Continuation of the accounts of the lay associates

 

“This week-end at Lourdes was very dense and enriching.

Enriching in the number and diversity of participants.

We were around 1300 (laypeople, priests, religious, deacons) who had come from the four corners of France.

There were representatives of 200 groups or spiritual families with different histories, spiritualities and projects.

In this way t was a week-end rich in the discovery of THE OTHER, in human relationships.

For my part, I was delighted to meet religious and associated laypeople from Kermaria,

I really felt that we were part of the same family …

Enriching in the quality of the speakers, and the exchange between participants.

Some reflections that questioned us:

Laypeople and religious are called to live the Gospel together in the wake of the founders,

but to build a true family takes time and dialogue is indispensable.

It is important that the family should be open and outward looking.

Enriching on the spiritual level, with moments of prayer and recollection.

During the whole week-end, we felt ourselves uplifted,

with true moments of fraternal sharing coming from very different horizons.

We are on all on the march, at different stages, each spiritual family is writing its own history,

and walking at its own rhythm but we all share the same hope.

Thank you for having invited us

Isabelle et Jean-Marie

« The 2013 meeting of spiritual families at Lourdes was for me very enriching:

all of the very interesting presentations,

a lot of fraternity in the numerous encounters, a place of choice: Lourdes.

Several times during the week-end, I said to myself that I was lucky to have been invited to participate in this meeting, simply to be there.

I have kept a very good memory of this meeting and I continue to live it by sharing it with those close to me: family, friends, work colleagues.”

Valérie

« A very rich meeting with quality speakers that allowed me to realize how diverse the congregations are and how they welcome laypeople.”

“The Church has problems that now seem to me to be surmountable having listened to religious and laypeople who spoke from the heart without being disingenuous.”

“I very much appreciated being in an assembly of praying faithful and singing with a joy that one only finds in groups of “practising” Catholics.”

Christian