13 27 APRIL 2012 MARTILLACsaintefamillebordeaux.org/.../formation_session_eng.pdfJulia MABITSO Sri...

13 – 27 APRIL 2012

MARTILLAC

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“Formation for Communion”

Translators

Síle Mc GOWAN Daniella PERSIA

Pascale IRIGOYEN M.Teresa FLORENSA

Mary SLAVEN

Secretariat Eithne HUGHES

Information

Lourdes DE LA FUENTE

PARTICIPANTS

General Council Margaret MULDOON Bernadette TAURINYA Ana Maria ALCALDE Kumudinie DASSANAYAKE Micheline KENDA Colleen MOORE Marian MURCIA Mª Carmen VILARDELL

Britain/Ireland - Maria CROWLEY

Cameroun-Chad Madonna FONSEKA Jolanta OKUPNIAREK

Canada Paulette LAMBERT

Congo Dolcita KALEMA Marie-Claire KABANGA Pauline MANZUETO

Spain Rosa García REBOLLO

India Helen A’KATTAR Sriyapushpam ANTONY Rose Mary SWAMINATHAN

Network- Latin America Daniella MUZZACHI

Zulema FRANCK Mary NARRO Geni DOS SANTOS CAMARGO

Lesotho Victoria MOTA Hyacintha MOOPISA

Martillac Adela VANACLOCHA

Pakistan Densilla JAMES Angelina SOHAN

Philippines Vivian FERNANDO Bernadette DE SILVA WIJEYERATNE

Poland Tersa OKROJ Ewa ROZYCKA

Network Lorette LAFFARGUE

Rwanda Winifreda WASALATHANTHRIGE

South Africa Shiromi FERNANDO Breda GREHAN Julia MABITSO

Sri Lanka- Colombo Jesmin FERNANDO Sanjeewani HENDALAGE

Sri Lanka- Jaffna Antoinette MANUELPILLAI Shanthi SIMON

Vicariate Shiyamala ERONIMOUS Elizabeth SEBASTIAN Teresa McELHONE

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To begin with there was much life, exchange of greetings, expressions of joy at meeting and being together in such a large and diverse assembly. Then gradually silence fell as each one became aware of the reason for her being here, of being part of a group of people who have responsibility for formation. Kumudini invited each one to introduce herself to the rest of the participants. The joy of being together was deepened by this exchange when sisters got to know one another at greater depth.

Margaret addressed the assembly and in three words described the essential characteristics of the formation that is specifically ours: “Formation for Communion”. She reminded the assembly that the whole Institute, through the messages that have come from various parts of the world, expresses union with all the participants who are here in the name of the Institute.

She reminded us that “this year we have completed 150 years of Holy Family life and presence since the death of P.B.Noailles. Like all who were gifted with the grace of foundation, he was open and responsive to the action of the Spirit within him and to the gift of the Charism that was to become a reality through his faith-filled response marked by initiative and creativity. And as he responded he was not restricted by the religious life forms that existed, he was prepared to adapt and change the way of life in keeping with the responses he felt urged by the Spirit to make within the context of his time”. Now 150 years later we are all aware of the enormous and rapid transformations that are taking place in our world. We live in the midst of these changes and we are challenged by them. All this has an impact on our life and many recognise that we are in a transition to a new way of living as human beings and hence of religious life. We take hope

from the fact that breakdown or chaos is part of the process of birthing the new and that the Spirit of God is active in this bringing to birth. Therefore in this context it is vital to be aware that we have a great need to be open to the Spirit, speaking through the signs of the times.

OPENING WORDS …

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We are called to a new way of being religious that will give a counter-cultural witness to how we as human beings can live in harmony with all of creation. We are called to a new way of formation that gives a Spirit - guided response within a new world view. Listening to the signs of the times also means listening to what the Spirit is saying to us in and through our actual experiences of life, through our questions, concerns, hope and struggles... We recognise that the future of religious life and of Holy Family life depends on our openness to change our way of formation today and also on the quality of the commitment of those we form. When our Founder speaks of the stability of the works, we need to remember that he was concerned for the apostolate and the need for sisters who would be totally given to God and capable of reaching out to those in need. There was always that two-fold movement – total gift of self to God and service to others, especially the neediest. There was never a question of living an inward, self-centred or self-seeking life, of a search for status or promotion, of being removed from the rest of humanity. (See 1851 Preface) It is said that humanity is at a crossroads and it is in this reality that we have the responsibility of formation, a responsibility that is becoming daily more challenging. The future of religious life, the impact it makes on our world, depends on the quality of the formation we give today and on the capacity of the people we accept to enter into this process. We need a complete change from the way of formation in the past – it is no longer relevant for today. However despite many efforts to move us forward, we can say that to a large extent we continue to make little changes here and there – like new patches on an old garment. Sometimes we also try to form persons for religious life on a shaky foundation. We are still not so convinced that human and Christian formation is the foundation of religious life formation... (Luke 6: 46 …) Formation invites persons into a process of transformation where the focus is on the essentials of religious life –where those who set out on the journey make a response that is rooted in a faith that inspires and motivates them to want to live vowed life in community; to have a deep attachment to Christ, reflected in and through a life of prayer/contemplation; who have a desire to “love, seek and desire God alone in all things” and who are capable of self-giving and action for mission reaching out to the needs of humanity today - women who truly want to live a coherent response to what we say we are about and our life. And if this is what we expect from those in formation we also need to question our own way of living; what impact are we making in the places where we live? Do we make a difference? Are we more inward looking than reaching out to others? Have we settled for a mediocre way of life? What is the quality of our prayer and presence in community? In our milieu? … We know we cannot just revise the past; making little changes here and there. It is true that the new grows out of the past like new shoots on an old plant but the new is new. With the eyes of faith we can see this as a time of grace, a call from God; some call it a time for a radical renewal....

