MY COMMUNITY IS A GIFT AND BLESSING
WHICH CALLS FOR AN ACT OF
THANKSGIVING”
“Fraternal life is the foundation of a religious
community. It is a kind of martyrdom, but precisely an inner one. This ordeal
of abnegation should bring about our sanctification. Oh, the beauty of
community life! No one has explained you so well, nor has anyone tried to make
me fall in love with you as I am today! You will be my delight, the focus of my
study, my treasure.”(Mother Seraphina).
FRATERNAL LIFE- An Introduction
·
The love of Christ, through
the centuries, has gathered a great number of disciples to become one, so that,
like him, in the Spirit, they might, throughout the centuries, be able to
respond to the love of the Father, loving him "with all their hearts, with
all their soul, with all their might" (cf. Deut. 6:5) and loving their
neighbours "as themselves" (cf. Mt. 22:39).
·
Among these disciples,
those gathered together in religious communities, women and men "from
every nation, from all tribes and peoples and tongues" (Rev. 7:9), have
been and still are a particularly eloquent expression of this sublime and
boundless love.
·
Born not "of the will
of the flesh", nor from personal attraction, nor from human motives, but
"from God" (Jn. 1:13), from a divine vocation and a divine
attraction, religious communities are a living sign of the primacy of the love
of God who works wonders, and of the love for God and for one's brothers and
sisters as manifested and practised by Jesus Christ.
·
Therefore Religious
community-a gift of the Holy Spirit, is rooted in the very heart of the Holy
Trinity. For the communion of love that binds the three persons of the Triune
God is the model and source of the fraternal communion that unite the members
of a community with one another.
CONSECRATION FOR COMMUNION…
Religious life is essentially a call to live community
life. It is the essence and core of religious life. Consecrated persons are not
“called” to an individual or personal vocation. Their call is also a
“con-vocation”_ (i.e.)
-
They
are called along with others..
-
They are called to live
with others..
-
They are called to live
with whom they share their daily life…
-
They are called to live
in communion with others
Therefore
there is a convergence of “Yeses” to God which unites a number of
religious into one single community of life.
We
are - Consecrated together…
-
United in the same
“Yes”…
-
Unified by the same
Spirit…
-
To discover together
the person of Christ…
-
In and through the
Fraternity.
·
It must always be
remembered that, for religious men and women, fulfilment comes through their
communities. One who tries to live an independent life, detached from
community, has surely not taken the secure path to the perfection of his or her
own state.
·
Before being a human construction, religious community is a gift
of the Spirit. It is the love of God, poured into our hearts by the Holy
Spirit, from which religious community takes its origin and is built as a true
family gathered together in the Lord's name.
·
It is therefore impossible to understand religious community unless we
start from its being a gift from on high, from its being a mystery, from its
being rooted in the very heart of the blessed and sanctifying Trinity, who
wills it as part of the mystery of the Church, for the life of the world.
A RELIGIOUS COMMUNITY IN COMMON…… IS A GIFT AND A BLESSING…
Community life is a precious gift and a gracious
blessing, and a profound act of thanksgiving
·
As gift, it
indicates that it is something ‘given’ and not acquired or one’s own making. It
is something precious and so to be valued and appreciated for its worth.
·
As gift of God,
it also means that it is something given in love. It becomes the expression and
occasion of God’s own love. In living such a love-gift of God, we are living,
experiencing, witnessing and promoting God’s own love.
·
As gift of God,
it also implies that it calls us for deep gratitude. Living community life
becomes an act and ambience of living our gratitude to God.
·
Community life
as gift also implies that it is something profoundly positive, because no one
gives a bad gift, and all the more, our good and loving God cannot give us any
gift which is not beautiful and beneficial.
·
That community
life is a gift also means that we must cherish it lovingly and gratefully, and
preserve it carefully and diligently. We must constantly keep it safe and
intact, guarding it against all the possible stains and blemishes. We cannot
afford to get it spoiled or damaged or lose the value of it.
·
That community
life is a gift also means that it is something not to be kept simply idle or
disused. It must be lived in its fullness. It is not something which can be
treated indifferently without attention or concern. It is a ‘vibrant’ gift
which calls for action, enthusiasm and commitment.
·
As gift of love,
community life also implies that it is lived joyfully. The difficulties and the
challenges that surround community life should not take away or reduce the joy
of community life, which is its breath and essence
·
It’s a gift because
here, the power of the Holy Spirit at work in one individual passes at the same
time to all. Here not only does each enjoy his own gift, but makes it abound by
sharing it with others; and each one enjoys the fruits of other’s gift as if
they were his own.
·
As
a blessing, community life implies that it something sacred and divine. It is
not merely a human arrangement or making, for the sake of some convenience or
profit or external advantage. It is, Born not "of
the will of the flesh", nor from personal attraction, nor from human
motives, but "from God" (Jn. 1:13), from a divine vocation and a
divine attraction.
