Recollect Augustinian Youth (RAY)
The Order of Augustinian Recollects has a proposal for young lay people. In the Recollect Augustinian Youths (RAY), young people live the Augustinian Recollect charism in their own youthful context.
ARY responds to the acronym of Augustinian Recollect Youth. They emerge as an expression, in the world of young people, of the style and life that Saint Augustine led and wanted his friends and followers to lead. The youth of our groups want to follow Jesus through the charism of Saint Augustine.
The ARY movement is a catholic and international youth organization, framed within the structure of the Order of Augustinian Recollects, and present in many of the countries where the religious develop their pastoral work.
The distinctive notes of the RAY are:
1. Praying
The members of RAY develop a process of continuous conversion, by which, coming out of dispersion and exteriority, they enter within themselves to find themselves in prayer with God who is waiting for them.
2. Community
The ARYs try to revive the experience of the primitive Christian community of Jerusalem, in the experiential study of the Word, fidelity in the Fraction of Bread, solidarity with the needy and the intimate communion of its members in true friendship and fraternity, according to the the charismatic experience of St. Augustine and the Recollection in total harmony and collaboration with the pastors of the Church.
3. Missionary
This dimension of the RAYs implies a total availability to the service of the Church, actively collaborating in the missions and other ministries of the whole Augustinian Recollect family.
4. Marian
The RAYs are born under the protection of the Virgin Mary, Mother of Consolation and to her the young people entrust their activities and their life.
5. Augustinian
Following the examples of the saints and religious models of the whole Augustinian Recollect family, they enrich it with their youth and dynamism and remain in tune with all its members.
Why RAY?
This movement arises from the desire of the Augustinian Recollects and the call of the Church to share their own charism with young people, to help them in this way in their response to the call that God makes to every human being.
Its purposes are:
1. The formation of its members so that they live the Christian vocation and spirituality according to their distinctive notes.
2. The experience and dissemination of the thought and values of Saint Augustine and the Recollect tradition.
3. The apostolate through the testimony of life and work for evangelization.
4. The construction of the civilization of love according to Christian values, with all kinds of means appropriate to their condition and age.
5. The promotion of people and social groups in need.
6. Collaboration in the activities of the Augustinian Recollect family.