Thursday Sept. 18, 2014
19/09/2014 09:26
The REMILA region planned this morning's liturgy with singing in Spanish and a Portuguese communion piece. Mother Maria Gratia, abbess of Maria Frieden played the flute after communion, enhancing the prayerful atmosphere of the assembly.
Mgr. Jose Rodriguez Carallo, secretary of CIVSVA (Secretary of the Congregation of Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic
Life) spoke on two topics: the consecrated life and the year of consecrated life. In his presentation he spoke of the consecrated life from the pessimistic, optimistic and realistic point of view claiming that he belongs on the side of the realists. He expressed the idea that consecrated life is centered on a journey to the Lord that is a love relationship both mystical and apostolic. Spirituality makes us children of God and the earth, prophets who are mystical, and witnesses who are missionaries, full of hope and joy.
He reminded us that Claire escaped through the door in her house set aside to carry out the dead. He called on us to be creative and go through the least used door, the door of the dead, leaving everything behind.
Consecrated life calls us to recover gratuity in our life, not robbed of the spirit of the gospels, seeing the world as a cloister. He challenged us to look at the past with gratitude, live the present with passion, and grasp the future with hope. The problem in the world is not disbelief but indifference. It is our job as consecrated religious to remind people that God is there. He was full of hope saying our Order is a sign for the Church by being united as a single chapter of men and women. The year of consecrated life will begin the first Sunday of Advent Nov. 29, 2014 and continue until the day of consecrated life Feb 2, 2016. Lastly he asked for our prayers because it wasn't easy to be in his position. His presentation was both challenging and inspiring. What a gift to the chapter!