In the Gospel of Mark we also heard the experience of Bartimaeus, who joined the group of Jesus’ followers. He became a disciple at the last minute.  This happened during the Lord’s final journey, from Jericho to Jerusalem, where he was about to be handed over. A blind beggar, Bartimaeus sat on the roadside, pushed aside.  When he heard Jesus passing by, he began to cry out.
Walking with Jesus were his apostles, the disciples and the women who were his followers. They were at his side as he journeyed through Palestine, proclaiming the Kingdom of God. There was also a great crowd.
Two things about this story jump out at us and make an impression. On the one hand, there is the cry of a beggar, and on the other, the different reactions of the disciples. It is as if the Evangelist wanted to show us the effect which Bartimaeus’ cry had on people’s lives, on the lives of Jesus’ followers.  How did they react when faced with the suffering of that man on the side of the road, wallowing in his misery?
There were three responses to the cry of the blind man. We can describe them with three phrases taken from the Gospel: They passed by, they told him to be quiet, and they told him to take heart and get up.
1. They passed by. Perhaps some of those who passed by did not even hear his shouting. Passing by is the response of indifference, of avoiding other people’s problems because they do not affect us. We do not hear them, we do not recognize them.  Here we have the temptation to see suffering as something natural, to take injustice for granted. We say to ourselves, “This is nothing unusual; this is the way things are”. It is the response born of a blind, closed heart, a heart which has lost the ability to be touched and hence the possibility to change. A heart used to passing by without letting itself be touched; a life which passes from one thing to the next, without ever sinking roots in the lives of the people around us.
We could call this “the spirituality of zapping”. It is always on the move, but it has nothing to show for it. There are people who keep up with the latest news, the most recent best sellers, but they never manage to connect with others, to strike up a relationship, to get involved.
You may say to me, “But Father, those people in the Gospel were busy listening to the words of the Master.  They were intent on him.”  I think that this is one of the most challenging things about Christian spirituality. The Evangelist John tells us, “How can you love God, whom you do not see, if you do not love your brother whom you do see?” (1 Jn 4:20). One of the great temptations we encounter along the way is to separate these two things, which belong together.  We need to be aware of this. The way we listen to God the Father is how we should listen to his faithful people.
To pass by, without hearing the pain of our people, without sinking roots in their lives and in their world, is like listening to the word of God without letting it take root and bear fruit in our hearts. Like a tree, a life without roots is a one which withers and dies.
2. They told him to be quiet. This is the second response to Bartimaeus’ cry: keep quiet, don’t bother us, leave us alone. Unlike the first response, this one hears, acknowledges, and makes contact with the cry of another person. It recognizes that he or she is there, but reacts simply by scolding.  It is the attitude of some leaders of God’s people; they continually scold others, hurl reproaches at them, tell them to be quiet.
This is the drama of the isolated consciousness, of those who think that the life of Jesus is only for those deserve it.  They seem to believe there is only room for the “worthy”, for the “better people”, and little by little they separate themselves from the others.  They have made their identity a badge of superiority.
They hear, but they don’t listen.  The need to show that they are different has closed their heart.  Their need to tell themselves, “I am not like that person, like those people”, not only cuts them off from the cry of their people, from their tears, but most of all from their reasons for rejoicing.  Laughing with those who laugh, weeping with those who weep; all this is part of the mystery of a priestly heart.
3. They told him to take heart and get up. Lastly, we come upon the third response. It is not so much a direct response to the cry of Bartimaeus as an echo, or a reflection, of the way Jesus himself responded to the pleading of the blind beggar. In those who told him to take heart and get up, the beggar’s cry issued in a word, an invitation, a new and changed way of responding to God’s holy People.
Unlike those who simply passed by, the Gospel says that Jesus stopped and asked what was happening. He stopped when someone cried out to him.  Jesus singled him out from the nameless crowd and got involved in his life. And far from ordering him to keep quiet, he asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” He didn’t have to show that he was different, somehow apart; he didn’t decide whether Bartimaeus was worthy or not before speaking to him. He simply asked him a question, looked at him and sought to come into his life, to share his lot. And by doing this he gradually restored the man’s lost dignity; he included him. Far from looking down on him, Jesus was moved to identify with the man’s problems and thus to show the transforming power of mercy. There can be no compassion without stopping, hearing and showing solidarity with the other. Compassion is not about zapping, it is not about silencing pain, it is about the logic of love. A logic, a way of thinking and feeling, which is not grounded in fear but in the freedom born of love and of desire to put the good of others before all else. A logic born of not being afraid to draw near to the pain of our people.  Even if often this means no more than standing at their side and praying with them.
This is the logic of discipleship, it is what the Holy Spirit does with us and in us.  We are witnesses of this.  One day Jesus saw us on the side of the road, wallowing in our own pain and misery.  He did not close his ear to our cries.  He stopped, drew near and asked what he could do for us.  And thanks to many witnesses, who told us, “Take heart; get up”, gradually we experienced this merciful love, this transforming love, which enabled us to see the light.  We are witnesses not of an ideology, of a recipe, of a particular theology.  We are witnesses to the healing and merciful love of Jesus.  We are witnesses of his working in the lives of our communities.
This is the pedagogy of the Master, this is the pedagogy which God uses with his people.  It leads us to passing from distracted zapping to the point where we can say to others: “Take heart; get up. The Master is calling you” (Mk10:49).  Not so that we can be special, not so that we can be better than others, not so that we can be God’s functionaries, but only because we are grateful witnesses to the mercy which changed us. (Source: Vatican Radio)

