Las Pinas wrapped up its 150th anniversary in style and at home. It is the end that represents, at the same time, the beginning of a new phase, coinciding with the beginning of the liturgical year. It’s the similarities that are the result of no coincidence, because everything is … What this brotherhood prepares is organized in meaning and detail, thus conveying this message to its brothers.
In the presence of the Archbishop of Seville, José Angel Saez Meneses, who presided over the seasonal mass On a day that witnessed the beginning of the Christmas lighting – which also coincided with the beginning of Advent, the time of preparation for the birth of the Lord -, The sermon began with some words dedicated to brotherhood and Advent itself. “It is rooted in the living faith of the neighborhood of San Vicente, and over a century and a half, it has cultivated devotion to the Lord of Sorrows and to Mary of Most Holy Sorrows. The light that opens Advent is the same that illuminated the brotherhood in its first stepswhen a small group of believers believed that it was possible to arise in San Vicente a serious, penitent, religious and deeply ecclesiastical brotherhood.
He continued to raise the invitation contained in the reading of the Prophet Isaiah that he announced during the Eucharist. «Let us ascend to the mountain of the Lord. This word is almost a picture, a devotional story of an institution that has been rising and growing, allowing itself to be purified and guided by God over these 150 years. If we review your history, we discover that, Since its inception, since the nineteenth century, the Fraternity has always walked towards the light of Christ, even in times of real trials.. Ascending the mountain of the Lord was not an aesthetic matter, but a spiritual matter; Fraternity rose because it knew how to rely on prayer, repentance, love, and obedience to the Church. She rose because she looked to the Lord, and the Prophet Isaiah invites you to continue growing: “Let us walk in the light of the Lord.”
Archbishop of Seville, José Ángel Saez Meneses, at the seasonal Mass in Las Piñas
On the other hand, he expressed to the brothers in Las Pinas that this anniversary does not mark the end. «This anniversary is not a final goal; “It’s a stop along the way to regain strength.” He continued by asking a question:Where will help come from? Help comes from the Lord. This phrase can be written in the spiritual history of Las Pinas since its founding. There have been moments of brilliance and difficulty, of splendor and rarity, of changes in Seville, in the Church and in society; However, your identity remained. This is because it is not supported by human forces, but by the grace of God, because the Lord was your guard: he guarded your going out and your coming in; It strengthens the faith of the brothers. This certainty should accompany you in the present and the future. Brothers are called to live with confidence, without fear, knowing that God never abandons the work of His hands.
José Angel Saez Meneses stressed that this event should serve as a profound call for renewal. «This anniversary is an exceptional occasion for the sisterhood to strengthen its inner life: the awakening of spiritual life -More prayer, more silence, more worship, more sacraments-; Awakening Christian formation – knowing the faith better, renewing enthusiasm for the Word, deepening the Church’s social doctrine -; Awaken love – and be more attentive to the poor in the neighborhood, to broken families, to lonely elderly people, to young people who have lost their way -; It awakens fraternal communion, building dialogue, respect and tolerance. “Awaken also the commitment, so that each brother may be an apostle where he lives, in his own environment.”
“As the Gospel for the first Sunday of Advent says: “Be prepared.” This complete brotherly vigilance when preparing for worship, staying awake when he accompanies the Lord in the streets, watching over his brothers, and staying awake when he lives his faith coherently. “The life of this brotherhood is a school of observation,” said the Archbishop of Seville, José Ángel Saez Meneses, who concluded the sermon by speaking about the Lord of Sorrows and the Virgin of Sorrows.The Virgin of Sorrows teaches us to wait with strength, To remain standing, embracing the cross, trusting in God’s promise when times get dark. The Lord of Sorrows teaches us not to fail, To carry the cross with love, to look at the world with mercy.
More than 150 light points Illuminate the Lord of Sorrows and the Virgin of Sorrows, Forming an authentic monument installed by one of the best priests in the city. All this for just a few hours, which reflects the love these brothers have for their images, which never cease to amaze with the sole aim of enlarging them; The desire to work and know how to do it just for themselves and to value brotherhood above all else.
The occasion was worth it: It was a holiday for them and they had to conclude their 150th anniversary in style, in accordance with the value that Las Piñas attaches to worship, the main goal for which the brotherhood was created.. Thus ends a phase that the brothers, the disciples, and all of Seville will never forget, making way for a new year that they will announce when the Lord of Sorrows moves from his chapel to the main altar of his regular sects, in preparation for the arrival of the most awaited time.