Costa Rica. This year 2009, the priests of our Central American Quinquennium gathered on June 22 to 27 in the Retreat House of San José, Costa Rica. The formation and the dynamics of these days centred on the theme “Eucharist-Life” and we also took some time to revise our formative itinerary in the light of the Word, of the reality and of the ecclesial and congregational magisterium. Guided by the narrative of the disciples of Emmaus, we were sharing our experiences and our reflections around the theme of the Eucharist in our life. “We walked and talked,” like the disciples of Emmaus, of our missionary reality, of the struggles of our communities, of the processes of enculturation, of our personal difficulties and of our apostolic longings. We also “listened” to the Word, that Word of Jesus that gives meaning to our existence and to our own frustrations. We were told of integrating the reality of the cross of the Saviour to our consecrated life, the cross that re-structures and integrates the Christian life, because it is necessary to give oneself in order to live.
We went deeper, from the charismatic faith and tradition, into our peculiar way of living the Eucharist.
We assumed the classical systematization of the study about the Eucharist in three parts:
• The Eucharistic Mystery in the faith of the People of God: Contemplating some biblico-theological elements of the tradition of the Church, trying to understand the Eucharistic faith as lived and transmitted by Claret.
• The liturgical act: We questioned ourselves about our celebrative participation in the Eucharistic Mystery and studied what elements were outstanding in the devotional and celebrative experience of our Fr. Founder.
• The new spiritual cult: We saw some ethical and evangelizing consequences of the mystery that we believe in and celebrate, and their repercussions in our congregational mission.