I was happy to be a participant Ninth Plenary Assembly of the International Catholic Biblical Federation (CBF) at the Ad Gentes Centre ( run by the Society of the Divine Word) in Nemi (Italy), from June 18 to 23, 2015.
The Plenary Assembly is the supreme governing body of the Federation.  This was a meeting of delegates chosen to represent its full and associate members. It normally meets every six years, and deals with administrative matters as well as deepening a specific topic.
The topic this time was: Scripture: Source of evangelization “That which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you” (1 Jn 1,3)
This passage of the First Letter of St. John provided the framework for the reflection on Scripture as a Source of Evangelization, as we marked the fiftieth anniversary of the promulgation of the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation,  Dei Verbum.
We were 136 delegates at this CBF Assembly, representing our respective institutions: women and men, (lay  and religious, priests and bishops)  from the five continents with  Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, archbishop of Manila (Philippines),  the current president of CBF   .  The plurality of participants added a colourful hue and a wealth of life and experience that drew us to celebrate our unity in diversity.
The report presented by each region helped  us to know the work that is done in the  service of the Word of God in different parts of the world,  and the painful realities (war, censorship, bans …) being experienced in some countries.
Outstanding among the memorable events was the opportunity we had to see and hear Pope Francis, who welcomed us in the morning of  Friday, June 19th, to an audience in the Consistory Hall.
This meeting, conducted in friendly, informal atmosphere,  has been  significant  in the effort to ensure that  Bible remains  a source of life and evangelization. 
I am extremely grateful that I could participate in this Assembly, as the representative of the Conference of  Women and Men Religious in Argentina (CONFAR). Sister.  Zulema Frank, Community of Buenos. Aires., Argentina

Florida de Liébana, Salamanca, is the most recent foundation that the Province of Spain has made in a rural area.   The Sisters have been there for some months now and share their first impressions with us.
During the few months we have lived here, we have heard various sounds – some from outside, some from within.
 
At the top of the bell tower is a big nest which the stork built twig by twig. We were told that for the past few years the storks no longer migrate because of climate change. When the mother stork is hatching and opens and closes her beak rapidly making a loud clicking noise like the sound of garlic being crushed, it means that she is asking the male stork to bring her food. At the moment two chicks have hatched and it is wonderful to see how they are being fed.
 
We hear the wind, which is often strong, creating waves of deep yellow in the fields of wheat and rape.  The other crops – chickpea and maize – are still only a few centimetres high. 
Morning and evening we hear the birds with their cheerful chatter. Some have built their nests in our roof.  
We have heard the harshness of the economic, agricultural and commercial plans which benefit only the multinationals. They make profits from using goods which belong to the whole of humanity; what should be life-giving is then the cause of so much death.  At the same time, we are aware of local and worldwide resistance movements.  These promote the defence of the Earth and the sovereignty of the people through demonstrations, information campaigns and pressurizing international organisations which serve only the interests of the powerful.  Above all, they promote an alternative lifestyle.
We hear Voices of Women. On Rural Women’s Day, we saw how, historically, women have fostered life in all the villages. And in this area in particular, we discovered the women’s crafts that have sustained life – chair-making, weaving, midwifery, threshing, sheaf-gathering and pig slaughtering, as well as all the other daily tasks.  
 
