Communication nº 3 Rome, 3 July 2009   After a time of prayer led by the Delegation of England, we began the third day of the Chapter. By means of symbols: hands, a flame, the emblem…we were reminded of our common identity: journeying together in union of hearts. We, the laity and the religious, proceeded to the Assembly Hall to begin the second stage of the Chapter. Mother General, Mother Beatriz Acosta Mesa, invited us to contemplate a ceramic figure representing a solid tree with open branches; it was the gift that the last Chapter gave to the General Team, and it represents the desire that the laity and religious continue our journey together. We received the invitation to work together in a climate of discernment, each one of us from our own context and abilities. The text of the liturgy of the day (Eph: 2: 19-20), resonates with the same intensity as it did in 1605, when it served as a source of inspiration for Saint Jeanne’s Project. We feel co-responsible in the building of the “new temple.” The central theme of the day is: the overall vision of the Company of Mary in different contexts. Each province, delegation and interprovincial ambit presented with creativity, depth and realism, aspects of their context, providing significant statistics in relation to the sisters, communities, projects, and ministries. A relevant aspect of the presentations was the description of the different stages of unification in the newly formed provinces. It was affirmed joyfully that the road travelled, through darkness and light, losses and unexpected fruit, has borne life in abundance.   We contemplate this plural reality, the universal Company, in which borders have come down…there are sisters from one continent living in a completely different continent, all guided by a common project. After each presentation, impressions were shared. After touring all of the continents, there was time to respond. We share a few thoughts:   “…there are so many situations in need to which the religious are responding…this presupposes for us, the laity, a great challenge and responsibility.”                                           “…in this process we have interiorized the richness of diversity.” “…Perhaps we are fewer but we are more for the world.” “…The unification of the provinces was a Utopia, but today it is a reality.” “…We have come to the realization that in each context there is great diverse.” After listening to the responses, our hearts are filled with hope, gratefulness to the Lord for what He has given us, and the certitude that we are making the joys and the sadness of humanity our own. Our great challenge is to weave a universal map. The contemplation of this reality opens for us new horizons in mission. To end the day, and as an introduction to the unifying theme of the Chapter, a PowerPoint was shared which depicted, in word and image, what we had lived during the day.