The seminar on a Povedan approach to accompaniment is taking place in both on-site and online formats. It opened recently with the participation of nearly sixty people from different countries. The programme will be held in six sessions over two years.
On the weekend of 5-6-7 November, a group of 35 people met in Santa María de Los Negrales and another 20 people joined in online from other parts of the world. This was the beginning of the seminar “Until Christ is formed in you: Keys to accompaniment in Poveda”.
A starting-off backpack
The starting point for the seminar is each individual person, so we began by introducing ourselves. Then we asked ourselves questions like: Who am I? What concerns me and worries me at this moment? To what do I dedicate my time?
To answer these questions, we were given a simple exercise to do. We were asked to put in a backpack of coloured cardboard whatever each person brought with them for this journey that was beginning. We are to keep our backpacks with us throughout the duration of the seminar.
First steps
The content of the seminar in this first meeting was focused on “A way of understanding accompaniment in Poveda: filling with God those who are to live a truly human life”.
This kind of accompaniment begins with daily life. Listening and dialogue are essential. It is integral accompaniment that has the aim of leading to a process of “filling − imbuing − with God...”.
The individual who provides this accompaniment must be a person who has been shaped by prayer, our only strength; someone who has been tested by life; a person who offers mediation as God's instrument and nothing else.
The Emmaus story was presented to us as an illustration of accompaniment. On the road to Emmaus, conversation was a medium of particular relevance. We gradually learned about the importance of life questions that encourage, give direction and generate confidence. What conversation are you bringing with you on your journey?
A closer look
Later, we watched the film POVEDA, divided into 4 parts: Guadix, Covadonga, Jaén and Madrid. In groups, we looked at the way in which Poveda accompanied different people in different contexts. He welcomed life and invited, suggested, did not impose, stood back, created trust and listened.
Desires and hopes
Those of us who attended the course in person also shared informal moments. After dinner we had an evening of dancing and singing. There was no lack of sweets and good wine that we had brought from our home regions.
During Mass we presented our backpacks as we set out on this journey with all our hopes and desires.
Antonia Durán and Manoli Gómez.
TA Translators Team.
Published in News