In some villages that we visited with their deserted streets and abandoned houses, we heard the loneliness of the old people. But when we spoke to them we heard how stories of the past, family and friends, happy and sad memories and photographs give meaning to their lives.  
 
Sometimes the children who live far away do not visit as often as they would like. We saw how the village is like a family.  Neighbours keep one another company, they know one another’s joys and sorrows and they help one another when they can.  As well as local matters, we discovered, as we listened to them, that they have opinions about the situation of the country. Their conversation is always animated.
 
At a training session for the consolidation of the network of women producers and consumers, we saw a documentary entitled “The Wisdom of the Earth, Women Farmers” which you will find easily on the Internet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3e5Ns3IsaIA.  We discovered the process of conscientization and empowerment as well as methods of production.
 
As we listen, we try to see how we can create new relationships between the urban and rural worlds.  This type of relationship already exists in some places.  Somewhere, there is a real but hidden story which does not appear in the media.  We must find that story and then we will discover what is blocking life, as we reported at the Unit Assembly. In other short videos such as “Countrywomen in Andalucia” and “Countrywomen, Sowers of Change” from Central America, we can see and appreciate local developments which promote an alternative lifestyle.
The Church in Salmanaca has a three-year project – the Diocesan Assembly. In our village, we began the first phase with a call for spiritual renewal. We believe that this will lead to pastoral and structural renewal where we hope the voices of women will be heard.  
Some years ago, we stated that our priority was to move towards a new worldview where some of our dormant senses would be awakened.  Earth speaks and, in our privileged position in the rural world, we are listening to her. Because of the call to live in a state of Exodus, we are exploring new possibilities of being involved in life-giving initiatives as an expression of our Charism of communion.
 
25 May 2015
The Community of  Florida de Liébana

Time really flies! As if, my going to the Phillippines happened only yesterday! ‘Tempus fugit’- true to its sense! Sisters in my home Province kept on telling, that I was running away. They asked me for the reason for my decision, trying to guess. All their opinions were incorrect.
 
Unlike some others, I never thought of going to a mission country when I was a young sister. I lived with the missionaries; learned from them; appreciated their very personalities, and their dedication towards the people of God towards us the natives of whatever category or back ground we came from It was the time, during the late 70’s when our Sisters from both the Sri Lankan Provinces set out to the country – Pakistan as Missionaries. I was wondering about their decision, and appreciating the sharing of their lived experiences, yet never thought of becoming one like them. It so happened that in 1987, the then General Councilor Pushpam Gnanapragasam, was conducting a Noailles session in Wennappuwa for a month. Though not that much interested yet I decided to participate. During these days, I gave myself completely for study, reflection of the “Sources” and listening to the Sisters.
 
At one Session we were asked to select one of the characteristics of our beloved founder PBN, What impressed touched me was his “detachment” – I realized how closely he was attached to our God, and hence “detached” himself from all that was near and dear to his heart. My small and big attachments to, duty, persons, name, and fame came to the surface. There was a strong feeling that I should do something heroic to proof God my love and adherence to him.  “Leave everything and go” was the little voice that prompted me from within all the time. But where and how? I prayed and prayed and finally I opted for the missions. Though my request was turned down the first time, I appealed a second time and then it was granted. That was the beginning of my long journey. Mary Slaven – our then General Leader, during one of her visits asked me whether I had any objection to go to the Philippines. In my heart of hearts I preferred some African country.” Why should I ‘choose’?’ I told myself, and agreed to leave for the Philippines in October 1989.It was not that easy to leave all what I had kept treasured in my heart.
 
Though I stood firm, courageous in my decision, there was a huge amount of fear within me to leave – and to leap into the dark and the unknown. Yet there was hope that the same Lord who had been leading me through, would continue to journey with me. The process of my integration was shocking. The color of the people, the language they spoke I felt dazed. What made me feel alien and humble was, when the people –even knowing that I was still new, spoke to me in Tagalog .My feeling was that my whole world had collapsed! Yet the welcoming spirit and the charming ways of the Filipino people and above all, the company of our Sisters were something very consoling! I had to be patient with myself and then with the others I realized.
 
