Link to download: Community

The Are Many Parts

Now the body is not a single part, but many. If a foot should say, “Because I am not a hand I do not belong to the body,” it does not for this reason belong any less to the body. Or if an ear should say, “Because I am not an eye I do not belong to the body,” it does not for this reason belong any less to the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But as it is, God placed the parts, each one of them, in the body as he intended. If intended. If they were all one part, where would the body be? But as it is, there are many parts, yet one body.

1 Cor. 12: 14–20

Consecrated Life

The experience of Community is essential to our consecrated life, because thanks to the community’s strength, the Mission becomes possible. But, how to grow in communion among us and integrate our differences? Differences imply diversity and diversity implies an outpour of possibilities and wealth. Diversity calls us to unity because diversity without unity is division, and unity without diversity is uniformity. From the Gospel’s perspective, what distinguishes or diversifies us enriches the entire body, and what unites or unifies us is the variety of gifts we have been given. Our Constitutions express our commitment to Unity, clearly and compellingly:

“The Trinity, perfect model of unity and plurality, is the origin and example of community life in the Congregation. With acceptance and awareness, the sisters strive to live in unity of heart with respect for individual differences.” C-26

In today’s world, the Incarnate Word suffers in a multitude of people discriminated against and rejected because of their race, language, religion, socioeconomic status, immigration status, etc. and only people committed to conscious relationality can bring relief to these situations of injustice. Our consciousness has expanded and now we know that our community experiences are replicated as in concentric circles to the entire universe and have an impact on humanity.

Reflect and share:

• For which community/communion experience do you feel profoundly grateful?
• What do you think/feel when you hear an invitation to be a “Prophet of Communion”?
• What do you value most about diversity in our Congregation and in the Church?

“Dime cómo set Pan” by Salomé Arricibita:

Listen (click on the link): https://youtu.be/rQQRt4G9Zb8

Tell me how to be bread, tell me how to be bread, how to be food that satiates from the inside, that brings peace. Tell me how to be bread, tell me how to be bread, tell me how to approach someone without breath, who believes laughing and loving is a hoax. Tell me how to be bread, tell me how to allow myself to be slowly eaten, devoting everything and further filling myself. Tell me how to be bread, tell me how to be bread, how to be for others in every moment: food and manna. (2) You who are the bread of life, you who are light and peace, you who soak the earth when you rain from the sky, tell me how to be bread. You who makes me become your reflection, you who embrace my weakness; you who satisfies my hunger when I return from afar, tell me how to be bread. (2) Tell me how to be bread that cures injustice, tell me how to be bread that creates freedom.

By S. Cecilia Zevala.