Dear beloved members of Family of Incarnation,
It is with humble joy that we address these lines to you, filled with gratitude for the precious gift of your friendship and support. You remain for us an inexhaustible source of inspiration and hope in our quest to preserve creation. We are grateful for your generosity, your prayers and the vibrant testimony of your faith. Rest assured that you are God’s beloved, wrapped by infinite love.
In the course of this missive, our words will be modest, as it is intended to be an enlightened reinterpretation of Sister Gisèle’s sharing on the use of the new ecological oven within our community. We invite you to read it with us.
A precious gift for our common home
We begin this sharing with Sister Gisèle’s first words about the new eco-furnace in the community : « I want to share with you the joy and gratitude that we have felt since we welcomed the new eco-furnace into our Nazareth community. It’s a precious gift from a generous couple who, through extensive research, are committed to limiting climate change and preserving our common home, this beautiful planet that God has entrusted to us. »
A remarkably environmentally-friendly furnace
This oven, a true technological prodigy, was designed mainly with special clay (firebrick). Although there are several models, the one in our community remains fixed and spacious enough to cook meals for our entire community. It uses logs, but consumes very little of them, as it retains heat for a long time. Quiet and clean, it emits no soot or debris into the air, giving the food a delectable, organic flavor.
A few challenges to overcome
Admittedly, this oven is not without its challenges, but these are far outweighed by its benefits. Let’s face it, the initial cost is quite high, and it will take several years for the savings to pay for themselves. In addition, the use of logs and pans adapted to the oven’s dimensions is imperative, as large logs won’t fit. It also requires regular maintenance with ashes, oil and a cloth, while taking care to avoid the use of plastic materials likely to melt or burn.
Multiple benefits to savor
However, these minor concessions pale into insignificance when set against the benefits of this oven. First and foremost, it saves us a lot of logs. Whereas we used to consume 20 kg of logs a day, today we use only 5 to 6 kg, a saving of 75%. We used to need a truckload of logs a year, but with the ecological oven, we estimate that half a truckload will suffice for two years. It even gives us the option of substituting traditional logs with twigs, coal, cow dung or any other natural fuel.
What’s more, it saves a considerable amount of time. Where it used to take 30 minutes to cook a meal for 12 people, today it only takes 12 to 15 minutes. This frees up time for other activities at the novitiate, such as classes, prayer, training and so on. For special events involving around a hundred people, such as vows or anniversaries, we save 50% on logs.
Finally, it simplifies the work of the person in charge of the kitchen. Only one person is needed to prepare the meals, instead of the two or three previously required. This frees up time and energy for other services within the community, such as reception, housekeeping, gardening and so on.
A positive and grateful impression
The whole community shares an extremely positive impression. We are all overwhelmed with satisfaction and gratitude for this ecological oven, which facilitates our commitment as missionaries of charity. We put more zeal and joy into preparing meals, essential moments of sharing and fraternity. We thank God for this gift and offer our prayers to the generous couple behind it, as well as to the association which, with over 300 employees, manufactures these ovens.
In the words of the Bible : « The fire shall burn on the altar, it shall not be quenched ; every morning the priest shall light wood on it, arrange the burnt offering, and burn the fat of the peace offerings. » (Leviticus 6:12), may we consider this oven as a symbol of divine fire, unquenchable, inviting us every day to offer our lives in thanksgiving.
May God’s blessing be with you all,
Madagascar Ecology Commission : Arlette, Nico, Clément Antananarivo, January 1st, 2024