REFLEXIONES SOBRE EL CAPÍTULO GENERAL DE "EL ESCORIAL"

Cuando se trata de hacer la evaluación de un Capítulo General uno siente la tentación de compararlo a otro capítulo general. No habiendo asistido a ningún otro capítulo de abadesas no puedo comparar este Capítulo a ningún otro. De todos modos una comparación sería difícil, pues este Capítulo ha sido en sí diferente de los anteriores por el hecho mismo que trataba de las Constituciones. Por esta misma razón es fácil compararlo al de Holyoke.

REFLEXIONS SUR LE CHAPITRE GÉNÉRAL DE L'ESCORIAL

Lorsqu'on essaye d'évaluer un Chapitre Général, on est toujours tenté de le comparer à un autre Chapitre Général.N'ayant jamais assisté dans le passé à un Chapitre Général d'abbesses, je ne puis comparer ce Chapitre ci à un autre Chapitre d'abbesses. Cela serait difficile de toute façon, puisque ce Chapitre était très différent des précédents du fait qu'il portait surtout sur les Constitutions.

Reflections on the El Escorial General Chapter

When trying to evaluate a General Chapter, one is always tempted to compare it to another Chapter. Since I never attended a Chapter of abbesses before, I cannot compare this one with another Chapter of abbesses. That would be difficult anyway, since this Chapter was very different from the preceding ones because it had to deal mostly with Constitutions. Then, for that reason, it is natural to compare it with the Holyoke Chapter.

Armand Veilleux

MONK ON A JOURNEY

Fare forward, travellers, not escaping from the past

Into different lives, or into any future;

You are not the same people who left that station

Or who will arrive at any terminus

(T. S. Eliot, Four Quartets, 111: 137-140)

I have read parts of Thomas Merton's indefatigable writ­ing, and none of the flow-not to say flood-of books, doctoral dissertations, and papers on Merton. Therefore, what has been his real impact on the Church and the world, I cannot say. What 1 do know is that he has had a real impact on me, and I simply want to express, in these few fines, what his significance for my own life has been.