Guayaquil, Ecuador, Jun 29, 2009 / 09:09 am

After only seven years since its inception, the aid program, “Bread for my Brother,” operated by the Christian Life Movement in Guayaquil, Ecuador, has received numerous recognitions by ecclesial and private entities, and this past weekend the organization was visited by the founder of the Sodalite Family, Luis Fernando Figari.
 
Volunteers and beneficiaries of the program participated in a large event at the Christian Brothers’ School, where Figari thanked them for their “Christian generosity” and invited them to continue making Christ present through their works of charity.
 
In speaking about the cross of Jesus as the source of reconciliation and justice for all men, the founder of the Christian Life Movement particularly addressed the poor and the homeless, who benefit from the “Bread for my Brother” outreach. Figari encouraged them to discover the value of the salvific mystery of suffering.  “In praying for our daily bread,” he explained, “Christians feel motivated to make this a reality for our brothers and sisters most in need.”
 
“The human dignity of the most destitute demands respect, solidarity and human promotion,” Figari said. Mary presents the perfect example of bringing the Good News to others, he emphasized. “Jesus has given us Mary as our Mother at the foot of the cross, and the disciple to whom He spoke is each one of us Christians, who should look to Mary, pray for her intercession and always follow the example of her visit to her cousin Elizabeth, to whom she brought the Good News of Jesus, who she carried inside of her, and her authentic solidarity in caring for her material needs.”
 
In Guayaquil, “Bread for my Brother” helps thousands in need each week at four different locations, providing not only material assistance, but also the message of the Gospel and of reconciliation.
 
Luis Fernando Figari concluded the festive gathering by inviting more members of the Christian Life Movement to offer their time and effort, so that even more “people in need may benefit from this beautiful program, a clear symbol of the communion that the pilgrim Church of Guayaquil should experience.”