Fraternidad Misionera Verbum Dei

This morning Aida from the Philippines shared with us her prayer experiences about the passage John 6:1-13. She pointed out three important attitudes: thanksgiving, trust and cooperation. Jesus, knowing what he wanted to do, asks us to cooperate with his plans to feed a multitude of people, who hunger for the Word of God and meaning of life.

This was a good start for the next working session which was about the ways of formation in the community.  In the sharing groups we become more and more aware of the differences in the communities and continents.  But the aim remains the same: to reach the full identification with Christ.  In the plenary session we saw the need for a universal formation plan, and to find adequate names for the different levels of formation and stages of belonging. There was an interesting suggestion to build a common formation center, where the Missionary Family can share and exchange its richness of knowledge.

After a merited nap, we continued the afternoon with sharing groups and a plenary session about the topic of government and administration in the Verbum Dei Missionary Family. It was expressed by all groups that a common government is very much needed and wanted, though the tasks and structure still have to be worked out.

We finished this day with a beautiful mass prepared by the communities of Singapore, Taiwan and the Philippines. Elaine spoke in the homily about the power of the Word of God that sown with confidence has the power to transform lives.  In the offertory the members of these communities performed an offering dance, where they brought the child Jesus, a Chinese lamp, a Chinese Bible, soil and seeds, as well as the bread and wine to the altar as signs of our own lives that we want to offer God for the good of this world.