It has been a beautiful experience to begin my time here in Spain while all the consecrated in the country are together here in Madrid for spiritual exercises and a territorial convention. At the end of spiritual exercises, several of the members of my community commented on how we felt that we know everyone in the territory now… even if we only knew their names (if we even remembered them) before starting our week-long retreat together. Praying together really united us in a way that nothing else could – together at the foot of the Tabernacle, as true sisters, gathered around “him whom my heart loves” (Song of Songs).
While those of us in the studies stage are finalizing our visa documents and beginning the registration process at San Damaso, the rest of the territory is having a territorial convention, here at Cerro del Coto, with meetings and conferences about the apostolate in the territory. Yesterday we had a beautiful Mass of Thanksgiving and Blessing, two in one… both thanking God for the gifts he brought through the past territorial director, Bernadita Garcia, and asking for his continued blessing over the new one, Lourdes Santos. At the end of the Mass, there was a special blessing of all of the directors of our communities and our territorial director.
I´ve been surprised at how at home I have felt here in the midst of so many new faces. Besides the fact that every new person stops to ask my name and welcome me, I have also been experiencing the beautiful gift and charism that we share as a spiritual family. As we all work towards allowing Our King to extend his Kingdom in our hearts, if we keep walking along the roads and byways that he is building there… no wonder we experience how closely we walk side by side as he leads us deeper into His own Sacred Heart.
