GROUP 9

85 Participants: 36 nationalities, 79 congregations

THIRST FOR GOD AND SEARCH FOR MEANING

The thirst for God and search for meaning is manifested today in a fascinating experience of the living God. This encounter transforms our life, launches us towards others and brings us toward the unity of being and doing, of the personal and the communitarian. It is the Word of God which is at the centre of our life and which has the power to transform us.

We have realised that the stories shared were different and multicultural, but expressed the same search for God. However, so that He/She be understandable today, we need to express God with a new name, rooted in Tradition, interpreted in the Present, and illuminating the Future.

On the road towards the Source, we discerned the obstacles coming from our image of God, from our own attitudes and from the part of society in which we live.

We can discern the blocks within the person which impede a relationship with God and others and makes the sharing of faith impossible. To want a God of our measure who gives simple and quick answers to our demands is another obstacle. The demonising of the spiritual combat which makes us feel profoundly dissatisfied prevents our seeing this “night” as a way along which God is present.

The dialogue within the Church is often feeble and superficial.

In our communities, we can sometimes detect mediocrity, a certain settledness, a flight into activism, professionalism and a search for oneself ; an attachment to devotions and structures of the past, a community life where the focus is put more on structures and bureaucracy than on interpersonal relationships. The virtual relationships (TV, Internet) make true relationships with God and others difficult. There is a lack of silence and listening. We sometimes have the impression we are giving a counter-witness.

In society, as in ourselves and in our communities violence is present with all it brings in hatred, division and blindness.

Faced with this situation, which transformations can we bring to our structures and how ?

Consecrated life is built on three columns which are : experience of God, community life and mission. At the base of these three components is Christ our Rock. This conviction requires us to put a special attention on initial and on-going formation as well as to restructure in view of life and mission.

Starting from initial formation, we want to prepare men and women of prayer, for whom prayer remains a necessity for their whole life. We would like to see reinforced the importance of on-going formation in such a manner that the life of prayer accompanies the different stages of life.

In the initial and on-going formation, we would like to put the accent on human formation in view of bringing unity to life; to educate to a critical way of thinking and to dialogue which leads to a personal transformation ; to learn, through lectio divina, to look at the world and life with a dimension of faith ; in giving a spiritual formation, to also educate for the capacity to speak about one’s faith and to share one’s experiences of God.

We want to encourage each religious man and woman to have direction and spiritual accompaniment all along his/her life (and not only during initial formation when it is often imposed).

We want to encourage specialised formation in view of exercising various responsibilities. Another way of transformation is restructuring (of our internal structures and our works) in view of revitalising religious life. We would like communities and structures which bring us close to those to whom we are sent, which help us to give to others without falling into activism. We would thus let ourselves be transformed and formed by people.

We would like to create communities which have structures which help animation and discernment of the group, where we are used to searching together the will of God starting from an event and a reading of the signs of the time.

The double icon of this Congress, the Samaritan woman and the good Samaritan man, calls us to a transformation linked with this thirst of God and search for meaning. We are not used to utilising these texts to describe religious Life.

The disciples of Emmaus (Lk 24:13) invite us also to a transformation of our attitudes to find God where even we thought Him dead, in our moments of discouragement and doubts.

The story of Nicodemus (Jn 3 and Jn 20:39) tells us that we must be born again from water and the spirit, that we must let ourselves be transformed, at the price of “losing some feathers”! Nicodemus is born in reality when he enters with Jesus in His tomb, not any more in hiding but in front of everybody (Jn 20:39). On this road, we find encouragement in the promise of Jesus : “As the Father loved me, I loved you, remain in my love” (Jn 15:9) and “I came that they may have life and have it in abundance” (Jn 10,10) “Those who thirst, come to me and drink” (Jn 7:37).

A few convictions and lines of action.

Each of our convictions is followed by some ideas for action.

We are convinced that our experience of God should be an experience of an incarnated God, a God of life. The person of Jesus Christ is the centre of our life.

We are then called to a return to the radicality of religious life, to a preferential love for Christ, to nurse the quality of our spiritual life. This calls us also to personalise formation.

The conviction that Jesus is in our midst until the end gives us joy, hope and audacity. It invites us to liberate ourselves from obsolete structures.

The spousal experience with Christ liberates us from “false husbands” (reference to the Samaritan woman) and leads us to take care of our brothers and sisters. It invites us to open wide our communities so that they become schools of prayer and visible signs of Trinitarian love.

Our faith in God who continues to be active in our globalised world invites us to a commitment to a true dialogue, to an openness to change our way of thinking.

We have the conviction that our openness to God as religious men and women is achieved through meditative and contemplative prayer. This prayer will lead to a dialogue which makes reconciliation and unity possible.

Religious men and women are called to a total commitment to God. This invites us to create spaces and times for dialogue. Mission must define religious life from the beginning.

The poor will evangelise us and transform us. They will permit us to present ourselves before God to allow His Word to transform us starting from our own poverty.

We are convinced that God is using our poverty to continue to realise great things. This truth calls us to come out of our complexes which prevent us from seeing God in lived experiences (because we judge them as negative, for example, the drop in number of our members, etc.)

We are convinced of the importance of community life as a theological place of encounter with God and others. We are called to organise community life to allow these encounters and to be able to rely on one another in our daily lives.

