If I were there to hear this message when it was first proclaimed would I have believed it? I doubt it. How could I believe such a thing? Therefore, I do not blame those who did not believe. How do we know that He was risen – because the tomb was empty? There are other explanations for the empty tomb. Someone may have taken away the body – as was claimed. On the other hand, early in the morning the women may have gone to the wrong tomb. The empty tomb could be a symbol of the Resurrection but it cannot be the proof of Jesus’ Resurrection.
 
We believe in the resurrection because of the witness of those who experienced the Risen Lord. They saw him, talked to him, walked with him and broke bread with him. Those who were close to Jesus in his life, suffering and death, experienced him after his resurrection. This witness has been transmitted to us and we believe it, not only because of their experience of Jesus but because we also experience Jesus in our own lives.
 
Many times I have listened to my Buddhist friends talking about their religion. I think it is a beautiful religion. There are no strict dogmas. It is a beautiful way of life that appeals to the heart and mind. However, I feel that it is the experience of a personal living, God in my life that keeps me in the Christian faith. Jesus, about whom I read in the Gospels, is not a dead Jesus. He is alive and present in my life. I experience him in a personal way even though it is difficult to explain that experience to another. It can only be communicated through the witness of life. I do not know whether I have communicated it to others, but I know definitely, that many have communicated it to me through the witness of their lives. It is possible. Let us try. The biggest challenge for me this Easter is to be in touch with my personal experience of the Risen Lord and to be His witness.
 
 Sr. Winifreda Wasalathanthrige 
*(Source: Weavings – Holy Family in South Africa) 

Discernment in decision-making
As Jesuit Provincial and later as Archbishop of Buenos Aires during the military dictatorship the present Pope had to take some difficult decisions. Not all were good decisions, as he frankly admits. In a remarkable interview with the editor of a Jesuit magazine Pope Francis speaks about his experience and explains how the Ignatian „discernment of spirits“ can give us an inner peace even when we cannot have a absolute certainty.
 
Discernment is always done in the presence of the Lord, looking at the signs, listening to the things that happen, the feeling of the people, especially the poor. My choices, including those related to the day-to-day aspects of life, like the use of a modest car, are related to a spiritual discernment that responds to a need that arises from looking at things, at people and from reading the signs of the times. Discernment in the Lord guides me in my way of governing.
 
This discernment takes time. For example, many think that changes and reforms can take place in a short time. I believe that we always need time to lay the foundations for real, effective change… I have to wait and assess, looking deep into myself, taking the necessary time… God manifests himself in time and is present in the processes of history. This gives priority to actions that give birth to new historical dynamics. And it requires patience, waiting.

We can always look at the horizon from the position where we are. That means being able to do the little things of every day with a big heart open to God and to others. That means being able to appreciate the small things inside large horizons, those of the kingdom of God… You can have large projects and implement them by means of a few of the smallest things. Or you can use weak means that are more effective than strong ones.
In this quest to seek and find God in all things there is still an area of uncertainty. There must be. If a person says that he met God with total certainty and is not touched by a margin of uncertainty, then this is not good. For me, this is an important key. If one has the answers to all the questions—that is the proof that God is not with him. It means that he is a false prophet using religion for himself. The great leaders of the people of God, like Moses, have always left room for doubt. You must leave room for the Lord, not for our certainties; we must be humble. Uncertainty is in every true discernment that is open to finding confirmation in spiritual consolation.
A contemplative attitude is necessary: it is the feeling that you are moving along the good path of understanding and affection toward things and situations. Profound peace, spiritual consolation, love of God and love of all things in God—this is the sign that you are on this right path.
 
How do we take important decisions in our communities and in our leadership teams?
How do I deal with / do we deal with the ‘area of uncertainty’ that is part of all decisions?
 