Bulan was my first Community and with two others Eithne and Vivian as pioneers. We lived in a rented house and after a year or so, moved into another house, built in a onetime cemetery- land allotted to the squatters, with whom we shared our life. In such an environment it was possible to form simple relationships, to get to know the people, their believes, values and the rest. We had plenty of time in hand but did not know what to do with ourselves, which was a very frustrating experience for quite some time. Lucky indeed were we, to have had a good pastor- Fr.Anghel De as our Parish Priest who strictly told us that the three of us join the Pastoral moderators and go round visiting the substations though doing nothing special. In the course of time we were able to participate in some of the activities and gradually took full responsibility for the catechetical Ministry and teaching of Catechism, and the formation of 180 catechists. I remember the days we went around from house to house to solicit some money and rice to feed the Catechists during their monthly Seminars. I continued the Catechetical Ministry in all 4 Communities where I was assigned.
 
Language study –though interesting, when it came to conversation, often I got stuck. I hesitated to open my mouth until I got the entire sentence perfectly correct according to Grammar, whereas some of my companions, right or wrong, expressed themselves the way they liked. There were times we used to make horrible mistakes too we laughed about at later. Once when a Sister asked me the name of my companion teacher travelled by boat, instead of saying Mrs. Hermoso, I remember myself telling “Mrs. Tsismis-” which means “Gossip”. All of us get the chance to study the Official language widely spoken throughout the Country. But after studying the new language with all the enthusiasm, when assigned to another Region where another dialect was spoken. Oh, that was frustrating. ! Patience! Patience!
 
I used to enjoy the gatherings- for seminars, for celebrations and events like funerals and weddings where we met and made many acquaintances. Filipinos are very warm hearted people, and once they trust you, they will hold you dear to their hearts, share their joys and sorrows, and would keep you there to the very end would never allow you to get out of there!
 
Philippines is a country with almost 87 percent of the population that claims itself to be Catholics whereas most of them are nominal Catholics without even the basic knowledge in Christian doctrine. The number of Priests and Religious is not in proportion to the vast number of Laity. Hence the need for more laity trained for pastoral and Catechetical Ministries. It is hoped that the Basic Ecclesial Communities, in the course of time will respond to cater to such needs!
 
Filipinos are well known for their hospitality and generosity. Irrespective of being rich or poor would always welcome the stranger. Especially during fiestas, all are welcome to share in the family meal- though uninvited. There is a saying that ‘the sky is the limit’ for the Filipino generosity! It is there I learnt the Spirituality of ‘waiting” and celebrating life though with little in possession, filled with joy and gratitude remembering to say: ‘Salamat sa Dios’ ( Thanks be to God ) ‘ Sa awa ng Dios ‘( By the mercy of God ) are the words that one would often hear falling from their lips. Their piety and faith are very simple. They may not know their Catechism well, but they love the Lord and His blessed Mother as if they are still alive living in front of their eyes.
 
It is difficult to put in a few pages what one had experienced in a quarter century. I have not lost anything by being in the Missions, but gained which I would not have, had I kept stuck in my traditional Ministry. There is a time for everything. All good things come to an end, such as our earthly life. Now as I returned to my home Province, it was not my bags but my heart was somewhat heavy, full of all kinds of memories in the Mission country. My journey will continue as it had been planned out from all eternity. A missionary neither here nor there she is only a pilgrim. As of now, this is my experience. Amidst all sorts of experiences and feelings attached to them, the call is –to seek God Alone in everything and in each situation.
 
Salamat sa iyo O Dios, Mabuhay Pilipinas!
Sr. Aquinas

I am Jean Marilag; a very simple girl came from a simple family in town of San Isidro. My parents are farmers. All that my mother taught me was to have fear of God and not to forget Him in my daily Life no matter whatever that happens. But I didn’t have any idea of who God is. I only know that Jesus sacrificed Him for the people but I did not know the reason why. I entered the convent when I was 17 years old without any knowledge about the Bible and about the Religious life. I felt at that time that I am floating in the air. In addition, my family faced problems at home, therefore, I was asked to go out.
 
Three years being outside, I do not have any idea of what I will do. I went for work for my brother’s financial need to support his studies. In my work place as a sales woman, I encountered lot of people and had conversation with them every day that made me patient, humble, to be attentive, to be present, to be aware in my words and actions, and to put my life in reality to be loyal and to have trust in myself. I gained knowledge and understanding that helped me to be matured. I encountered different challenges that helped me to be solid. People whom I have met had become my friends. I see that God wants me to be firm and it was God’s way for me to learn more things about the reality.
 
