The day started with the Votive Mass of the Holy Spirit with Fr. Francis Gustilo, SDB as presider. In his homily, he dissected the different points of the Chapter’s theme and underscore the centrality of God’s unconditional love in our desire to be like Him in loving and serving others.
Sr. Ma. Elena Adre act as the moderator of the day while Sr. Nancy Edusma led the opening prayer on New Wineskin. Marist Bro. Emili Turu gave a recorded input on “Our Journey: Contemplative Process”. He walked us through the essence of contemplative spirit as the space where we can meet our Loving God. With this, we were led to the “contemplative process” itself, i.e., to observe, to reflect by sensing and to act. It was a moving talk that point out how contemplation centers all that we are and all we desire to be on the movement of God’s Spirit, highlighting on the importance of being present in the here and now. As such, silence followed necessarily to listen to the stirrings evoked in us after listening.
Sisters shared their reflection in Small Group (SGS) until lunch. In the afternoon, after the unfreezer and recap of the previous day, Sr. Luzviminda Mojica, the Moderator, showed the link to the Padlet Apps on the group sharing on interior movements that emerged during the previous community sharing on the chapter document on the areas of inculturality, governance, formation and mission as woman of the Word. A surprise visit of Fr. Carlo Bittante, General Superior of the Canossian Sons of Charity, Fr. Jao Leovera, Delegate Superior of the Philippine Delegation and Fr. Pietro Bettelli, General Councilor, came as a pleasant breather from the Holy Spirit reminding us of our big Canossian family as brothers and sisters. Group sharing, finding connections and resonances with the 17th GC Resolutions transpired in different corners of the chapter hall followed by the sharing of SGS output in the General Assembly. Clarifications on some topics were made which will aid those who will make the resolutions later. A Long Loving Look of the day led by Sr. Ma. Elena brought us to a deeper appreciation of the day’s encounter.