“Let us journey together in hope”
Dear brothers and sisters,
We begin our annual pilgrimage of Lent in faith and hope with the penitential rite of the imposition of ashes. The Church, our mother and teacher, invites us to open our hearts to God’s grace, so that we can celebrate with great joy the paschal victory of Christ the Lord over sin and death, which led Saint Paul to exclaim: “Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” ( 1 Cor 15:54-55). Indeed, Jesus Christ, crucified and risen, is the heart of our faith and the pledge of our hope in the Father’s great promise, already fulfilled in his beloved Son: life eternal (cf. Jn 10:28; 17:3). [1]
This Lent, as we share in the grace of the Jubilee Year, I would like to propose a few reflections on what it means to journey together in hope, and on the summons to conversion that God in his mercy addresses to all of us, as individuals and as a community.
First of all, to journey. The Jubilee motto, “Pilgrims of Hope”, evokes the lengthy journey of the people of Israel to the Promised Land, as recounted in the Book of Exodus. This arduous path from slavery to freedom was willed and guided by the Lord, who loves his people and remains ever faithful to them. It is hard to think of the biblical exodus without also thinking of those of our brothers and sisters who in our own day are fleeing situations of misery and violence in search of a better life for themselves and their loved ones. A first call to conversion thus comes from the realization that all of us are pilgrims in this life; each of us is invited to stop and ask how our lives reflect this fact. Am I really on a journey, or am I standing still, not moving, either immobilized by fear and hopelessness or reluctant to move out of my comfort zone? Am I seeking ways to leave behind the occasions of sin and situations that degrade my dignity? It would be a good Lenten exercise for us to compare our daily life with that of some migrant or foreigner, to learn how to sympathize with their experiences and in this way discover what God is asking of us so that we can better advance on our journey to the house of the Father. This would be a good “examination of conscience” for all of us wayfarers.
Second, to journey together. The Church is called to walk together, to be synodal. [2]  Christians are called to walk at the side of others, and never as lone travellers. The Holy Spirit impels us not to remain self-absorbed, but to leave ourselves behind and keep walking towards God and our brothers and sisters. [3] Journeying together means consolidating the unity grounded in our common dignity as children of God (cf. Gal 3:26-28). It means walking side-by-side, without shoving or stepping on others, without envy or hypocrisy, without letting anyone be left behind or excluded. Let us all walk in the same direction, tending towards the same goal, attentive to one another in love and patience.
This Lent, God is asking us to examine whether in our lives, in our families, in the places where we work and spend our time, we are capable of walking together with others, listening to them, resisting the temptation to become self-absorbed and to think only of our own needs. Let us ask ourselves in the presence of the Lord whether, as bishops, priests, consecrated persons and laity in the service of the Kingdom of God, we cooperate with others. Whether we show ourselves welcoming, with concrete gestures, to those both near and far. Whether we make others feel a part of the community or keep them at a distance. [4] This, then, is a second call to conversion: a summons to synodality.
Third, let us journey together in hope, for we have been given a promise. May the hope that does not disappoint (cf. Rom 5:5), the central message of the Jubilee, [5] be the focus of our Lenten journey towards the victory of Easter. As Pope Benedict XVI taught us in the Encyclical Spe Salvi, “the human being needs unconditional love.  He needs the certainty which makes him say: ‘neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord’ ( Rom 8:38-39)”. [6] Christ, my hope, has risen! [7]  He lives and reigns in glory. Death has been transformed into triumph, and the faith and great hope of Christians rests in this: the resurrection of Christ!
This, then, is the third call to conversion: a call to hope, to trust in God and his great promise of eternal life. Let us ask ourselves: Am I convinced that the Lord forgives my sins? Or do I act as if I can save myself? Do I long for salvation and call upon God’s help to attain it? Do I concretely experience the hope that enables me to interpret the events of history and inspires in me a commitment to justice and fraternity, to care for our common home and in such a way that no one feels excluded?
