OASIS Report, Saturday 21^st October 2023

“Gratitude for our being human, Christian, and religious” (by bro. Theodorus)

The morning prayer at 07:30 had the theme “Gratitude” (Art. 117 FIC Constitution) In the reflection, we were reminded that the model of the relationship between Paul and his people is also what we long for. As FIC brothers, we enter a new family. We live together with our fellow brothers in the communities. We are grateful that we continue to spread the good news with a joyful life according to the identity and mission of the FIC congregation. 

Bro. Theodorus gave a short introduction during the first session in the morning. He read some reflective questions to guide the discussion topic, namely retrospection (looking back at the second and third weeks). The questions are: a) What in particular do you take with you as A MEMORY of your activities in the second and third weeks? b) What values do you want to live out clearly and strongly after you return home? and c) Please write down who you are now as an FIC Brother. According to you, what is our spirituality as FIC Brothers? After the introduction, participants spent the rest of the time on personal reflection till 10:30.

Being the last day, we took the opportunity to take some group photos in front of the chapel of Carolus Borromeus Sisters and in front of the main entrance of the convent, also called “Onder de Bogen.” Through this, we demonstrated our unity and togetherness as one family of FIC. It was also quite inspiring to have a quiet and reflective morning. In the second session, we spent one hour writing the evaluation of the three-week program. This was done both orally and in written form.  

The theme of our closing Eucharist was “Gratitude”. We used the readings of Sunday, 22^nd October 2023. Msgr. Everald de Jong led the Eucharistic celebration. This time again, some of our brothers in The Netherlands, associated members, and friends came to witness the closing of the meeting. 

At the end of the Eucharist, bro. Elijah Abugri, on behalf of the participants, gave the vote of thanks. He concluded in these words: “In conclusion, let us remember that our spiritual journey is an ongoing process. May the lessons learned and connections made during these three weeks continue to inspire and guide us on our path. Together, we strive for spiritual growth and a deeper understanding of our purpose as members of the FIC family. Thank you all for being a part of this remarkable journey”. The coordinator of the program, Bro. Theodorus, added his own words of gratitude before the meeting officially closed. 

The General Superior gave a message to the participants: “This spiritual journey program has helped you develop a closer relationship with our beloved Founders and fellow brother participants from other provinces. Hopefully, this spectacular experience will daily animate and enhance our spirituality. You have also reflected on some important topics, which include "our identity and mission, the style of leadership of our founders,  Community life and how to deal with the daily hustle and stress that acts as devil in the mind. You will find a great source of energy and motivation to continue with your spiritual journey if you can integrate your experience from this program properly. You now have a wide range of possibilities and a wealth of knowledge to help you make credible and holy choices in life. Try to consistently put your rich experiences into practice and at the service of your fellow brothers and all the people you will meet in life”. After this he declared the Oasis 2023 officially closed.

All were then invited for supper followed by a cultural evening. Our guests were treated to wonderful cultural performances by our fellow brothers from Ghana, Indonesia, Chile, The Netherlands, and Malawi. This certainly featured our richness in terms of our language and culture. This joyful event brought our togetherness to a close at 21:00 hours.

Prepared by Theodorus