My name is Iwona Olesinska, a Sister Hospitaller and head of the “Josefinato,” a period of discernment before the definitive choice to follow the Lord in the Hospitaller life.
Involvement and joint responsibility
Based on conversations with sisters at the Mother House and others from the “Josefinato” training group, I can attest to a deep experiential harmony, since we all value the opportunity to be involved and jointly responsible in the spiritual process of reviewing and updating our Constitutions. The proposed methodology has helped us rediscover the beauty of the Hospitaller vocation and renew our gratitude and joy at being summoned to bear witness to God’s mercy among the sick, poor, and needy. The enlightenments, callings, proposals—the result of our personal reflection and prayer—help us deepen and better discern the current challenge of Hospitaller consecration, especially when living the shared mission in training, in government, and management.
The rich illumination of the themes, from the Word of God, the ecclesial Magisterium, and our Spiritual Heritage, have awakened questions in us, disrupting our ideas, and prompting processes of conversion, purification, and opening up to welcome the Spirit, who aims to recreate Hospitality and instil in us a new heart that allows us to grow in the experience of sisterly communion among diverse generations and cultures.
This process has led young sisters to discover the same passion for God that the Founders and earliest sisters experienced, and to practice hospitality with those who suffer by overcoming the challenges of faith and trust.
An important lesson
Sharing among sisters of different generations and cultures helps us appreciate and thank God for the journey of hospitality that brought us to this day. We learn that we are not the main characters of this story, but rather the Holy Spirit who acts in our frailty, transforming us into docile instruments of God’s mercy.
