COME AND SEE

And his two disciples, hearing him speak thus, followed Jesus. Jesus then turned and, observing that they followed him, said to them: «What are you looking for?». They answered him: «Rabbi - which, translated, means master -, where do you dwell?». He said to them: «Come and see». (Jn. 1, 35-42)

To speak of vocation as God’s free gift to every person, to experience the joy of the call to life, to ask ourselves the fundamental questions that make the hearts of young people burn... these were the stimuli that encouraged us to invite some of our girls and offer them days of coexistence and reflection.

The title of the program for the days of discernment was precisely this: Come and see, with a particular emphasis on the Lord’s call to his disciples. The meeting took place from 8 to 11 August 2022 in our summer home in Troodos. These days have been precious and wonderful not only for the young people who participated but also for our Province.

Our thanksgiving goes above all to God the Father Creator, to Christ the Lord the Saviour and to the Holy Spirit Love. We had the joy of having with us 9 girls from 13 to 17 years.

We, Sister Aurora Castardo and Sister Roly Kaithakulath, have entrusted our steps to be taken to the Lord so that, in His immense love, He would guide and accompany the girls to the profound knowledge of themselves and above all of God’s will in their lives. There have been obstacles and difficulties to achieve our goals, but we have been truly sustained by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Walking in the middle of the mountain, in the freshness and quiet, was more than relaxing. Cooking and preparing meals, washing dishes, maintaining the environment, participating in prayer... We have lived all this together and it has been a very heartfelt and meaningful experience for young women.

The girls were very curious and interested in our fraternal life in community. Living next to us sisters allowed them to venture into being together, taking care of each other and sharing some personal hardships. Through the talks with the sisters some girls have overcome even the first detachment from home and personal habits.

In the first examination with Sister Roly the young women showed such sincerity and openness. Some interesting suggestions for the next meetings were born. The intuition of volunteering was very beautiful. Why not work for something good and beautiful!

Our spiritual guide during these days of grace was Monsignor George Panamthundil. He celebrated Holy Mass and proposed very enriching reflections. He focused on values and on the vocation to life, taking inspiration from various vocational choices.

Sister Roly also developed and deepened these themes during the moments of meeting where the girls participated in the discussion and sharing. Touching were the moments during which young women opened their hearts by exposing their doubts and big questions for their own lives. The following points were considered:

The infinite love of God;

The limited love of people;

The choices in life;

Loss of life and generosity in self-giving;

The importance of community life;

Wait for the propitious time;

The great gift: the present time;

The precious pearl: to forgive and accept forgiveness.

I would like to thank with all my heart the Provincial Superior Sister Antonia Piripitsi, Sister Aurora Castardo, Mrs Lorenza Male and all the sisters who have been with us during the days lived in Troodos for their availability and adjustment. Above all, I thank the sisters who accompanied us with their prayers. I ask the Father to bless everyone and I hope that we can, together, continue to live similar experiences with the girls entrusted to us.

Sister Roly Kaithakulath

Some resonances from the young.

Dear sisters, we would just like to say a big thanks to all of you for welcoming us to your little paradise with open arms and for being wonderful and welcoming these days. It has been a pleasure to have an idea of consecrated life, always caring for others, helping those in need and above all spreading the immense love of God.

Thank you, Sister Roly and Sister Aurora, for bringing together the young people of Limassol and Larnaca. We really enjoyed getting to know each other and building strong bonds. It’s amazing how close we all got in such a short time. The wonderful and peaceful environment, the best company of the girls and sisters, the Holy Eucharist and of course, the presence of our heavenly Father. We have been able to strengthen our mutual relations and through deep reflection and prayer, we have drawn closer to God; something that we will continue to keep at home.

We are so grateful to have lived this luminous experience and we look forward to the next event (hopefully in Lisbon) for World Youth Day, where we, heralds of the Gospel, will come together to demonstrate the love we have for God and for others.