In Rimouski Canada, on May 5, 2025, Sister Denise Lirette, Daughter of Jesus of Moncton, helps us in her own way to rediscover the story of creation.

Today, as Associates and Daughters of Jesus, we share our thoughts on what we experienced during our walk.

Experiences, discoveries, learning and wonder

For Associate Alice: “For me, it was a wonderful experience in which I learned a great deal about the history of the earth and of humanity”.

For a sister: “It’s been a wonderful discovery of creation, through the evolution of our world over time. Since I haven’t had the chance to study the Bible and fully understand what it tells us about creation, I’m amazed at what’s unfolding before my eyes. 

As Denise says: “It’s our sacred history unfolding before our very eyes”.

Deepening our faith

For Alice, Denise’s words reveal God’s presence in Jesus his Son, who came to walk among us and tell us that God loves all of humanity.

“Wisdom or conscience tells us that everything is connected and filled with the presence of God. The God of Jesus is infinitely linked to humanity and creation.”

The experiences and discoveries of science and great researchers enrich our understanding:

Drawing on Pope Francis’ encyclical, Ecological Conservation, and the research, discoveries and experiences of leading scientific researchers, Denise tells us how our world has evolved over billions and billions of years. At every stage of evolution, life appears, taking shape in water. Water is the lifeblood of all living things. All life on earth is intimately linked. We are an integral part of this link. 

In response to this discovery about water, a sister said to me: What touches me here is “the goodness of water.” What splendor to see a desert bloom after just a little rain!

Awareness

Another thought-provoking sentence from Denise:

“Today, at the heart of the ecological crisis lies a profound human and spiritual crisis, in the sense that we have forgotten who we are and where we come from”.

We realize that water is the most precious commodity for human beings. Without it, humanity couldn’t survive. The negative imprint of human activity, through our negligence and disrespect for creation around the world, is destroying our planet.

Through our experience of the regenerative power of water, we are convinced that any positive attitude can heal the damage already done to our world. We must act now to continue in a more tangible way our public commitment to integral ecology (p. 10 & 11 Acts of the 2022 General Chapter) 

A sister said: ”Faced with the wonder of the value and greatness of water, I must commit myself to working for its conservation. It is the source of all life! We must thank and bless water.

Denis and Réjean, associates, remind us that it was this very water that brought us into our Christian life. All the more reason to make a concrete commitment.

Thérèse and Berthe, associates, tell us how important it is to pass on to their grandchildren all the discoveries and their importance for the future of our world. Indeed, that future belongs to the grandchildren.  It’s part of the mission of grandmothers to be involved in their role as educators.

We are very grateful to Denise for sharing this important moment in our lives as children of God, and for reminding us of the importance of our commitment to protecting our common home.

The Daughters of Jesus and Associates,

Rimouski, Canada