El Puente sisters offer insights into Pope’s “Share the Journey”

Two sisters from El Puente Hispanic Ministry in Jefferson City gave a presentation titled “Share the Journey” for the diocesan Cursillo School of Leaders on Dec. 2.

Incarnate Word Sister Peggy Bonnot, executive director; and Sister Barbara Neist of the School Sisters of Notre Dame, program associate, took turns sharing information.

They based their discussion on Pope Francis’ Sept. 27 invitation to reflect more deeply on the call to respect the dignity of every person and to serve “the poorest, the most marginal, the most hurting, the most defenseless and the least loved.”

The sisters began by sharing their personal reflections on these two quotations:

•“Each person is precious; persons are more important than things, and the worth of an institution is measured by the way it treats the life and dignity of human beings, particularly when they are vulnerable.” (Pope Francis, Message for the World Day of Immigrants and Refugees, 2017)

•“The fruits of evangelization are changed lives and a changed world — holiness and justice, spirituality and peace. The validity of our having accepted the Gospel does not only come from what we feel or what we know; it comes also from the way we serve others, especially the poorest, the most marginal, the most hurting, the most defenseless and the least loved.” (“Go and Make Disciples,” no. 18, national plan for Catholic evangelization in the United States, U.S. Catholic Bishops, 1992)

The sisters then shared the following points for discussion:

•Every person is created in the image and likeness of God, which is the source of human dignity.

•Since all human beings share this dignity, it is so important that we honor it by our actions.

•Our baptism calls us to reach out, take the first step, to be the light of the world and witnesses to Jesus Christ with our own lives. In the story of Jesus and the two disciples on the Road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35), Jesus shows what it means to “take the first step.”

•This is not only a personal call. Our institutions will be measured by how well they respect the dignity of the human person.

•Jesus often challenged the institutions of His time when they placed traditions and laws above the dignity of the human person.

•These quotations echo the Last Judgment scene in Matthew 25.

•The call of Pope Francis is to reach out, to take the first step; we need to be aware of the signs of need around us, in our parish, community and workplace.

•It is important to share the Gospel with people who are not like us, who do not speak our language nor share our cultural traditions.

•The mission of the Church toward those who suffer demands two things: works of mercy and a committed struggle against all forms of injustice.

•The purpose of Cursillo is evangelization. The fruits of evangelization are changed lives and a changed world.

Sr. Barbara offered a brief PowerPoint presentation on the “Share the Journey” campaign and the issues of the global refugee crisis, the Central America migrant crisis and the need for immigration reform.

Sr. Peggy then spoke about what it means to share the journey with others. She highlighted:

•The importance of listening without judgment;

•Going to the periphery, to those who are far away from the Church;

•The call to be prophetic voices in a world that is every day more polarized; and

•This accompaniment is a work of God’s grace prompting us and generating fruits of friendship, joy, hospitality, solidarity and hope.

Participants then engaged in faith-sharing based on these two questions:

•As a Cursillo leader, what does it mean to share the journey of others?

•How am I changed by sharing the journey of others?

The reflection ended with the Prayer for the Global Migration Campaign.