On March 14, 2015, a violent incident took place in Ranaghat, West Bengal, India, on the premises of the Religious of Jesus and Mary.  Their school was robbed, the chapel desecrated, and one of the Sisters gravely sexually assaulted.  The Superior General of the congregation has sent a press release in which she speaks of the need for justice, but also of forgiveness. 
Press release from the Superior General of the Religious of Jesus and Mary
 The incident that took place on the dawn of 14th March 2015 at our Jesus and Mary Ranaghat convent is deeply shocking and we strongly condemn it.
The violation of the dignity of a woman in this incident is against our culture and tradition, but I plead with you, let us not focus on this one issue, let us bring to the fore the many voiceless and illiterate women and children in various parts of our beloved country and the world at large that go unnoticed and ignored. Let us focus our energies and resources to safeguard the girl child. It is our duty to ensure the dignity and safety of all women and children.
We are deeply pained that our chapel, which is our place of prayer and worship was desecrated. Let us resolve today to ask God to give us the grace to inculcate in all, respect for all religions and places of worship.
On our part, and especially on behalf of Srs. Gladys, Bridget and Shanty, we have forgiven the miscreants, this is our legacy left behind by Jesus and our Foundress St. Claudine Thevenet. But definitely we want justice. Let the culprits and the mastermind behind this gruesome deed, be brought to book, not for our sake alone, but to safeguard thousands of suffering, silent women and children. They should not be let off scot free to continue destroying and wounding other vulnerable persons.
All the miscreants were young men between 22 to 30 years: they are our youth. That these men could vandalize and terrorise sisters speaks not only of the evil within them, but in our society as well. What went wrong? The welfare of a society/nation is our responsibility. We are accountable for not providing good value based education and employment for the youth…
It is in our hands to change the world and make it a safer place for us now and for the future generations. This is our responsibility.
We, the Jesus and Mary sisters, as per the legacy bequeathed to us, pledge once again to give of ourselves fully and totally to God and to the cause of value based education, in and through our schools, colleges and other institutions. This is our gift and our pledge, that all who pass through the sacred portals of our JM institutions be harbingers of peace, forgiveness and love, respecting and working for the dignity of women and the girl child.
On behalf of the sisters of Jesus and Mary, and especially our three sisters in Ranaghat, I thank you all profusely and profoundly for your incessant prayers and constant support which we received from all quarters in India and the world…you have prayed for the sisters who underwent this traumatic experience and this has given them and us, the grace and fortitude to face this agony. Through this, we have experienced personally as our foundress St. Claudine would say, the goodness of God in and through each one of you. We can never ever thank you enough… every person who has felt our pain and expressed solidarity in various ways: prayers, presence, letters, phone calls, emails etc, we thank you. Only God alone will repay you for your gestures of solidarity.
We wish to thank the various institutions that stood by us. The Charity and SMI sisters, the parish priests of Ranaghat who were there with our sisters in our absence, the Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops, priests and the various women’s congregations who came from miles around. We are grateful to the Govt., the administrative and police authorities of West Bengal, the hospital staff and people in the various departments who have reached out to us. Thank you one and all.
Let us resolve today to ask God to give us the grace to respect all human life, especially the girl child. And let those who go against this norm of love and respect be brought to task and taught that we will not tolerate these barbaric acts, because it is against God.
May God bless each and every one of you, and your families today and always… Thank you once again for your prayers and support.
                                                                                              Monica Joseph, RJM
                                                                                                 Superior General
Ranaghat, 20th March 2015

