From May 4 to 10, we prayed for Mother Earth’s Day in the Vedruna presence of La Chácara de Maringá, Brazil. We decorated the chapel and placed countries, persons, families and concrete situations in the presence of the Lord. The Gospel texts proposed by the daily Liturgy were a source of enlightenment and sharing, presenting us with the Risen Jesus desiring and promoting peace. Caring for the earth is a concrete action in favor of justice and peace.
On May 5, we gathered with neighbors at the home of a family to pray and share. We reflected on the theme: “Caring for the earth is caring for the poor”, illuminated by the text of Mt 25:35-40.
On Sunday, May 10, while families celebrated Mother’s Day, as a community of sisters together with other sisters we had a day of silence, prayer and sharing from the proposal offered by our sisters of the Peace and Integrity of Creation Commission. We thanked God and the Commission for reminding us of our commitment to Mother Earth. We closed the day sharing the lights and calls received.
From what we shared, we highlight the connection with the congregational documents, especially“Born Again“, which invites and challenges us to develop a new global and inclusive look at the reality of the world. A look that is born from the ability to recognize that we are interconnected as humanity and that social, environmental and human challenges require solidarity and community responses.
The path towards this change of outlook is pedagogical and processual, personal and collective, and urges us to stop being self-referential. The Congregation asks us to overcome frontiers, prejudices and indifferences, welcoming diversity as a richness. Inspired by Joaquina de Vedruna, we are invited to walk alongside the most vulnerable people, promoting justice, care and universal fraternity. Cultivating a new outlook means opening ourselves to personal and community transformation, strengthening hope and commitment.
It is a renewable hope, because it is born of God and is strengthened in shared life, in solidarity and in caring for the most fragile. We understand that our hope is renewed when we accept reality with courage and trust, allowing ourselves to be transformed in order to transform the world. It is an active hope that generates fraternity, commitment and new life. Like Joaquina de Vedruna, we are called to be “born again” every day, without losing confidence or the horizon towards the future.
The construction of the Common Good requires active hope and is realized through a commitment to justice, fraternity and care for life.
Inspired by Joaquina de Vedruna, we want to be “seeds of transformation”, sowing gestures of love, peace and care.
Sr. Noeli Massoni, CCV
