Season of Creation 2021 in Rome

List News

02/10/2021 - General House

CELEBRATING THE SEASON OF CREATION AT THE GENERAL HOUSE

Ingredients

A tent
3 Religious Congregations willing to pitch the tent in their gardens for a period of time
A number of meetings with the Oblates (OMI), Missionaries of Africa and the Marist Sisters
A bit of creativity and a lot of good will.
Focal points
A welcoming Liturgy,
5 Saturday prayer services and a special Eucharist for the closure of this special Season of Creation.

What a journey it has been for the tent and for each of us. The tent was put together in the garden of the OMIs and the opening liturgy, complete with the blessing of the tent, took place there on 1^st September. The first Saturday liturgy – ‘the Tent of God’s presence’- was also hosted there.

The tent then moved onto the Marist Garden – intact - and much to the amazement of several motorists on Via Aurelia!

On Saturday, 11^th September, we hosted the second Saturday liturgy – ‘The Tent of Hospitality’. Grace welcomed around forty religious from the area and a little further afield, in both Italian and English. Viv and Anne, introduced the theme, then Sylvette blessed the land around the tent of hospitality before we moved into our opening song ‘Open our eyes to see’.

After Sylvette read the scripture reading, Genesis 18:1-10, telling of Abraham’s great hospitality and generosity, the theme opened out through further scripture, prayer, quotations from Laudato Si and the sharing of fresh water and bread as a sign of openness and hospitality to all.

As a little aside, I have to share a beautiful moment. I had placed the microphone down on the table when a very interesting noise was heard. A bee had flown very close and remained there for a few seconds buzzing away, adding its voice to the prayers of us all!

It was a beautiful gathering, made all the more so in these days of lockdown and meeting only on line.

Then, this morning at 6.30am, the tent moved on to the grounds of the Missionaries of Africa (White Fathers). So next Saturday we will gather round ‘The Tent of a Pilgrim People’, a people on the move, before the tent stands once again on Oblate ground for the final liturgies of this beautiful season.