on this night every year that the entire Community
also renew their own promises: COVENANT RENEWAL MASS
On the evening of Friday, December 11, 2009, LWC members came together to renew thier various Covenants at Holy Mass celebrated by Msgr Jason Gordon and Fr Chris Lumsden. Four covenanted members made their final promises - Alice Theophile (Household Consecration); Betty Espinet, Eastlyn Rawlinson and Grace Ramdoo (Consecrated Lay Persons). Gregory Radjiman made his second year consecration to the Household and Sherma Gidaree her first time promise as a Consecrated Lay Person. Then came renewal of consecration in groups - Lay Persons and Married couples; and then first time covenant members and renewal of covenant members. Here are some highlights of the evening and the reports from the Catholic News of December 22, 2009:
"Living Water Community welcomed another 20 new Covenant members from both North and South Trinidad at a Mass celebrated at their Centre on Frederick Street on Friday, December 11.
The Community had much to
celebrate as they listened to their sister, Alice Theophile make her final
promises as a consecrated household member. Gregory Radjiman renewed his
promises for a second year within the household. There is another group of
consecrated members who live a single life outside of the household, “in the
world”. Three members of this group also made their
on this night every year that the entire Community
also renew their own promises:
“……to attend prayer meetings
of the Living Water Community regularly;
to witness to the power of the
Lord in my life;
to minister God’s healing
love to my brothers and sisters in Christ;
to spend time daily with the
Lord in prayer;
to read Scripture regularly;
to be a practicing member of the Church;
and transformed and
strengthened by the power of His Holy Spirit, to spread Christ’s gospel of love
in all my activities……”
How wonderful to see so many young people as part of the group making their promises for the first time!
In December 1980, the Community made Covenant Promises for the first time. The idea was to satisfy the need that members expressed, to belong and to commit themselves to the Lord through their part in Community. One hundred and sixty-six persons made the Covenant that first year and since then, every year in December, others are invited to make that further step in their commitment to the Community. Becoming a Covenant member of the Living Water Community simply means, doing a Life in the Spirit Seminar with the Community; attending the prayer meetings of the Community regularly for at least six months after that, and to continue on a directed journey within the Community, becoming part of the Living Water family.
In 2010, the Community will
celebrate 35 years of its existence and members are preparing for their
first “Chapter” in May. A
“Chapter” in religious language, is an assembly of the whole Community; an
official gathering of the Community to engage in timely, critical reflection,
prayer and conversation on their fidelity to God’s call.
In their mission statement, the Community describes itself as:
A Catholic family, on the journey to holiness. Empowered by the Spirit of Jesus we strive to be His healing presence to all who thirst. United in love, prayer and mission we joyfully lay down our lives in the service of the Kingdom of God.
In their early days, back in the late 1970s, members saw themselves as simply a group of people who met together to praise the Lord and to grow spiritually. They didn’t have a name or any particular identity. Along came Fr Duffy, a priest of Madonna House, who was at that time stationed on the island of Carriacou and who became a spiritual father to the small group, who later became Living Water Community.
Each time he visited Trinidad and the Community, he would encourage them to choose a name. He insisted that it was important to find a name that would reflect their spirituality. Without a name, he said, “you are no people at all”. So the search began. After praying and fasting, many names were offered but none felt right. Then one day, someone opened their Bible at John 7:37-39 and said: “What about, ‘Living Water’?” ...and that was it!
It felt like a light had been turned on and it was as if God Himself was calling out their name. Another passage very meaningful to the Community is Ezekiel 47: “Wherever the river flows it brings life.”
This river flows and brings life in Trinidad, with Centres in Port of Spain and San Fernando. The islands of Saba and St Eustasius in the Netherlands Antilles, Barbados and most recently, in St Lucia.
The Living Water family now has over 400 Covenant members in Trinidad and another 100 in their Mission outreach to other Caribbean islands.
