Carla Castanheira – from the last pilgrim group to the Mother House
February 27 to March 1, 2022
Of all the things one reads, sees and knows, nothing compares to the experience of going on pilgrimage to Béziers. Four days in a time of contemplation and absorption in God. This God who loves life and all its creatures and who inspired our founders with such a deep and unconditional love. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me.” (Matthew 11:28-29) These seeds that we inherited from Mère Saint Jean and Venerable Father Jean Gailhac were able to quietly ripen in our hearts during these days.
Without haste, without the hustle and bustle of daily life, without the excuses of the sun or the rain… but in a time propitious to germination, in a candid space for encounter, in the strength of the Light and of the Word, in the silence of a ripe fruit that is presented at the table of the guests of those who have nothing else to offer.
Thus, in the simplicity of the days, we could Be One, knowing that We Are One, we were hands and embraces, we gave part of ourselves, harvesting beautiful crops, like a spring in a growing dawn. This living, this feeling, this ability to be truly present, without worrying about where we are going next, was a unique privilege, because we knew we were home… Let those who think they have learned everything and absorbed everything be mistaken… my friends, I think we are still in the embryonic stage. As Venerable Father Jean Gailhac used to say, we have much to do on God’s path. Each of us needs to serve in the full infinitive of the verb: to feel, to participate, to collaborate, to pray, to love… We are all plural beings, with so many gifts, some still to be discovered, and we need to strengthen our faith, becoming faithful examples of this mission that is given to us, we need to widen our borders. And if today, we live days thinking about the borders of Ukraine, about the yellow and blue of its flag, let us also remember that the two colors together give birth to green, to hope. And hope does not grow alone, it needs to be cared for, nurtured, cultivated, among ourselves and with others. “What gives strength and solidity to a building is the cement that, from a large number of stones, forms a single block. What makes a community strong and powerful is the spirit of Our Lord, reigning in each and every member and making them one being.” (Letter from the Venerable PJG, January 1883)
In this journey, not only through the geography of the spaces and the history of a city and its peripheries, we could also dive into what would have been the life of our founders, their trust in God, their tremendous resilience, the complicated challenges they faced, the joys and restlessness they felt… We know it was not an easy path, but we fill our hearts with joy and hope as we observe the work built over the years and the countless lives transformed. How good it is to be part of this house!
And it was in this way, with a feeling of communion: in God, in work, in dedication, in service, that we felt this identity and sense of belonging. We are collaborators and we work with the conviction that what we do is important. We know that we are adding value to our actions. We believe that we are leaving a positive mark on the world and especially on our children. We feel grateful to be part of this house and to work with people and Sisters who inspire us every day. We feel that love that truly asserts itself, with all the strength of God, nothing can resist it. Let us walk together, hand in hand with the future, in union, in faith and in zeal, so that all may have life!
See you soon, Carla Castanheira Mendes