A study of the social and environmental impact made by the exploitation of material resources.
“Our way of life is asphyxiating the indigenous people and is suffocating us also.”  This is the clear statement made by Francisco Faragó, Director of The Amazonian Jungle (Selvas Amazónicas), who presented the report on the extraction of natural resources.
Among the serious problems caused by this extraction, the Dominican missionaries point to the Amazonian people’s  restriction of freedom to act, think and move as well as an increase in social inequality.
In the economic field they point to a false feeling of prosperity, “It is artificial because it does not improve the people’s quality of life” and they demonstrate the true consequences: serious malnutrition among the people, uncertainty of employment, the concentration of wealth among the socially elite – causing serious social inequality – and the emergence of illegal economic activity (people and drug trafficking).
The Dominican missionaries face these problems by working side by side with the indigenous people in the cause of their freedom and dignity. They are the voice of the people protesting against the abuses of companies who exploit wood, gold and gas in the Amazonian jungle. Among other things, they rescue people who are treated almost as slaves, give people advice so that they will not be cheated and denounce human trafficking.  
There is a desire to sensitise others about this issue and to find financial support for the work of the Dominicans in Peru and in other parts of the world.  “We are interconnected and we must live responsibly wherever we are so as to prevent exploitation elsewhere. This is the best way of helping the missions” stated Alexia Gordillo  (the person in charge of publicising the situation of the Amazonian jungle) during the presentation of the report.

Responding to new needs of Evangelisation
It is a central concern of Pope Francis that the Church and especially religious should not be preoccupied by themselves and their internal problems, but go out to the poor and the marginalised in society. The older we become the greater is the risk to turn around our personal problems and ailments. The greater the need to stay alert for the world around us, to try out new ways of Evangelisation and to stay focussed in prayer and action toward the coming of God’s kingdom.
 
I expect from you what I have asked all the members of  the Church: to come out of yourselves and go forth  to the existential peripheries. “Go into all the world”;  these were the last words which Jesus spoke to his followers and which he continues to address to us (cf. Mk 16:15). A whole world awaits us: men and women who have lost all hope, families in difficulty, abandoned children, young people without a future, the elderly, sick and abandoned, those who are rich in the world’s goods but impoverished within, men and women looking for a purpose in life, thirsting for the divine. Never lose the impulse to keep moving on the roads of the world, the conviction that moving ahead– even if it is with unstable steps and lame legs – is always better than being motionless and locked into your own problems and your own security.*

 
You are leaven that produces good bread for everybody, the kind of bread for which there is a great hunger: to lend an open ear to people’s needs and the desires, disappointments and hopes… As those who preceded you in your vocation, you are also able to give young people new hope, assist the elderly, open up new ways to the future, spread love in all places and situations.*
 
You are like antennas, sensitive to pick up fresh initiatives which are inspired by the Holy Spirit, and you can help communities of the church to acquire this vision and find new and daring ways to reach out to all.*
 
The missionary excitement, the joy of encountering Christ which urges you to share the beauty of faith with others, all this removes far to the danger to get caught in individualism.*
 
The apostolic effectiveness of consecrated life does not depend on the efficiency of its methods. It depends on the eloquence of your lives, lives which radiate the joy and beauty of living the Gospel and following Christ to the full.
 
Genuine faith always leads to a deep desire to change the world. We should ask ourselves some questions: Do we have the drive for great visions? Are we daring? Do we have high-flying dreams? Are we filled with fervour?*
 
? Where do I see new needs and opportunities for Evangelisation today? What possibilities do we have to respond to them?
? In how far are the needs of the world and of people around us part of our personal and community prayer? 

Sr. Luiza da Silva is a member of an inter-congregational community in Vendaval in Brazilian Amazonia. She speaks enthusiastically about the values of the Ticuna people, the ethnic group the Sisters work with.  The people are very poor and needy but they have plenty of what is most important – solidarity. The three Sisters who form the little community have been living in Vendaval since last July and are working to form leaders.
 
Luiza tells us about life in Vendaval:
Vendaval is an indigenous community which is part of the parish of Belém in the diocese of Solimões. There are 1890 people in the parish – all Ticuna. It is a lovely community with many children and young people. The people are very poor and live by fishing.  They grow some crops and they receive a government subsidy according to the number of children they have.  It is a shame that the government does not consider this ethnic group to be normal citizens.  
Our work is to form catechists, community and liturgy leaders,  and arrange visits to the  24 small communities living on the banks of the river Solimões.  It is wonderful to see the interest and dedication of those who take on the responsibility of transmitting the Word of God.  They have been accompanied by a Religious for several years but he does not live with them.  They have been hoping for a long time that Religious would come and live in the community.
 
