“Thank you for everything”

From our Srs Franceline Hien and Valérie Sibdou Kaboré of Hydra-Parmentier

“Thank you for everything”

This word was spoken a few days ago by the little girl, barely 3 years old, of a work colleague. We were returning from a beautiful day spent in the mountains, in the middle of the forest. That evening, while reviewing my day, I was challenged about my capacity to live gratitude in depth. Am I able to say, at the end of each day: “Lord, Thank you for everything”?

At the end of this month of September, I take the risk of saying “Thank you for everything”

Spiritual retreat

Thank you for the time of spiritual retreat lived at the monastery of Thibhirine with our brothers the Missionaries of Africa. Led by the brothers and sisters of the Chemin Neuf, it was an intense moment of personal and community prayer based on the spiritual exercises of St Ignatius. The Lord was generous in his graces. The setting of the monastery was a real blessing to distance ourselves from everyday life, to get to the essentials.

Thank you, Lord, for the grace of this sacred place!

African palaver

Thank you for the experience of the “African palaver” on the synod, an experience that I was able to live by zoom during these last months. The fruits will certainly be a plus for the next and last assembly of bishops. It will be the unique and specific contribution of the Church in Africa. We pray for all the delegates that they let themselves be inspired by the Holy Spirit.

The start of the new pastoral year

We also experienced the start of the new pastoral year in the diocese. It was a wonderful opportunity for reunion and sharing between all. The theme that was proposed to us by our archbishop is one of the words of Jesus before his Easter: “I have not lost any of those you gave me”. It was beautiful and important to relaunch together for this new apostolic year, with the requirement to take care of one another.

The month of creation

I thank the Lord for the month of creation experienced personally and in collaboration with others. During this month, we paid special attention to the garden space in the house through cleaning and arrangement. We can now appreciate its beauty with some flowers and vegetables. They flourish in pots and make this space pleasant.

I express my gratitude to the Lord for the inner richness that is expressed in simple ideas and commitments… to cultivate inner peace and joyful serenity in an increasingly aggressive and competitive world… to choose humanity over profit!!!

Cultivate a contemplative gaze

While walking down a street in our neighborhood, I noticed a beautiful little garden that had sprung up in a small corner where people were starting to throw trash. It was the young manager of the small cosmetics store who started this little vegetable garden to counter the dumping of waste.

At the garden around the Dar El Ikram day center, the team and a few volunteers did the cleaning, and there was a potted plant gardening workshop to mark Alzheimer’s Day on September 21.

Little by little, thanks to small and large actions, we will build a better world. Thank you, Lord, for everything!

Collaboration with others

Collaboration is a way of life; it brings out, in ourselves, the best of what we can give… And we appreciate the contribution of the JPIC-ED Network. It allows us to seek together ways to respond to the apostolic orientations and to collaborate with other organizations that are inspired by the same objectives. In this openness to collaboration and giving the best of ourselves, Sister Franceline Hien was able to follow a three-day training with the UNHCR Algeria in order to give her contribution to the development of a new project: “Support person for unaccompanied asylum seekers or separated children in the refugee status determination procedure”

“God walks with his people …”

Yes, the encounter with every brother and sister in need is also an encounter with Christ. This is how our community remains attentive in the little things and lives a commitment to our brothers and sisters in need. It is in this sense that Sister Franceline led an afternoon of recollection for a good number of our brothers and sisters in international mobility. “Their sharing touched me a lot! I returned home with a very grateful heart and an invitation to more gratitude.” Yes it is true, “the poor save us…” says the Pope in his message for September 29, 2024.