Sister Alecsandra Pina de Oliveira, STJ, shares with us, in her own words, her testimony about how they experienced the implementation of the PJVT materials in Brazil. Through her experience, she gives us insight into the journey they’ve taken, the experiences that arose during the implementation of the program, and everything it meant to those who participated in it.
"The event 'Called to Fly: Our History, the Teresian Charism, and the Hope That Transforms Lives' was a time of gathering, fellowship, and vocational reflection, inspired by the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Company of Saint Teresa of Jesus. Throughout the gathering, participants were invited to reflect on their own history, acknowledge their fears, dreams, and possibilities, and realize how God continues to guide each person’s path.
Our Story and the Call to Fly
Through songs, games, storytelling, group activities, sharing about vocations, and moments of prayer, the program sought to foster bonds and awaken the awareness that every story can be transformed when we open ourselves to God’s call. The image of the caterpillar afraid to fly helped shed light on this process: growing up means trusting, leaving behind the familiar, and discovering new horizons.
A vocation lived out through one's life
One of the most meaningful moments of the experience was the vocational reflection led by the mime clown. Through silence, gestures, and body language, she shared her own journey, marked by the call to leave everything behind to follow Jesus. Without using words, she conveyed the beauty and joy of a life of self-giving, showing that following Jesus also involves the ability to leave behind what holds us back and to embrace, with freedom and joy, the call to give one’s very life. Her silent experience became a powerful language to remind participants that a vocation cannot be explained by words alone: it is witnessed through one’s own life.
The gathering was also an opportunity to learn about and celebrate the Teresian Charism, recognizing that it is not merely a legacy of the past, but a living reality that takes on a face and form in the stories of so many people who, over the past 150 years, have said “yes” to God’s call. The sharing of vocational experiences helped the young people realize how the Charism continues to inspire choices, relationships, service, and a commitment to life.
The light that illuminates the path
The time of reflection and prayer led each participant to recognize that we do not walk alone. The candle, as a symbol of God’s presence and light, expressed the strength of the community that accompanies, sustains, and illuminates every path. The gathering culminated in a time of adoration and Celebration of the Word, inviting each young person to welcome, in the silence of their heart, the question: “Where is God calling me to fly?”
Thus, the event was intended to be more than just a program: it was an experience of encounter, memory, celebration, and calling, in which each participant could recognize her own story as a place where God is present and discover that living a Teresian life means allowing oneself to be transformed in order to transform the world. The experience of the mime clown, the image of the caterpillar, and the various moments of sharing and prayer all converged on the same certainty: when we open ourselves to God’s call, we are able to leave behind what we know, trust the journey, and soar toward a life given in joy and hope.”
