Sessions "Picpus 2007": July 10-12

 

 
    On Tuesday, 10^th July, we visited the sources of Religious Life led by Sr. Bernardette Delizy, of the Congregation of St. Clotilde. The morning was dedicated to the vow of chastity.

   Bernadette proposed us to look at Jesus: how he lives his relationships, what is the foundation of them and he expresses himself by his body. She proposed us to follow Jesus loving chastely through our body. She gave some concrete points, as the need to be lucid, realist and to look where our areas of blindness are.

    A work in groups took place at the beginning of the afternoon which was shared in the big assembly (resounded the cultural and age differences when living the vow). After sharing the echoes of the small groups, our speaker tackled the vow of obedience, proposing a reading of the Gospel according to John to discover how Jesus is the envoy of the Father and that he lives from Him. Next Sr. Bernadette moved to explain the Council of Jerusalem, to have the awareness about how is the process of taking decisions in the first Christian community. She gave us some key notes about obedience and proposed a new work by groups before the Eucharist that in this occasion was celebrated in linguistic groups. 

    The day finished with good news: Yayo Pérez-Cotapos sscc finally found his suitcase, which was lost at the airport.

     We began Wednesday, 11^th July, celebrating Morning Prayer around Saint Benedict. Bernard Couronne sscc explained to us the content of an icon, placed before the altar, made by Philippe Peltier sscc (French Polynesia), in which it showed Saint Benedict and the four protector saints of the Congregation: Saint John Eudes, Saint Therese of the Child Jesus, Saint Margaret Mary, Saint John Francis Regis and Saint Louis Grignon de Monfort.

    We continued deepening in the vow with Sr. Bernadette Delizy. The groups were exposing some conclusions about obedience regarding a change of mission or community, how to favour obedience in the daily life of some pieces of advice to a newly appointed superior. At the end of the morning, Bernadette tackled the vow of poverty, underlining the need of an austere, simple style of life and the fact of sharing with the poor. During the afternoon, the religious of Saint Clotilde made a review to the theology of the vows using the documents of the Church (“Perfectae Caritatis”, “Fraternal Life in community”, and“Vita Consecrata”) and she developed the way of approaching between laity and Religious Congregations. The Eucharist was presided by André Lerenard sscc, Superior Provincial of France.

    At the beginning of supper Javier Álvarez-Ossorio sscc, Superior General, arrived. He will have some interventions during the next days.  

    Thursday, 12^th July, was devoted to the Bérulle School, or French School of Spirituality, with the presentations of Sr. Christiane Bernard, of the Congregation of Charity of Saint Mary. We discovered the historical, geographical, religious and political context in which this movement was born. We approached the initiators of the school: Pierre de Bérulle, Jean Jacques Olier, Charles de Condren, Jean Eudes and Vincent de Paul. In groups we worked some texts of these authors of the French School. Sr. Christiane developed some accents of the berulian spirituality: a close relationship with God, incarnation and life of prayer, connection between Eucharist and Incarnation, the vow of “slavery” to Christ, etc…

    Bernard, as his contribution, established some relationships between the School of Bérulle and the experience of our Founders. We end the day with the celebration of the Eucharist by linguistic groups.