The Chapter did not begin with us. Let it not end with us.
We seem to have arrived at a different moment in the Chapter. Fewer people have time to gather socially. The corridors and gathering places seem empty at night.  Most people are off in small groups, late into the night, putting what we hope are the finishing touches on the fruits of our five weeks of dialogue and discernment before documents go for a final writing then approval.

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Our experience as animators of the liturgy
We read in the book of Exodus that when the Israelites had crossed the Red Sea on the night of Passover, Miriam, sister of Aaron and Moses, took up a tambourine and all the women followed suit and, with their drums, began to dance and sing a song of joy to the Lord.  (Ex 15,20-21). In some ways, we have lived a similar experience in our service as animators of the liturgy in the Chapter.

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Our searching and reflection has a great deal to do with life and with relationships
Yesterday we took up again the work on the different centres of interest. I’m in the group working on “Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation with the most vulnerable people”, and yesterday nature was on our side. There was splendid sunshine in the morning, and without exaggerating, it was about 25 days since we had seen anything of the sort. Light brightens everything, and brought joy, helping us to return to the group process; we had left it in Sophie’s hands some days before, so that it could breathe, like good wine.

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A source of wonder ….
Often we hear it said that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts; I think this may be a way of speaking of the life of the chapter community here in Lima.  I sense a power, an energy that is enabling the group, that is the life of the group, but it cannot be perceived by the usual five senses.

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From the translators’ cabin
When the Chapter is assembled talking about intercultural dialogue, I have an intercultural experience lived out as “inter-mentality” in my translators’ booth. As soon as someone comes to the microphone, I begin to hear a diversity of expressions. Some begin saying, “I think…” Others say, “I believe…” And others would say, “I feel…” I wonder if we attribute the capacity to process our experiences to the head, or the heart, or to our feelings. I try to see whether the logical structure of the speaker is linear or circular (…or perhaps some other geometrical form).

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Waiting for God to speak: the risk involved in community discernment
We are spending seven days in community discernment to choose the new Superior General and suggest to her the people who could best help her in her Council. It has been a profound, disturbing, and at times, difficult and arduous experience. The suggestion was that we should take the risk and build consensus by listening to the Spirit, trusting that He would bring us little by little to what would be for the greatest good of the Society.

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