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Can we hear the Spirit of God saying to us today: Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. (Is 43:18-19). The call that is being experienced in religious life today is not a question of replacing our Founders nor of photocopying what they did, but of doing today what they would do out of fidelity to the Spirit who inspired them. … In a word, refounding is returning to the “original experience” of God and of discipleship of Jesus which was present at the beginning of religious life. It means experiencing once again, not only the “doing” but also the “being” of religious life, its symbolic quality of being a sign for the Church and for the society in which we live. It means asking ourselves not, “what do religious do?” but, “what should religious be?” in today’s world. It means a return to experiencing the call to religious life as a prophetic charism of the Spirit. It means returning to the founding experience, that is, to place one’s self under the guidance of the Spirit who inspired our Founders and who led them to set out without knowing where it would take them. José Ma. Guerrero s.j. There is a radical call in religious life towards total self-giving to God and for others that urges us to a re-kindling of the fire which seems to be dimmed today and if it continues to diminish will eventually lead to the death of religious life, of Holy Family life. During this session let us listen deeply to the call and truly seek together a new way of formation for a new time. The time in which we are living and which we cannot cease loving as the only space which Providence opens to us to live fully, provokes us not to stop, not to be satisfied with what we have received, no matter how good it is. If something is lacking in formation for consecrated life, perhaps, it is this availability to walk and to look for what is new, allowing ourselves to be taken up by this search. (Fr Jose Rodriguez Carballo, ofm). To live our consecrated life for mission within the new cosmic vision is to journey along a paschal path of letting go and receiving, of death opening out to more abundant life. (Corporate Commitment).

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After this rich, thought-provoking address on the theme of formation, the group took some time to

reflect on Margaret’s words using the following question to guide their reflection:

Later the members of the groups shared the fruits of their reflection.

AN OVERVIEW OF THE SESSION

Global theme: “Formation for Communion”

Objectives:

To meet together as formators

To share experiences

To be attentive to the movements of the Spirit

To integrate new calls

To develop a common thinking around Holy Family Formation today

To decide on ways forward

This is a process

Of discernment

Of accompaniment

Training to form women for the mission of communion

To try to have quality listening – listening to ourselves and to one another in the small

groups and in the larger group. We have to take into account our differences as well as

what we hold in common

To let go of what we need to leave behind in order to move forward and take what we wish

to take forward into the future

We ended this beginning part of the session with a prayer.

Margaret was invited to light a candle as a symbol of the risen Christ among us and an expression

of our desire to walk in the light of Christ.

A sister lit the second candle symbol of our union of all those involved in formation.

What are the essential points that we need to remember as we begin the session and throughout the session?

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The day began with an explanation of the prayer of the day. Using a slide show which showed photos of young people in formation in different countries, the group got in touch with the different contexts and cultures and made this the subject of their prayer.

The aim of the day was to gather the fruits of the work that had been done in the different teams in

preparation for this session.

The group reflected on the changes that are beginning to take place as a result of the reflection

of the General Leadership Team with the International Formation Team.

Echoes from the Assembly:

In the evening the participants met in groups to share and this was followed by an assembly

The three important points in Holy Family Formation

Each group received one or more of the following texts:

The Earth and its Sacred Character

Guide us toward justice

Basic Formation: vision and aims of the Enlarged General Council 2011

Pooling and Sharing – International Bursars’ Session

Orientations for Formation in Discernment, accompaniment and Evaluation

Echoes from the assembly

Points that are deemed to be important for Holy Family Formation:

Formation that empowers us as women. Movement away from obsolete, masculine structures towards a more feminine model centred on the heart and a formation that is in tune with our charism.

We are called to be mystics, to foster contemplative silence and solitude in order to be in a closer relationship with God; thus we will be able to discern what moves us and be able to read the signs of the times.

We are called to unite ourselves to the energy of God who acts in the universe; to give ourselves completely to the mission of communion

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Deeper reflection on the Orientations for Basic Formation has created a climate of openness for accompaniment

There seems to be emerging a more adult type of relationship between accompanier and the one in formation although there is still room to grow in this sense

More importance is being given to personalised formation

The leaflet orientations for Formation helped us to grow and to change our way of accompanying, discerning and evaluating.

There is improvement in the quality of community life

We are more encouraged to promote the missionary vocation

There is greater creativity in prayer forms

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Personal transformation of those in leadership and of formators

Use the energy of young people as a starting point in their human and Christian formation

Ongoing formation from our contemplation of the Word of God and study of the social doctrine of the Church

Need for formation communities who are able to discern and choose life

Work on ourselves – our conscious and unconscious motivations, our experience of God and our images of God

Give all our energy to contemplation so as to learn to give and receive and to discern.

From our study of the texts on discernment, accompaniment and evaluation

We have been helped as teams to grow in a spirit of discernment and to deepen our

experience as a team

We have been helped to use evaluations as a means of growth

Good accompaniment has helped communities and accompaniers

New ways of experiencing God and seeing God in everyday life

Pre-novitiate stage of two years duration with an experience of remunerated work

More importance given to personalised formation

More adult relationship between accompanier and one being accompanied; more room for

people in formation to grow

From the study of the EGC document 2011 and the document from the International Bursars’

session

We have been encouraged to live a better quality of life in community, with experiences of

Intervocational, international and intercultural communities

Missionary vocations encouraged

Challenged to look at Pastoral Care for Vocations

Basic Formation in process of changing

More importance given to pooling and sharing

After listening to the sharing in the assembly the participants were invited to ask questions and

bring up concerns that they wished to highlight in the session. Colleen summed these up in 7

points:

What changes have begun in your context as a result of the study of Orientations for Basic Formation?

1. Grow in self awareness; our sexuality, social energy and how this is used in our

relationships

2. Images of God: related to our Christian formation

3. Aspects that we need to grow in

4. The gap between our ideals and the reality of the people who come for formation

5. People who come are sometimes disconnected from reality

6. How can we achieve the freedom to respond and avoid being too influenced by

outside forces ?

7. Why do we want vocations?

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After a brief exchange, some questions and concerns emerged – here are some:

With regard to young people:

Personal fulfilment; democratic lifestyle –

these are the aspirations and needs of young

people.

In order to connect with young people, what

means do we use? Do we approach them

where they are? We need to change our

outlook, share with them and learn from them,

change our language and the ways we

approach them, lean to listen to them before

presenting our agendas.

