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New Covenanted Members
for Living Water
by Laura
Ann Phillips
(Catholic News - Feb 08,
2004)
Forty persons, including
diocesan priest, Fr Harcourt Blackett, made a special covenant with God,
January 23 in Wildey, St Michael, becoming the newest members of the
Trinidad-based Living Water Community.
They
made their covenant within the Holy Mass, celebrated by Bishop of
Bridgetown, Malcolm Galt and Fr Harcourt at the hall in which the
Community’s weekly prayer meetings are held in Wildey, St Michael.
The Community calls down the Spirit on the
new covenant members.
The
ceremony also marked Living Water Community’s first anniversary celebration
of their missionary presence in Barbados. More than 100 persons attended,
including co-founder, Rose Jackman, and several visitors from the Trinidad
community.
Rhonda
Maingot, the Community’s co-founder and leader, brought greetings to the
gathering from Living Water’s communities in north and south Trinidad and
Saba in the Netherlands Antilles. Living Water has had a missionary presence
in Saba for the past 15 years.
“This
is a great day, not only for the Community, but also for our diocese,”
declared Bishop Galt, in his homily. Referring to the first reading from
Ezekiel 47, he noted, “The living water brings life, and all the ministries
that the Living Water Community is involved in is bringing life to someone
else: prisoners, young people, the handicapped, the street children.
“There
is always the question of bringing life and, as the reading says, bringing
healing. So, they bring healing which leads to life. Jesus said he came to
bring life,” he added, “and life to the full.”
Referring to the passage of scripture that calls Christians, “a chosen race,
a priestly people”, the bishop said that, “every Christian is chosen by
God”.
“By
our baptism we are anointed, we are set aside, we are different,” said
Bishop Galt, “to do the work of Jesus Christ. That’s why He founded his
Church, so we could continue his work on earth. In the sacrament of baptism
we’re anointed with chrism, marking us out as chosen persons, chosen by
name.”
Christians are anointed as “priest, prophet, and sovereign,” the bishop
said, and so, “we share in his ministry.”
Covenant members are indeed called to share in the ministry of Christ. Those
who stood to make this covenant with God promised, for one year, to spend
time daily in prayer and be a practising member of one’s Church, read the
Scriptures, attend the Community’s prayer meetings, witness to the power of
the Lord in their lives, minister God’s healing love to others, and give of
their time, treasure and talent to the building of the kingdom of God - all
within the context of Living Water Community.
Laura Ann Phillips renews her consecrated promises before the altar, beside
Bishop Galt. Photos: Ronald Armstrong
Also
at that celebration, Living Water household member, Laura Ann Phillips,
renewed her consecrated promises of humble obedience, simple poverty and
loving celibacy.
Reflecting on the past year, Fr Blackett later said he “looked forward to
the day when missionaries are sent out from Barbados to the rest of the
world.”
Since
their January 12, 2003 arrival in Barbados, Living Water’s pastoral ministry
has included teachings, retreats, weekly prayer meetings and spirituality
groups for men, women, and children. They also participate in religious
education in St Patrick’s Cathedral and are active parishioners at Sacred
Heart of Jesus Church, St Philip.
The
community’s social ministry includes providing food and other assistance to
families in the (geographical) parishes of St. Michael, Christ Church, St
Philip and St George. Community members also provide and distribute hot
meals weekly to the homeless in Bridgetown.
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