THE RETREAT ON JANUARY 17TH IN THE CENTER THERESIANUM / KINSHASA

On the third Sunday of January, we participated in the retreat held by the Discalced Carmelites that had as motto: MAN, IMAGE OF GOD (Genesis 1, 26 &ss). We started this day of meditation with praises followed by the conference and it ended with the celebration of the Eucharist.

To know better the topic, the orator of the day divided his teaching into two sub-topics:

• To feel loved by God.
• Image of God currently in our existence.

In relation to the first part, to feel loved by God, the orator helps us to understand that God loves even before we are born (Jeremiah 1, 5). He is the one who has loved and created us, then, he said that every human being is necessary and useful for God. Humans for God are like the girl of his eyes. From here, the invitation to look with faith to God for discovering his image on us and thank Him singing his wonders. The orator finished the first part exhorting us to look humans as image of God, not to judge people by appearance without any fair judgement, because humans are sacred.

In relation to the second part, which was about being image of God currently in our existence, the orator told us that when we look in the mirror, this one reflects our own image. Finally, it is an external part of our being. In the context of our memory, the Bible talks to us about the internal image. When God looked Adan and Eva, he looked himself within them. His image was nitid, impeccable, and perfect. It reveals and coincides with the part of himself that inspired man. It is the part of us that allows us to communicate with God.

To talk about “similarity” is the capacity of love, of choosing, of having relationships, of dominating earth knowing that is not our private property, of obeying, of being creative, of being gifted from God’s word in the same nature that God (I know what I say). Finally, God put his glory in and on man so he could know Him, love Him and serve Him eternally through his neighbors.

In conclusion, the orator invited us to open ourselves to God and others because man is a social being by nature.

Dear sisters, this is a small experience I wanted to share with us. See you next time!

Sister IKOLI Françoise