In Belgium, an original weekend for a group motivated by the novelty of the CANA proposals. We discovered and/or rediscovered that our primary mission is to love our spouse and that Christ qualifies the people He calls.
Denis & Claudine POINAS, CANA International
A beautiful group
Located near Liège, the Carmel of Mehagne which has been entrusted to the Chemin Neuf community since 2011, welcomed the CANA fraternity from Belgium for a special weekend (April 22-23, 2023). The 14 couples participating represented a beautiful mix: different countries of origin, generations (couples between 26 and 60 years old), backgrounds (unmarried couples, divorced couples) and Christian confessions. To accompany them, 23 servants and 25 children between 2 months and 12 years. A group of more than 75 people, typically CANA!
An original weekend!
The originality of the weekend was to start with the participants reflecting on their commitment to CANA and expressing their expectations in a collaborative exercise with the famous “post it”. In summary, the couples reaffirmed mainly the importance of:
– sharing in truth as Christian brothers and sisters
– time together as a couple to learn how to communicate
– testimonies (including those between women)
– Christ and the Holy Spirit at the center
– taking care of the children.
The couples were able to express their expectations with in particular the wish to diversify the themes of the weekends throughout the year to answer questions of our time (abortion, homosexual marriage, a Welcome CANA preparation to marriage…). Many have given ideas of themes they would like to see addressed when in a sharing group. In short, with all these ideas, the leadership team will be able to renew CANA in Belgium next year.
The couples were particularly touched by the couple’s “sharing walk” and the festive evening. During this evening, everyone was masked and could relax around world dances, a game of hide and seek and marshmallows roasted outside by the fire. We experienced a moment of grace and emotion during the Rwandan dances.
Our first mission: to love our spouse
While reading again their letter written as a couple at the beginning of the year, the couples took the time to recognize all what the Lord has been able to accomplish and the journey they have made in 6 months.
The couples understood more that CANA is in fact « each one of us », that the couple is called to holiness and that our first mission is to love our spouse.
Some points of the CANA Fraternity Charter will have to be taken up again, such as the question of financial sharing, but there was not enough time to address all the issues.
The CANA leaders reminded us of the importance of service with this beautiful interpellation : “Christ does not call qualified people, but He qualifies the people He calls”.
