A beautiful, sunny, spring day in Chile found around 50 members of the Precious Blood groups in Chile, united for their annual retreat day. These groups come from Cerro Navia, Our Lady of the Precious Blood Parish, Precious Blood Chapel of San Norbert Parish in Macul and San Alberto Hurtado of San Vincent de Paul Parish in La Florida. Comments were: “Thank you for inviting us!” “This retreat is so important for us!” “I am renewed in spirit and ready to go forward!”
Our retreat theme this year was centered on the testimony of Moses, “Abandoned and Liberator of His People.” Recognizing that Moses had a very difficult life and, “wounded from birth” by his experience in Egypt, followed by the recognition of how his people were being treated as slaves, he became rebellious. Moses did not recognize his own capabilities until God called him. We also experience difficulties and woundedness (hurts) in our lives, yet God continues to call us. In the afternoon we were invited to reflect upon the Mission that is hidden in our woundedness in life. Moses, before the burning bush, takes off his sandals for he is on sacred ground and begins to recognize in God´s call, in spite of his deficiencies, that God can use these to give him a mission. Moses accepted his history, his sufferings and recognized his wounded life. Our lives have a double face, one with suffering and another with a special mission in life. Personal reflection and sharing in small groups were “sacred grounds” for each on this retreat day. The themes for the day were prepared by Precious Blood seminarian, Diego Gallardo.
The Eucharist was the Center of the day with an excellent homily on Precious Blood Spirituality, presided by Father Claudio, a missionary of the Precious Blood. At the end of the Eucharist each person received a medal of Our Lady of the Precious Blood and St. Gaspar and renewed the commitment to live our spirituality in our daily lives. We Sisters in Chile express our gratitude to our Brothers in Christ who support our furthering of Precious Blood Spirituality among the people with whom we walk each day.
Story by Sister Maria Luisa Miller
Above, Sister Maria Luisa Miller with participants at the Oct. 2014 retreat in Chile; photo by Sister Edna Hess.