PEACE, JOY AND THANKSGIVING "PILLET-WILL" RETIREMENT HOME, ATTICHY - FRANCE

Great joy for the residents of the "Pillet-Will" retirement home on this December 21, 2022. In fact, we welcome Monsignor Jacques Benoit-Gonnin, bishop of Beauvais, Noyon, Senlis who, despite his many commitments, makes himself available by coming to us to celebrate the Eucharist.

In the week preceding the celebration, Father Pierre Nguyen Tri Dung, vicar of the parish of Our Lady of Neuffontaine, spent an entire day listening to residents who wished to receive the sacrament of Reconciliation in preparation for the Nativity of the Lord. For them it was a time of peace, happiness and thanksgiving.

Wednesday 21, Monsignor Jacques arrives at 2.00 pm. The chapel is full: many residents are present, some accompanied by their sons or daughters. Mrs. Laurence Faure, animator, volunteer and musician of the school, accompanies the songs and everyone participates with fervor and recollection.

During his homily, Archbishop Benoit-Gonnin paused on the words: "Blessed, she who believed". Two women, Mary and Elizabeth, meet and share their hope and motherhood, but above all the fact that their motherhood commits them entirely to God's plan, and that their two children are children of the impossible. Both affirm in their flesh that nothing is impossible for God...

Everything will be fulfilled according to the promise: Christ has come, is coming, and will come. He came in humility, He comes in intimacy and through this Eucharist, He will come in the immense clarity of His glory. Since faith is difficult and hope soon fades away in our hearts, today Mary comes to visit us from God, to repeat to us, "You do not know how close the Lord is!"

Now it is up to us to be amazed at what God does. It is up to us to repeat to Elizabeth's surprise, « how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord  should come to me ».

Maria Chiara, a resident, at the end of the celebration of the Eucharist, presents the statue of the Child Jesus to Monsignor. He has blessed the statue and together they place him in the crib. Meanwhile those present sing, «He was born the divine Child» and «the Angels in our countryside». Monsignor presents the Child Jesus to each resident for a caress or a kiss... a gesture much appreciated by the public.

While Monsignor Benoit-Gonnin lays down his vestments, the choir prepared and encouraged by Laurence continues to sing Christmas carols with fervor and great faith.

As for us, Sister Sherly and Sister Maria Armelle accompanied Monsignor to our apartment where we shared a cup of tea, exchanging in fraternal simplicity some considerations on the situation of the diocese and our pastoral care in the residence and in the parish.

We give thanks to the Lord for this beautiful occasion of praise and for the presence of our bishop, Jacques Benoit-Gonnin.

Sr. Sherly and Sr. Armelle