In December, the diocese decided to build a house for the Sisters.  The process of choosing the place was very interesting. Together with the Capuchins, who are responsible for the parish, we called an assembly where the Vendaval Pastoral Council was set up.
The place where the Sisters’ house would be built was put to a vote.  After an exchange of opinion, a group of women who live in the centre of the area made a very strong proposal that the place that was being voted on be adopted.  They also agreed to be responsible for the Sisters. They showed how seriously they took this promise when we told them the time the heavy building material would be arriving.  They were all waiting.  It was impressive to see the number of people – children, women, young and even old people – who went up and down the hill unloading the material.  
We were very happy when Sr. Inés of the Conference of Religious of Brazil came to visit us.  She encouraged us and endorsed what we were doing.  It is very encouraging to know that we have the support of the people who know us and of the Conference of Religious. The visit was worthwhile.   It is lovely to live all this, and we thank God for the experience of being with the Ticuna people who are so welcoming and available.
 
Luiza da Silva
Vendaval – Amazonas

Sri Lanka: The suffering of war widows, in the midst of pain and social exclusionby Melani Manel PereraAn interview with Lavina Hasanthi Perera, Women’s Desk coordinator of the National Fisheries Solidarity Movement (NAFSO).
The northeast of the country is home to over 85 thousand widows. The abuses of the military; rising drug addiction among children; life in refugee camps without health facilities, water systems and education.
Colombo (AsiaNews) – Social exclusion, extreme poverty, lack of political representation: these are the conditions in which more than 85 thousand widows in Sri Lanka live. Tamils, most of these women live in refugee camps in the northeast of the country. Some lost their husband after natural disasters such as the tsunami of 2006, but more than half during the thirty years of civil war waged by the government against the rebels of the Tamil Tigers (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, LTTE). Some fathers have died in the conflict, but many others have “disappeared into thin air”, mostly in the hands of the police for “suspected links” with the LTTE. The survival of entire families is all in the hands of these women, abandoned by the authorities. Interviewed by AsiaNews Lavina Hasanthi Perera, Women’s Desk coordinator of the National Fisheries Solidarity Movement (NAFSO), speaks of “many concerns on food safety, family and children. The list is endless.”
What is the plight of war widows and other widows at present in North and East ?
The Women Headed Families are still living without basic needs.. No infra-structure or facilities. In Jaffna, Valikamama north, Mullikulam in Mannar, Sampur, people are still in the IDP camps. There are around 28 thousand spread throughout 38 camps in Jaffna peninsula alone.But the government says there are no single IDPs. Their security situation and means of livelihood is very weak and unsecure.  
In Jaffna, young people are gradually becoming addicted to drugs. Women and girls are in a particularly stressful situation, because their social recognition is low due to the fact they are living in IDP camps and no one is ready to marry a girl living in an IDP camp.
Yet they also contributed to the election of the new President of Sri Lanka on a mandate for change. So, have they not also benefited from this?
No, there has been substantial change in their lives, no progress or any rights upheld so far. Most of the people still have high hopes. Also, the security threat has been reduced. But, once the women expected to attend the protest against Modi’s visit, again military personnel has gone to the camps and threatened not to attend the picket. But, people attend the meetings enthusiastically more than the regime change.
 What about their economic situation?
There has been no change in their economic conditions. No subsidy scheme has been generated or assistance given so far.
There has been no substantial assistance for the women who are suffering from the adverse effects of the war.  But, there are some news stories circulating in the media about a new scheme that may be introduced by the Government.
How about their security situation and protection?
There is no big threat to their lives as far as we have seen to date. However, there are reports of a multi rape case carried out by military soldiers who are trying to mislead the society and hide the truth. So, the military mediations, militarization has not changed as people expected. 
In concrete terms what short of a support have they received from this new government ?
There is a healthier mentality as the Government has attempted to release some lands, also to solve the issues related to Indian fishing trawlers in dialogue of Indian government. Also, the government has recognized the issues of women and other people in the North East as important and is taking steps to find solution for them.
Are they happy with their living conditions?
Compared to the previous regime, people now have some hopes. However, with the statements being made by ministers and the authorities these hopes are beginning to fade. 
What are they asking for? 
They want to resettle in their own lands. They need assistance to repair or build houses. They need the assistance to find employment, to access education, health and water facilities. They need to live without fears hence reduce the number of military living in the north and east. 
As the Coordinator of the NAFSO’s Women Desk, what would your urgent request for North and East be? 
We in the WHF share the suffering of the people in and northern and eastern Sri Lanka. We want women and all people to be able to live in peace and harmony. They need to provide basic facilities. Cater to the specific needs of the women and girl children. They need to either find the disappeared people or give clear information of their whereabouts. If the disappeared people are with us no more, there should be an effective mechanism to strengthen the lives and livelihoods of those family  members left behind. They need to return land to dispossessed families.  Above all they need to release the political prisoners. 

