Soeurs Missionnaires Notre Dame des Apotres - Missionary Sisters Our Lady of Apostles

" God has called us to participate together in the Mission of his Son. This requires that we enter into the path of an ongoing formation so as to respond with a greater fidelity to the Lord's invitation. " Constitutions Number 62.

Sister Nicole RIVARD introduced this day's work by inviting us to an active personal and responsible formation, in order to avoid ankylosis or the spiritual and human sclerosis.

We then listened to Sister Marie Laetitia, of the Dominican Congregation, talking to us on the theme of Interculturalism. Our Sister Speaker for the day, launch us into ongoing formation, brought us right from the beginning of her input, to a distinction between Muticulturalism, inculturation, and Interculturalism. If the first two themes, touching of course culture, do not demand interactivity, since their movement goes one way; that of Interculturalism, demands this interactivity.

This theme of Interculturalism, very topical/current today, requires a dynamic interactivity because it touches several cultures through interaction. And talking about several cultures in interaction, goes with talking about the encountering of de several differences. The theme of Interculturalism is therefore reflected on today by par several Religious Congregations because it challenges us on community life, a life that seeks to be a Witness, Mission for the world today.

The basic/fundamental question that was asked is the following: How do we welcome one another's difference, in serenity, by seeing this difference as a blessing and not as a danger?

Sister Laetitia proposed a diagram of different stages at which we can live out / build our relationships with one another:

Stage of : Senses - Emotions
Stage de : Sentiments - Imagination
Stage de : Reason - Intelligence
Stage de: Freedom - Will - Love.

It is every morning that we choose where we would like to live out our relationships with others for more human feeling and for compassion.

We need one another. But am I convinced of that?