Diversidad
By Sr. Clarice Garvey, O.L.M.
May/June 2010
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Each year for a number of years, our community here in Brazil has invited friends among whom we live and work to our house for an evening between Christmas and New Years.
(Credit: Beverley Trach)L-R: Maria de Lourdes Perreira, Nanuia Martins, and Sr. Clarice Garvey reflecting on “The New History of the Universe.”
The purpose of our gathering is to celebrate our delight in the Feast of the Birth of Jesus. It is also a time when we share the gifts and struggles of the past year, as well as strengthen our faith, courage, and friendship for the challenges in our ministries during the year to come.
The party always begins with the wonderful sounds of joy, the joy of friends meeting friends. This first part of the evening is particularly special to me. It is a moment when we, as Our Lady’s Missionaries, are affirmed and celebrate our particular charism: hospitality and the bringing together of friends.
Given the numerous ecological disasters of 2009, both here in Brazil and throughout the world, and the political, economic and social disaster of the international meeting in Copenhagen, which had ended only a short time earlier, we chose “The New History of the Universe” as the topic of our reflection and discussion that evening.
We had a copy of “The New History of the Universe,” and the benefit of a work done by a group of artists who had divided the history into 12 events and had painted incredibly beautiful images for each event.
While the description of each event was read aloud by two of our guests, the image representing the event was shown around the room and then laid on the floor to eventually form a circle. When the last word was read and the circle of images completed, there was breathless silence. It seemed that even the temperature in the room had dropped as bodies stilled and no one spoke.
Soon emotions soared and sharing as diverse as the ages and cultures of the group began. There was delight in the sheer beauty of the images, a strong sense of God present, tears of sadness at the destruction by humanity, tears of shame for our abuse of nature, fear for our future and for the future of the planet, questions about science and religion, about what we can do and how we can change our values. There were expressions of gratitude for life, of the power and gentleness of the Creation process, and pleas for an increased awareness, and on and on. But mostly there was just AWE!
This prayerful reflection time was followed by a quick and energetic move to the kitchen where platters of food, Canadian buffet style, were laid out for all to enjoy. Everyone felt free to find a place to sit and chat or to move from group to group where conversations continued and future connections were planned.
Gradually the mood changed, voices lowered and people began to move towards the door. The farewell ritual is a succession of Brazilian abraços (a warm, friendly hug) reminding us that we are all members of the same family and called to live as Jesus lived—in love, peace and harmony with all of Creation.
Memories of the shared reflection, the fun, the food, and the laughter, and every word of gratitude, made the hours of preparation more than worth it and renewed our commitment to do this again next year.
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