OBRA, POLAND
09-07-2019
Today the inter-capitulars entered into the second and last day of the retreat animated by Fr. Vlastimil KADLEC. The retreat is centred on the experience of the two disciples on a journey to Emmaus. On this second day, the inter-capitulars were invited to look at the past and also to consider the future.
The current experiences can be influenced by what happened in the past and they can equally be conditioned by the hope of the future. To live a truly Christian life is to live in the present, Fr. Vlastimil said to the inter-capitulars. Christians are invited to use their past experiences and their hopes for the future as supportive structures of a meaning present. The Eucharistic celebration presents the dimension of the past, the last supper, and it also has an eschatological dimension as we await the return of our Saviour. Fr. Vlastimil insisted that these two dimensions are to help enlighten our life in the present moment.
The disciples of Emmaus presented their disappointments, doubts and deceptions to the Risen Lord. For spiritual growth, Fr. Vlastimil invited the inter-capitulars not be afraid of questioning all that they took for absolute truth. Oblates should not be afraid to question their faith, their personal and community life. The process of questioning our realities leads to a true and deeper friendship with Christ.
Frs. Louis DIEDHIOU, Paulus KHAN, and Adriano TITONE shared their experiences of interculturality, interreligious dialogue and the new faces of the poor respectively. Their witnesses illustrated how the congregation is responding to the calls of the 36th General Chapter within different parts of the Oblate World.
Prior to Eucharistic celebration, which concluded the day, the inter-capitulars were invited to enter into the experience of Emmaus. They were sent out two by two to listen to each other’s history of salvation “zikkaron”, to share their joys and challenges, and lastly to give praise for all that the Lord has done for their units.
