married, mother of 3, ccn, Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire)
As a Catholic Christian, already active in Charismatic Renewal in my parish, and a teacher, I often went to evangelisation activities or prayer sessions in the parish or in other parishes. The meetings take place at weekends and on some evenings. My husband didn’t want to join the Charismatic Renewal, so I did the missions without him, with other brothers and sisters from the parish. But the more I took root in this movement, the more I felt at home. The roles tended to be reversed; my husband looked after the house and the children, while I was more and more involved in evangelisation in the various parishes. A rift was developing within our marriage. It was in this context that we were invited to the CANA Week session.
What attracted me to the Chemin Neuf Community? After experiencing the CANA Week session in 1996, my husband and I were seduced by the simplicity and fervour of the brothers and sisters who were at the service of the session. So we started participating in the CANA fraternities and we discovered the joy of carrying out spiritual activities as a couple: prayer as a couple, times of reconciliation, prayer group times, services and missions. We also enjoyed spending more time together as a couple during the fraternity meetings. Sharing with other couples also nourished our relationship as a couple.
As we progressed, our couple became more united and solid, with more love and gentleness; the Lord helped us to build on rock (Math 7, 25). It was a perch that the Lord was holding out to us, and so, counting on his grace, we decided to continue our journey with the Community. First in Cycle B – now the Emmaus cycle – then in Bethlehem, then Nazareth, until our first commitment in 2006. After 38 years of marriage, the signs of unity in our couple are still visible thanks to our commitment to the Community.
On a personal level, the Chemin Neuf Community strengthens my faith on a daily basis through Christian training, spiritual guidance and personal prayer. Another positive point is that, contrary to my reserved nature, the various activities (times of fraternity, missions and services) of the Community encourage me to be more open to others. As a committed member, I am formed to nourish my spiritual life but also to be a witness to Christ in the Church and in the world. ■ A. A.
Être reconnaissant et entrer dans la gratitude ; reconnaitre les appels de l’identité « Chemin Neuf » ; et maintenant, « partir en reconnaissance », sous le souffle de l’Esprit Saint, afin de témoigner dans le monde, en reconnaissant nos limites....
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