I often thought about that if I am really for Religious Life. My thoughts led me to talk to God about my life. I always told Him whatever you want from me Jesus let it be, I will accept. Work experience helped me to learn to balance myself in any circumstance and especially I learnt to take time to think before the actions. The work helped me to stand on my own feet and to be courageous, to be firm and be always ready to face the challenges. I experienced a lot of freedom because everything is about what I want. Nevertheless, that did not give me happiness or satisfaction. I became aware of God’s signs for me to pray, to go to church and to visit the Blessed Sacrament. These began to become my precious moments that slowly gave me peace.
 
When the time came for me to give up everything I have, as I recognized the voice of God calling me, it was so difficult and very hard, because I did not know how to do it. But God directed me through people and made a way for me to put all the anxiety aside. He made everything to appear useless and made my heart to feel satisfied and happy in searching for Him. God made His chosen one to be empty, took away from me all the hindrances, and helped me to say ‘Yes’ to Him. My three years of stay outside is really a preparation for me to surrender my whole being to Him. God never abandoned me, instead he has given me help to be strong and guided my way and gave protection and strength to be solid and matured to face my life in reality. In this way, God gave me a good realization that He is truly alive and works through each one and me. He is present. He is faithful. His love is forever. My life became meaningful. God’s love cannot be compared in this world. I have changed because of God’s love. I feel His presence and that He is walking with me.
 
And this is the time that I firmly decided to come back to the Holy Family of Bordeaux. When I decided, I felt the happiness in my heart because God really touched my life to be with Him. I am very thankful to this Family for receiving me again in the religious life. God worked through people and those people are the Holy Family Sisters who touched my life and I have changed. Without you, I will never become who I am now. You helped me to know God and to have intimate relationship with Him by not only accepting me and helping me to understand who God is for me at this point of my life.
I know that this is only the beginning of my life journey with Jesus and the Holy Family. I will do all in my part to have a good foundation and the strong faith foundation to say ‘Yes’ to God over and over again, until my life, becomes more fruitful for the Holy Family of Bordeaux to shine in the Philippines – all for the glory of God Alone!
 
Jean Marilag
(Pre-Novice)

The 150 anniversary of the arrival of the Holy Family Sisters in Lesotho comes a happy coincidence during the Year of Consecrated Life. Pope Francis told women and men religious to “wake up the world”. It can truly be said that the Holy Family sisters woke up Lesotho for the occasion.
 
From the start of the year, they had undertaken to visit all the Catholic Missions in the country and tell the Holy Family story to the people at Sunday Mass. They were warmly welcomed everywhere and the people listened with great attention to their accounts of the founding of the Holy Family Association, its motivating spirit and aim. It was also an opportunity for the sisters themselves to deepen their own understanding of the rich legacy bequeathed by Pierre Bienvenu Noailles to us and to the church.
 
