During the morning session, Michael Casey OCSO, basing himself on the biblical texts on the prophet Elijah, gave a reflection on how to pass on our tradition in today’s world. Tradition is alive and it must be continuously reinterpreted so that, faithful to our roots we may bear fruit in today’s world and respond to its challenges from our spirituality. In this way we may become credible witnesses in a world that needs witnesses rather than teachers.

In the afternoon, Professor Bruna Costacurta spoke on “Prophetic Witness for today’s generation”. Elijah’s role as a prophet in a time of religious syncretism was to denounce hypocrisy and increase the awareness of the truth, thus leading to conversion. Meeting with resistance, Elijah experienced a feeling of powerlessness and abandonment. Yet, while he laid down to sleep desiring to die, an angel brought him food and drink. Moses, on the threshold of the promised land, instructed the people to ‘Listen’. Faith is based on listening to the Word of God, and as Mary teaches us, it must be lead into actions. Just as Tobit had to reinterpret his faithfulness to God in a new situation, so we are called in this present generation to decipher the news signs of God’s presence.

Later in the evening, three reports were given:

Sebastian Benchea reported on the development and activities of Edizioni Carmelitane. In his report Sebastian highlighted the work done in promoting the Edizioni Carmelitane on the internet, the list of recent publications, the good financial state of the Edizioni, and prospects for the future that include the opening up of new markets while maintaining the custom of each community of the order taking on the responsibility to buy Edizioni’s books.

Giovanni Grosso spoke about the change of President in the Carmelite Institute and about the publications and events organized by the Central committee. He highlighted the desire to increase the collaboration between the various cultural institutes of the Order. The Institutum offers two scholarships, one of which is addressed to historians in memory of Joachim Smet, and the other to archivists in memory of Emanuele Boaga. Dr. Giovanna Brizi spoke of her appointment as Postulator General and then went on to explain the present status of a number of important causes, notably those of Blessed Titus Brandsma, Sr. Maria Israel Bogotá Baguero and Jean de Saint Samson.