{"id":4701,"date":"2025-12-11T11:34:51","date_gmt":"2025-12-11T10:34:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.laysalvatorians.org\/update\/?p=4701"},"modified":"2025-12-11T11:34:51","modified_gmt":"2025-12-11T10:34:51","slug":"reflections-on-december-8-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.laysalvatorians.org\/update\/2025\/12\/11\/reflections-on-december-8-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Reflections on December 8, 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.laysalvatorians.org\/update\/2025\/12\/11\/reflections-on-december-8-2025\/#English\" >English<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.laysalvatorians.org\/update\/2025\/12\/11\/reflections-on-december-8-2025\/#Espanol\" >Espa\u00f1ol<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h4 align=\"justify\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"English\"><\/span>English<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p class=\"western\" align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\"><span lang=\"en-GB\">Some of you may already be familiar with one or two of these thoughts, as they appear in letters of greeting to some units. However, I realized that this might also be of significance and interest to other units, which is why I am writing these <\/span><span lang=\"en-GB\">following <\/span><span lang=\"en-GB\">lines.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.laysalvatorians.org\/update\/wp-content\/uploads\/signal-2025-12-09-12-04-13-427-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.laysalvatorians.org\/update\/wp-content\/uploads\/signal-2025-12-09-12-04-13-427-225x300.jpg 225w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 150px) 225px, 150px\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-4703 aligncenter\" style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\"><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"western\" align=\"justify\"><span lang=\"en-GB\" style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\">This year, many of us Lay Salvatorians were able to renew our vows together. For some, it was even the first time to take these vows and thus become Lay Salvatorians and part of the Salvatorian Family. A courageous step in times like these, when the world once more seems to be reeling because of us humans. So, the question arises again: What does it mean to be a Lay Salvatorian?<\/span><!--more--><\/p>\n<p lang=\"en-GB\" align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\">In one phrase, the ICDS statues cite this verse from the Holy Scripture:<\/span><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\">\u201e<span lang=\"en-GB\"><i>Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, but do it with gentleness and reverence, keeping your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who defame your good conduct in Christ may themselves be put to shame.\u201c (1 Pete 3,15)<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"western\" lang=\"en-GB\" align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\">This phrase describes very well how Lay Salvatorians should act. What should we learn from this? First: Do not be afraid. A sentence that we find in several places in the Holy Scriptures. Especially in the lines of the gospel from Dec. 8. when the angel meets Mary, and he uses these words. In the situation, God invites a human to follow him, we don&#8217;t need to be afraid, because we are in his loving hands.<\/span><\/p>\n<p lang=\"en-GB\" align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\">And second: Always be authentic. Something that is very important today, especially when it comes to living your faith. It is not a matter of playing some pious role, emphasizing something special, or even making oneself important. No, rather, our Catholicism should express what it really means \u2013 namely, \u201call-encompassing\u201d or \u201ctaking everything into account\u201d and excluding nothing, &#8211; and that is deeply Salvatorian. How else could we succeed in bringing God&#8217;s comprehensive love to all people and creation?<\/span><\/p>\n<p lang=\"en-GB\" align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\">Of course, we all know that this will not always work well and without complaint in every situation. Too many challenges and different situations await us every day. What distinguishes us as lay Salvatorians, however, is our professionalism as lay people. Every day, we have to stand our ground and try our best. This also means being constantly open to new things, learning new things, and discovering new things. Even if some people think that our faith is static, once there and done. The reality is quite different. It is a constant rediscovery, an up and down, and an ever-renewed search for the right answer. This is something the people of the Scripture teach us, too. The only constant is the love of God, in whom we find our home and source, and in whose hands we feel secure.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"western\" lang=\"en-GB\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\">This is especially true in these times of upheaval and unrest. What was valid yesterday is no longer valid today \u2013 and what will be valid tomorrow? The ugly face of power and greed is becoming increasingly apparent. Science and research are now only supposed to serve personal gain and no longer the common good. Fake news and alternative facts, spread via so-called \u201csocial media,\u201d are intended to mislead and dumb down the population. Furthermore, there are more and more messages full of hatred and resentment, and the question arises: can people really handle this tools?