WE CELEBRATE SUNDAY WITH THE MOTORCYCLISTS OF CORPS

This has been a real busy week.  At the beginning I was sure that I would have a lot of time for reporting.  I have a lot of time for participation, and by the time the clock rolls over to the time I should have to let you know what's happening, I'm dead.  The first four days of sessions have been full, full, full.  They have been marked by some very moving human and Godly actions.  The following are some observations for your reading pleasure.  Starting almost backwards, like reading the book from the back to the front, you are looking at a group of motorcyclist helmets.  September 4th was a day when the motorcyclists of the region come to the La Salette Basilica for the annual blessing of their vehicles and their helmets.  There are slightly less than 50 helmets there, all of them brought to the front of the altar in solemn offertory procession.  The priest behind the altar brought his too.  It was a rather moving sight.  what made it all the more impressive is that the bikes were parked outside in two rows to form a main aisle.  It was beautiful,made all the more beautiful by the holy water that was sprinkling them from the clouds above.  Like the presiding celebrant said, "We bikers don't fear a little rain."  The whole ceremony was very nice to observe and it was conciliating to help the bikers of all ages celebrate the blessing of who they are.

But you didn't come here for a biker story.  The International La Salette Lay Associate Community started its work on September 1, 2011.  There were some 39 participants present with still at least 4 left to appear.  Now that we are at the 4th going to the 5th, all who are to be here are accounted for.
As usual, these things begin slowly while the participants,although trusting and open to one another, have not hit their stride.  The initial moments resemble the initial meeting between cousins who meet for the first time.  You may prefer the comparison between this and meeting your son's friends for the first time.  We give people the benefit of the doubt on these occasions because we trust the ability of our first degree relative to pick people we will like before bring them home.  So, given the common relationship we all have with Mary at La Salette, it is not difficult to feel somewhat comfortable with the situation.  So it was easy to get off to a running start.

The most glaringly interesting phenomenon that exists in the event is the progress that people make in the learning of how to compensate for language barriers.  We have four major languages trying to talk to another.  English, French, Portuguese, Spanish, followed by smaller groups of people whose native tongues are Polish, German and Italian.  Fortunately we do not have to learn any Tagalog for this event.  People who were ashamed and fearful to speak at first, are now relaxed and when they have to communicate, they just throw it our there and they find out that they can, in fact, have simple conversations.  Our translators are first rate and the simultaneous translation system is very efficient.  For this reason, some rather heavy-duty learning has been imparted and received.  It remains for the receivers to prepare themselves to be on the "imparting" end of the information in a rather short time.

That's the overview.  One detail that is easy to report is that in this first week we have acquired much information about the nature of the Lay Associate communities in the La Salette locations around the world.  Listening the descriptions of the communities as they operate in their home countries provides everyone with some pride in the nature of their community as well as provide some ideas for progress for everyone.

Take it easy.  Tomorrow is threatening to be a long and tedious day.  If I can get to you I will.  I can't make any promises.