From his wounds flowed out blood and water (Jn 19:34)
(From the conference of Kathleen Conan, rscj Superior General,
to religious of the Sacred Heart, right before their final commitment, 2009)
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As individuals and as a group you have experienced woundedness, vulnerability, limitation, fragility: in your own lives, physically or emotionally, in your life stories, in your own capacities. (...) All of you have touched the pain and woundedness in our world - in your own country, in the people whose realities you came to know in your international experience, in the events which mark our global community. You know with certainty that more important than the woundedness is how we respond to it. At times we cover over, deny, resist or reject vulnerability, because we are ashamed or afraid, because it is too overwhelming or demanding. As Religious of the Sacred Heart you have responded to this fragility with the heart of Jesus.You have trusted God who says again and again, "Do not be afraid, I am with you," and you have accepted God's invitation to walk into this woundedness, allowing God to reveal it to you, letting God accompany you. You have united yourself with Jesus' wounded heart, and been open to what God wants to reveal to you there. |
Here your own experience reflects that of the recent General Chapter which says, We welcomed our vulnerability and fragility with reverence in an atmosphere of mutual listening, confidence and joy... (p. 15).
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We welcomed our vulnerability and fragility with reverence...Yes, you have come to welcome vulnerability, with a reverence that believes that fragility may be a place of revelation, a reverence that cares for and wants to nurture that which is still fragile. In an atmosphere of mutual listening and confidence... In mutual listening you have accompanied one another in times of joy and pain, weaving a sense of bonding and confidence which has let you know that you are not alone, that you are part of a larger body of sisters who are trying to live the same dream.You have listened to the woundedness of the world, asking to hear the depth and meaning of its cries.And in a relationship of mutual trust you have listened to God, asking to know what God wants to show you in this fragility. Then in the chapter document comes the word JOY.We welcomed our vulnerability and fragility ... with joy. Surely God's logic is not our logic!You too have discovered this joy: joy in being invited into quiet intimacy with Jesus as he let you know his own vulnerability and powerlessness; joy in uncovering a new part of yourself previously hidden to your eyes; joy in realizing that you do not need to be someone else before God; joy as God's hand holds your heart in gentle, healing love. |
Toña Monzón, rscj Spain
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With the Chapter delegates, you are convinced of the fact that from fragility new life emerges... (p. 24). Here, we are at the heart of our charism, the particular aspect of God's love and life which Sophie was given to know and which you too have experienced - that new life emerg es from fragility, that from Jesus' wounded heart flow life-giving blood and water.
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The blood which flows out from Jesus' side is a symbol of God's faithfulness not simply to the original covenant, to your original understanding of your vocation, but to a continuing covenant with you which has been renewed during your retreat and will be sealed anew at your profession. This covenant now engages new dimensions of yourself and new capacities for love with which you offer yourself more fully to God's project for our world. The waters of new life have been flowing plentifully in these days.You celebrate new parts of yourself which are alive and free, new colors in your life which expand who you are and how you live. You celebrate because life is indeed precious, because death is no longer death, but love poured out for the life of the world. There is in you new energy and commitment to living these waters of life with grace and generosity. |
Kathleen Conan, RSCJ
Superior General
Conference 29 January 2009
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|2009-04-09 Isabelle Lagneau, rscj - Joigny - FRANCE
Français : Merci pour cette belle page qui nous met en communion les unes avec les autres.
Castellano : Gracias por esta hermosa página que nos pone en comunión entre nosotras.
English : Thank you for this beautiful page that helps us to be in communion with each other.
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|2009-04-08 Elena Citlali Collignon Orozco - MEXICO
Castellano : Me encanta su página. Gozo sabiendo que es lo que hacen hoy como congregación, y disfruto su apartado de espiritualidad sobretodo los artículos de Dolores Aleixandre.
Yo estuve 13 años en colegio del Sagrado Corazón y trabaje 8 en la asociación de exalumnas de Mexico en la ciudad de Guadalajara.
English : I love your web page. I'm delighted to know that's what you're doing today as a congregation, and I enjoy your spirituality section, especially the articles by Dolores Aleixandre.
I was at the Sacred Heart College for 13 years, and I worked for 8 years in the Mexican Alumnae Association in the city of Guadalajara.
Français : J'apprécie beaucoup votre site. Je me réjouis de découvrir ce que vous faites aujourd'hui comme congrégation. J'apprécie particulièrement votre section Spiritualité, par-dessus tout les articles de Dolores Aleixandre.
J'ai étudié 13 ans dans un Collège du Sacré-Coeur, et ai travaillé 8 ans dans l'association des anciennes éléves du Mexique, dans la ville de Guadalajara.
English : Thank you so much for Kathleen Conan's Conference to the 2009 Probanists. For me I want to say, "It's never too late!, to thank Kathleen, our dear Sister and New Superior General for this special gift of sharing our Spirituality with the RSCJ, especially those committing themselves to the Society for life. I'm still reflecting over the Conference, it is so true of rscj (me inclusive). Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus today. The world is so "wounded and fragile», so it helps me to continue walking in the footsteps of the open Heart of God with "vulnerability and fragility" in my ministry, as a Formator in U/Kenya Prov. Love, Rose rscj
Français : Un grand merci pour la conférence de Kathleen Conan aux probanistes 2009. Je voudrais dire : « Il n’est jamais trop tard ! » pour remercier Kathleen, notre chère et nouvelle Supérieure Générale pour ce don précieux de partage de notre spiritualité avec les RSCJ, particulièrement celles qui s’engagent définitivement dans notre Société. Je suis en train de méditer la conférence, qui rejoint tellement les RSCJ (moi compris). Dévotion au Sacré-Cœur aujourd’hui. Le monde est si « blessé et fragile », cela m’aide à continuer de marcher dans le Cœur ouvert de Dieu avec « « vulnérabilité et fragilité » au cœur de mon apostolat comme formatrice dans notre province d’Ouganda-Kenya. Avec affection, Rose, rscj
Castellano : Muchas gracias por la conferencia de Kathleen Conan a las probanistas del 2009. Quisiera decir:"Nunca es demasiado tarde!",para agradecerle a Kathleen nuestra querida nueva Superiora General, por ese don de compartir nuestra espiritualidad con las RSCJ, especialmente con las que se comprometen definitivamente en nuestra Sociedad. Estoy meditando la conferencia que nos llega tanto a las RSCJ,(Comprendiéndome también a mí)La devoción al Sagrado Corazón, hoy. El mundo está tan "herido y frágil", esto me ayuda a seguir caminando en las huellas del Corazón abierto de Dios con "vulnerabilidad y fragilidad", en medio de mi apostolado como formadora en nuestra provincia de Uganda-Kenya. Con afecto, Rose rscj