On December 14 and 15, at the community house in Melo, the members of the Charismatic Family of Uruguay met with the laity of Montevideo, Noblía and Melo, and Sisters Andrea, Teresita, Viviana and Lourdes.
We began our first day of work with a warm welcome and a prayer prepared with great creativity, starting with a dramatization and a personal reflection on a prayer “Today I prayed for you”.
The Vedruna Laity groups of Melo and Noblía developed the theme “Charismatic Family”, inspired by a material of Brother Antonio Botana. As a guide, they presented very colorful posters, highlighting the most important ideas and symbols that helped us to deepen the theme, hands with meaningful words such aswalk together, encourage, spread, evangelize, with love and joy.
A fluid dialogue was established among the laity of the three communities, remembering that we belong to the Vedruna Family and to another much wider one, the Church. The need for the different communities to be built on strong bonds of communion, friendship, union and respect was emphasized, because they are the foundation of the charismatic family.
We saw the importance of our laity in the Church, and the need to get involved and put our gifts at the service of others, responding to the request of Pope Francis to unite in communion with different charisms, different religions, to enrich each other and to infect, from our faith, those who are not believers.
We deepened our understanding of the Chapter Document “Born Again” and became aware of the need to accompany young people.
We closed the day with the celebration of the Eucharist celebrated by Monsignor Pablo Jourdán, Bishop of Melo and Treinta y Tres.
Sunday’s prayer was the call and invitation to embark and get into the boat with Jesus, rowing out to sea. Afterwards, Marianela Lioret Suffia, LV coordinator of the country, shared the experience lived in Chile together with all the animation teams of the province.
The meeting was the appropriate opportunity to remember the 90 years of the presence of the Vedruna Congregation in Uruguay.
Joaquina’s joy and spirituality was felt among us at the end of the meeting with a festive sharing, where we exchanged memories, laughed, recited, dramatized and even danced, making Joaquina’s thought that “Joy is the main virtue” come true.
Thanks to the Good Jesus for allowing us to hold these motivating and enriching meetings every year!
Estela López and Carolina Lucas, LV Melo
