At the Lokia Residence in Three Rivers Canada, on Saturday, May 20th we celebrated with joy and gratitude eleven jubilarians.
We began this special occasion with the Eucharist at 9:30. Together, Sisters and lay people broke out in song in line with our charism:
“Oh Jesus, you who leads us on the pathways of humanity,
When we hear within ourselves the cries of the world.
Teach us to give generously, without expecting
anything in return; to love as you did!”
Thanksgiving
We give thanks with our jubilarians for all these years of fidelity and love.
Reflection and offering
“This is my life; I place it in your hands
Take it Lord; I belong to you.
May my prayer rise up to you,
This is my life; I place it in your hands.”
The celebration continues
In the afternoon we met in the multipurpose room for the recreational part of the celebration. Surprise … our sisters of the Oasis community were already there brightening up the place by their presence. What a joy to celebrate with them!
Our Sister Gisèle Lacerte welcomed each group of jubilarians with a lively chorus in which everyone joined in. She compared these valiant women to precious stones…
Ruby, 80 years of commitment, expresses love, happiness and divine love as well.
The 75-year-old emerald talks about caring and preparing the future.
The 70-year-old-blue sapphire symbolises loyalty and fidelity.
The star sapphire, 65 years old, expresses protection or travel guide.
We stressed the importance of spiritual accompaniment of the sick and the most destitute, emphasizing the mission of co-creating.
The diamond represents the strength and beauty of love expressed in the many congregational services as well as those on the peripheries.
Renewal of vows
“Most Holy Father, thank you for looking upon each one of us with love. The grace of baptism brought forth in our hearts the desire to follow Jesus your son, poor, chaste and obedient. To your call we reply again today: Here I am! In today’s world we want to live our charism of humanization in the same way as Jesus did. Rooted in your Word, attentive to the needs of our time, overwhelmed by the cry of the poor as well as that of the earth, we ratify our desire to enter into the conversion towards integral ecology.”
Conclusion
And this wonderful afternoon ends with a delicious snack along with some friendly dialogue just as tasty!
Even if we are in a Residential context, we thank the Lord who is the God of surprises, for allowing us to celebrate differently, but still in a typically Daughter of Jesus way!
Sr. Angèle Lépine fj
Three-Rivers, Canada.
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