Sisters and brothers, thanks to God’s love in Jesus Christ, we are sustained in the hope that does not disappoint (cf. Rom 5:5). Hope is the “sure and steadfast anchor of the soul”. [8] It moves the Church to pray for “everyone to be saved” ( 1 Tim 2:4) and to look forward to her being united with Christ, her bridegroom, in the glory of heaven. This was the prayer of Saint Teresa of Avila: “Hope, O my soul, hope. You know neither the day nor the hour. Watch carefully, for everything passes quickly, even though your impatience makes doubtful what is certain, and turns a very short time into a long one” ( The Exclamations of the Soul to God, 15:3). [9]
May the Virgin Mary, Mother of Hope, intercede for us and accompany us on our Lenten journey.
Francis
Rome, Saint John Lateran, 6 February 2025
Memorial of St Paul Miki and Companions, martyrs.

‘To bless is to put a bit of yourself into something. It is to make holy, to change something or someone because of your presence.’  (Macrina Wiederkehr)
The month of February is always special and memorable, looking forward to an event so close to the PBN Family that is commemorated yearly. It is the recalling of the Miraculous Benediction – an extraordinary blessing – that attested to the authenticity of the Foundation of the Holy Family of Bordeaux. On this special occasion, it is worth recalling the event of February 3rd, 1822, and looking deeply and intently at what we mean by blessings.
Anyone and anything that contributes towards good or goodness enhancing our lives is a blessing. To bless is to bring the touch of God, the touch of love and goodness, healing and forgiveness to another by our presence as well as by our genuine actions. Blessings are greetings, reminders, and assurances from God, saying, “I care about you.”.
Blessings are not always immediate, or on the spot – just to make us “feel good”. Sometimes they come in disguise – in the pain, struggle, and hardship of the unwanted or unacceptable part of our lives. Blessings in the Scriptures were given for a variety of purposes: when invoked, divine mercy, protection, and care; prayer offered for someone; requests for favour on another’s behalf; blessings to bestow happiness and fulfilment; to guard and preserve; to keep safe, and to approve and encourage another. Whenever God blesses, there emerges bounteous life and an abundance of goodness. God blessed Abraham and promised with endless blessing that Abraham would have numerous descendants – a symbol of the abundance of new life.
In Jesus’ life, though He bestowed and offered blessings, Jesus Himself became THE BLESSING. His presence, strength, healing, courage, vitality, and His goodness engender life to the effect that His blessing is transformative and has the power to change, to inspire newness. Let us get in touch with our personal spiritual experiences, recalling the blessings showered on us today and throughout our lives, blessings that have made an impact and urged and prompted us to give thanks.
Every blessing of each pleasant moment is a gift from God. God allows us to look at both sides and see his powerful, gracious hands at work in our lives. We can delight in the happy times but also realize at the same time the instances when we were freed from the fear of encountering difficult circumstances because we often find God’s power woven through those moments in marvellous ways. 203 years ago, the Lord in the Eucharist bestowed on our Founder and the Early Mothers a very special and significant blessing-a blessing of the foundation of the Holy Family as a sign of His approval to Go Forward!
In this great event, God came very close to us, and He presented Himself as the “Jesus of the Holy Family,” and his blessings became our source of strength, vitality and courage so that we may move on with hope.
In reflecting on Blessing, gratitude is the first feeling that comes from the heart. This attitude of recognition is needed to value the great works that God has done in and through our Venerable Founder. These two centuries of our existence have been transformed into a great history of efforts and perseverance to ‘Be and to Build Family in Communion’ in the spirit of God alone, reviving the flame of the Early Christians, which was close to the heart of our Founder in the footsteps of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. When we reflect on the life of our dear Founder Pierre Bienvenu Noailles, we capture the deep love he had for Jesus in the Eucharist and from there he received strength, courage, light and power to live for God Alone. I was very much touched by his words to the Sisters after the Miraculous Benediction:
“He blessed us…. He showed us his heart. Oh! Never forget that Jesus showed you his heart so that you would go to Him in all your difficulties, your temptations, and times of discouragement. He alone is the true comforter; He alone is the surest counsellor, the source of all good.” (PBN)
Our Founder had great conviction and hope towards the future of the Foundation of the Holy Family. The same hope is continued today in our journey – as we are on our Chapter journey – reimagining and restructuring our life and mission with the Synodal Church with the urgent call for transformation to lead the way for a total renewal from within. Let us walk with the Church thanking God for the Jubilee year 2025. Jubilee that comes as a special invitation to us to deepen our love for Jesus and broaden our minds and hearts that will consciously include all those whom Jesus loved most, without any discrimination, celebrating the diversity that is present among us and the richness of our interculturality, which is a blessing beyond words.