If we are in contact with youth who come

from an open, interactive culture....formation

in harmony with this new culture should help

them think, should raise questions and motivate them to seek God and meaning in their lives – we

should not be giving them pat responses.

We speak of connection, interconnection, divine energy, new kinds of relationships....but we

experience resistance in trying to integrate the new vision into our lives.

Aspects that demand growth

Overcome the contradictions in our lives. We entered Religious life to give ourselves to

God, but we also want status, authority, titles, habits....

We need to constantly clarify our motives right up to the end of our lives

The paradigm change will help us to purify our motives

As formators we need to be attentive to discernment

Images of God

Our way of feeling and experiencing God determines the way we relate to others. When our image

of God changes, so too does our way of relating to everything.

By the witness of our lives and by the way we are, we can help those whom we are forming to

discover for themselves that they need to change their image of God.

Why do we want vocations?

We need to question ourselves on our motives for doing pastoral care of vocations.

We find it hard to say “no” to people whom we know have not a vocation to the Holy

Family.

After sharing the refection, the group was invited to take a moment of silence to enter into

contact with their feelings and to listen to where the Spirit is leading them.

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The aim of today was to share our experiences with a view to understanding the situation of

Holy Family Basic Formation.

PRAYER

Soft music at the beginning of the prayer period invited the participants to get in touch with their

inner self. In the centre of the room was a container with seeds inside.

As a continuation of the Eucharist which had been celebrated earlier in the morning, the group was

invited to get in touch with feelings of gratitude for the gifts they had received, especially for the

gift of the Eucharist. The seeds contain the potential for life and pass through death in order to give

birth to new life. Each one was invited to identify three or four seeds that may have fallen in the

earth of her heart and to share these with the group.

This was prayer based on life – making our lives a prayer. It is a concrete experience of

interconnection, perhaps a new way of experiencing the fact that life and prayer are indissolubly

united.

At the beginning of the day’s work the group was offered a work tool and a dramatic presentation

consisting of gestures only. At the end of the presentation, people were asked to share what they

had seen and we all became aware that:

Our culture conditions our interpretations and how we name what we have seen.

We translate what we hold within us to the situations in which we find ourselves. We hold

judgements, interpretations, prejudices...we do not see reality as it is, but rather as we are.

We are human beings and we judge and interpret our experiences. When we realise this we will be

helped to distance ourselves from our judgements and become more objective and more free.

Three points to take into account:

This will help us to relativise our perspective which is always limited and will help us to open up to

an alternative, wider perspective. It will help us to understand what the situation is saying to us, to

be open to observe without interpreting, to put in brackets our own ways of seeing ....and all this

requires discipline.

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1. We need to distance ourselves from our prejudices, our interpretations, culture,

ways of doing things.

2. Describe what we see without interpreting it, without projecting, without

creating guilt complexes.

3. Give equal attention to all information. When we interpret, we distance

ourselves from what is.

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General observations

General changes

s

The Assembly was then shown three diagrams on the different ways of understanding formation:

1. The traditional system of formation

2. Formation: entering into a process of growth, conversion, transformation in an

open system

3. Religious Life today

Evening:

The participants divided into groups by roles:

Those engaged in pastoral work for young

people; accompaniers; novice directors....

Two points were given to guide the

reflection:

1. Observe our experience as we carry

out the different roles

2. What needs to change?

Some important aspects highlighted by the

assembly:

We are in a time of transition between the old and the new

Sometimes we project our experience of the past and our prejudices onto the people in formation

We concentrate on the young people and do not look at ourselves and our own lives

We resist telling the truth to the young people when it does not suit us

We need to rethink the candidate stage

It is noted that the sisters have a lot of fears and it is important to help them name these fears so as to be freed from them.

Cultivate a more contemplative style of prayer

Need for self knowledge and psychological healing in order to be whole integrated persons

Need to change the whole system – leaving aside the pyramid model which blocks growth in order to live co-responsibility in formation

Place more emphasis on the growth of the person rather than on stages although it is preferable to speak of the formation process rather than stages of formation

Formation does not end with final vows. All of us are called to continue the process of formation to move from basic to on-going formation.

Introduce into the formation process the story of the universe and God’s revelation in it.

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With regard to time

Observations

We need quality time for integration and contemplation, silence and solitude so that the

person has time to clarify her motivations.

In the process of formation time is important but without too much rigidity.

It is important to live in the present moment and bring that to prayer.

Changes

Give time to the person which will help her to get to know herself better and help accompanier

to get to know the one being accompanied and vice versa.

With relation to the accompaniment and persons who accompany

Observations

There is a call for the accompanier to be in touch with her feelings especially during

accompaniment; to be open, to listen with interest and understanding and to be courageous to

enter into the unknown and improve the quality of listening and discretion.

Motivate the person to see the need for accompaniment and not to see it as an imposition.

Sometimes the person in formation may feel pressured because the accompanier always takes

the initiative.

Accompaniment is important and necessary throughout the whole of life although it may be

done differently after final vows.

Be aware that if one is always giving advice or correcting the person, she may feel that she is

not being treated as an adult.

Sometimes the accompanier is resistant to accepting her role.

Accompaniment is sometimes seen as a programme rather than a seeking of God together.

Need to help the sister to make the transition from her biological family to the Family to which

God is calling her.

Changes

Accompany the person as she grows in her prayer life.

Regular accompaniment so that the person can integrate the experience of God, spirituality

and life.

Need for formation for accompaniers. Personalised formation in discernment, participation

in meetings for formators at an intercongregational level.

It is better if the same person accompanies the person in formation right up to final vows.

With regard to formation communities

Observations

There is a lack of formation communities and difficulties in forming them.

Those in formation communities should be women of prayer with experience in discernment

Create a climate of trust and freedom so that each person can be herself

Changes

Animation of the formation community before evaluation

We need to leave young people free, not protect them

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With regard to discernment

Observations

We need to guide young people to enable them to take responsibility for themselves and help

them enter into a process of discernment.

Importance of discernment and regular accompaniment so that the person can discern her

vocation.

Changes

Dedicate quality time to discernment

With regard to the Novitiate

In the Novitiate it is important to give time to the fundamentals of formation, our journey as an

Institute and the blocks in the person that may be preventing her growth.