There was a large gathering of parishioners and invited guests at the Mass of Thanksgiving on 11 February 2015 to mark the 125 years or Holy Family presence in the parish of Magherafelt. Holy Family Sisters from Britain and Ireland were among those invited and these included four members of the Leadership Team, all of whom are past pupils of St. Mary’s Grammar School, Magherafelt.
 
In the week before the Mass the story of the Holy Family Association had been displayed in poster form around the inside of the Church of the Assumption where the Liturgy was to take place, thus giving everyone an opportunity to study and appreciate the spirit and aim of the Association and something of its origins. The names of all the Sisters and Lay Associates who had made their contribution within the parish since 1889 were listed and all were remembered with gratitude in the prayers of the faithful.
 
Fr. Gates the chief celebrant at the Mass spoke about the history of the Holy Family’s insertion in the parish and outlined with gratitude the valuable contribution which the Sisters had made and continue to make, not only in the field of education but also in so many other ways, to the present day.
 
Mr. S. Mc. Curdy, Chief Executive of the North Eastern Education and Library Board (NEELB) also addressed the congregation .His words were encouraging and full of praise for the work that had been done in the field or Education by the Sisters. He spoke of his happiness to be present on this very special occasion, which he saw as a privilege and an opportunity to express the sincere gratitude of the Board for all that had been, and for the way in which the Sisters had touched and formed the lives of so many young people all over the years.
 
Sr. Gemma Corbett, current Province Leader, and past pupil of St Mary’s Grammar School, spoke with nostalgia of the impact the Sisters had had on her formative years. “In this the year of consecrated life it is truly fitting that we should celebrate,” she said. Quoting from the writings of Pope Francis, she went on to outline the place of Religious in the Church and in the world of the 21st century.
 
The Liturgy was greatly enhanced by the singing of the choirs of Holy Family Primary School and St. Mary’s Co-Ed. Grammar School. The instrumental music added richness and variety to the occasion and was greatly appreciated by the congregation.
 

 
 
Living our prophetic mission radically 
Through baptism, all Christians are commissioned and empowered to participate in the prophetic mission of Christ. Pope Francis believes that religious, by their consecration to the Lord, are called in a special way to live and act prophetically. For him the source of prophetic action is a life close to the poor and the marginalised and an active involvement in their concerns.
 
 
The Church is the salt of the earth; she is the light of the world. She is called to make present in society the leaven of the Kingdom of God and she does this primarily by her witness, her witness of brotherly love, of solidarity and of sharing with others… I am counting on you “to wake up the world”, since the distinctive sign of consecrated life is prophecy. Radical evangelical living is not only for religious: it is demanded of everyone. But religious follow the Lord in a special way, in a prophetic way. This is the priority that is needed right now: to be prophets who witness to how Jesus lived on this earth… A religious must never abandon prophecy.
 