<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"western\"><span lang=\"en-GB\" style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\">Those &#8220;questions of life&#8221; we Lay Salvatorians encounter in our daily interactions with our fellow human beings becomes so even more complex and challenging. There are no simple, short answers, nor can they be found. We are called even more to filter the information and to incorporate our experiences and knowledge in order to fulfil the Salvatorian Charter, which states:<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"western\" lang=\"en-GB\" align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\">\u201c<i>Following in the footsteps of the Savior, like the apostles, we are called to live and proclaim God&#8217;s unconditional love and to continue the life-giving work of Jesus, bringing salvation to all creation and freeing it from everything that threatens the fullness of life\u201d (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15).<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"western\" lang=\"en-GB\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\">Even more, we need our own local community as a place of peace and relaxation. This local ICDS community should therefore be a \u201ctrue community.\u201d If it is not yet, we must work to make it so. This is so important because it gives us Lay Salvatorians a home for body and soul. Even if lay Salvatorians are mostly not living under one roof, there is a spiritual connection and a sense of belonging that we must always nurture when appropriate and necessary. Because the Charta calls also:<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"western\" lang=\"en-GB\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\">\u201c<i>Our personal and communal experience of salvation is the dynamic and invigorating energy for our mission.\u201d<\/i><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"western\" lang=\"en-GB\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\">So let us look forward with joy to an exciting adventure on God&#8217;s path recognizing that we need each other, beyond all the local boundaries of our existence, that our understanding and respect for one another will grow continuously.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"western\" lang=\"en-GB\" align=\"justify\"><span style=\"font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;\">May God bless us all, and always be at our side as we follow the path of Jesus.<\/span><\/p>\n<p lang=\"en-GB\" align=\"justify\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p lang=\"en-GB\" align=\"justify\"><em>Christian Patzl &#8211; President of the ICDS<\/em><\/p>\n<p lang=\"en-GB\" align=\"justify\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p lang=\"en-GB\" align=\"justify\">See here some of the celebrations as examples for other units from Colombia (Bogota, Maniziales, and Medellin) und Venezuela (San Felix, Caracas). A big thank for the pictures.<\/p>\nngg_shortcode_0_placeholder\n<p class=\"western\" lang=\"en-GB\" align=\"justify\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"wgl-title css-i3irj7\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Espanol\"><\/span>Espa\u00f1ol<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p>Es posible que algunos de ustedes ya est\u00e9n familiarizados con una o dos de estas ideas, ya que aparecen en cartas de saludo a algunas unidades. Sin embargo, me di cuenta de que esto tambi\u00e9n podr\u00eda ser significativo e interesante para otras unidades, por lo que escribo las siguientes l\u00edneas.<\/p>\n<p>Este a\u00f1o, muchos de nosotros, laicos salvatorianos, pudimos renovar nuestros votos juntos. Para algunos, era incluso la primera vez que hac\u00edan estos votos y, por lo tanto, se convert\u00edan en laicos salvatorianos y formaban parte de la Familia Salvatoriana. Un paso valiente en tiempos como estos, en los que el mundo parece tambalearse una vez m\u00e1s por culpa de los seres humanos. As\u00ed pues, vuelve a surgir la pregunta: \u00bfqu\u00e9 significa ser laico salvatoriano?<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>En una frase, los estatutos de la ICDS citan este vers\u00edculo de la Sagrada Escritura:<\/p>\n<p>\u00ab<i>Estad siempre dispuestos a dar respuesta a todo el que os pida raz\u00f3n de vuestra esperanza, pero hacedlo con mansedumbre y respetuosa mansedumbre, manteniendo limpia vuestra conciencia, para que, cuando se\u00e1is calumniados, los que difaman vuestra buena conducta en Cristo sean avergonzados\u00bb. (1 Pedro 3,15)<\/i><\/p>\n<p>Esta frase describe muy bien c\u00f3mo deben actuar los laicos salvatorianos. \u00bfQu\u00e9 debemos aprender de esto? Primero: no teng\u00e1is miedo. Una frase que encontramos en varios lugares de las Sagradas Escrituras. Especialmente en las l\u00edneas del evangelio del 8 de diciembre, cuando el \u00e1ngel se encuentra con Mar\u00eda y utiliza estas palabras. En esta situaci\u00f3n, Dios invita a un ser humano a seguirlo, no tenemos que tener miedo, porque estamos en sus manos amorosas.<\/p>\n<p>Y segundo: ser siempre aut\u00e9nticos. Algo muy importante hoy en d\u00eda, especialmente cuando se trata de vivir la fe. No se trata de desempe\u00f1ar un papel piadoso, de enfatizar algo especial o incluso de darse importancia. No, m\u00e1s bien, nuestro catolicismo debe expresar lo que realmente significa, es decir, \u00ablo que lo abarca todo\u00bb o \u00ablo que lo tiene todo en cuenta\u00bb y no excluye nada, y eso es profundamente salvatoriano. \u00bfDe qu\u00e9 otra manera podr\u00edamos lograr llevar el amor universal de Dios a todas las personas y a la creaci\u00f3n?