From 29th December to 1st January, nine Professed of Temporary Vows (PTV) and five formators from the provinces of Belgium-France-Netherlands, Central Europe, England-Wales, Ireland-Scotland, Poland, and Spain were warmly welcomed by the community of Mese Utca at their lovely spiritual center in Budapest.
Our theme was the Vow of Poverty A big challenge!!!
We first shared about what this vow means for us, and how it challenges us. Afterwards we had some concrete experiences of "poverty."
We started with an experience of being in darkness, guided by a visually impaired man. We touched our limits, and we had a glimpse of how it is to live without seeing anything. It was a powerful experience to feel our fears, to face our limits, to see the essential, to trust, to let ourselves be led by an other, an Other.
Then we also experienced being in the city without anything, except for four transport tickets. We had no money and no Hungarian language, in a town that was new to many of us. It was a time to walk, to pray, to encounter people, to meet new faces, to contemplate. It was also a time to be cold, to feel lonely as lots of homeless people do. It was a time of silence, a time to be.
We took time to share about these experiences with words and colours. We discover that there are lots of colours and light in the darkness.
silence presence seeing the essential
thanksgiving for all that God has given us gift keeping in our heart
colours light dark meeting contemplation
thoughtfulness consolation compassion love
Thank you so much to our Hungarian Sisters who welcomed us so warmly. Thank you to our formators who led us during this time. Thank you to all of you for your prayers. Happy New Year!!! May this year open our hearts more and more towards people who are lacking the essentials in life. May we continue to follow Christ, poor, humble and gentle of Heart.
The European PTVs