Prophets receive from God the ability to scrutinize the times in which they live and to interpret events: they are like sentinels who keep watch in the night and sense the coming of the dawn (cf. Is 21:11-12). Prophets know God and they know the men and women who are their brothers and sisters. They are able to discern and denounce the evil of sin and injustice. Because they are free, they are beholden to no one but God, and they have no interest other than God. Prophets tend to be on the side of the poor and the powerless, for they know that God is on their side.
 
I ask you to work concretely in welcoming refugees, drawing near to the poor and finding creative ways to catechize, to proclaim the Gospel and to teach others how to pray. Consequently, I would hope that structures can be streamlined, large religious houses re-purposed for works which better respond to the present demands of evangelization and charity, and apostolates adjusted to new needs.
Rather than living in some utopia, you will find ways to create “alternate spaces”, where the
Gospel approach of self-giving, fraternity, embracing differences, and love of one another can thrive.
 
At times, like Elijah and Jonah, you may feel the temptation to flee, to abandon the task of
being a prophet because it is too demanding, wearisome or apparently fruitless. But prophets know that they are never alone. As he did with Jeremiah, so God encourages us: “Be not afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you”. (Jer 1:8)
 
. Where and how can I give witness to the radicalism of the Gospel in the
concrete circumstances of my life?
 
. How much contact do I / we have with the poor, with disadvantaged groups,
with refugees… where we are?

 
 
Becoming experts in communion
Excessive individualism, living on my own and for my own interests characterizes large sections of our society. The possibilities of digital communication are fascinating, yet often remain superficial and unfulfilling. Increasingly people have a longing for deeper communion, for mutual acceptance, for personal encounter. Do our communities respond to this desire?
 
Our founders and foundresses were attracted by the unity of the Apostles with Christ and by the fellowship which marked the first community in Jerusalem. In establishing their own communities, each of them sought to replicate those models of evangelical living, to be of one heart and one soul, and to rejoice in the Lord‘s presence.
 
Living the present with passion means becoming “experts in communion”, witnesses and architects of the ‘plan for unity’ which is the crowning point of human history in God’s design. In a polarized society, where different cultures experience difficulty in living alongside one another, where the powerless encounter oppression, where inequality abounds, we are called to offer a concrete model of community which, by acknowledging the dignity of each person and sharing our respective gifts, makes it possible to live as brothers and sisters.
 
Communion is lived first and foremost within the respective communities of each Institute…The path of charity open before us is almost infinite, since it entails mutual acceptance and concern, practising a communion of goods both material and spiritual, fraternal correction and respect for those who are weak … I would ask you to think about my frequent comments about criticism, gossip, envy, jealousy, hostility as ways of acting which have no place in our houses. It is the “mystique of living together” which makes our life “a sacred pilgrimage”.
 
Those of you who are young… you are the future, for soon you will be called to take on roles of leadership in the life, formation, service and mission of your communities. This Year should see you actively engaged in dialogue with the previous generation. In fraternal communion you will be enriched by their experiences and wisdom, while at the same time inspiring them, by your own energy and enthusiasm, to recapture their original idealism.
 
We need to ask ourselves about the way we relate to people from different cultures, as our communities become increasingly international. How can we enable each member to say freely what he or she thinks, to be accepted with his or her particular gifts, and to become fully co-responsible?
Live the mysticism of encounter, which entails the ability to hear, to listen to other people; to seek together ways and means. Live in the light of the loving relationship of the three divine Persons (cf. 1 Jn 4:8), the model for all interpersonal relationships.
 
How good am I at the art of listening – in community and in my daily encounters?
 
Visitors feel quickly where there is an atmosphere of mutual affection or irritation and tension. What do they sense when they come to our community?