On the weekend of January 30 to February 1, Marie-Hélène and Hélène joined other young professed members of Ignatian congregations for a session on the theme of “time.”
Our Religious life is punctuated by times of being in community, times for ourselves, and times for ministry. Emails and meetings keep us busy and require us to organize our time. We always need to have our calendars handy. How can we manage or, rather, organize our time? Is what is being asked of me urgent and important? Can I delegate it? Put it off until later?
During this weekend, we discussed our difficulties in this matter and shared our experiences of what helps us to live fully in the present moment. As one of the facilitators pointed out, for the Hebrews, “it is not time that passes, but we, human beings, who pass through time.” We were invited to see time not so much as an objective fact, but to pay attention to how we live it, how we inhabit time. Only the present is real, only the present is given to us.
The activities offered were varied: practical exercises on time, presentations, testimonials, small group discussions, and… two hours of Chantraine dance, which allowed us to savor the present moment, in simplicity and with joy visible on our faces. This weekend was rich in fellowship and sharing in trust and kindness. We are already looking forward to the next one!
Here is what some of us had to share at the end of the weekend:
“I am very happy with this weekend. I am leaving with a small concrete step for myself: when faced with the unexpected, I want to stop and ask myself: how can this unexpected event help me grow, what good can it bring me? Rather than letting myself be thrown off balance by this unexpected event that disrupts my carefully planned schedule.”
“I’m leaving feeling joyful and relaxed. This theme invites me to live in the present and organize my time.”
“I’m leaving the weekend with the desire to live in the present moment, the desire not to feel guilty: what I can’t do today isn’t that serious!”
“I’m leaving delighted and also… “dance-filled,” with this wonderful gift of dance that I experienced to the fullest. I realize that I can’t choose what will happen in my day, but I can work on how I welcome time and how I experience it.”