Buckden experience (Carta abierta)

EXPERIENCE IN BUCKDEN TOWERS

My name is Martin, and I am a Claretian student from Spain. This summer I was in Buckden for one month, since July 2^nd until August 2^nd.

I travelled from Granada with Alex, another Claretian Missionary, and when we landed in Stansted, under the rain and in a really bad hour, were there Father Chris Newman and F. Paul Smith waiting to pick up us. Since that day I thought I was at home.

When, 4 weeks later, F. Paul brought us to the airport, I knew that my first thought in England was true. I had lived this month in my house; I had met people and places that, because of our common claretian heritage, were already my family and my house before I arrived.

For me it was a great global experience, with goals, crisis, achievements and progresses. Since the first day, I tried (with my Spanish brothers Alex, Iñaki, JJ and Demuel, the last from Puerto Rico) open my mind, my ears and my eyes. As we said, “Spanish language is not allowed”. I forgot my country, my roots and I tried to born again (John 3), like I remembered during a mass in which there were many children.

Some days I felt I could not communicate myself as I would like to do, but also this was good. I needed to feel that, because usually I live (in Spain) with brothers from different countries, and they not always speak Spanish. Now I can understand better what they live, so I am happy to feel the other side of a “communication experience”.  This was important but, obviously, it was most important the real side: put my English in the battle field, discover my level, talk and improve. I´m really grateful to the Claretian brothers, to the parishioners, to the workers of Buckden Towers and, of course, to the teachers who guided us in this experience, who prayed for us, who gave us lessons, not only classes, who shared with us two of the most important things we have, the faith and the time. Isn´t it share the life? [I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly, John 10, 10.]

One more thing I consider valuable is the contact with the other Churches. Nowadays, our countries, above all in the big cities, are more and more intercultural, and one of the signs of these societies is the presence of many religious confessions. So it is necessary to know this reality (our reality), try to understand it and announce the gospel sharing the life with people from different beliefs, religions, countries, colors, status, etc. Jesus wants that we may be one, but this unity is not unity because it deletes the differences, but because the love is over the differences, the love is real in the difference.

 I give thanks to God for this month, for all my teachers and all the people who gave their hands to contribute for the mission of the Church, especially in Buckden Towers.  These weeks many names opened my heart, and I came with these names in the baggage. My spirit is a little bit more universal, as the spirit of our founder, Saint Anthony Mary Claret.  I hope to go back soon. I promise to improve more my English here in Spain!

Thank you Tom, Ita, Mary and Peter, Pat and Malcom, Ian and Gabi, Anne G., Tim and Gay, Anne A., Sue, Robert, workers, parishioners, and claretian brothers.

Martin Areta cmf
2012-09-06, in Granada, Spain