The CANA Mission in Brazil enjoyed a wonderful weekend in March on the theme of “Cirque CANA or the art of being a family”. Using circus life and its characters as a backdrop, participants explored different aspects of life as a couple and as a family.
How did the idea come about?
After a period with few registrations for CANA weekends, the idea was born to work on a few themes that could be used in communication to attract children and couples. The theme of the first weekend was “CANA’s little farm”, with lots of animals, country-style decor and teachings drawing parallels between life on the farm and married life. This year, we transformed our house into a circus to attract couples and families to a great show of God’s Love!
The weekend began with a time of welcome, where families took part in games and photo sessions in a circus-themed setting. The teachings were moments of deep reflection, addressing God’s plan for the family as a work of art, and how sin and selfishness can damage that work. The second teaching focused on the art of being a family, highlighting the “10 breaches” the enemy can use to try to destroy the family show. While the parents took part in the workshops, the children also had their own space: treasure hunt, inflatable structures, sports time… A great opportunity for everyone to have fun and create good memories.
In addition to the classic moments of a spiritual time – praise, prayer, sharing, teachings – couples took part in “Circus Workshops” on conjugal and family life. In the balancer’s workshop, couples reflected on how to balance professional life, married life, family life, spirituality, health… In the clown’s workshop, they learned about the importance of joy and good humor in everyday household life. Finally, in the magician’s workshop, they listened to the testimony of a couple faced with their son’s serious illness, with a doctor’s diagnosis of only a few months to live. They had to put all their hope in the God of miracles.
Saturday closed with a family show, featuring clowns, tightrope walkers, jugglers… Israeli dances and family worship rounded off the evening.
After the party, at bedtime, a little girl was crying in her bed:
“Mommy, I don’t want to die.
Surprised, she asked:
- Why do you say that, darling?
- Because I want to keep experiencing evenings like this.
The mother, between a sigh of relief and a smile of amusement, replies:
- Don’t worry, sweetie, we’ll have many more evenings like this one. And even when we die, heaven will be a great party too!”
The weekend ended with a moving celebration of the Eucharist, during which the families were able to reflect on all they had experienced and learned. Despite the sadness of parting, the children have already made a date for the next CANA event! As for the parents, they were moved to reflect on all the graces they had received as a couple in just 24 hours!