Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests Welcomes 5 New Candidates in South America

https://arcwpamericadelsur.wordpress.com/2017/02/01/encuentro-con-las-candidatas-al-presbiterado-olga-lucia-alvarez-benjumea-

We are an International Movement within the Catholic Church, in the search for Justice and equality for women and men in the inclusiveness according to the proposal of Jesus of Nazareth

ENCOUNTER WITH CANDIDATES TO THE PRESBITERATE. OLGA LUCIA ALVAREZ BENJUMEA. ARCWP *

February 1, 2017

 REPORT AND COMMENTS. ENCOUNTER WITH CANDIDATES TO THE PRESBITERATE.

For days, we felt the need to meet, the call, was already insisting too much, and we had to attend and listen. Each one was telling the story of that "mysterious" call, of CONSCIOUSNESS, that comes to us printed from Baptism. It was a joy to reaffirm our identity, sharing the places we came from, our values, customs and our experiences of life, as women, in the search for equity and justice according to the Gospel.

We came from different places: I come from the land of the Sun, Sogamoso! Where the light of day never tires of lighting. So many beautiful stories keeps this beautiful place, as well as its beautiful Temple to the Sun of our Muiscas and the Lagoon of Tota with Siramena the first woman priest celebrating with the priest Monetá.

I come from Funza, which means "Mighty man". There was the head of Bacatá's cacicazgo, governed by Zipa, "principe Muisca". Beautiful region bordering the reserve area, Zipa recreation area.

I come from the "Beautiful Flower of the Savannah", Madrid-Cundinamarca, former Sagasuca. There lived with his family an Indian called Sagasuca and from there the name of Town of the Indians of Sagasuca.

I come from Bosa. Important town muisca, where Techotiva lived, its name means in Muisca language: "surrounded by the one who keeps and defends the harvest.  In its history we are told the end of the reign of the Zipas, as they were condemned to hang without any judgment by the conquerors who settled in this town.

I come from Quirigua. In fact there is no greater historical data about this neighborhood. They say that its name has the origins of a Mayan people in Guatemala, called Quiriguá. It is a dense and populous neighborhood. It has grown a lot around the B. Minute of God.

Skillfully preparing sharing.

I come from Baraya.Huila , whose name means "The city of eternal return". This town is named after the General Baraya, but its first settlers were the Guarocoes and the Nutrios, until they took possession of their lands and the Treasury of the Kings of the parish priest of Neiva, Father Mario Tadeo de Reyes. Both Villavieja, Tello and Baraya belonged to this priest.

Making a coffee.

I am coming from Bucaramanga: Our ancestors the Guanes. It is a rich and prosperous region, marked by the hunger for justice and freedom on the path of the Comuneros to the present day.

In the realization of our vocation = our call, we do not doubt that there is a divine intervention, it is manifested in our Consciousness through Baptism.

It has been exciting to listen and share the search process of each one of the present and how it has been the Hand of the Divinity, that has guided us, by rough roads, not easy to walk, entangling us among weeds, thorns and briers.

We are happy accepting to take the risk before the divine mandate, we appropriate it to live in the present: "The Lord said to Moses: Why they call to me to shouts ?. Command the Israelites to advance "(Exodus 14:15).

That advance, means "to throw us into the water" without fear, because the Divinity, guides and protects us. We advance because we must be Light in the midst of darkness, doubts and fears. It is necessary, have we not received that Light, present, in the candle that they gave us the day of our Baptism? That Light, is not for us only, that Light, is not to place it under a table. That Light must be shown, we must share it and turn many other lights to our surroundings, so that the Presence of the Divine is seen and the announcement of the Good News shines.

Let not the murmurs of selfishness, competition, resentment, avarice, fear, quench the Divine Light, in us and in those who are close to us.

The reading of the Gospel invited us to reflect on the beatitudes, empowering ourselves in the strengthening of our project of life as presbyters in the service of the Church:

"For the whole law is summed up in this one commandment: Love thy neighbor as thyself" (Galatians 5:14).

* Catholic Presbyter.