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Session on Ongoing Formation - P 5 |
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Written by Administrator
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Monday, 15 September 2008 |
Rome, August 18 to September 6, 2008
Penitential Act
At the end of the first week dedicated to rereading our lives in the presence of God and in the company of Saint Augustine, the participants in the International Session of Ongoing Formation in Rome reflected for a week on the apostolic community from five different points-of-view: 1) welcoming, sharing, and proclaiming the Word; 2) brotherhood, charity, friendship; 3) living the evangelical counsels; 4) apostolic sharing; 5) forgiveness and reconciliation.
This last theme naturally paved the way for an act of penance and
reconciliation. It began on Friday the 29th in the afternoon in the
choir of the Church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin by a brief opening
celebration. The group then began walking meditatively toward the
Basilica of Saint Cecilia, then toward that of Santa Maria in
Trastevere, where a penitential service gave us the occasion to present
to the mercy of God our personal and community failings regarding the
building up and the mission of our apostolic communities.
The host Church for this celebration was the one entrusted to the
Community of Sant’Egidio. It was an excellent occasion to meet some of
the members of this community and to pray with them. A rich dialogue
permitted each of us to discover or to better understand the vocation
and work of this community of laypersons: common prayer, closeness to
and service to the poor, and a ministry of peace. These different
characteristics are inseparable and constitute the common aspect of
their affiliated communities spread out in more than 100 countries and
which bring together about 50,000 people. This type of simplicity and
profound commitment gives us something to think about, especially given
the spiritual principles upon which all of the community’s activity is
based.
The prayer celebrated by this Community each evening at 8:30 PM in a
packed basilica is beautiful, simple, meditative, and accompanied by
chant which is both prayerful and somewhat “oriental.”
The evening ended in a patio next to the church with a pizza shared
with Franco, one of the leaders of the Community who had received us so
fraternally.
André Brombart, A.A.
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Last Updated ( Monday, 15 September 2008 )
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