<\/p>\n<p>Por supuesto, todos sabemos que esto no siempre funcionar\u00e1 bien y sin quejas en todas las situaciones. Cada d\u00eda nos esperan demasiados retos y situaciones diferentes. Sin embargo, lo que nos distingue como laicos salvatorianos es nuestra profesionalidad como laicos. Cada d\u00eda tenemos que mantenernos firmes y dar lo mejor de nosotros mismos. Esto tambi\u00e9n significa estar constantemente abiertos a cosas nuevas, aprender cosas nuevas y descubrir cosas nuevas. Aunque algunas personas piensen que nuestra fe es est\u00e1tica, algo que se tiene una vez y ya est\u00e1. La realidad es muy diferente. Es un redescubrimiento constante, un subir y bajar, y una b\u00fasqueda siempre renovada de la respuesta correcta. Esto es algo que tambi\u00e9n nos ense\u00f1an los personajes de las Escrituras. Lo \u00fanico constante es el amor de Dios, en quien encontramos nuestro hogar y nuestra fuente, y en cuyas manos nos sentimos seguros.<\/p>\n<p>Esto es especialmente cierto en estos tiempos de agitaci\u00f3n y malestar. Lo que era v\u00e1lido ayer ya no lo es hoy, \u00bfy qu\u00e9 ser\u00e1 v\u00e1lido ma\u00f1ana? La cara fea del poder y la codicia es cada vez m\u00e1s evidente. Se supone que la ciencia y la investigaci\u00f3n solo deben servir al beneficio personal y ya no al bien com\u00fan. Las noticias falsas y los hechos alternativos, difundidos a trav\u00e9s de las llamadas \u00abredes sociales\u00bb, tienen como objetivo enga\u00f1ar y embrutecer a la poblaci\u00f3n. Adem\u00e1s, cada vez hay m\u00e1s mensajes llenos de odio y resentimiento, y surge la pregunta: \u00bfpuede la gente realmente manejar estas herramientas?<\/p>\n<p>Esas \u00abcuestiones de la vida\u00bb con las que nos encontramos los laicos salvatorianos en nuestras interacciones diarias con nuestros semejantes se vuelven a\u00fan m\u00e1s complejas y desafiantes. No hay respuestas sencillas y breves, ni se pueden encontrar. Estamos a\u00fan m\u00e1s llamados a filtrar la informaci\u00f3n e incorporar nuestras experiencias y conocimientos para cumplir con la Carta Salvatoriana, que dice:<\/p>\n<p>\u00abSiguiendo los pasos del Salvador, como los ap\u00f3stoles, estamos llamados a vivir y proclamar el amor incondicional de Dios y a continuar la obra vivificante de Jes\u00fas, llevando la salvaci\u00f3n a toda la creaci\u00f3n y liber\u00e1ndola de todo lo que amenaza la plenitud de la vida\u00bb (Mateo 28, 19-20; Marcos 16, 15).<\/p>\n<p>M\u00e1s a\u00fan, necesitamos nuestra propia comunidad local como lugar de paz y relajaci\u00f3n. Por lo tanto, esta comunidad local de la ICDS debe ser una \u00abverdadera comunidad\u00bb. Si a\u00fan no lo es, debemos trabajar para que lo sea. Esto es muy importante porque nos da a los laicos salvatorianos un hogar para el cuerpo y el alma. Aunque la mayor\u00eda de los laicos salvatorianos no vivan bajo el mismo techo, existe una conexi\u00f3n espiritual y un sentido de pertenencia que debemos cultivar siempre que sea apropiado y necesario. Porque la Carta tambi\u00e9n dice:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>\u00ab<i>Nuestra experiencia personal y comunitaria de la salvaci\u00f3n es la energ\u00eda din\u00e1mica y vigorizante de nuestra misi\u00f3n\u00bb.<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>As\u00ed que miremos con alegr\u00eda hacia una emocionante aventura en el camino de Dios, reconociendo que nos necesitamos unos a otros, m\u00e1s all\u00e1 de todas las fronteras locales de nuestra existencia, y que nuestro entendimiento y respeto mutuos crecer\u00e1n continuamente.<\/p>\n<p>Que Dios nos bendiga a todos y est\u00e9 siempre a nuestro lado mientras seguimos el camino de Jes\u00fas.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Christian Patzl &#8211; Presidente de la ICDS<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>English Some of you may already be familiar with one or two of these thoughts, as they appear in letters of greeting to some units. However, I realized that this might also be of significance and interest to other units, &hellip;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.laysalvatorians.org\/update\/2025\/12\/11\/reflections-on-december-8-2025\/\"><span class=\"btn btn-default\">Continue Reading<span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,7],"tags":[242],"class_list":["post-4701","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-celebration","category-december-8th","tag-december-8"],"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.laysalvatorians.org\/update\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4701","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.laysalvatorians.org\/update\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.laysalvatorians.org\/update\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.laysalvatorians.org\/update\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.laysalvatorians.org\/update\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4701"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.laysalvatorians.org\/update\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4701\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4732,"href":"https:\/\/www.laysalvatorians.org\/update\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4701\/revisions\/4732"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.laysalvatorians.org\/update\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4701"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.laysalvatorians.org\/update\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4701"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.laysalvatorians.org\/update\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4701"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}