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Greeting

by OAR | Photography: Archivo

P. JAVIER GUERRA
P. General de la Orden de Agustinos Recoletos

It is of great importance that when we do something good, we ought to keep in mind the end by which we do it, for the worth of the good that we do lies not on the act, but on the intention by which it is done.(In Ps. 118, 12) In fact, man can see what another does, but only God sees the intention by which he does it.(Serm. 149, 12)

Beloved brothers in the Augustinian Recollect Family:

As the year 2008 nears its end, the Augustinian Recollect Family, gazes, with particular affection, on the Monastery of Yuso at San Millan de la Cogolla, La Rioja, Spain.

We, the members of this family as one soul and one heart, distributed in more than 20 countries, endeavor to breathe the essence of the spirituality of the Augustinian Recollect charism in order to live it out more intensely and offer ourselves to the service of the Church, following the ideals of Saint Augustine. v

Although many have never had the joy of having set foot on this beautiful land of La Rioja, they know not only the historical and cultural importance of this valley as cradle of the Spanish language, but also the spiritual fruits of the Augustinian Recollect friars for over 100 years and the spirit of renewal, evangelical zeal and the missionaries endowed by the Holy Spirit to the Order with the General Chapter held within the walls of the monastery one hundred years ago.

In San Millan, we have an important gathering. We wish to draw together representatives from every level of this great family: bishops, religious priests, brother and sisters, Brother General, members of the secular fraternity, Augustinian Recollect youth, Mothers of Saint Monica, friends and others who are related to our communities and ministries.

Three days before the celebration of the Anniversary of the Recollection, there will be a gathering of Augustinian Recollect bishops, in order to share experiences and relive more intensely the charism of the Order, as they continue to be part of it.

The AUGUSTINIAN RECOLLECT VOCATION YEAR- ARVY 2008 will have its closing on the 5th of December. It is an opportune moment to look at ourselves with kindness and joy, thanking the Lord for the vocation of all the brothers and sisters of the Augustinian Recollect Family:

- The religious priests, brothers and sisters, for the testimony of their life and their contribution in making our community more evangelic and evangelizing.

- The postulants, novices, professed religious, deacons, priests, and members of the secular fraternity . . .

- Those who work in the different mission fields that the Church has entrusted to the Order and those who collaborate in prayer and suffering.

- Lay collaborators on whose shoulder lie hard work and other responsibilities.

- The elderly, for the life they have passed on to us, for the field of evangelization that they have opened for us, for the tenderness with which they look at the younger generations, for the silence that they have for our faults, for the pain in their sickness and old-age. . .

- The young, for sharing our dreams of evangelical life and avant-garde projects in evangelization, our restlessness and hopes, our aspirations for solidarity and surrender to the service of the most needy, adhering to the way of Jesus.

In the words of Saint Augustine, "if we have to pray to God that He may grant us something, we have to give Him thanks, when He has done it." (Let. 217,7) Let us accept this invitation.