On Saturday, June 10, the First Day of Cooperators of the Paulina Family of Lima took place, scheduled for this year.
From 9 am to 4 pm, in the IEP "Santiago Alberione", of the Little Shepherd Sisters, anticipating the Festivities of the Apostles Peter and Paul, this first meeting of cooperators of the Daughters of Saint Paul and the Friends of Jesús Buen Pastor, encouraged by the reflections offered by Father José Carlos de Freitas (SSP).
The first topic exposed was the "Vocation of the Pauline Cooperator", in it, Father José Carlos highlighted that to enter the path of God it is necessary that we value and love our baptism as a substantive consecration and as a gift from God. To himself, that in order to participate in divine life it is necessary to accept the grace of God as the great opportunity we have to create or recreate ourselves to achieve the image of Christ (Rm 8, 29), an objective that requires effort and asceticism, but it is possible to reach it with the power of grace through the Way, Truth and Life Method (Jn 14, 6). He also recalled that there would be no reason to be grace and vocation if the objective of this gift were not holiness, for this reason, we are called, called, to know who Jesus Christ is and to ask ourselves what place he occupies in life. So the gift of grace is Jesus Christ and for Paulines and Paulines, to know Jesus as Way, Truth and Life is to be or not to be a Pauline Family, for this reason we must take care of grace and vocation.
The second theme was "Being Cooperators, how to live the Pauline spirituality?". From Chapter III "Spirituality of the Pauline Cooperator" of the Pauline Cooperators Association Statute (Ad-Experimentum 2022-2027), Father José Carlos highlighted the call to live an integral spirituality, where there is no disintegration of the particular devotions of each place where one lives, but these devotions must be integrated into our Pauline spirituality to complement and enrich it, since our spirituality is our lifestyle and not forget that we are called to live from the Word of God. He shared with us as Father Alberione in Abundantes Divitiæ Gratiæ Suæ (AD), in numbers 93-95 and 100, clearly marking the special traits of the spirituality of the Pauline Family:
a climate of life: Being and living in Christ.
a way of being before the Lord: drawing nourishment from “every sentence” of Christ-Word and making everything derive from the Eucharistic Christ;
a luminous horizon: everything starts from the Trinity and everything returns to the Trinity.
a path: discipleship, which encompasses all the faculties of the person and all his activities.
a clear awareness of the mission: Everything, nature and grace and vocation, for the apostolate
a rule: live and work in the Church.
the models of discipleship: Mary Queen of the Apostles.
Father José Carlos also added that Pauline spirituality would be incomplete if the presence of Peter was not duly taken into account, with the consequent “sentire cum Ecclesia”, so instilled by our founder.
In this way, spirituality would be summed up in “the whole man in Christ Jesus, for a total love of God: intelligence, will, heart, physical forces. Everything, nature, grace and vocation, for the apostolate. Cart that walks supported by four wheels: holiness, study, apostolate and poverty.”
After each reflection presented by Father José Carlos, a moment was arranged for personal meditation, with some questions: how do I live Pauline spirituality in daily life? Does being a Pauline Cooperator really make me happy? In what way do I share the grace that God has given me?; among other. Also some time to share their responses in groups.
It was a true day of fraternity, the joy of the meeting was shared as a family, ending with the Eucharist, on the eve of the Celebration of Corpus Christi where three new cooperators of the Pauline sisters made their promises and the other cooperators renewed them. We thank God for this day where we feel the renewal of our faith and enthusiasm to live and give to the world Jesus Christ, Master and Shepherd, Way, Truth and Life.
Some testimonials:
“It was very exciting to see all the cooperators as the unique group that they are. Throughout the morning they were reflecting on Pauline spirituality and the vocation of the Cooperator. After lunch they did deepening work in groups. Concluding the day with the Eucharistic Celebration where they made and renewed their promises. I was filled with emotion by the solemnity with which everyone lived that moment of total dedication to God and the firm purpose of letting Christ live in them”.
Sr. Simona Rosario (FSP)
“The first Formation Day for Cooperators of the Pauline Family has been a space for much learning and reflection on our mission and this beautiful gift received. The topics have been developed in a very clear, didactic language and with simple examples. The father knew how to reach our hearts, make us reflect and with it, strengthen our spirituality. Consequently, from what we have lived and learned, the moment of renewal of our vocation was simply beautiful. We have finished a nice day very strengthened and grateful!!"
Aida Navarro (delegate of Pauline Cooperators
"Friends of Jesus Good Shepherd" of Lima).
Sr. Elsa Zavaleta (SJBP), Aida Navarro (CPAJBP), Sr. Romina Testa (SJBP)
