Beginning Day
I have mentioned on this blog that for about the past year and a half I have become involved with one of the new ecclesial movements in the Church called Communion & Liberation. Now, you may be wondering “What is Communion & Liberation, or simply, CL?” I’ll allow the National Office to provide a good description:
Communion and Liberation is an ecclesial movement whose purpose is the education to Christian maturity of its adherents and collaboration in the mission of the Church in all the spheres of contemporary life.
Communion and Liberation began in Italy in 1954 when Msgr. Luigi Giussani established a Christian presence in Berchet high school in Milan with a group called Gioventù Studentesca (Student Youth), GS for short.
The current name of the movement, Communion and Liberation (CL), appeared for the first time in 1969. It synthesizes the conviction that the Christian event, lived in communion, is the foundation of the authentic liberation of man. Communion and Liberation is present today in about seventy countries throughout the world. There is no type of membership card, but only the free participation of persons. The basic instrument for the formation of adherents is weekly catechesis, called “School of Community.” The official magazine of the Movement is the international monthly, Traces – Litterae Communionis
While the weekly School of Community, which usually involves reading from one of Msgr. Giussani’s books may lead one to think of it as a theology study group, it really isn’t. The purpose of reading from the book, a very short section each week, is to provide a provocation so that we can look at our own experience to see if what was said “fits” with my life experience. It causes the members to reflect on their own life as a Christian so that we can both support, and when needed, challenge/encourage each other to live a more dynamic, authentic Christian life. To be honest, there have been weeks when my School of Community is what has gotten me through, and has helped me “stir up the flames” of my priesthood. School of Community is to help foster a community of companions on the road with and to Christ.
The first link in this post should take you to a PDF of the flyer for this year’s “Beginning Day” in NYC. This is one of the gestures of the movement for starting the new School of Community year. It is a great opportunity to learn more about CL and just meet some terrific Christian friends. The NYC Beginning Day is October 27 from 2-5 p.m. at Holy Family Church, 15 E. 47th St., NYC. Everyone is welcome.
If you are close to Philadelphia, the CL community there will have its Beginning Day on October 20 starting at 2 p.m. at the Lemon Hill picnic ground in Fairmount Park (near Boathouse Row off Kelly Drive). In addition to spiritual witnesses there will be food and games.
Unfortunately I cannot attend either Beginning Day, since I have Altar Server Training. I do, however, encourage folks to check them out.