With regard to evaluation

Observations

Sometimes we do not name what has been lived in our evaluations

On-going evaluation needed up to final vows

With regard to Pastoral care of vocations

Observations

We need to dedicate more effort to young people even though it is not easy

Make our way of life known in parishes and schools

The contact period is the time for paying attention to human and Christian formation

In some parishes, intercongregational workshops are organised to help young people in their

discernment process

We try to offer annual events to people with whom we are in contact and who establish

contact through the Internet

Changes

Set out from where young people are, sharing their concerns; be very open with them.

Present the five vocations of the Holy Family

After letting them know about the five vocations, give them sufficient time and freedom to

make choices

Visit families

The group then moved on to have an experience of accompaniment

They divided into groups of three – one observed, one was an accompanier and the third took the

role of the person being accompanied. Afterwards there was an exchange on the experience.

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Now came the time to widen horizons taking into account the new world reality and the call to

Religious Life.

Two great themes were addressed:

THE STORY OF THE UNIVERSE

FEMININE RELIGIOUS APOSTOLIC LIFE TODAY

Two sisters helped the group explore these themes.

Sister Nelly Mc Laughlin, expert in the New Universe Story

accompanied us for two and a half days.

In her introductory words she said: “during these days when we

will be touching the mystery of God’s creation, we are

surrounded by the beauty of this creation. We are in touch with

those who have gone before us and this leads us to an awareness

of who we are, to ask the questions: what is life all about, who

God is for us, where do we come from; why we are here and

where are we going....”

It is impossible to present here the entire content of these days but we transmit to you some passages which have helped us capture some of what the group experienced during these days.

Nothing is fixed or set in stone. Everything is in evolution and we participate in this evolutionary

process.

We will examine the new world vision that is emerging and how this is inviting us to change our

perceptions, attitudes and behaviours; we will examine the concrete implications this has for us - to

enable us to respond to our call and the consequences this has for the people who come to join us in

religious life..” we can only see clearly with the heart; the important things are hidden from our

eyes.”

Nelly went on to speak of what has influenced us in our lives and how this has contributed to the

formation of our way of living.

Some of the most important influences:

Newton’s physics which led us to have a static and mechanistic vision of the universe and of the

human being.

Greek culture which introduced dualisms: body/soul; good/evil; sacred/profane.....These two

visions conditioned our relationship with God, creation, interpersonal relationships, our way of

praying, liturgical rites, spirituality, theology.

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First: a global vision

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Nelly then went on to speak of:

The emerging vision of the universe

God reveals Godself in the diversity of creation...each

one of us is imbued with God’s energy; all created

beings are filled with divine energy.

“I have come that you may have life...” St Thomas

says: “God is infinite mystery and it is impossible for

God to be revealed in one aspect of creation; God has

created all beings so as to be able to reveal Godself in

the whole universe”. So we are not separated from the universe. God is present in creation; God is

immanent and transcendent. We cannot love God without loving others and without loving all of

creation. This is the unity that Jesus prayed for and for which he gave his life.

A German mystic said: “the day of my spiritual awakening came when I saw and knew that God

was in all things and all things in God”. This is the essence of spirituality.

The emerging vision of the world is like a spider’s web. Everything is connected. There are knots

like jewels which are reflected everywhere in the web. We are a reflection of one another and of

God. Everything is interconnected. We inhabit a sacred space. This is the contemplative

community of life. Each one reflects the other and reflects God. If we were truly aware of this we

would never feel lonely for we know that we are all one. This is what Jesus referred to when he

prayed: “May they all be one....”

This is a responsibility and a challenge. If I destroy or damage or eliminate, I am destroying a

manifestation of the Divine...

Our forebears saw things with their feelings; we have lost this; we tend to rely on our reason. The

challenge before us is to continue to be connected to the creative energy of God who is in each one

of us and in all things. Jesus challenged people when he came in contact with them. He tried to

introduce new values – values that overthrew the oppressive legal system of his time and it was this

that cost him his life. The challenge facing us is to oppose unjust structures making sure that we do

not neglect looking at our own structures which can also be oppressive....

At the end of the assembly she posed the following question:

What were your feelings as you considered the transition from the old world view to

the emerging world view?

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Evening

In the assembly the participants expressed their feelings of admiration, gratitude and joy on having the opportunity to reflect more deeply on the cosmic vision and the challenges it poses.

There was a new awareness of the need to move from institutional thinking to systemic thinking, to

take responsibility and to take a meaningful and active part in the process of evolution.

Nelly invited the group to take one step further....

She invited us to contemplate the story of the universe and to allow our image

of God to widen; to see our God present in the whole universe. Our God is a God of abundance, of fullness. God’s creative energy touches all aspects of our

lives, lights and shadows... God’s energy pulsates in everything and is present where we need hope and life. On entering into the story of the universe, we

realise that all is gift and we are filled with gratitude. We form part of the mystery of unity and this impacts our spirituality.

The whole universe is bound together in such a way that everything is

interconnected and interdependent – interrelated from the very beginning. We are all one. We have come from the energy that has shaped the universe; we

are the universe come to consciousness. We have come from the earth itself. Each being is created and loved by God; we are all kin to one another.

Genetically we are linked together in this mysterious web of life; we are an intrinsic part of the whole. The story of the universe is our story; it is within

each one of us and the energy of the universe is in each of us. It is waiting to

be born in us, to awaken us to new horizons. In the measure that we become more aware of all this, we will be transformed.

The more we understand and allow ourselves to be taken up by this unity, the

more able we will be to move forward together – this is the expansion of consciousness. The more open we are, the more physical, psychological and

spiritual energy we will receive. When our spirituality is integrated and committed, we will be able to have an impact on the world; our spirituality will

influence all that we do.

Before the participants dispersed to reflect personally on all that they had heard, and to share in

their groups, Nelly gave them two questions to guide their reflection:

What do I find liberating in all that we have shared?

What are the calls I hear at this moment?

