The Archdiocesan Family Life Commission launched its new logo at last week's one-day family life convention. Episcopal Vicar for Family Life, Fr Robert Llanos, said the Commission felt a change was needed so as to embrace the various ministries.

The new logo comprises an image of the Holy Family in the shape of a heart, located in the centre of a manger with one side left open to represent a door that is open to all– divorced, widowed, separated, single, religious.

Fr Robert Llanos presents the new logo for the Archdiocesan Family Life Commission

The convention, originally planned for last Saturday and Sunday, was reduced to one day for logistical reasons.

In the morning, Fr Llanos gave an introduction before the first talk, titled “Blessed are the Poor in Spirit”.

Presenters of the family life perspectives were Anthony and Lyris Piper (married couple); St Mary's College form six student Jesse Maingot (youth); Rhoda Guerra (single); and Episcopal Delegate for Youth, Sr Kathy Joseph (religious).

The same presenters also shared on “Blessed are Those Who Mourn”, the post-lunch talk.

Group sharing followed each talk. Fr Llanos celebrated Mass to close the day.

Following is a contribution from participant Freida Shim:

Saturday, December 3 marked a unique experience of the Church as the first joint Family Life Convention was held at Emmaus Centre in Arima. It had as its theme Blessed are You - a spirituality for living . 

A tear, a smile, a glorious moment of epiphany, an encounter with the Divine, a real experience of community; these are some of the ways to describe (the

impact of the words of both Fr Robert Llanos in his opening address and the team of persons who took us on a personal journey into the heart of The Beatitudes.

Fr Robert reminded us that The Beatitudes were just that - Be-attitudes; attitudes of being. It was not enough to act humbly: we need to be humble; it was not enough to minister to the poor: we need to become "poor in spirit" before the Kingdom of God can reign. 

The team continued this theme with their deeply moving and piercingly honest talk on the challenges and joys of living the Beatitudes as a couple, young person, single person and a religious in these times.

They left us with the challenge to become “poor in spirit”, to detach ourselves from the things that hold us trapped, like the rich young man of Matthew's gospel, to follow Jesus sharing our possessions, knowledge, skills with those who have none if indeed we hoped to be blessed with eternal life. 

The team continued in the afternoon with the journey, leaving us with the profound truth that it was not enough to identify our brokenness but that we needed to actively mourn this brokenness, grieve over it, if we wanted to receive the comfort of God as the Beatitudes promise those who mourn. It is only then in our experience of being comforted, that we can also reach out and heal others.

Though the group that attended this convention was not big, this did nothing to hamper the beauty and depth of the sharings we heard that day, the intimacy and joy of journeying and sharing our truths with each other -- all this culminating with a warm and vibrant celebration of the Eucharist. 

Feeling somewhat cleansed and nourished, we were left with renewed hope that through our internalising of these Beatitudes we could in turn bring light and life to a hurting world.

Thank you Family Life Commission for your great insight in bringing us all together like this. Thank you team for sharing so honestly and openly your life experiences with us. We hope this is the beginning of a unified journey forward.