(ENG) President of VMY - Letter of July 18, 2015

VINCENTIAN MARIAN YOUTH
International Secretariat
Madrid Spain
July 18, 2015
Dear members of the Vincentian Marian Youth Association:
Evangelized, we evangelize!
This year, as the VMY throughout the world celebrates the anniversary of the first apparition of
the Blessed Mother to Saint Catherine Laboure, we are preparing to gather together for IV General
Assembly (Salamanca, July 24-28, 2015).
As we approach the opening of our Assembly, we are called to pause and discern (under the
watchful gaze of God and Mary) new paths for the Association. The theme of our Assembly is:
evangelized, we evangelize and thus we are invited to reflect on the reality that we, as young women
and men, have been called and loved and then sent forth into the world in order to proclaim Gods love
and Gods loving plan for humankind.
Therefore, in this last message that I, as President, will write to the members of the
Association, I want to tell you that I am filled with gratitude for having had the opportunity to serve
and share with all of you during these past ten years. Thank you for your friendship and your love, for
supporting me during difficult times, for your words of encouragement, for your kindness, for your
commitment for so many things that I could not possibly list them all here.
During this time I discovered that the first missionary commitment is that of prayer (Pope
Benedict). I came to understand the meaning of Saint Vincents words: give me a man or a woman of
prayer and he/she will be capable of everything. Each person will pray in a different manner. In our
spiritual life we will experience both high and low moments but the decision to persevere in this daily
encounter with God is key to finding happiness and peace. The events that we experience during our
lifetime and our encounters with the less fortunate members of society take on meaning as we spend
time in prayer. Prayer should guide and inspire our life, our relationships and our commitment on
behalf of the Kingdom.
As we remember the apparition of the Blessed Mother to Saint Catherine, I am mindful of
Marys words: Come to the foot of the altar! Returning to the foot of the altar in every situation,
during times of calmness and peace, during times of searching and concern, during times of rebellion
returning to the foot of the altar has been a source of great strength in my life. The Lord has
allowed me to pray very often at the foot of the altar at the Rue du Bac but it is at the foot of any altar
throughout the world where Christ offers us his love that we can ultimately discover meaning in life
and find the strength to take the next step in our journey through life. There, at the foot of the altar, we
can also find the love that heals and impels us forward, the courage that enables us to continue to walk
with and accompany the poor and there we can find the joy of sharing with a community of saints and
sinners. I know that we cannot always understand what happens at the foot of the altar. I also know
that we are never the same after having spent time at the foot of the altar. Therefore, I pray that each
one of us will receive the grace that will enable us to deepen our love for the Eucharist for it is
there that Mary teaches us to reflect on the movements of our heart and it is there that God acts in a
mysterious manner as we are molded and formed to become more and more like our loving God.
Evangelized, we evangelized
C/Jos Abascal, 30. 28003 Madrid. Spain Tel. +34 91 591 2164
email: presijmv@gmail.com / secinterjmv@gmail.com / delinterjmv@gmail.com
WWW: http://secretariadojmv.org
VINCENTIAN MARIAN YOUTH

International Secretariat
Madrid Spain
During this year of Consecrated Life, let us give thanks to God for all the priests and brothers
and religious women, especially for those who have been instruments of Gods grace in our life (men
and women who have accompanied us and shared in our life).
During these past five years the International Council and Secretariat have achieved many
things as a result of your collaboration. One of our great satisfactions has been confronting the
challenge of self-financing through our campaign, something more from you! As of June 30, 2015 we
were able to raise 431,465.35 the members and groups and national councils have supported this
campaign by raising 91,254.78. We also received two matching grants and only one of those grants
is reflected in these numbers. In this Year of Vincentian Collaboration I give thanks for all those
(members of the VMY and all the members of the Vincentian Family) who participated in this
common dream. During the General Assembly we will be able to share with you the final results of
our campaign and we are hopeful that many countries will take advantage of this opportunity and
bring their contribution to this gathering. As I stated in last years latter, from the time of its origin the
VMY has a history of collaborating with God and with Mary and their plan with regard to young men
and women and with regard to those who are poor.
My brothers and sisters, during these years of service, the words of Pope Benedict XVI became
real: I am consoled by the fact that the Lord is able to work and act even with inadequate instruments.
My time of service in the VMY is coming to an end and that service has been composed of fidelities
and infidelities. I know that my labor has not been in vain. I have been able to harvest what others
have sown and I have been able to plant some new seeds that other will harvest in the future. One of
my hopes was to make real Gods wonderful plan for young men and women and to do this through
the VMY mission accomplished! I am at peace and I rejoice! I will miss the VMY but the
Association will always be present in my prayers. I know that I am the person that I am because of
what I have lived and experienced in the VMY.
Each one of us will live our own adventure in the VMY some of us will take on national
and/or international responsibilities; others will actively participate on the local level. There is no
doubt about the fact that once a person has become a member of the VMY that persons life is changed
forever. I give thanks to God for having given me the opportunity to serve in this manner and I rejoice
knowing that perhaps my life has been instrumental in bringing about Marys plan. I ask for pardon
and grace from God and from each one of you. I say farewell and again I give thanks to God for this
experience and I remain united with you: we are united together! Yes, we are united on this journey
as we allow ourselves to be evangelized so that we, in turn, can evangelize others, especially the
Lords privileged ones we are engaged in a journey that does not end and therefore the journey
should not be hurried because God is calling us to holiness. May the Lord bless you today and
always!
To Jesus with Mary!
Yasmine Cajuste
International President VMY
Evangelized, we evangelized
C/Jos Abascal, 30. 28003 Madrid. Spain Tel. +34 91 591 2164
email: presijmv@gmail.com / secinterjmv@gmail.com / delinterjmv@gmail.com
WWW: http://secretariadojmv.org

(ENG) President of VMY - Letter of July 18, 2015

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