After a refreshing day, a day off from the intensity of the past week, the capitulants returned to the ora et labora of the Chapter. This morning, Sr. Leslye Sándigo, our facilitator, contextualized and recapitulated all that has led us to today. She began with the first day and took us through our engagement through the week. All of this was at the service of provoking us to tangle and tango with the questions: What is the cry we are going to respond to as an Institute? What is our experience of Spirit? What is our response today?
A good portion of the day has been spent in language groups identifying and articulating a single challenge for the Institute, and then to describe three conditions we need to strengthen to meet this challenge. The dialogue in my group was rich and rewarding, and I trust that was shared throughout the building. In the late afternoon in the Aula Magna the six groups shared the challenge they discerned. As I write this, there is a work group drawn from the language group coordinators, to articulate a statement that expresses a single challenge for the Institute. Somehow they have to wend their way through the already inspiring examples to bring it to one. Tomorrow we will consider the challenge they write up, vote on it, and that will then usher us into the next phase of the Chapter.
Mark Twain is known for have written, “I didn’t have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead.” The process of being sharp and succinct is an enormous challenge. We wish our coordinators the grace of the Spirit, and we look forward to receiving the work of our Chapter colleagues tomorrow.
Brother Timothy Coldwell, FSC, is General Councilor for the Lasallian Region of North America. He is providing reflections throughout the 46th General Chapter, which are being shared on Lasallian.info and on Facebook and Twitter. Learn more about the General Chapter here and from the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools. Search #FSC46GC on social media for more highlights. Visit the General Councilor’s page for more reflections from Brother Tim >
Photo courtesy Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools Communications Service