Recollection Materials

Orientation Pope Francis, in his Encyclical Letter “Fratelli tutti”, notes that after the great wars of the last century, it would seem that in the new millennium humanity is heading towards a new era of solidarity, justice and peace. The first steps towards the formation of the European Union seemed to be the prelude to…

OrientationOne of the boundaries in which the dialogue really became urgent is the field of the economy. The actual economy, guided by parameters merely monetary and political economy and where all ethical criteria are absent, is provoking a terrible crisis in the whole planet. To the culture of solidarity and austerity have substituted the consumeristic…

Orientation Once we have finished the reflection on Fr. General’s document on poverty, we now begin our monthly recollections with the guide theme for this year: “Creators of Spaces for Dialogue with the Contemporary World and Culture.” We will dedicate this first reflection to the theme of communication as mission and challenge. Today we live…

Invoking the Holy Spirit Come, Divine Spirit,send your light from heaven. Loving Father of the poor;gift, splendid in your gifts;light that penetrates the souls; fountain of the greatest comfort.Distribute your seven gifts, according to the faith of your servants; by your goodness and grace,give merit to our efforts;save whoever seeks to be saved,and grant us…

Translated by Fray Dunstan Huberto Decena, OAR Philippians 2:7 The 4th chapter of the document  To live out Poverty: Grace and Challenge of the Prior General, is entitled “Our Poverty: Grace and Hope.” From this we can say that it is a reflection on the elemental dispositions that should be in our lives in order…

Luke 12:13-21 Orientation The third chapter of Fr. General’s document “Living out Poverty: a grace and a challenge,” discusses the theme from the Augustinian Doctrine, passing through the historical practice of poverty among the Augustinian Recollects and ending with an exposition of the more salient elements in our Constitutions. The themes are not exhausted, but…

Translated by Fray Dunstan Huberto Decena, OAR For a second consecutive month, our recollection drinks from the document “To live Poverty: A Grace and a Challenge” that Fray Miguel Miro Miro, our Prior General, has directed to the religious of the Augustinian Recollect family. Let us remember that this was a decision of the General…

Translated by Fray Dunstan Hubert Decena, OAR Ex. 23:6-9. No other epoch of history has been a witness to the migratory movements than the present. Every day there are thousands of humans on the go taking diverse roads, generally dangerous and uncertain, in search for a better future, for a new life. It is a…

Translated by Fray Hubert Dunstan Decena, OAR THE RICH ALSO CRY. THE EMPTINESS OF THE EGOIST RICH. Lk. 12:16-21 St. Posidius, in his Vita Augustini, the first biography of St. Augustine, narrates about a man who had donated to St. Augustine a land for the maintenance of the Church in Hippo, maintaining for himself while…

Translated by Fray Hubert Dunstan Decena, OAR Mt. 9:9-13. Possibly one of the most beautiful paintings of Caravaggio is the Call of Matthew. It is conserved in the Roman Church of San Luigi dei Francesi. In this painting we can see how a beam of light enters through an open window, and this light –which…