Building eucharistic community in the development congregation of Vietnam

• Main Author: Nguyen, Thong D.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2001
• Subjects: Religious communities; Religious life; Religious Education
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_doctoral/915
• Institution: De La Salle University

This study is an attempt to find out the Redemptorist-professed students' experiences of God, of love of God and for others, their spiritual exercises, and their community and apostolic life. It also analyzes the existing activities of the Redemptorist professed students. Using the data gathered by means of a questionnaire, the researcher tried to devise an enrichment program. The results of the study reveal that the participants' experience of God as their Lover and Carer is very good. The Redemptorist-professed students, up to the present, have the Eucharistic celebration and the Church Prayers together everyday except daily meditation. Their meditation and prayers are fervent. They are joyful to be Redemptorists and to build their community. Their love for God and others is high. However, their Eucharistic celebration and living Christ's Paschal Mystery and mission is rated mediocre. These aspects, therefore, are retained and improved in the enhancement program proposed in this study. The main activities of the proposed enhancement program are common Eucharistic celebrations, meditation, and faith sharing. Meditation is crucial for the fruitful Eucharistic celebration. In the Eucharist, Christians celebrate a great love of God previously experienced before to enter into it more fully in their daily life. For effective Eucharistic celebration, Christians should know God and experience His love, and celebrate the Eucharist with that experience. One of the ways to experience God is meditation. They will do it communally in the enhancement program with guided themes to have deeper experience of God and others. These experiences,when celebrated in the Eucharist and lived out in their daily life, will hopefully help them form their community into a living witness to the kingdom of God. Faith sharing is indispensable in religious congregations. Faith sharing with guidelines will be the weekly and monthly activity in the program. The guidelines for faith sharing are given in the module. A common vision is likewise spelled out for the unity of life and work of the Redemptorist Congregation of Vietnam.