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ECHOES FROM THE ASSEMBLY

This is a liberating vision

It liberates us from the hierarchical model; from the barriers placed by culture, country, religion; it

liberates us from fears, from the view that we are superior as human beings and from our superiority

complex in relation to others; it frees us from indifference and egoism in relation to other created

beings; it provides a space to grow in freedom; frees us to change our image of God.

It is freeing to accept and really own this new awareness, believe in it and share it with others. It is

freeing to be aware of our interconnection with all of creation and to move from a negative view of

others to a more positive one. This new vision frees us from over rationalisation; it frees us to live

the superabundance that God offers us; it frees us from a structured mentality and from obsolete

ways of expressing ourselves.

What calls do I hear at this time?

Calls to:

Open my heart and take responsibility for the gift that I am

Live relationships of equality instead of seeking privileges

Widen my view of the whole and accept my littleness

Make my unique contribution so that others may have life

Respect all created beings

Be co-creators with God and open ourselves up to creation

Live relationships in another way - from the perspective of interdependence

and interconnection

Live in an integrated way: everything human is sacred; there is no division

between the sacred and the profane

Combat erroneous attitudes

At the end of this full day, the group was invited to internalise all that had been experienced using a

text in keeping with the theme of the day.

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MORNING

Aim of the day: Exploration of the mission in this new context The day began by listening to a song: “The gift you are”. The participants were invited to get in touch with their inner worlds and see themselves as gifts, as energy for life. We are gifts for the community and the gifts that we receive are to be offered to the whole community of life.

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The gift you are

Imagine a month of Sundays Each Sunday a cloudy day

Imagine the moment when the sun begins to shine Imagine that you are that ray of sunshine

Remember your darkest hour

The dawn so far away Remember how you longed for the morning light

And think of yourself as a candle in the night

Believe that this is the very first day Everything completely new

Believe that the sun is your own happy star And then understand the kind of gift you are

The gift you are

Like the first breath of spring The gift you are

All the joy that love can give The gift you are

All our dreams converted into reality.

The gift you are Your gift

You are the promise of all the ages You are the prodigal daughter

You are the vision of prophets and wise women You are unique

Dream of a bright new morning

Be aware that your dream will come true Place your dream in a bright crystal jar

Then you will know the gift you are

18


The reflection of the day began in this perspective and in the awareness that we are all called by

God to a particular style of life. We made our commitment in another context different from that of

today. Now we are making our commitment with a new vision of the world. This demands a

change of attitudes and outlooks. From a theological point of view, we need to see ourselves and

the whole sacred community of life as a blessing.

In the light of what Nelly had shared with us the previous day, we addressed other themes: the

Eucharist, the Incarnation, community life. Through reflections in groups, dialogue, clarifications,

comments the participants presented new ways of looking at these themes that unite us and widen

our horizons.

Evening

The participants continued to explore themes that are of interest to all. Here are some points that were discussed that enabled all to widen their horizons:

Revelation happens at every moment. As in the universe, revelation

evolves in and through life. St Augustine says that there are two

books that reveal God to us: the book of nature and Sacred Scripture. Each one of us participates in

revelation. Our lives consist of this – to be a manifestation of the divine. We are continually

revealing God and God continually reveals the divine self through us. The energy that gives life to

all beings is a revelation of the Divine energy.

God reveals Godself in the unity of all beings. Reflection, prayer, silence and solitude help us enter

into contact with the ongoing revelation of God... it means allowing ourselves to be touched and

transformed by the real presence. If we relate that to community life, relationships of every kind

are a constant revelation of God.

On speaking of heaven the following was said:

Heaven is the place where life is lived in fullness. God

resides in the place where there is love and

communion. If we say that God is present in the

whole of creation, in all circumstances...then that

is heaven. It is heaven on earth. We human

beings tend to split; but heaven and earth are one;

life does not end; it is transformed. Heaven is a

glimpse of the presence of God. Heaven is not a

place; it is an attitude, a condition of the soul;

heaven is here, in us. Why do we delay the joy of

living in heaven?

Hell is to live in a state of separation, isolation...in the evolution of life there is no separation; it

does not exist. It is we who create hell. We think that we can live separated from others; that is an

illusion. Everything that is not union and community is impossible because God is one. No-one

can break this unity.

Revelation

19


SPEAKING OF THE VOWS.....

We need to look at the vows in a unified and positive way. If we look at the vows in a positive

way, we can be filled with energy. Vows are not only about renouncing something; they are about

choosing something.

ON SPEAKING OF THE MISSION ....

With the background of the new story of the universe we see that a good part of our mission

consists in working with everything that sustains the life of the planet, our fragile life system. Our

mission consists in living in sustainable ways. When we destroy any part of creation, we are

destroying a manifestation of the divine.

There are three principles of the universe which give form and direction to the universe and are

constantly in movement. In Christian terms we are talking about the “Reign of God”. These three

principles give direction without being prescriptive and they are:

Diversity or differentiation

Interiority or subjectivity

Communion, interdependence and interconnection

All exist in unity although in order to understand them we tend to speak of them separately.

Diversity

In the universe everything is programmed to be different from everything else; there are not two

people the same; no two trees or birds or insects the same....the universe is evolving constantly in

unity and difference; there is no repetition; we are all unique and irreplaceable...it is important to

grasp and experience this. Without difference there would be no creation nor evolution... God is in

all and brings us together in unity. Each creature is unique within its species. Diversity is a value

that we must foster, even though it may be difficult for us. Every living thing that exists has been

made in the image and likeness of God... every form of life in the planet is different but not superior

nor separated from the web of life.

Poverty is not a value; it is a condition created by some and suffered by many. Poverty

has to do with lack or need...this does not fit in with the idea of God, who is abundance.

In speaking of poverty, we need to speak about humility and poverty of spirit.

Celibacy is about seeing all of life as sacred and understanding that the creativity and

generativity of life is present in everything. We seek to be one with all that is; to be free

to see the divine in everything.

Obedience is in fact “to listen profoundly”. It is the contemplative aspect of life – to

listen to the movements of divine energy; to listen to the cry of the oppressed; to listen to

the cry of the earth. God’s will is that all be ONE.

