to the hopes you had for your life and for Marianist life in Mexico and together, let us make our own Marianist history in Mexico!

 

 

Hoy nos Marianistas celebramos esta fiesta de María, María Reina de los Apóstoles como una fiesta importante como parte de nuestra historia fundacional. Para hoy recordamos los primeros siete miembros de nuestra comunidad que profesaban votos como marianistas. ¿Cuáles eran sus esperanzas? ¿Sus sueños? Sus aspiraciones? Sus temores a empezar algo nuevo? Es un día para todos los Marianistas de reflexionar sobre su propio día de la primera profesión. Así que volver en su memoria a su primera profesión, para algunos no fue hace mucho tiempo, y para algunos de nosotros aquí fue hace mucho tiempo! ¿Qué sentiste en ese día? ¿Qué es lo que espera lograr como marianista? ¿Qué has dado cuenta hasta ahora? ¿Qué más hay que hacer para que sus esperanzas se conviertan en una realidad en su vida religiosa?

 Reflexionando sobre nuestro celo en el momento de primeros votos es especialmente importante para los miembros del sector de México, por igual que los primeros siete hombres que profesaban votos el día de hoy, se nos pide para comenzar algo nuevo. Si no traemos celo a esta misión de la apertura de una escuela aquí en Querétaro entonces tal vez vamos a vivir en el miedo más que en la fe. El título de la fiesta nos debe llevar consuelo, María Reina de los Apóstoles .... María está con los apóstoles, junto a ellos, consolando a ellos como una madre consuela y les guía también. Cuando tenemos miedo, vamos a recordar que María está con nosotros, no nos deja solos, pero de pie y orando con nosotros como lo hizo en el Cenáculo en Pentecostés.

Las palabras de Pablo a los Colosenses hoy puede ser un recordatorio para nosotros el compromiso que tomamos cuando profesamos los votos como marianistas, "perseverar en la fe, con firmeza a tierra, estable y no pasar de la esperanza del evangelio que escuchaste." Estos palabras son importantes para cualquier compromiso en la vida, pero especialmente cierto para nosotros los marianistas que recuerdan a nuestros antepasados ​​en la fe este día, y que reconozcamos nuestros propios sueños y esperanzas en el momento de nuestra propia primeros votos.

Así que, hermanos, no temas. María, Reina de los Apóstoles está de pie con nosotros. Aférrate a la esperanza que tenía para su vida y para la vida marianista en México y juntos, hagamos nuestra propia historia

Amen? Amen!