Manifesto of the participants "When we reach 65,70..."

Many of us arrived to Manresa with accumulated physical and psychological fatigue, with some vital acceleration, without knowing much what we would find and without definite expectations, but with the intuition that something good would bring us this course. In any case, the course has meant a necessary stop on the road at this time in our lives, to be able to make our life, our vocation and the meaning of our life more conscious.

 

Gradually, the progress of the course helped us to focus and calm down. The exercise of rereading our own history helped us in line with the Autobiography of Saint Ignatius. It was a concrete way to reconcile with our history and to make grateful memories of our lives. And that was even more settled with the experience we were given of the eight days of accompanied and personalized Spiritual Exercises; key time to deepen our own personal reality and to feel it and liked as loved by God who still calls us today and invites us to continue the footsteps of the Lord Jesus.

 

As the course continued, a pleasant community climate increased among us and also new contributions from the following courses that were of great quality and that discovered new horizons to cultivate in our lives. Thus, we were saying inside: “How good it is here! How we enjoy what we know, live and share! ”

 

Thanks to an active but serene rhythm, to ample times to be able to pray, walk and reflect with inner and outer peace, and thanks also to a very fraternal group climate, we have become aware that now we will have to live with more serenity and pause, without so many “pre-fabricated” plans, with a new, more grateful and helpful look towards everything and everyone, with a rediscovery of the value of the daily life, love and closeness that can be lived there, from the helpful and humble heart that can be delivered there. Also of the limits that age and health impose on us: at this stage of our life it is no longer so much about doing, as about letting ourselves be done, trusting, starting to detach, to abandon.

 

In short, we return to our deeply grateful lands of origin; Because this time has been a gift. And we leave with a task; the task of living this stage of our lives in a healthy way, knowing how to withdraw from what no longer corresponds to us, and knowing how to joyfully deliver our hearts in everything we can contribute for the good of the world and the most disadvantaged.

 

Group of course participants