The ‘Britain and Ireland connection’ dates back to the early nineteen hundreds when Sr. Damase (Lucille) Gicquel from Jersey arrived. The next generation began in 1952 with Ellen Butler, still known in Lesotho as ‘Me Philipi, followed in 1957 by Síle McGowan and later by Teresa Edwards and Lil Meagher, all of whom remained for a considerable length of time. Martina Devane can also be included here. Thereafter, those who came were short-term volunteers (not in this order): Nurses Catherine McNulty, Marie de Lourdes Phelan, Agnes Davis and Teachers Elizabeth Murphy, Frances Darragh, Sheila Griffiths, Louis Marie Scullin and Bernadette Scanlon. They made a great contribution to education and health care in the High Schools, and the then Training College run by the Holy Family sisters. To nursing in the mission hospital and the clinics, making it possible for the Basotho sisters to study and prepare to take over from them and ensure the succession in these ministries that were constantly evolving.
During the week, Lil and I spent in Lesotho before the celebration Hyacintha, the Province leader, put a car and driver at our disposal so we could visit as much as possible of our old places of ministry. It was wonderful to see how they were flourishing, with increased numbers and buildings in schools and clinics, with excellent results.
There was a sense that the Holy Family spirit is alive and is a motivating force for lay staff, thanks to the leadership of the sisters. A new venture, pioneered by the Holy Family, is the care and education of children with hearing and speech disabilities. This first school, called Kananelo (Bienvenu in Sesotho), was built up gradually with the help of donations
from various charities, including the Holy Family, and is now recognised by the Department of Education. All seven Holy Family schools, 5 Secondary and two Primary, participated actively in the main Eucharistic celebration on 25 April, with Kananelo doing the Our Father in sign language. It would take much time and space to describe the the achievements of the past few decades so we will leave it for another time.
The whole year had a been a very busy time, the final week even more so, but calm prevailed even as the day approached and last minute preparations had to be made. It was a 2-day celebration. Friday, 24 April, was special to Roma and St. Mary’s, where it had all begun. The students sang their hearts out at a special Mass of Thanksgiving at which certificates of award were given to so many – sisters, lay people – who had given long and dedicated service over the years. Joy was unconfined! After Mass, the congregation processed to the cemetery to honour the deadwho had laid the foundations for the workers of today, prominent among them is Mother Marie-Joseph Angot, leader of the group of Foundresses who arrived 150 years ago. In the meantime, preparations were going on for the morrow’s celebration – tents being erected, chairs arriving, an exhibition being set up, food being prepared to feed the multitude expected.
What happened in the next 24 hours is too rich in meaning and eventful in action to be glossed over in a few brief words. It is for another time, to be written or given anecdotally,
especially to those for whom it holds vivid memories, and about whom many enquiries were made by past pupils, colleagues, friends, patients…
 
The Basotho people have long memories and loyal hearts.
Khotso! Pula! Nala!
 
Sile McGowan

“The events of recent times cause many of us to ask: ‘Is there still space for dialogue with Muslims?’ The answer is: yes, more than ever”
Here is the full text of a Declaration published this morning by the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue:
“The events of recent times cause many of us to ask: ‘Is there still space for dialogue with Muslims?’. The answer is: yes, more than ever.
Firstly because the great majority of Muslims themselves do not identify with the current acts of barbarism.
Unfortunately today the word ‘religious’ is often associated with the word ‘violence’, whereas believers must demonstrate that religions are required to be heralds of peace and not violence.
To kill in the name of religion is not only an offence to God, but it is also a defeat for humanity. On 9 January 2006 Pope Benedict XVI, addressing the Diplomatic Corps and speaking about the danger of clashes between civilisations and in particular organised terrorism, affirmed that ‘No situation can justify such criminal activity, which covers the perpetrators with infamy, and it is all the more deplorable when it hides behind religion, thereby bringing the pure truth of God down to the level of the terrorists’ own blindness and moral perversion’. 
Unfortunately in recent days we have witnessed a radicalisation of community and religious discourse, with the consequent risks of increasing hatred, violence, terrorism and the growing and commonplace stigmatisation of Muslims and their religion.
In such a context we are called upon to strengthen fraternity and dialogue. Believers have formidable potential for peace, if we believe that man was created by God and that humanity is a single family; and even more so if we believe, as we Christians do, that God is Love. Continuing to engage in dialogue, even when experiencing persecution, can become a sign of hope. Believers do not wish to impose their vision of humanity and of history, but rather seek to propose respect for differences, freedom of thought and religion, the protection of human dignity, and love for truth.
We must have the courage to review the quality of family life, the methods of teaching religion and history, and the contain of sermons in our places of worship. Above all, family and schools are the key to ensuring that tomorrow’s world will be based on mutual respect and brotherhood.
Uniting our voice to that of Pope Francis, we say: ‘any violence which seeks religious justification warrants the strongest condemnation because the Omnipotent is the God of life and peace. The world expects those who claim to adore God to be men and women of peace who are capable of living as brothers and sisters, regardless of ethnic, religious, cultural or ideological differences’ (Ankara, 28 November 2014)”.

