Today, we celebrated the feast of Saint Benedict, the patron saint of Europe, and the Contemplative Life of the West. We remembered him during the morning prayer, which took place in the assembly hall of the Vic Museum. After that, Frs. Edgardo Guzmán and Pedro Beloderraín, CMFF, presented the survey results conducted within the Congregation for this Spirituality Congress. The overall assessment of the missionaries’ spiritual health is positive, but upon closer examination of the results, it is clear that we need to be mindful of the spiritual dynamics outlined in our documents.

In the second part of the morning, we had an enlightening discussion titled “What is sapping our vitality?” by Fr. Paulson Veliyannor, CMF, and Sr. Jolanta Kafka, RMI. Drawing from the parable of the wheat and the tares and biblical figures such as Elijah, Jonah, and Peter, who were both holy and fragile, we were able to identify and reflect on the negative influences that are growing alongside the positive aspects of our lives. These negative influences include spiritual inertia and asphyxia, being too focused on material possessions, a lack of motivation for missionary work, and a culture of spreading gossip, among others. To move beyond just discussing these ideas, we then delved deeper and discussed these issues in smaller groups based on our languages. We identified the negative influences we see in our personal, community, and organizational lives and understand why they persist.

At 4:30 in the afternoon, we returned to the Escribania premises for various afternoon workshops. These included “Wounds and contemporary addictions,” “Unhealthy use of time: disorder and distraction,” “Lack of communication as a spiritual problem,” and “The culture of indifference and discarding.” Earlier in the day, some participants visited the Municipal Palace of Vic, where they explored the city’s history and art.

Finally, we returned to the votive temple of St. Anthony Mary Claret, and after the Vespers prayer, we celebrated the Eucharist. In his homily, Msgr. Ángel Garrachana, CMF presided. He compared Saint Benedict, Father Claret, and our time. The transversal reading revolved around the youth experience, the maturation process, spiritual fatherhood, and the mission that goes from stability to itinerant.

We head to the House of Spirituality’s dining room for a well-deserved dinner to wrap up the day.

Communication Team