04.12.2019

Formative Community

Sister Ophelia Fernandes led the group through the reflection on “Formative community.” She invited the formators to walk backwards and have look at their own community life. Several communities have only a functional relationship. There is apparent cordiality which rarely includes a deep sincere, trusting and warm relationship among the members. The members keep themselves simply busy. Ministry becomes an excuse for not meeting others meaningfully.

An extremely important means to build up communion in communities is communication, a genuine, humble and positive communication. She challenged the group to get rid of the idea, ‘I have to teach her a lesson or else she will never learn.’ People do not learn by being opposed but rather by being listened to, understood, and cared for and being dealt with respectfully and with compassion. After her presentation, the formators reflected and discussed a few questions like: What can I do to make life in the community happier? Would most communities that know me be happy to have me as a member?

In the afternoon, Sister Cristina Gavazzi shared with the group about the UISG seminar on the intercultural she attended as one of the core team members from the CSJ’s. She clearly differentiated the terms, monocultural living, cross-cultural living, multicultural living and intercultural living. Multicultural living is just tolerating and managing differences, and people live together without much close interaction. Intercultural living is a faith-based project which requires tolerance of ambiguity, immaturity, mistakes, frustrations - appropriate correction, genuine listening, flexibility - commitment to ongoing dialogue and development - encouragement, compassion and concern. This should be the aim of people living in intentional, international religious/faith communities.

Sister Sheela Koottala