By Sr Anna Pigozzo

Port Moresby, 3 January 2021 -- We use our eyes to see and we are able to see in the light. We use our voices to speak and share our feelings and our experiences. Each of us perceives things differently and it is in sharing and in dialogue that we are able to see with the eyes of another and understand reality through their eyes.

From the 26th to 30th December 2020, the sisters of the Cavanis Jesus the Good Shepherd Community have had the opportunity to live a moment of prayer, reflection and silence. The days were spent atop the hills amidst the beauty and serenity of nature at the Nazareth House of Prayer, just outside Port Moresby. We were accompanied by Fr Ambrose Pereira, sdb.

A retreat is a time of prayer and on our knees, we reflect on the ‘Word’ that touches deeply our past and present experiences, our daily lives, our desires and fears, our mission and helps us to see His presence and love. A retreat is a time where we can see better and be reminded of His faithful presence and mercy in our lives, so that we can continue to walk by Faith.

At Christmas, when “a great Light has shone upon us”, Fr. Ambrose has helped us return to the to the source of light, to our invitation and our calling and follow God in our consecrated lives, to acknowledge the true thirst and to persevere in the search, recognizing the presence of pointers in our life and our vocation. We spent time in the silence of our heart to meet and encounter Christ, together with the Samaritan woman at the well and to feel the healing embrace like the prodigal Son.

It was also a time of gratitude to recognize the gift of life together with the transformations and conversions that God realized in each of our lives. Experiencing the presence of Christ through the Sacraments we cannot but share Him with others. This is our mission, in particular with the children and the youth, here in Papua New Guinea.

“We are grateful for the spiritual guidance of Fr Ambrose, who was a voice sharing with us his experience of ‘Christ the Light’. His pastoral ministry of many years in this Melanesian culture opened the eyes of our hearts to experience God’s grace and see His Light in our brothers and sisters, in our Community, in the children and youth we are called to serve," said Sr Anna.

“The serene atmosphere of the venue, the talks and the sharing amongst each one of us has enabled us reflect on our vocation and come closer to the Lord”, said another. The maternal love and protection of the Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph accompanied our journey of prayer, as we celebrated the Feast of the Holy Family. We look forward to the Feast of the Epiphany and the Light of the star that led the wise men to Christ.

We pray that the light of Christ, living in each of us, will shine joyfully in our consecrated lives and in our Community.

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