Day for Religious in Whitstable

Sister Rose attended a day For Religious in Whitstable. Here are her thoughts on the event:

Sr. Kate Stogden, a Cenacle Sister, gave an Advent day for Religious at the Convent of Mercy, Whitstable on Friday 27th November from 10am to 3.30pm. The topic was Lectio Divina: Nourishing our Consecration through the Word of God. The day was attended by almost fifty religious and among those present were several Franciscan friars - some from as far away as Erith. Sr. Kate's talks were immensely enjoyable and fruitful. She urged us to rest in the Word of life given to us in Scripture. Lectio Divina is not an intellectual exercise - the emphasis is on being nourished. We read with a faith conviction that God is communicating with us, and we draw life from this encounter. To read well, we need to prepare well. Being open and generous is half the battle. Fundamentally, in Lectio when we approach the Scripture, we see it as a gift to be received, not a problem to be dissected. So we need:

faith: a belief that God can speak to us
humility: understanding that we are in need of God's saving word
openness: to resist the temptation to say, 'I know all this'.
By Sr. Rose