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Continuing the Mission
A new month has arrived with the Easter season ending and returning us to Ordinary Time. This stretch is the longest of our liturgical year. However, this time should not be "ordinary", but a time of perseverance in our mission. We had an opportunity to witness a wedding this past weekend and see the love and joy that the bride and groom shared. Now, like a bride and groom beginning that day to day living after returning from their honeymoon, we, too, begin this season of Ordinary Time with the day to day call of discipleship, which at it's root is "discipline." This is the time we put in the day to day work - showing up to pray each day personally and with our spouse and family, executing a monthly sit down, reading scripture daily, following our rule of life, and participating in the annual retreat. Do these sound familiar? We are praying for you as you continue the mission of your sacrament with discipline!
The Team Meeting
We all know the Endeavors are the heart of the Teams of Our Lady Movement and (when we are disciplined) where personal growth occurs through the Holy Spirit. The team meeting is the core place where we receive (and give) support from (and for) one another and are challenged to grow in love for God and each other. The team meeting is also the place of unity across the world. Of course, there are cultural nuances and small differences, but the core of the team meeting is the same in the USA, Italy, France, Africa, Lebanon, Ireland, Brazil, Mexico, etc. When attending an International Gathering, all have the opportunity to participate in mixed teams that follow the same core team meeting format.
Over the next 4 months, we will highlight the various parts of the meeting and challenge you as a team member to stay true to the pedagogy set out by Venerable Fr. Henri Caffarel for the Movement. Let's begin with the simple meal together.
A Simple Meal...
The meal is not meant to be a source of stress for the host couple. It should be simple and the responsibility shared amongst the team members. Each should contribute something to the meal to share. This is a beautiful model of how the early Christians shared what they had with each other. When we pilot a new team, we encourage a simple meal. Table settings do not need to be elaborate. The food just needs to sustain and comfort us. We are not gathered for the food; we are gathered to be in communion with one another and Christ. It is important to be gathered around a common table where you can see and hear each member of your team.
Also, we personally enjoy having a glass of wine at our meal, however, this can be a difficult situation if you have any member who may struggle with addiction. Always respond with love and compassion if you have a team member(s) struggling with this issue. Maybe a glass of iced tea or lemonade is the refreshment your team needs!
...with Highs and Lows
Highs and Lows (sometimes referred to as "sharing" or the "whip around") is intended to be done at the meal table. Be disciplined! Try to be concise and share one high and one low since your last meeting. Share enough information for everyone to connect but don't get too bogged down in the specific details. The most important discipline of this time is active listening. Do not pass food, do not leave for the restroom, and do not interrupt. Each member gets the opportunity to share while all others actively listen to what they have to say.
This video, shown at the 2024 International Gathering in Turin, beautifully illustrates the highs and lows during the meal.
The simple meal with highs and lows should last about 1 hour. If your team has not met in awhile, this time may run longer. This is one reason it is important to be consistent with meeting dates when possible. If it has been 6+ weeks since your team last met, the sharing of highs and lows usually runs long as everyone has much information to share. Be disciplined and respectful of everyone's time.
Points to Ponder...
- Does our meal time take too long at each meeting?
- How do we show our attention and respect to each member as we eat?
- Do we only pass food during pauses in sharing? If not, why not?
- Is the meal about the people or the pomp and circumstance?
"History of Salvation, History of a People, of a Family"
We have received the new Study Topic for 2026-27 from the International Leading Team (ERI). We are in the final stages of translation and proofreading and it will be sent to the printer this month. The following is the letter we received from the ERI with the new study topic.
"Dear all, we are sending you the study topic proposed for the ERI for the upcoming 2026-27. We invite you to read the presentation where the deep meaning of this topic is explained: "History of salvation, history of a people, of a family" which follows the orientation for the third year: "Called to live in communion as a family" based on the families of the Sacred Scriptures. The topic has been prepared by a team from SR Spain with the supervision of the ERI, and therefore the original text is written in Spanish. 'May this journey help us renew our faith, strengthen our communion, and allow ourselves to be transformed by the One who continues to write, today, His salvation history in the heart of our families.'"
Once again, we have a pre-order form available if you desire printed copies of the study topic for your team. Our request is that you pre-order for your entire team or several teams in order to reduce shipping costs. We do not want to individually ship a book to a single couple. The books will be printed and shipped in August. We will only print the quantity of books requested through pre-order. Books will be printed in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. Click Here to place your pre-order now. The books will also be available on the website to download the electronic version for your use in all three languages.
Have You Registered?
We are striving for all active members in Teams to register with the Member Portal on the website. Have you registered? If not, please search your inbox for a personalized email sent to you on 06/01/2026 with your own unique registration link. (If you did NOT receive the email, that should mean you are already registered.) This Member Portal is for members only and contains many valuable resources for your use. We would like at least one person from each household to register to access this information.
Our goal for 2026 is to achieve total registrations of 4,116 (2,026 more than we had on Jan 1). As of today, we have 2,931 registered, which is 142 more since last month and 1,185 from our goal! Please help us reach this goal and spread the word to your local teams about the importance of registering. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact technology@teamsofourlady.org
Have You Contributed?
Another goal of 2026, is to increase the percentage of contributions to the Movement in the USA Super Region. For the past several years, 23-24% of the total households have financially contributed. For 2026, our participation goal is 46%. In Teams, we are builders of one another's faith life with mutual aid, encouragement, and witness. One of our membership responsibilities is contributing annually to the Movement. Although the Movement suggest one day's wage, we are not concerned with the dollar amount, only that as many participate in some way as possible. As of today, 8.93% of active member households have made a contribution for 2026 (up from 4.46% just last month!). This equates to 377 or our 4,223 active member households have contributed. We, as a Movement, must be disciplined about building.
A movement declines toward death when its members stop thinking like builders and start thinking like tenants!" - Fr. Henri Caffarel
2026 USA-SR National Mixed Teams Night
Mark your calendars! The 5th annual USA Super Region National Mixed Teams Night is scheduled for Saturday, August 22, 2026. The registration form is open. We look forward to spending an evening with Teams couples from all around the United States as well as Trinidad & Tobago. We will offer mixed teams in English, Spanish, and Portuguese depending on demand. Register today and plan to join us! Scan the QR code or click the image to register.
June 2026 Prayer Service
Please find the June Prayer Service prepared by Fr. Eli Lopez, USA-SR Spiritual Counselor, reflecting on the Franciscan Jubilee Year.
We are praying for all of you! Our Lady, Queen of Teams, pray for us! Venerable Henri Caffarel, intercede for us!
Peace, Greg & Melanie
