The 46th General Chapter of the Brothers of the Christian Schools recognised that “for the Lasallian Family, the fruitful and prophetic journey of Association for Mission is unfolding in diverse expressions and characteristics”. Furthermore, “Association for Mission compels us to widen the expression of community experiences, enrich our lived spirituality, and extend the limits of our Mission”.
In the case of the Arlep District (La Salle in Spain and Portugal), drawing on its rich history of Lasallian Association, there are many and varied experiences of community life and commitment to the most vulnerable children and young people, in keeping with the Lasallian charism.
“I have been an Associate for 16 years and belong to the Premià de Mar community,” says Núria Rius Balet, recalling that “when I arrived at La Salle, I felt that it was not just a job, but a way of living out education and the Shared Mission. The community of Brothers welcomed me with great warmth and that experience left a lasting impression on me”.
Accompanying those in mourning
Currently, the Premià de Mar Community comprises eight lay people who meet regularly “to pray, share our lives and draw strength to offer support”. In Núria’s case, in particular, the death of her daughter led her, together with her husband, to set up “a foundation dedicated to supporting families through mourning, particularly children and young people”.
With our gaze fixed on God and on others
In the case of María del Carmen Jiménez and Manuel Castro Cortés, from the Sanlúcar de Barrameda Community, their Lasallian commitment has also brought them closer to the needs of today’s children and young people, encouraging them to turn their gaze to the peripheries. “We are married and associated with the Lasallian Mission. As a married couple, being associated with the Mission enriches our family life and broadens our horizons, enabling us to live not only with ourselves in mind, but with our gaze fixed on God and on others,” they say.
The community is the cornerstone
At the Salduba Community in Zaragoza, José Alberto Salvador is convinced that this commitment stems from a simple yet profound certainty: “The community is a strong cornerstone,” he explains, for in living out the Association “you discover that one cannot walk alone (…). It is, then, a sort of invisible network that unites us all – Associates and Brothers – for the Mission”.
“In day-to-day life, the reality of the Association takes on meaning within the community,” José continues, “and it is there, in the simplicity of it all, that we recognise God living amongst us, in the faces of each member of the community. And we understand that the mission only makes sense when it is embodied in what we have in common, in what we share, in what we experience together.”
“Being an Associate, then, at its core, means living with serene joy and knowing you are accompanied, walking alongside others towards a horizon that unites us and transcends us,” concludes José Alberto Salvador.
