On the journey...

Georgina Zubiría rscj

I can imagine Madeleine Sophie having a party with the officially canonised saints and the anonymous sisters who have gone before us. The Little Society she so desired is on a beautiful journey, listening to the Spirit in the diversity of our cultures, races, languages, ages and countries. Together we have touched on the realities of our particular contexts, and we have turned together to the source of our spirituality. Our Cor Unum can be seen and heard in the Chapter, which has different ways of expressing itself, yet continues to choose the life present not only in the great things that people do, but in the little ones as well.
 
On this stage of the journey, we shared in groups selected in different ways: according to where we live, the work we do, and our age. As a result, we chose five centres of interest on which to work. This is how I see them:
 
Two of these centres touch elements essential to our lifestyle: contemplation and community life. We are in search of something more radical, deeper and more consistent!
 
Two centres touch our apostolic life: on the one hand, justice, peace and integrity of creation, and, on the other, young people, especially through our service of education of whatever kind: formal, popular or informal. We are trying to direct all our resources in favour of life where it is most threatened. The other centre speaks of the way we want to live: in communication and dialogue, making our way forward with other people, and with networks. Relationship is a seal set on the gift of our charism!
 
I think that in this journey we allowed ourselves to be surprised by the Spirit when we saw that our choice of the centres of interest was unanimous, and, at the same time, that they were so closely linked. We are not looking for uniformity, on the contrary, we welcome with gratitude the diversity that enriches us. We seek corporate communion that binds us together among ourselves and with other men and women, that humanises and strengthens our relationships and nourishes solidarity and the desire to widen the networks that we are weaving to care for, to nourish and defend life. We are also seeking personal unification and not fragmentation, defining our lives with regard to union and conformity with the Heart of Jesus and joining all those who dream of another possible world, bringing out the life-giving inspiration hidden in the ordinariness of every day.
 
To quote the 2000 Chapter: “Our lives handed over through love are the strongest expression of our spirituality”. This intuition conceals many things: faces, colours, tears, songs, joys, hopes, cries and yearnings that are now being woven together with love and passion. We bow our heads and open our hearts to welcome God’s blessing, a blessing that makes us fruitful with HIS passion for life.
 
The prayer of many people throughout the breadth of our world strengthens us and encourages us to continue the journey.