·
There
should always be this sense of sacred and holy toward community and community
life. It should be esteemed and treated with respect and reverence, with the
deep awareness of its dignity and nobility.
·
As
blessing, community life also implies that it should always carry and transmit
that aspect of divinity and holiness. Those who live community life should
feel, experience, nurture and relish the dignity of it. Those who watch those
in community life, should also be able to see and get touched by this sense of
the sacred. They should receive the blessings of such community life.
·
As
blessing, community life brings to all – those
who live it as well as those are served by it, the divine gifts of
illumination, guidance, comfort and strength.
·
As
a profound act of thanksgiving, community life becomes a constant concrete
expression of joy, satisfaction and fulfilment. It is because, no one will give
thanks to something which is not worth or which is not good and beneficial.
·
Community
life as thanksgiving also implies that the community members are deeply
positive-hearted and optimistic. Only such persons will see always the bright
side of life and its situations, can appreciate and affirm the human persons.
Thus, community life as gift, blessing and act of
thanksgiving strongly appeals to the members to make their life as well as
themselves really a gift, a blessing and an act of thanksgiving.
THE PRESENT CONTEXT OF THE COMMUNITY LIFE.
- We are truly living in a context where
individualism is on rise,
- Where intolerance and hatred are surging up on
every side,
·
Where
community life is losing its charm and credibility,
·
Where
community life is losing its positive face and appreciation,
·
Where
community life is considered a forced burden,
·
Where
community life is becoming a strained task,
·
Where
community life is drained of its essential joy,
·
Where
resentment is growing toward community life,
·
Where
community life is not enjoyed but just tolerated,
·
Where
community life is declining in its quality,
·
Where
community life seems to become shallow, a farce,
·
Where
community life is looked upon with suspicion as a hindrance or a brake on the
personal initiative and excellence,
·
Where
fidelity to community life is becoming a no-botheration,
·
Where
community-confrontations seem to be routine – phenomena
·
Where
communities become rather locus of counter-witness and negative example,
·
Where
community life is also regarded as one main reason for the departures from
vocation
·
Therefore,
the focus on community life becomes urgent and exigent.
THE REASONS “WHY” OUR COMMUNITY IS A BLESSING……
Just think of those communities (real or imaginary) and their
manner of living and functioning:
·
There are communities where consecrated men and women
are Living together under the same roof, but leaving each other aloof
·
Sharing
from the same table, but not caring to nourish each other
·
Living
together, but not loving each other
·
Coming
together, but not going together
·
Eating
together, but not treating each other
·
Expecting
together, but not respecting each other
·
Standing
together, but not understanding each other
·
Earning
together, but not learning each other,
·
Seeing
together, but not being together, not seeing each other
·
Studying
together, but not studying and remedying each other
·
Knowing
together, but not knowing each other, not growing together
·
Looking
together, but not looking at and looking into each other
·
Working
together, but not walking together, not working for each other
·
Believing
together, but not believing each other
·
Receiving
together, but not giving to each other
·
Feeling
together, but not feeling for each other
·
Dealing
together, but not healing each other
·
Driving
together, but not striving for each other
·
Celebrating
together, but not celebrating each other
·
Staying
together, but not praying together
·
Praying
together, but preying each other
·
Dying
together, but not crying for each other
·
But
I am thankful to God because our communities are not like the above.
MY COMMYNITY IS
A GIFT AND A BLESSING BECAUSE….
·
There’s
always someone among my sisters who support me when I am down,
·
There’s
always someone among my sisters who love and accept me as I am…
·
There’s
always someone among my sisters whom I can count on to, at all times…
·
There’s
always someone among my sisters who energise me when I am wearied and tired…
·
There’s
always someone among my sisters who care for me as her own…
·
There’s
always someone among my sisters who
guide me in the path of God
·
There’s
always someone among my sisters who sooth my pain
·
There’s
always someone among my sisters, who strengthens my wavering hands and
trembling limbs…
·
There’s
always someone among my sisters who makes it sure that I take my meals at
correct time…
·
There’s
always someone among my sisters who make it sure that I feel their presence
around me, not leaving me alone…
·
There’s
always someone among my sisters who make it a point to make me smile and bring
a sunshine of hope on my face, even when my days are clouded with pain and
doubts…
·
There’s
always someone among my sisters who sit beside me day in and day out, when I am
sick in the hospital or at home…
·
There’s
always someone among my sisters who care about my biological family as their
own…
·
There’s
always someone among sisters who feel my pain even when I am silent!!!!!!
·
There’s
always someone among my sisters who stand beside me to face the world ahead of
me!!!!!
