16th Day: XXII General Chapter_ Go beyond the familiar and take a risk of the unknown.

The capitulars started the day with faith-sharing from the gospel of St. Luke, chapter 7 verses 1-10, where the centurion being from a foreign nation is recognized as friendly to Jewish people and Jesus recognizes the great faith outside Israel. The general chapter’s “walking together” invited us to go beyond the familiar and take a risk of the unknown and different, at this point has something shifted in them during this time? This is the point of the capitular’s reflection today.

The facilitators looked backed at the experience of the capitulars during the first two weeks journey. They were led to sense the reality of the congregation as individual, as communities, as units and as a whole. They were introduced also to the process of “letting go” of some concepts, ideas and even realities which does not anymore give life. After this process. They were also given time to listen to Jesus the Savior and listen to what He is saying to each of us was experienced individually and as a group. This time, the facilitators are starting to lead the capitulars in the process of “letting come”, where we as capitulars are led to discern the implications of God’s call for our reality, for our orientations, our decisions and in the time of election of the new leadership team.

Fr. Agustin Van Baelen, SDS – General Councilor and Secretary of the Society of the Divine Savior (Salvatorian Fathers) celebrated the Holy Mass. Fr. Agustin underlined three attitudes of Jesus that might also be of help in the capitulars process of discernment and decision-making as follows; flexibility, closeness and being unafraid and amazement. He quipped, “Dear sisters, may these attitudes of our Savior, also encourage us to be flexible, to be close to people in their needs, without fear of reality and always knowing we are called to awaken the best in the other.”

The liturgy was creatively organized and planned by the delegates coming from European House, Belgium; Poland Province and England Mission.