Celebrating vocation and remembering that faith and God\u2019s call are the notes that give meaning to the symphony of life. That was the spirit of the concert of testimonies organized by the Augustinian family, an evening marked by music, emotion and the power of the vocation stories shared by religious men and women, married couples and young lay people linked to the charism of Saint Augustine.<\/p>\n
The music was provided by the Augustinian sisters of the Monastery of the Conversion, whose singing accompanied an event focused on showing how God still calls today in the midst of everyday life.<\/p>\n
The first to share his experience was Fr. Abraham Montoya, an Augustinian Recollect of the Province of Saint Nicholas of Tolentino of the Order of Augustinian Recollects. With warmth and simplicity, he told how his vocation story began with a seemingly simple invitation: to learn to play the guitar in the parish choir.<\/p>\n
\u201cI only went because I wanted to learn the guitar,\u201d he admitted with a smile. Yet, although he never learned the instrument, that path led him to discover the Eucharist, the Christian community and the charism of the Augustinian Recollects. \u201cI never learned to play the guitar, but I found Christ,\u201d he summed up.<\/p>\n
Fr. Abraham recalled how living alongside the friars awakened in him the desire to follow Jesus. After a time of discernment, a relationship and a period away from the Church, he found God again through the Augustinian Recollects and a Holy Week retreat. \u201cI experienced the love and mercy of Jesus Christ and realized I wanted everyone to know that love,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The second testimony came from Julio and Julia, a married couple deeply linked to Augustinian spirituality since their youth. She grew up in the parish of La Paz in Pamplona and he is a former student of the Colegio Agustiniano in Madrid. Today they both live their faith in the parish of La Consolaci\u00f3n in Madrid, accompanied by communities and groups linked to the Augustinian Recollects.<\/p>\n
The couple recalled how they met at a youth Easter retreat organized by the Recollects. \u201cThe Augustinian Recollects introduced us, and thanks to having them close we were able to find each other,\u201d they said, visibly moved.<\/p>\n
After more than thirty years of marriage, they highlighted how the spirit of Saint Augustine has shaped their whole family life. \u201cOur life has always been bound up with the Augustinian Recollects,\u201d Julio explained, adding with humour that they both want to remain part of the Augustinian family \u201cto the end of their days\u201d.<\/p>\n
The third testimony was that of Blanca Antol\u00edn, a young woman linked since childhood to the Augustinian Recollects in Granada, who is now in formation to become an Augustinian Missionary Sister.<\/p>\n
Blanca explained how she discovered at a very young age that the Augustinian charism was the place where she could be herself and live an authentic faith. \u201cGod called me in ordinary life, day by day,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
She recalled that, little by little, the Lord won her heart through small responsibilities, community life and service to others. In the Augustinian Missionary Sisters she found the chance to unite her two great vocations: consecrated life and education. \u201cI want to bring others the joy and peace I have found in God,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Next, two young Augustinian lay people shared their experience: Daniel, a former student of the Augustinian Missionary Sisters\u2019 Inmaculada school, and Mariano, a former student of San Agust\u00edn School.<\/p>\n
Daniel explained how he discovered Augustinian spirituality in youth groups, summer camps and community life. After going through a deep personal and spiritual crisis, he experienced God\u2019s love again in a transforming way. \u201cOnce you know that love, there\u2019s no going back,\u201d he said, moved.<\/p>\n
For his part, Mariano focused his testimony on the importance of community and of the people God puts on our path. A catechist and camp leader, he explained how sharing his experience with other young people and with the children he accompanies has helped him grow in faith and make peace with himself. \u201cFaith cannot be lived alone; we need to walk in community,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The last testimony was that of Sister Alicia, a contemplative Augustinian nun of the monastery of San Ildefonso in Talavera de la Reina. She shared how she found in Augustinian contemplative life an answer to the deep search for love and meaning that dwelt in her heart.<\/p>\n
Sister Alicia explained that contemplative life still has much to offer today\u2019s world, especially amid noise and superficiality. \u201cThe world needs to listen,\u201d she said, highlighting the value of silence, prayer and interiority.<\/p>\n
She also recalled that a life given away is not a life lost but a fully fruitful one: \u201cA life that is given is a life full of meaning.\u201d<\/p>\n
The concert of testimonies ended with words of thanks from Fr. Francisco Oyanguren, vocations promoter of the Province of Saint Nicholas of Tolentino of the Order of Augustinian Recollects and member of the FAE Vocations committee, who encouraged everyone to keep living and promoting vocation as a call to love, community and service.
\nThe evening closed with the presentation of the Augustinian Family\u2019s official hymn for the visit, composed by Sister Lilian Garc\u00eda, an Augustinian Sister of Amparo.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Religious men and women, married couples and young lay people shared their testimonies of faith and vocation at a concert of testimonies of the Augustinian family, marked by music, prayer and the experience of community.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":534,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acep_firma":"Fr. Alfonso Davila, OAR","_acep_firma_detalle":"","_acep_en_noticia":"","_acep_fuentes":"","_acep_relacionadas":"","_acep_provisional":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[44],"class_list":["post-533","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gestures"],"yoast_head":"\n