Its started… day one

The Passionist Institute started this afternoon. 

For those who have not been to one, its a four day opportunity to explore the passionist charism in more depth and prayerful reflection, sort of in a retreat like formate. This year been in Melbourne we are just traveling over daily, leaving us to return to do parish work in-between the institute. 

There are people from all over the province, I meet the couple from New Zealand, who I had meet before on one of the passionist youth retreats - possibly the first one I ever went to. They helped in the kitchen. 

There are about six - eight people from Papa New Guinea, the novices are down from Adelaide,  a few people over from Sydney as too Canberra. About seventy people in total. 

Theme for the weekend is - 

The Charism of St Paul of the Cross, embraced the abandoned and rejected  - do we see ourselves following in Paul's footsteps?

Fth. Brian opened the day with the very question 

How do we see ourselves following Paul of the Cross footsteps, embraced the abandoned and rejected?

Pointing out that religious / Christian often devote their energies to the poor, abandoned and rejected; with more religious congregations including it in their charism as 'an option for the poor or concern/ priority for the poor and marginalized'. Especially after Vatican II when Pope Paul VI invited religious to rediscover their founder charism. 

Brian continued to talk about the Holy Spirit Province, Jesus and his helpers, Paul the Apostle and then Paul of the Cross. 

While sitting there I wondered why Brian never defined the word poverty, as to many there are so many different types. Yet after a while I understood why as he was raising awareness that suffering in the world which we find ourselves is no different in some respect to what Paul of the Cross found. Paul was a missioner not a missionary, having a primary concern for the awareness of peoples love of the Lord for them. Thus, what we all do in our own way, in our own place. 

I will admit there was lots of small bits in-between this, yet this the general picture in very basic summary. (thanks to help from Brian's notes) 

On the last  institute I recall how much I took from the people around me, this year I have started the institute wondering what it will unfold. Im highly aware my dearest is not there, which I know they are with me in spirit yet it just feels a little like a gap present. The content has power, the people around me also leave a sense of been surrounded with family; to think two years ago I hardly knew any passionist and now my life is full and still opening wider to embrace them all… The Lord works in amazing ways, touching the heart in pure graceful gratitude beauty.