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October 14: Women Speak to Synod
On Tuesday morning, October 14, the first set of interventions from synod auditors began. Eleven women spoke. Here are some memorable quotes. (A complete text of women’s interventions will be posted when all become available.)
* There is a mysterious and very close bond between the Word and woman…Many consecrated/religious women are tireless witnesses, dispensers of the Word of God which is Father and Mother. They live amidst school desks and prisons, hospital beds and on the streets, near the drug addicts, those suffering AIDS, women exploited by prostitution, by the elderly’s side and by abused children, close to destroyed families, or the homeless or the unemployed, close to all the sick of any sort, the tender presence in every corner of the world.
This multitude of untiring women dispensers of the Word are the face of the Mother Church with their mother’s hands and heart, they are her fruitful womb…That this mother’s face and heart, reflected by a passionate Love which seeks its children, may be expressed with effectiveness in the final document of the Synod of the Word of God and even more so in the daily word of the Church Herself (Sr. M. Viviana BALLARIN, O.P., Superior General of the Dominican Sisters of St. Catherine of Siena, President of the Union of Superiors Major of Italy (U.S.M.I.) (ITALY))
* I would like to underline that this “proclamation” of the Word of God by the laity often occurs without a word being said. In fact, it occurs through the simple daily witness at home, at work and in the neighborhood... Therefore, I ask that those responsible give the laity more trust, because we truly practice in our daily lives the hidden “service of the Word.” I think it is important that the experience of the laity committed in the Church should be taken seriously and together we should find proper ways of “proclamation,” since, in life we are closer to those to whom the Word is proclaimed. (Ms. Ewa KUSZ, President of the World Conference of Secular Institutes (C.M.I.S.) (ITALY))
* The Word moves us to serve not only to fight material hunger, poverty, it moves us to work for a world where all are respected, it moves us to denounce injustice. A dual reading of the Word imposes: to live the life of the poor in the light of Scriptures and to read Scriptures from the viewpoint of the poor. They are sacrament of Christ among us, these poor who evangelize us. (Sr. Evelyne FRANC, F.d.C., Superior General of the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincentde' Paoli (FRANCE))
* With the young we invite them to share in a creative way eg. song, drama, protest march etc, their understanding of a specific text. Even a simple Lectio Divina has been developed for the youth. …We have encountered people who can not read or write but have memorised texts; their love for the Word is powerful... We have had the occasion where we were given time within the Mass, at the time of the homily, to bring of our programme to the parishioners. As we know, for most at Mass, it is their only encounter of Scripture and many walk long distances for this opportunity to celebrate the Eucharist and the Word… We empower people to take Scripture and make it their own; empower people to bring Scripture to others by training them in our methods so that the Word can spread even further! The word of God is powerful, able to achieve anything it has been sent out to do. You just need to accept it in faith! (Ms. Teresa Maria WILSNAGH, Regional Director of the Bible Foundation "Catholic Bible Foundation" (C.B.F.) of Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg (SOUTH AFRICA))
* When people come alive in faith there is a hunger for the Word of God. Some people fail to have this hunger satisfied due to poor homiletic preaching. Undoubtedly, there is more to be done in the area of clergy training in homiletics. However, if preaching is to come alive it requires an openness and docility to the power of the Holy Spirit. I would like to suggest that all those involved in the ministry of preaching and proclamation are also offered opportunities to experience a renewal of the Holy Spirit in their lives. (Ms. Michelle MORAN, President of International Catholic Council of Charismatic Renewal Services (I.C.C.R.S.) (GREAT BRITAIN))
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