focus: “Risking our Trust…”

Sophie Maille rscj

A small group of eleven young professional people took the risk to live together for ten days, attracted by a project that was not a three-in-one package deal but a four-in-one all-inclusive proposition of going on vacation, discovering a region, prayer and artistic creativity.

The outing was first of all a vacation in Ardèche at Mas de Sablière.  Mas de Sablière is an old house, hidden away in Ardèche. Its thick walls hold its story – no ordinary story at that: here the great Saint Thérèse Couderc, Foundress of the Cenacle Sisters, was born and grew up.  Marie Delores Marco, a Cenacle sister helped us to discover this Saint – a woman who left her mark on the group.

We also had the occasion to discover the region through rambling walks in this country of chestnut trees, heather and streams – often dried up because it was the month of August.  Meeting with a potter, going to the Sablière market and visiting Joyeuse gave us a taste of the charm and the ruggedness of this region.

The theme of these 10 days, “Risking our Trust”, was the orientation for each day and of our prayer times.  Biblical texts and such figures as Moses, Ruth, the blind man… accompanied us, enabling us to question our life, our relationships, our projects…

At the end of every afternoon we took time to pray again over these texts with the help of some creative activity: a water-colour, an arrangement of wild flowers, Scripture…In our reflection, we gathered the fruit of each day and gave thanks for it.  Then we would each go our separate ways, some to the kitchen, some to the clean-up before returning for an evening get-together which once again was quite creative with singing, theatre, games...

“Risking our Trust…”

This attitude of risking and trusting became the starting point for each of these 10 days.  Some of the younger people had already participated in this kind of activity organized by the RSCJ; others happened to learn about it from surfing the net, without knowing what it might be all about.  Over the years some of these young people have become involved in the animation of evening get-togethers or spiritual reflection periods.

Trust deepened within the group through exchanges, times of sharing, prayer and the review process, or through a presentation before the group of some achievement of the day.  Through all this interaction, it seemed to me that what was at stake was:

trusting the word whether spoken freely or being received;
trusting the living Word of God as it challenged each one;
trusting oneself, for example, my ability to express something of myself through painting, clay....

“Risking our Trust…”

This attitude of risk involved in trusting was as central to the Animation Team as it was to the participants.  For my part, I very much appreciated working with the Sister of the Cenacle and two young lay people; I experienced an apprenticeship in trust as I recognized the gifts of each one and our complementary way of relating as a team with these young people… I am moved by the honesty of the exchanges – quite personal, one with the other, particularly at times other than periods of discussion or accompaniment.

Sophie Maille rscj
Province of France