Every 9th of August brings its own message. This anniversary date of the passage to Life of Candida Maria de Jesus finds us, her religious family widely regarded – Daughters of Jesus and so many lay men and women companions on the way – in movement, we might say, or in the words of Francis, “going forth”…
During these months there have been many changes in the different continents where we are: new provincial governments, directors and heads, formators, new ampliflied communities, restructuring of the current ones, others being transformed and / or closed, missioning of sisters from one point to another of the universal and local geography … how much movement!
And yet, we realize that it is not change for the sake of change, but that it responds to the core of our vocation-mission. We are to go, where we are sent by a greater need, because the whole Body is composed of people and groups that need to adjust, to rearrange themselves for a better service to the mission.
It is always a source of joy to live this shared mission and to assume that the changes affect all of us who are involved in it, either because we change places and responsibility or because our environment changes.
A double reflection helps me: on a personal level, I ask myself, what does a change mean for me? How do I take it and how do I live as an active and co-responsible part of the Body? How do I exercise freedom, availability, knowing how to let go to assume another place, other sisters, another context? …
And if I go to the communal level, I feel helped when I see other sisters and lay people transmit their open joy to me, their collaboration where we are needed. Then I experience that the Body is alive, that if we re-enchant ourselves with the invitation to continue offering the gospel through education and we maintain the one single mission with multiplicity of tasks, communion at the root of the tree gives us the sap we need and so we produce branches and flowers and fruits with a great diversity that enriches us.
At this feast my desire is to go beyond appearances to the core of our being sent, to know that mediations are human and therefore limited; but they are a channel to reach the goal and are not there for us to remain in. To leave, let go, to go, to change… is costly; to start something new is to risk, a certain dose of courage … but we are gifted with liberation, depth, meaning of our life, and that is worth it!
For the “hard times” that we have to live we need to support each other, no doubt Candida Maria de Jesus includes herself in this wager and thrusts us forward always, our eyes and heart on the Lord who calls and sends us.
Thank you, companion on the way, Mother and Foundress, because you also went forth once and lived in permanent exodus! We want to follow your footsteps in today’s history, wherever we are planted, to flourish in your style, with that air of family uniquely yours that we share.
Happy August 9th!
María Luisa Berzosa fi
From Orcasur to Entrevías