26 APRIL 2015 – FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
Theme: Exodus, a fundamental experience of vocation
 
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
The Fourth Sunday of Easter offers us the figure of the Good Shepherd who knows his sheep: he calls them, he feeds them and he guides them. For over fifty years the universal Church has celebrated this Sunday as the World Day of Prayer for Vocations. In this way she reminds us of our need to pray, as Jesus himself told his disciples, so that “the Lord of the harvest may send out labourers into his harvest” (Lk 10:2). Jesus command came in the context of his sending out missionaries. He called not only the twelve Apostles, but another seventy-two disciples whom he then sent out, two by two, for the mission (cf. Lk 10:1-6). Since the Church “is by her very nature missionary” (Ad Gentes, 2), the Christian vocation is necessarily born of the experience of mission. Hearing and following the voice of Christ the Good Shepherd, means letting ourselves be attracted and guided by him, in consecration to him; it means allowing the Holy Spirit to draw us into this missionary dynamism, awakening within us the desire, the joy and the courage to offer our own lives in the service of the Kingdom of God.
To offer one’s life in mission is possible only if we are able to leave ourselves behind. On this 52nd World Day of Prayer for Vocations, I would like reflect on that particular “exodus” which is the heart of vocation, or better yet, of our response to the vocation God gives us. When we hear the word “exodus”, we immediately think of the origins of the amazing love story between God and his people, a history which passes through the dramatic period of slavery in Egypt, the calling of Moses, the experience of liberation and the journey toward the Promised Land. The Book of Exodus, the second book of the Bible, which recounts these events is a parable of the entire history of salvation, but also of the inner workings of Christian faith. Passing from the slavery of the old Adam to new life in Christ is a event of redemption which takes place through faith (Eph 4:22-24). This passover is a genuine “exodus”; it is the journey of each Christian soul and the entire Church, the decisive turning of our lives towards the Father.
At the root of every Christian vocation we find this basic movement, which is part of the experience of faith. Belief means transcending ourselves, leaving behind our comfort and the inflexibility of our ego in order to centre our life in Jesus Christ. It means leaving, like Abraham, our native place and going forward with trust, knowing that God will show us the way to a new land. This “going forward” is not to be viewed as a sign of contempt for one’s life, one’s feelings, one’s own humanity. On the contrary, those who set out to follow Christ find life in abundance by putting themselves completely at the service of God and his kingdom. Jesus says: “Everyone who has left home or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life” (Mt 19:29). All of this is profoundly rooted in love. The Christian vocation is first and foremost a call to love, a love which attracts us and draws us out of ourselves, “decentring” us and triggering “an ongoing exodus out of the closed inward-looking self towards its liberation through self-giving, and thus towards authentic self-discovery and indeed the discovery of God” (Deus Caritas Est, 6).
The exodus experience is paradigmatic of the Christian life, particularly in the case of those who have embraced a vocation of special dedication to the Gospel. This calls for a constantly renewed attitude of conversion and transformation, an incessant moving forward, a passage from death to life like that celebrated in every liturgy, an experience of passover. From the call of Abraham to that of Moses, from Israel’s pilgrim journey through the desert to the conversion preached by the prophets, up to the missionary journey of Jesus which culminates in his death and resurrection, vocation is always a work of God. He leads us beyond our initial situation, frees us from every enslavement, breaks down our habits and our indifference, and brings us to the joy of communion with him and with our brothers and sisters. Responding to God’s call, then, means allowing him to help us leave ourselves and our false security behind, and to strike out on the path which leads to Jesus Christ, the origin and destiny of our life and our happiness.
This exodus process does not regard individuals alone, but the missionary and evangelizing activity of the whole Church. The Church is faithful to her Master to the extent that she is a Church which “goes forth”, a Church which is less concerned about herself, her structures and successes, and more about her ability to go out and meet God’s children wherever they are, to feel compassion (com-passio) for their hurt and pain. God goes forth from himself in a Trinitarian dynamic of love: he hears the cry of his people and he intervenes to set them free (Ex 3:7). The Church is called to follow this way of being and acting. She is meant to be a Church which evangelizes, goes out to encounter humanity, proclaims the liberating word of the Gospel, heals people’s spiritual and physical wounds with the grace of God, and offers relief to the poor and the suffering.
Dear brothers and sisters, this liberating exodus towards Christ and our brothers and sisters also represents the way for us to fully understand our common humanity and to foster the historical development of individuals and societies. To hear and answer the Lord’s call is not a private and completely personal matter fraught with momentary emotion. Rather, it is a specific, real and total commitment which embraces the whole of our existence and sets it at the service of the growth of God’s Kingdom on earth. The Christian vocation, rooted in the contemplation of the Father’s heart, thus inspires us to solidarity in bringing liberation to our brothers and sisters, especially the poorest. A disciple of Jesus has a heart open to his unlimited horizons, and friendship with the Lord never means flight from this life or from the world. On the contrary, it involves a profound interplay between communion and mission (cf. Evangelii Gaudium, 23).
This exodus towards God and others fills our lives with joy and meaning. I wish to state this clearly to the young, whose youth and openness to the future makes them open-hearted and generous. At times uncertainty, worries about the future and the problems they daily encounter can risk paralyzing their youthful enthusiasm and shattering their dreams, to the point where they can think that it is not worth the effort to get involved, that the God of the Christian faith is somehow a limit on their freedom. Dear young friends, never be afraid to go out from yourselves and begin the journey! The Gospel is the message which brings freedom to our lives; it transforms them and makes them all the more beautiful. How wonderful it is to be surprised by God’s call, to embrace his word, and to walk in the footsteps of Jesus, in adoration of the divine mystery and in generous service to our neighbours! Your life will become richer and more joyful each day!
The Virgin Mary, model of every vocation, did not fear to utter her “fiat” in response to the Lord’s call. She is at our side and she guides us. With the generous courage born of faith, Mary sang of the joy of leaving herself behind and entrusting to God the plans she had for her life. Let us turn to her, so that we may be completely open to what God has planned for each one of us, so that we can grow in the desire to go out with tender concern towards others (cf. Lk 1:39). May the Virgin Mary protect and intercede for us all.
From the Vatican, 29 March 2015 
Palm Sunday