20


Subjectivity

This is the innate potential of each being; each being has its inner beauty; each is a reflection of the

ONENESS of God; each being has innate value. In the past we have valued things for the use or

meaning that they have for us. Now we are invited to think that each being has value in itself. The

earth is a communion of subjects, each one with its interiority; the earth is not a collection of

objects. The step we have to take is to realise that when we silence any voice in nature, we are

silencing the divine voice. We need to live at a less frenetic pace in order to contemplate the depth

of each being, in the light of God. I need to acknowledge my own interiority, because when I am

able to know my own truth, I will be more able to respect other beings and so I can contribute to the

evolutionary path which is unfolding in time.

Communion

From a theoretical and practical point of view we need to grasp that we share this planet with

millions of beings; we are never alone; we belong to a whole community of life. Nothing can exist

on its own, without other beings. To exist means to be in relation. Nothing lives in isolation. It is

we who create isolation. Every being, no matter how insignificant it may be contributes to the

wellbeing of all the other creatures.

The above reflection was deep and rich and was effected through the use of slides, commentaries

from the assembly and deep listening and sharing on the part of all.

A slide show entitled “The Heart of Mother Earth” invited the participants to allow themselves to be

touched by the beauty and the suffering of the planet and to make this the theme of their prayer.

Afterwards there was a time dedicated to sharing feelings and calls that were evoked in them by

viewing the slide show.

18 Wednesday

21


The group continued to speak of this theme of our use of the earth. Nelly helped us in our reflection

on the vows using potent symbolic gestures that enabled us to envisage a different way of living the

vows today. This way can be summed up in the following five words:

Responsibility

Respect

Reduce

Repair

Recycle

All this speaks to us about:

Poverty: austerity, sustainability

Celibacy: desire for possessions or love for created beings?

Obedience: Listening to the cry of the poor or continuing to live only for ourselves?

In the light of all that had been considered in previous days, Nelly asked the group the following

question:

What gifts can the Holy Family offer to the world at this time?

Openness to the signs of the times and responding to the signs of the times International communities The five vocations in our family Unity, which invites us to live with difference and which is a challenge to the human family Communion, the heart of our charism, widening it out to include the whole cosmic

community The gift of choosing life Show by our lives that everything is sacred The contemplative life New way of relating Working in networks with other groups

There followed a purification rite and a blessing which closed this first part of the session.

The assembly expressed thanks to Nelly for sharing her experience and wisdom during the

preceding days.

Orientations for action

Limit our consummation

Work in networks with

other groups

Care for the earth -

recycling

22


Evening

The group was then asked to share on the following question:

A sincere, simple and down-to-earth sharing closed this session and filled the participants with

feelings of joy and hope.

This was a free day and most of the participants profited by a visit to Lourdes

After all you have heard, what struck you most?

19 Thursday

23


Ana Maria presented to the group Giselle Gomez, a sister of the Company of St. Teresa, whose theme was: “Feminine apostolic religious life, an alternative ethical force” Her methodology was dynamic, interactive and integrative aimed at helping the group to have a holistic view of life, the vows and formation.

To begin with Giselle invited the participants to remain in silence for a while in order to enter into

contact with their inner being, because it is very important to recognise that we live the vows at the

deepest part of our being.

Then there was a sharing of some common points:

Desire to live unity, interconnection and interrelations

New awareness that we are blessing for others and others are blessings for us

Understand in a new way our relationship with ourselves, with things, with others and with

God

Then there was a slide show on Mother Earth, followed by a brief sharing of experiences and a

renewed awareness of our belonging to Mother Earth.

After a brief moment of getting to know the group Giselle approached the theme using our

document: “Vows for Mission: Choose Life”

Different paragraphs of the document were chosen for comment on the implications of living the

vows today.

We are in a new stage of evolution and we are becoming aware of

the interdependence and interconnection among all created beings.

Everything is a process; we are journeying together; the growth and

development of one means the growth and development of all.

“Evolution of consciousness” is a challenge and we need to enter

into this process so that change may come about. When we

experience something and place that experience at the service of

others, we can change the way we understand ourselves, God, the

universe, relationships...

The principal task of this process is to cultivate a deeper awareness of our interconnection with the

universe, but this interconnection is impossible if there is not a sense of integration with oneself and

with the people with whom we live. How can we grow in this sense of interconnection as a

lifestyle? We need spaces of silence and solitude. How do we pray? We may say that we pray in

silence but is this fact? Are not our heads full of thoughts? How do we cultivate interior silence?

With inner silence we cannot enter this process. We have been brought up in a dualistic system and

we need to change this.

As the meeting continued the participants commented on various paragraphs of the document and

raised a number of questions.

20 Friday

In speaking of the second paragraph of the introduction the following comments were made:

What do we mean by

the evolution of

consciousness?

24


A brief pause followed and through a series of physical exercises, the participants got in touch with

their bodies and their feelings.

Then a text for reflection was distributed to each group and participants were asked to give their

reactions to the text, to relate it to the theme of formation and share their thoughts, first with the

group and later with the whole assembly.

Some echoes from the assembly

The participants expressed reticence with regard to the content of some of the texts and they noted some of their resistance to change.

Participants remarked how the vision they once had of the human being as “lord” of creation has influenced them and affected the way they accompanied those in formation. Often they did not share responsibility with those in formation, exercising too much control over others.

The call was heard to explore race, culture, religion, systems...and everything that

isolates and separates us from one another. There has been an increasing awareness that we are “of the earth”. Every day we

are fed by the sun, the air, water...Since our birth we belong to God since we have been created by God – the God who gives life and creates creatures with grace and beauty. The most important spiritual challenge facing us is to be co-creators. This is our prophetic moment – to know how to leave aside all that impedes us in order to give the best of ourselves. It is a challenge to live this connection with the earth and with God.

As we contemplate our reality we see that its structure is oligarchic rather than

hierarchical. We believe that we are opening up to the new and moving onwards seeking new ways of being; we have this idea clear in our heads but in reality we are still living in hierarchies. We believe that we are all subjects and not objects that can be manipulated as we wish. We hear a call to give our unique and personal contribution and this gives us great joy, hope and energy.

