TWO INSIGHTFUL CONVICTIONS

Thinking back over the Family Congress and the Assembly of Priest Associates in which I had the joy of participating, I would like to share two convictions that seem to me insightful for the exercise of my ministry as a diocesan priest.

TWO INSIGHTFUL CONVICTIONS

Here is the first: the way our reflection progressed throughout the congress highlighted the reality of the links that unite the five vocations of the Family. We can only really live the charism of our Founder in a spirit of communion. What each one lives in his or her personal commitment in the bosom of the Holy Family is lived in solidarity with the others in the exercise of our mission.

We were pleased to express it by this formula: wherever a member of the Family is present, the whole Family is present. Therefore, our way of living in our country, our pastoral work, our community life, our human relations with others and our prayer are imbued and enriched by this spirit of communion.

Here is the second: as priest associates we wish to bear witness by our ministry to this Family spirit that Fr Noailles wanted to make a reality in order to respond to God’s desire to gather together all people as a single family in God’s self. We are convinced that the teaching of the Second Vatican Council is enriching the new evangelisation that the universal Church has begun, as well as the new worldview.

We hope that the sharing of our pastoral experiences and fraternal support in prayer will be at the heart of our lives as priest associates as a gift of the Holy Spirit. We believe that the Holy Family of Nazareth is for us a source of inspiration to live an authentic evangelical presence among the women and men where we live.

The third stage of the congress has begun. May we live it as a small family in the large universe family, as ‘Family on mission, gift for the world.

Jean-Louis Despeaux

Priest Associate, Bordeaux