This was a unique moment in the history of the Church and in religious life when 1310 female, male formators from 106 countries and 416 religious congregations came together in Rome from 7 – 11 April 2015.  The presence of religious from countries where living one’s consecration is a challenge and a risk was very significant.
This Congress was organized to mark the Year of Consecrated Life, with the aim of “reflecting upon the fundamental aspects of consecrated life in the Church and the world in a multi-cultural context and the demands on formation that this contemporary context entails.”
The whole programme was focused on formation as a process of forming young people to “have the same heart and mind of Christ” (Phil. 2, 5) – ‘journeying along the streets of the world with the Heart of the Son’.  Consequently, the theme of each day was developed with a Scriptural basis, relating it to the formation environment that is called for, in the world of today.  Thus the reflections and dialogue of each day unfolded formation as an ongoing process, as a life-long journey.  Jesus’ way of going about with his disciples was emphasized as the model par excellence, where he turned his whole life into a school, his entire existence forming the disciple. 
Each day began and ended with a prayer prepared by different Continents – Asia, Europe, Africa and America.  The cultural diversity and creativity added colour and richness to the celebration.  All this came to a climax with the Eucharistic celebration at St. Peter’s Basilica, on the last day, followed by a special audience with Pope Francis.
Holy Family too was privileged to participate at this Congress in the persons of Geni Dos Santos and Kumudinie Dassanayake.

 
LISTEN TO THE ANGEL: “BE NOT AFRAID”
“They went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.” (Mark 16:8)
 
When I forget my identity as a beloved child of God, I lose my way in life. I become scared frightened and start acting un-freely because of fear. I find myself pre-occupied with trying to please others and lose sense of who I am. I work hard to avoid rejection, abandonment and loneliness. I find myself clinging to what gives me security; people, my work or even my own interests. Making compromises may help me please people but I also lose touch with my original blessing, namely, the deep and everlasting love of God. Jesus came to announce to me: “Do not be afraid. I have come that you may have life and have it more abundantly.” The moment Jesus called her name as she sat nervously at the empty tomb – Mary recognised His voice, she was bonded in love once again.
 
On this Easter day, allow Jesus to call your name… and receive His message of Peace. May the people of our countries – South Africa, Uganda and Rwanda – hear Jesus call their names through the Easter message of peace and love which you, so powerfully, proclaim. I pray, that you may have the courage to ”exodus” out of this Season of Lent and move towards the joy of New Life which opens you to trust the resurrection of your own spirit. Roll away the stones of insecurity, un-freedoms and anxiety, let go of the fears, listen to the message of the angel, allow Jesus to call your name and experience the glory of New Life. May your heart burn within you as He accompanies you on your journey of life; listen to His words as He breaks open the Scriptures for you; and may you always recognise Him as He breaks the bread of daily life with you.
Easter Blessing, from Kathleen
*(Source: Weavings – Holy Family in South Africa)