We religious women are called to be citizens of the places where we live. We regret

the fact that we leave things undone and we have great ideas about what we should be doing. We feel frustrated at times because we do not do what we want. We experience fear and we feel like holding back. But we need to make clear options with regard to formation. We are greatly affected by dualisms, legalism, control, masculine domination which continues to be present at different levels. We feel the call to take our power, to be daring and courageous, to have the courage to take stands and accept the consequences of our options.

25


As the work continued and in order to help with the process of reflection and sharing, a PowerPoint

was shown entitled: “Principles for the education of adults”. The text of this follows:

1. Adults learn by doing, in an interactive, dynamic and co-operative environment where the formator and the one in formation are partners in an equality of conditions.

2. In adult learning it is recognised that adults have their own wisdom and are responsible for their own learning and development.

3. Adults choose results where all are winners rather than results that lead to some being winners and others being losers. For adults, co-operation is more important than competition.

4. Adults have developed a capacity for mature relationships – relationship with themselves, with others, with the planet, with the universe. These relationships include a healthy sense of autonomy which protects them from abusive conduct of co-dependency and domination.

5. Adults are not threatened by the triumph of others nor do they measure their abilities by others’ success.

6. Adults do not allow themselves to be incapacitated by perfectionism. They are realistic and can live with results that are good enough.

7. Adults relate to others with transparency that springs from their inner integrity and truth.

8. Adults are in touch with their feelings; they are not swamped by their feelings nor do they project them onto others.

9. Adults can empower others by giving away their power and this does not leave them feeling weak or diminished. They do not need to feel powerful

10. Adults who cultivate tenderness and compassion can tolerate and respect their own vulnerability and that of others.

11. Adults consider moral values to be important. They can express their indignation at injustice and their values are lived from a spiritual dimension

12. Adults are called by their own names. They do not need to use titles to safeguard their respect

13. Adults can easily express gratitude and appreciation

How do we feel about all these affirmations? What is our personal experience?

There was a time of sharing and then participants were asked to:

Pick out one thing which I need to change in my way of living

How can I bring about this change?

26


The day began with a prayer of thanksgiving for all that had been received and some quiet time to get in touch with the reality of the new day.

The theme of the day’s work: The living of the Vows

Here are some of the ideas that emerged:

“Our way of living feminine Religious Apostolic Live today could make of our communities and Apostolic Religious Life as a whole, an alternative ethical force for the world today” In the Hebrew Scriptures, the term was little used. In some psalms, the vows are situated in the context of assembly; it is the people who make vows at times of difficulty, as they process towards the temple. It is the people who have thirst for God, for God’s justice, peace and for God’s dream. This is Jesus’ dream when he speaks of the reign of God. From this perspective, the vows do not belong solely to Religious Life. They are God’s dream and the dream of the people. They are not the exclusive property of those who make vows; they have a lay character. It is a mistake to think that what is asked of the monk is different from what is lived by lay people – the only difference is that one opts for celibacy and the other for marriage. It was at the beginning of the XIII century that vows were given official canonical status within the Church and even more so in the XIX. We religious women profess vows because we wish to be with God and with the people. Our vows have a prophetic and mystical dimension. We long for God’s presence and we long for a society that is more humane, where people can live in dignity. This presupposes a deep desire to know God in the secular context as well as in ancient cultures and wisdom.

Canon Law, when speaking of the evangelical counsels establishes two dimensions – one to do

with values and the other with the law.

CHASTITY

The value of chastity consists in “being an eschatological sign and a source of more abundant

fruitfulness in a non-divided heart” and the law states that the vow brings with it “the obligation to

observe perfect continence in celibacy”

POVERTY

The value of poverty consists in the “imitation of Christ, who being rich, made himself poor for our

sakes” and in freedom from attachment to earthly goods. The law underpinning the vow is the

requirement of “dependence and limitation in the use of goods”

OBEDIENCE

The value of obedience: obedience is an expression of faith and love in the “following of Christ

who was obedient even until death” and the law demands that there is “submission of one’s own

will to that of legitimate superiors who take the place of God when they order something that is in

accordance with the constitutions”.

21 Saturday

27


In interpreting the vows, when we place the emphasis on values and not on laws, we give back to

the vows the sense that they are a covenantal relationship with God and with the people and we

return to humanity the possibility of living these desires which are embedded in the hearts of all

human beings and as we have already said, the vows are not exclusive to religious life.

When we take vows we express our desire to be “one” with humanity, with our sisters and brothers

and we accept all the consequences of this including defending the dignity of all, working

alongside them to achieve their rights and fulfil their desires for life. This is a challenge for us, to

live the process, divest ourselves of all obstacles and to continue learning.

The group then said goodbye to Giselle and expressed their thanks for her generous and simple

sharing of her life and experience.

This second stage of the session closed with a shared prayer of blessing.

In this third and final stage of the session the group had a double objective:

The participants spent time reflecting and sharing in order to realise the objective – to come to a

common thought about formation.

During this time of personal and group reflection, participants were asked to:

Pick out 5 clear, practical and well defined points which are considered important for change

Each group was given one of the following themes to work on:

New calls on ways to live our vows for mission

New calls related to prayer, theology and ways of thinking and speaking about God

New calls related to the pastoral care of vocations and to pre-novitiate.

Are some changes beginning to take effect already in the process of basic formation? Which ones do we wish to affirm?

New calls directed to formation teams related to the Novitiate

New calls for formation communities and for the period of temporary vows.

EVENING

The evening was dedicated to the evaluation of experiences of accompaniment which have been

experienced already. Three questions guided the reflection:

In your experience of being accompanied, was it a relationship of adult to adult?

Did the experience help you to encounter God in your life?

How can this type of accompaniment facilitate growth, change, conversion, transformation?

What do you retain from the experience that can help you in your work as an accompanier?

22 Sunday

Develop common thinking around Holy Family Formation today

Decide on steps to take in the future

28


The day began with a prayer inspired by a blessing text. Before beginning, the participants were invited to unite themselves to all the sisters of the Institute, especially to the sisters of the community of Nagoda who are mourning the death of one of the sisters.

Each person was given a document containing the points that had been picked out by the different

groups the preceding day. This document with amendments will be the basis of the final document

to be produced before the end of the session.

