Today the liturgy was celebrated in Spanish, chaired by a brother from the province of Argentina and the preaching was in charge of the province of Bolivia, with a beautiful meditation on the importance of leaving as the sower leaves, the importance of not giving up planting in unprepared fields. Our brother said that as for God there are no lost fields, just as for us there should be no lost situations.
Then the capitulants continue the work in commissions finishing the texts that in the next days will be approved by all the Capitulants and will form the minutes of this general chapter.
At the end of the afternoon we had more a fraternal encounter, a novelty of this Chapter. Each day a project or reality of the Order is presented. Today, our brother Mike Deeb introduced us to the presence of the Dominicans at the ONU. We have had the opportunity to reflect on this important presence and the Dominican contribution in such urgent matters as sovereignty, subsidiarity and collective rights. We have also been challenged to promote in our countries what is necessary at the level of justice and peace and care of creation.
Like every Wednesday, we had a cultural performance today. The musicians came from the mountains of Vietnam, with their traditions and musical instruments to play for us. These brothers, who belong to an ethnic minority in Vietnam, our brothers in the faith, value community life and music very much. To celebrate their faith they have to leave their homes on the eve of the celebrations, walk down the mountains more than five kilometers and then gather in the same church to live and celebrate their faith. Today they have come down to Bien Hoa with our Dominican brothers, who lead the parish, and have taught us their beautiful traditions with the simple and beautiful Harmony of the sound of instruments and dance.