Congress Update no.

2
9 SEPTEMBER 2018

LOECHES, MADRID

EPHPHATHA! BE OPENED!
This Sunday, with a cool climate, we began in
Loeches with 2 days of retreat with the theme
“Heirs of the Verbum Dei charism” for those
participating in the V Ordinary Congress, repre-
senting many persons of the five continents,
with the desire to open ourselves to the dyna-
mism of the Spirit.

The female missionary from the Idente community Lourdes Grosso García (with a doctorate in
Theology, License in Philosophy and Sciences of Education, Consultor for the Institutes of
Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life of the Holy See, and Director of the Secretariat
for Consecrated Life in the Spanish Episcopal Conference), was invited to guide the Retreat and
gave Guidelines of prayer to all those attending the Congress of the three branches in the Chapel
of the Father in the House of Spirituality, focusing in the morning on the meaning of Fidelity, and
in the afternoon, of Service.

To open ourselves to the Fidelity of a heart that is

awake and attentive, like the man who ran up to
Jesus, knelt down to ask him about what is Good
(Mark 10:17-18). We were reminded that the pillars
of the spiritual life which make Fidelity grow are
Prayer, the Eucharist and the Word; in addition, the
Fidelity, to be creative, implies conversion and
accompaniment. Also, to open ourselves to the
Service to which God calls us as Apostles “to serve
to be able to rescue” (John 13:2-15), and for that
reason, there are many temptations to those who exercise authority as well as to those who obey.
Especially one of the most significant temptations is the “sterile pessimism” which Pope Francis
mentions which converts us into prophets of calamity (see Evangelii gaudium, 84-86).

Pope Benedict noted “I invite you to renew the faith that makes you pilgrims bound for the future.
By its nature the consecrated life is a pilgrimage of the spirit in quest of a Face that is sometimes
revealed and sometimes veiled” (Pope Benedict XVI).
The day was spent in silence, recollection and prayer living together ecclesially also the Rosary and
the Eucharist. We are glad to know that you too are very united in prayer to this entire Congress.
Pray that we will open ourselves to the dynamism of the Spirit!
EQUIPO DE PRENSA