by Sr. Keresifon Clement Ekanem      Republic of Benin      04.02.2022
It was a special day, the long-awaited day – Tuesday 13 August 2013; a day I was to begin another phase of life and I was full of enthusiasm about it. I arrived in our Postulants’ house in Mbribit Itam this day. I had a warm welcome from Sr. Benardette Unamah who was our Postulant Directress, and from my fellow postulants who arrived earlier before me. I was shown my room as well as given a meal. The next day came and we had an introduction of what the programme was all about and we were given time to relax, unpack and settle. Gradually we got rooted in the programme.

Classes started in earnest – classes on opening the Breviary, praying the Office, learning the Psalms’ tunes and songs, learning more about Mother Mary Martin and Medical Missionaries of Mary, and prayers. Learning Psalms’ tunes was interesting when we sang as a group but when it comes to starting one as an antiphoner at the initial stage, I sometimes got stuck or even forgot completely what I had practiced a few minutes before prayer. I realized my mistake, wanting to learn many at the same time. But when I decided to master one at a time, it was very helpful. Bit by bit, classes on different courses like the Scriptures were introduced. There was also other learning in the course of my postulancy formation. Less I forget, there was also learning on how to set the table, table etiquettes and how to use the cutleries. How to use the cutleries was fun, trying to figure out how to get used to it for the first time. At the long run, I started using them with ease.

In the classroom one of the days, we had the learning on prayer, then we moved to how to meditate and then we had the practical. What struck me was the change in the atmosphere when we began the practical on meditation, from the normal classroom atmosphere to one that was calmer and more peaceful. We were asked to sit upright on the chairs, our feet flat on the floor, and our hands on our laps facing either upwards or downwards with our eyes closed. First of all, we were to feel our breathing, to acknowledge the sound of the fan that was blowing over our heads, then the sound of the birds that were chirping in the fields, and any other sound we could hear and stay with that until we hear no sound again and when this happens, to stay with one of the Mantras that we were given earlier. I decided to stay with “Jesus, I love you, all I have is yours, yours I am and yours I want to be, do with me whatever you will.” It was such a Spirit-filled exercise, as I was completely detached of every external sound and distraction; I experienced closeness to God and an inner tranquility like never before. When we were asked to gradually return from this experience so we could continue with other things, I wished we could have had more time for it since it was my first time to have had such an experience, I was happy. It was a day of an extraordinary adventure for me. I remain grateful to Sr. Ben and all who have and are still accompanying me in my faith journey.