May we continue to be thirsty and to seek your Face.



	GROUP 9 85 Participants: 36 nationalities, 79 congregations THIRST FOR GOD AND SEARCH FOR MEANING The thirst for God and search for meaning is manifested today in a fascinating experience of the living God. This encounter transforms our life, launches us towards others and brings us toward the unity of being and doing, of the personal and the communitarian. It is the Word of God which is at the centre of our life and which has the power to transform us. We have realised that the stories shared were different and multicultural, but expressed the same search for God. However, so that He/She be understandable today, we need to express God with a new name, rooted in Tradition, interpreted in the Present, and illuminating the Future. On the road towards the Source, we discerned the obstacles coming from our image of God, from our own attitudes and from the part of society in which we live. We can discern the blocks within the person which impede a relationship with God and others and makes the sharing of faith impossible. To want a God of our measure who gives simple and quick answers to our demands is another obstacle. The demonising of the spiritual combat which makes us feel profoundly dissatisfied prevents our seeing this “night” as a way along which God is present. The dialogue within the Church is often feeble and superficial. In our communities, we can sometimes detect mediocrity, a certain settledness, a flight into activism, professionalism and a search for oneself ; an attachment to devotions and structures of the past, a community life where the focus is put more on structures and bureaucracy than on interpersonal relationships. The virtual relationships (TV, Internet) make true relationships with God and others difficult. There is a lack of silence and listening. We sometimes have the impression we are giving a counter-witness. In society, as in ourselves and in our communities violence is present with all it brings in hatred, division and blindness. Faced with this situation, which transformations can we bring to our structures and how ? Consecrated life is built on three columns which are : experience of God, community life and mission. At the base of these three components is Christ our Rock. This conviction requires us to put a special attention on initial and on-going formation as well as to restructure in view of life and mission. Starting from initial formation, we want to prepare men and women of prayer, for whom prayer remains a necessity for their whole life. We would like to see reinforced the importance of on-going formation in such a manner that the life of prayer accompanies the different stages of life. In the initial and on-going formation, we would like to put the accent on human formation in view of bringing unity to life; to educate to a critical way of thinking and to dialogue which leads to a personal transformation ; to learn, through lectio divina, to look at the world and life with a dimension of faith ; in giving a spiritual formation, to also educate for the capacity to speak about one’s faith and to share one’s experiences of God. We want to encourage each religious man and woman to have direction and spiritual accompaniment all along his/her life (and not only during initial formation when it is often imposed). We want to encourage specialised formation in view of exercising various responsibilities. Another way of transformation is restructuring (of our internal structures and our works) in view of revitalising religious life. We would like communities and structures which bring us close to those to whom we are sent, which help us to give to others without falling into activism. We would thus let ourselves be transformed and formed by people. We would like to create communities which have structures which help animation and discernment of the group, where we are used to searching together the will of God starting from an event and a reading of the signs of the time. The double icon of this Congress, the Samaritan woman and the good Samaritan man, calls us to a transformation linked with this thirst of God and search for meaning. We are not used to utilising these texts to describe religious Life. The disciples of Emmaus (Lk 24:13) invite us also to a transformation of our attitudes to find God where even we thought Him dead, in our moments of discouragement and doubts. The story of Nicodemus (Jn 3 and Jn 20:39) tells us that we must be born again from water and the spirit, that we must let ourselves be transformed, at the price of “losing some feathers”! Nicodemus is born in reality when he enters with Jesus in His tomb, not any more in hiding but in front of everybody (Jn 20:39). On this road, we find encouragement in the promise of Jesus : “As the Father loved me, I loved you, remain in my love” (Jn 15:9) and “I came that they may have life and have it in abundance” (Jn 10,10) “Those who thirst, come to me and drink” (Jn 7:37). A few convictions and lines of action. Each of our convictions is followed by some ideas for action. We are convinced that our experience of God should be an experience of an incarnated God, a God of life. The person of Jesus Christ is the centre of our life. We are then called to a return to the radicality of religious life, to a preferential love for Christ, to nurse the quality of our spiritual life. This calls us also to personalise formation. The conviction that Jesus is in our midst until the end gives us joy, hope and audacity. It invites us to liberate ourselves from obsolete structures. The spousal experience with Christ liberates us from “false husbands” (reference to the Samaritan woman) and leads us to take care of our brothers and sisters. It invites us to open wide our communities so that they become schools of prayer and visible signs of Trinitarian love. Our faith in God who continues to be active in our globalised world invites us to a commitment to a true dialogue, to an openness to change our way of thinking. We have the conviction that our openness to God as religious men and women is achieved through meditative and contemplative prayer. This prayer will lead to a dialogue which makes reconciliation and unity possible. Religious men and women are called to a total commitment to God. This invites us to create spaces and times for dialogue. Mission must define religious life from the beginning. The poor will evangelise us and transform us. They will permit us to present ourselves before God to allow His Word to transform us starting from our own poverty. We are convinced that God is using our poverty to continue to realise great things. This truth calls us to come out of our complexes which prevent us from seeing God in lived experiences (because we judge them as negative, for example, the drop in number of our members, etc.) We are convinced of the importance of community life as a theological place of encounter with God and others. We are called to organise community life to allow these encounters and to be able to rely on one another in our daily lives. May we continue to be thirsty and to seek your Face.