Some time was given to read the document and to ask for clarifications on any parts of the

document that were not clear.

Three questions oriented the sharing:

What do you wish to affirm?

What would you add?

What do you wish to take out?

Then there was personal and group work.

EVENING

Before the beginning of the assembly, participants were reminded of the main aim of the session

which was to help the group move forward towards taking decisions around formation.

The different groups proposed amendments to the document in an atmosphere of respect and

dialogue. After this a second draft of the document was drawn up.

At the end of the day, there was a time of silence to integrate the experiences of the day and the

following questions were posed:

What are your feelings about what we have done together this evening?

Can you personally own this work?

Do you feel that you are an integral part of this formation task in collaboration with others?

Do you feel that we are all united in this mission?

If you do not feel an integral part of the mission of formation in the Institute, what can you

do to integrate more fully into this process?

After some time of reflection each participant shared with the person beside her.

In the evening the meeting was held to discuss the above. The meeting was open to all irrespective

of their country of provenance.

23 Monday

The group from Europe and Canada felt that their contexts were different but of

course the Charism continues to be relevant in their respective countries. This is why

they decided to have a meeting in order to define where they are and where they wish

to go in relation to formation.

29


This was a free day and some members of the group took the opportunity of visiting Bordeaux.

The day began with a prayer of praise and thanksgiving for all that had been received. In the

introduction, we were reminded of our Founder and all the members of the Holy Family who have

gone before us. The following verse from a poem was inspiring:

The participants were invited to

place themselves in imagination in

the presence of the Founder and to

listen to what he might want to say

to us about the reflection we are

making and the decisions we hope

to take.

Jasmin introduced the work saying: “We have received a great deal that has helped us and now we

have in our hands the second draft of our document”. She then invited the group to reread the

document and once again express their comments and if appropriate add further amendments.

At the end of this assembly the newly amended document was given to a small group for a

definitive editing.

24 Tuesday

25 Wednesday

I am standing on

the shoulders of those who

have gone before me

I am strengthened by

their strength; I am wiser because

of their words

I am impelled by their ardent

desire for a beautiful

luminous future

I am filled with gratitude for their

vision and for the work they

have accomplished on earth.

30


Content of the document

The document begins with an introduction which places the decisions taken within the context of

the session.

This document will be made available to all

members of the Institute in due course, since in

one way or another we are all involved in the

process of formation.

At the end of the assembly, participants divided

into their respective units.

They came together in order to look at ways of

adapting the decisions taken in the different

contexts.

Two questions were posed to launch this

reflection:

How do you intend to apply all that you

have heard in order to prepare new

members for Holy Family mission in

your context?

What is your action plan?

In reflecting on these questions, participants were encouraged to think seriously not so much on the

“what” we choose to do but on “how” we choose to do it.

Evaluation of the session

Setting out from the premise that this session has been an instrument of growth, participants were asked to get into groups and share quite simply on what the session has mean for each one and what calls and challenges have been heard.

Decisions were taken with regard to:

Thinking and speaking about God; prayer.

Vows for mission

Formation team – formators – formation communities

Pastoral care of vocations

Contact period

Pre-novitiate

Novitiate

Accompaniment of temporary professed sisters

26 Thursday

31


As preparation for prayer, participants got into their groups; each group brought a meaningful symbol which was an expression of the lights and gifts received during the past few days.

The co-ordinator of this session spoke the following:

“We are very grateful for this time that we have spent together. We have experienced the richness

of diversity and this has led us to greater unity. Let us remain always connected as each group

shares its symbol and experience.”

Some of the symbols shared....

Our symbol is an umbrella, a circular umbrella. We feel called to live circularity, to remain

connected and interconnected. Just as the handle of the umbrella is the central axis, unity is the axis

of our spirituality and supports diversity.

Another symbol is

that of transparent

water, symbol of

openness,

simplicity and the

listening that we

have enjoyed here

in our sharing with

one another.

Water, source of

life; water that is

always in motion,

renewing itself,

contributes to

growth and is

purification of

everything that

needs to give way

to newness. We

have had the

experience of

drinking from our

own source – the source that is the Holy Family. Water is found in the depths of the earth, on the

earth, in and within us.

We have chosen the spiral as our symbol because the session has deeply touched our lives. We feel

called to reflect more deeply on ourselves. The spiral is dynamic; it does not stop or rest and we

feel called to continual change and to live in an attitude of constant seeking in order to move

forward.

27 Friday

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MARGARET’S WORDS

“Today is a day for rejoicing, celebration and thanksgiving for the action of the Holy Spirit in us

and among us and in our Institute. We have had an experience of communion and unity. Through

attentive listening and open dialogue, through our diversity, we have been helped to move forward

as ONE for the sake of the whole.

This is a gift and a grace. We could say that our minds and hearts are opening up to a deeper

awareness of the need to go beyond our frontiers; to be deeply concerned and responsible for the

whole.

We have grown in awareness of our mission recognising the need to live this mission with fidelity,

today and this requires us to seek new forms in order to offer the gift we are called to give to the

world at this present time. We are hearing once again the invitation to integrate more deeply this

sense of unity so that it extends to all that we are and do and permits us to eschew all that creates

separation. I am sure that Pierre Bienvenu Noailles smiles on us and encourages us: “go forward,

let nothing hold you back”.

This time that we have spent here in Martillac is a continuation of the journey begun at the last

General Chapter. It is a journey that has been marked by several international meetings, the main

aim of which was to respond to the call we heard at the Chapter: to live our mission in a new wider

way, as expressed in the Corporate Commitment. Each international meeting has been one step

forward on the way. Our focus in all these meetings has been clear: to offer the gift of our charism,

which is our mission of communion to the world....

Having listened to the request of the sisters from Europe and Canada and South Africa, we have

nominated a small team which will undertake to awake the need to promote the gift of our charism

in those units of the Holy Family, so that new members may be attracted to live our mission with us

in our world today.”

Margaret concluded by thanking all and each one for the dedicated and responsible way that the

work was done so that the session could be carried out in an atmosphere of simplicity and joy.

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