As usual, every year, the lay communities of the center (Cagua and Bella Vista) gather on December 28 to live a formative and celebratory meeting, animated by the liaison sister of the Vedruna Laity of Venezuela. This year, the meeting was held in Bella Vista.
We began the day with the reading of the Gospel of the day, referring to the Holy Family and the Holy Innocents, accompanied by a brief reflection. Against this backdrop, we were invited to identify ourselves with a character in the manger, which led to a very rich, simple and, at the same time, profound sharing. Some identified with Mary for her simplicity and her yes to God; others with the mule for her resilience and fighting spirit in spite of adversity; others with St. Joseph for his patience.
The participants then had to discover the theme of formation. To do this, small cards were distributed with the definition of each Vedruna linkage, without identifying its name, so that they could deduce it for themselves. Each one read her card aloud and, together, they suggested which linkage it corresponded to; they did not always guess correctly. At the end, the corresponding titles were given to be placed next to each definition: Lay Associates, Vedruna Friends, Vedruna Collaborators, Vedruna Sisters, Vedruna Healers, Vedruna Educators, VJV, Vedruna VolunteersVedruna Volunteers, Vedruna Sympathizers, among others.
With this introduction, we were invited to discover the central theme. After several attempts, we finally realized that it was about the charismatic family.
To develop the theme, we took as a starting point the geocentric and heliocentric models: in the first, the consecrated life is the center; in the second, the charism is the center. From this perspective, we understood that the charismatic family is a communion of diverse charisms and vocations. We also took into account what our NdN document tells us in this regard. After this conversation, we also discovered that the “innocence of this day” consisted in having believed -both the Vedruna Lay Associates as well as the sisters – that we were the only members of the Congregation (a plant with two branches), when in reality we are a leafy tree.
We are left with the desire to further explore this topic, which we will return to at another time.
We could not end the meeting without sharing the birthday girl’s cake. We also raffled some gifts and, with great joy, we ended the day.
Sr. Trina de Jesús Hernández, ccv
