On May 11^th the washing of the feet from John 13 was followed by a lovely power point full of foot washing and heart images. At the end of prayer we were invited to show our compassion for each other by a gesture of some kind.  The Chapter room became very animated because no one wanted to forget to offer this gesture to anyone else.

    You are not a drop in the ocean. 
    You are the entire ocean in a drop.Rumi

With this poetic thought as a starting point, one sister from each of the three subgroups of the continents of Africa, Europe and America shared the gifts that the particular cultural subgroup contributes to the congregation, the hurts they experience and what the group wants others to know and appreciate about them.  After a few moments of reflection in small groups around our desks, we shared what went on in our minds and hearts as we listened to these reports.  In general, we felt that our intercultural sharing was a memorable moment never to be forgotten in the life of the congregation.  Some of the words used to describe what we experienced were openness, transparency, authenticity, sensitivity, and respect.  This was truly a sacred and transformative experience.

Accompanied by, “What a Wonderful World” we watched as four young men, each one younger than the last, climbed up on the other’s shoulders as they mounted a steep church staircase surrounded by a cushion of supporters. This video highlighted for us the need we have for each other as we live our internationality as one body.  Again, as we sat around our desks, we considered how our internationality links us to the world and guides us as we live our charism within the kenosis of Jesus.  After sharing our thoughts in plenary, we asked ourselves if there was anything that not said or that needed development.  Our day ended by critiquing the first draft of a document on life-style.

We learned (oh! What a wonderful surprise it was) that we would be free on Sunday until 5 instead of only in the morning. Loud clapping and sounds of happiness filled the room!  At 5 we will vote for a redaction team and an election process. We will also create a volunteer liturgy team to prepare Eucharist during the election time.  Be sure to watch for the next episode of Chapter news in English on Monday!