At the end of this year 2021, as every year at the same time, the entrance hall of our building has been enriched with a magnificent fresco: a very colourful landscape crossed by paths, in the image of the many roads of encounters that connect us. Words in many languages run through the landscape, echoing the many nationalities or ethnicities present in our building. Gérard, the creator of this work, asked everyone to write – to be reproduced, cut out and glued – the little magic phrase: “I love you” in their native language.And the magic of Christmas works: “Oh, that’s my dialect!”
Then, as every year, a small gift was distributed from door to door (meeting suppressed, Covid obliges!) to all those under 12 and over 70 years old.
Rereading this event, it reveals itself as a way of witnessing, without proselytising, to the love of our God: he became a little child to make love grow among all, whatever the country, language or colour, all gathered in this place on the 179 rue de Charonne, in the 11th arrondissement of Paris. Following in the footsteps of the sisters who collaborated in this work, we contributed in a very modest way, thus participating “with others in his Mission of Love in the world” RL 4 … Commitment to “the Mission which is often lived through simple human gestures, apparently without importance” RL 10. – for this fresco: drawing and cutting out cardboard letters.
For what “fruits”? “I was astonished, on arriving in this community, to see people greeting each other, waiting at the foot of the lift or holding the door for a mother with her baby’s pushchair.” Small gestures, “simple gestures”, which create a human atmosphere of respect and attention… We go home peacefully!
The year 2022 will be dotted with other proposals made by the Association of the inhabitants of our building (selling lilies of the valley, barbecues… ), proposals which will nourish these relationships which are so vital for everyone!
Sister Françoise Lelièvre, DHS – Published on 23 December 2021
-2nd photo: Gérard. – Last photo: Sister Anne-Marie, participant.