May Living Water continue to flow"
"Alice's Testimony - ‘I surrendered to God’s will’
Shout
for joy daughter of Zion.... Rejoice, exult with all your heart, daughter of
Jerusalem
(Zeph. 3:14). And indeed, my heart rejoices “for the Almighty has done great
things for me, Holy is his name” (Luke 1: 49). This thing, which I describe
as boundless joy, joy unspeakable, has been very difficult to contain in the
weeks leading up to December 11, 2009 – that memorable moment when I echoed our
Blessed Mother’s fiat to Papa God. I believe that the
heavenly hosts
rejoiced with me that God’s will was finally fulfilled in me.
For many years, I had resisted that persistent whisper in the depth of my soul, to lay down my life for the One who gave His all for me. But, there came a time when I could no longer suppress or ignore that gentle beckoning to come walk in the footprints of my Lord. Nothing brought lasting fulfilment and I knew I had to seek meaning in life and peace for my soul by surrendering to the invitation to give my life in loving service to God and His people. Obstacles – internal and external – fell, under the powerful hand of God. On October 1, 2003 I left my family, my friends, my country, my job – all that was familiar and secure – to join the Living Water Community. The journey has been a long, demanding but life-giving one. I learnt to say with St Paul, “Your love and your grace are enough for me.”
Today, I bless God and I thank Him that He remained true to His word and pursued and sustained me as I surrendered to His will. I thank my biological family for allowing me the space and freedom to be true to God’s call. I thank my Living Water family, for accepting me and for allowing me to be part of their service to God through His people. I especially thank Rose Jackman for being a mentor and spiritual guide to me as I discerned God’s call, even before I became part of the Living Water Community. I also thank Fr Hugh Joyeau for his support and spiritual guidance over the years. I thank too, the people of Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Saba and St Eustatius who have allowed me to be of service to them. May God bless you all for being a blessing to me and please pray for me that I may remain faithful to God who has always been faithful to me. – Alice Theophile
"Gregory's Testimony - ‘It’s what I’ve always been looking for’
“Ask,
and it will be
given to you; search, and you will find;
knock, and the door will be
opened to you.”
Mt 7:7. I’m certain that the theme of my journey into Living Water Community (LWC)
is rooted in this piece of scripture. My journey started with a search for truth
and identity at age 16. I felt God calling me towards the priesthood. But afraid
of what my family and friends might say, I visited the vocational gatherings
twice a month pretending to have joined a bible study group. At first I was
eager to start my own religious order, something different than what existed. I
even made deals with God; promising Him things I would soon forget.
Entering the pre-seminary (in Suriname) in 2001 made me realise I wasn’t ready to give my life. I was even convinced that this was not my calling. My desire to live in community remained and what added to this was my exposure to a form of charismatic lay community in Europe. I happily continued my life and started to focus on a career when God reminded me of some of our deals. Conscious of this I went on a community hunt in Europe right after the World Youth Day in Cologne (2005), but with no results. After working for a year with the Bishop of Paramaribo, I knew I was ready to start formation. I’d started my formation towards the priesthood at the Regional Seminary of St John Vianney and the Uganda Martyrs in 2006, but not with diocesan priesthood in mind. With the bishop’s permission I’d planned to do some community hunting after my first academic year. But after consideration and stress from my first year I just longed to go home.
My connection with LWC started in my second year when I requested a “come and see” experience during the Christmas break. My first visit to the Community felt like discovering what I’d always been looking for and what I’d been called to; it felt like coming home. I’d fallen in love with this community, its ministries and its spirituality. But the experience was too short and I was determined to do some discernment during my three-month summer break. This time of discernment changed into a year (taking time off from the Seminary) as I realised that I couldn’t make a life’s decision based on three months. But after six months God made it clear that this was the Community in which he was calling me to lay down my life for Him. I made my first promises towards consecrated life on December 19, 2008.
Living in community has contributed to the tremendous growth in both my spiritual and personal life; a clearer sense of purpose; allowing me to own, develop and use my talents in ministry; and working on the wholeness and holiness I am called to. I thank God for opening the many doors that have led to finding this community; for His abundant grace granted to me through those who support me on this journey; and for His enduring love that sustains and enables me to love in return. – Gregory Radjiman"
Consecrated Lay Persons renewing their promises
New Covenant Members making their promise
Youth Group Choir
Msgr Jason and Fr Chris with Rhonda