·
There’s
always someone among my sisters who lift me up when fall to the ground…
·
There’s
always someone among my sisters who make it a point to teach me the things that
I don’t know even without counting the cost of their comfort and time…
·
There’re
always my sisters who pray for me in times of joy and in times of pain…
·
There’re
always my sisters, who encourages me to give my best…
·
There’re
always my sisters who provide me with my necessities…
·
There’re
always my sisters, who are ready to walk my steps…
·
There’re
always my sisters who willingly and happily carry my burdens…
·
IS
NOT OUR COMMUNITY A BLESSING DEAR SISTERS??????
·
IT’S
INDEED A BLESSING TO US..
·
It’s
a Super Natural family, where we cherish the gift of our vocation and the
vocation of our sisters.
·
It’s
indeed a place where we feel welcomed, accepted, wanted, motivated, encouraged
and understood…
·
It’s
a place where people are of one heart
and one soul; working together, joyfully living in fraternal union, in the spirit of mutual love, pardon, reconciliation,
availability and service, in close relationship with God and with the community
members.
·
It’s
a place where members are service –minded, tender-hearted, other-centered,
loyal in relationships, genuine and open…
·
It’s
a place where we learn to be gentle and humble in spirit, helping one another
to grow in holiness…
·
It’s
a place of unity in diversity, in genuine love, fraternal correction, dialogue,
cordiality, loyalty, sharing the responsibility, extending moral support to
each other, sharing each other’s joys and sorrows; being a balm to the sick and
sad…
·
It’s
indeed a place where the humanity meet the Divine.
·
We
have not toiled for it but we have received it, as a gift from God our creator.
·
Even
if we go for searching, we won’t find a better place than our present
community..
·
God
wills it for us, to be here and now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
·
It’s
a gift so rare and a blessing so dear. I am always thankful to the Lord for the
gift of my community.
·
Let’s
therefore be thankful for the gift of our community.
·
Whether
we are aware or not, we receive the blessings in and through our community and…
·
Our
IDENTITY as consecrated persons comes through our community.
CONCLUSION
Religious
Community is a God-enlightened space in
which we experience the hidden presence of the Risen Lord. This comes about
through the mutual love of all the members of the community, a love nourished
by the word and by the Eucharist, purified in the Sacrament of Reconciliation,
and sustained by prayer for unity, the special gift of the Spirit to those who
obediently listen to the Gospel.
Our communities
are “Schola Amoris," a School of Love, where we learn to love God, to love the brothers and
sisters with whom we live, and to love humanity, which is in great need of
God's mercy and of fraternal solidarity.
Our communities are a “Tabernacles of
Communion”, where we learn to accept the gift and the diversity of each
individual, to forgive each other, to be able to work together and to share.
Therefore … dear sisters,
Positively,
our Fraternal Communities implies –That our communities are built on and guided
by fraternal principles of unity, respect, benevolence, appreciation, sisterly
love, mutual concern, and support.
That
we love to live in communities because they are loving communities.
That
we nurture a deep sense of belonging to the community,
That
we enjoy the diversity caliber among us that adds beauty to the community
That
we are loyal to safeguard the dignity and image of the community,
That
we are committed to the good and happiness of the community, and
That
each of us strive to be a blessing and an asset to his own community and to
each of us.
We
are a blessing and gift to the community and community is a blessing and a gift
to each of us.
We
cherish our communities in which we live and strive to make it a dwelling place
of saints and birth place of Angels by our own little deeds of love and
dedicated life.
May
the Spirit of the Lord help us in our all endeavors.
May
the Blessed Virgin Mary be our Model.
May
our Patron Saints intercede for us to the Lord.
May
Mother Seraphina inspire us and have the joy of seeing her daughters living
with “One heart and One Soul.”
PRAYER
FOR FRATERNITY. (Let
us pray it together--- one person may read and others can repeat)
Lord
we pray for our community:
That
we may know ourselves better in our aspirations,
Understand
ourselves more in our limitations,
That
each one of us be sensitive and act in response to the needs of others.
That
our diversities may not divide us but unite us in our search for truth and wellbeing.
That
our differences may not exclude anyone from the community but lead us to search
for the richness of unity.
That
we may see each one with your eye, Lord and we may love each other with your
heart.
That
our community may not be closed up in itself, but be available, open and
sensitive to the needs of others.
That
at the end of every journey and after each encounter, Let there be not
“WINNERS”, but always “SISTERS” living in love.
Thank
you Lord, for the Gift of our Community.
Questions for
Reflection…
1. Is
my community a gift of the Spirit for me? How do I articulate it in my daily
life?
2. Do
I sustain my community and does my community sustain me?
3. What
is my contribution towards my community?
4. Count
the blessings that you have received in and through your community and let
every step you take today be a rhythm of thanksgiving to God for the gift of
your community.
