The 39 sister capitulants and the 37 brother capitulants, together with the support staff, celebrated a festive Eucharist at the beginning of the Chapters. The Superiors General, Patricia Villarroel and Alberto Toutin, encouraged everyone with their words to enter into this time of grace for the Congregation.
Patricia, in her welcome speech, suggested that the key to the two Chapters is in their mottos:
We sisters, “walking together in fidelity and hope,” are invited to continue the path of more than two centuries of silent prayer, missionary journeys and apostolic services. It is a call to strengthen communion and faithful listening to the Spirit, with the hope that we never forget that the Work is of God, and that He carries it forward.
“Enlarge the space for your tent,” the Lord tells the brothers, is an old invitation from Isaiah, in the new context of the Church today, where the tent is the space of participation, communion and missionary spirit. It is the heart that widens to welcome, for interdependence, for collaboration among everyone; revitalising the spirit of the missionary family.
For his part, Alberto Toutin, in his homily, pointed out that the Sunday readings offer us at least three places where we can listen and be attentive to what the Lord is telling us: today, the Word and tensions. He recognised that “the today of our world, of our societies and of our churches where we come from is complex. It is precisely in this today that God wants to show his closeness to us when we invoke him, seek him and listen to him; and what we see and perceive as his call and presence - when we assume this and translate it into options and decisions for us - only then will we discover its transformative power, making us much wiser, more intelligent and more just”.
Alberto reminded the capitulants that “the Word requires not only listeners but also, and above all, performers (doers). We know that the impact of a General Chapter is ultimately measured not only by the decisions we make but by the way we implement them.” He also acknowledged that “a chapter will have moments of tension, and often it will have to do with the importance we give to certain points. Jesus' attitude will help us not to hide tensions or soften them, but to visualise where the central, radical point is."
He ended the homily with this memory that connects with the Heart of Mary:
“May Mary help us recognise in the today of these 20 days of Chapter, the words of truth that the Lord will speak through our brothers and sisters. May it make our hearts docile and be seekers of what the Lord wants for the good of each one and of our Congregation, without losing ourselves in the small or in defending our own, but in perceiving that the Lord's priorities are ours and the Lord's favourites are who we want to love and serve more: the orphans, the widows, and mother earth that shelters us.”
If you want to watch this Eucharistic celebration again you can access this YouTube link, where the broadcast is available:
https://www.youtube.com/live/g7CXcHFClsM?si=eUfhAndEc5B1ntFj
09/03/2024