This Jubilee year is a time for reconciliation and redeeming the lost life. Let us reflect in our communities on the theme: “Jubilee -“Pilgrims of Hope.” We live in a fast-growing world where relationships are broken, hope lost, and values eroding. Hope, Love, and Faith are intertwined in our spiritual pilgrimage. Let us spread Hope as we spread love around us, for Hope is a strong and indispensable value and attitude helping us to promote justice, to live in peace, and to be on the side of the poor, proving that our “Option for the Poor is at the heart of our Apostolic Choices,” as our Constitutions says. To live and experience this precious gift of hope, let us take a meaningful route that energizes our life and mission so that it is possible to “cross over to the other shore.” Let us be hopeful. It is time to become a blessing and hope for our people! 
Sr. Jeya Mary Arockiam
Unit Leader, India

Once again we can celebrate the New Year. This is a good  time to look back, to discover what our journey with God and our brothers and sisters has been like. Surely we will still have unfinished business, actions planned but not carried out, healthy resolutions that we have not fulfilled, experiences marked by pain and loss. There will also be joyful situations that have filled our hearts and that reveal to us every day the abiding presence of God in our lives. But it is also a time to look to the future, to continue dreaming, and to place ourselves in the hands of God, our loving Father, to continue believing in life, to continue deepening the values of our Charism. Belonging to the Family of Pierre Bienvenu Noailles makes us face tomorrow always hopeful that we can continue building communities, in which we live the same spirit of the Family of Nazareth, seeking God Alone in all things.
The year that we are just beginning is special, however. Following an ancient tradition of the Church, Pope Francis invites us to celebrate a Jubilee Year in 2025, renewing the tradition of the Hebrews recorded in the book of Leviticus (25:10-13), whereby every 50 years, (today every 25 years), the people of Israel were to celebrate a Jubilee year, during which the freedom of slaves was proclaimed, land was returned to its original owners and debts were forgiven. This year was meant to restore social justice and enable the community to start on a new path.
In the present day, Jubilee is about stripping ourselves of everything that keeps us from moving forward and remembering the mission that Luke’s Gospel describes, quoting the prophet Isaiah:  ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me. He has sent me to evangelise the poor, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour’ (Lk 4:18 19; cf. Is 61:1 2). These words of Jesus have motivated acts of liberation and conversion that we are all invited to live today in our daily encounters and relationships.
A glance at our world allows us to trace a scenario of pain and the search for meaning in life;  there are many big questions that need an answer, hunger, ‘senseless’ wars, displaced people, migrants, refugees, violence against women, child exploitation, people behind bars, an endless number of situations that are full of pain and emptiness, but which are also an opportunity for redemption, liberation and conversion as long as we live in the light of the Gospel.
So let us live this Spirit, let us draw from the wonderful experience of reconciliation and conversion, let us renew our faith and draw closer again to the God of life. And as Family let us enter into this Jubilee experience centred on the essence of our Charism, drawing on our diversity and complementarity, open to respond to the challenges of our world today.
Happy New Year 2025 !!!
Happy Jubilee Year !!!
Luis Jesús García-Lomas
Lay Associate, Spain

This Christmas season is particularly precious for our Family; we rejoice in celebrating our Source of inspiration and guidance.
In one of his Christmas sermons, the Founder tells us: ‘Come close to the Child in the Crib, there you will find your model’. We know that the way of contemplating the Holy Family that he proposes to us is not simply in order to be moved by the beautiful images of the Crib;  it is an invitation to  accompany the Holy Family throughout their life journey, to Bethlehem, Egypt, Nazareth and Jerusalem, and try to shape our lives according to their model.  For the members of the PBN Family, to contemplate the Holy Family is to enter their hearts, their thoughts, to try to see the world and life, through their eyes.
Therefore, celebrating the Feast of the Holy Family on the last Sunday of 2024 recalls for us the memory of the journey made during this year that is ending. The most painful events immediately come to mind, such as wars, natural disasters, violence against Life, wrong decisions, unrealised goals, etc. There have also been positive and joyful events: gestures of solidarity, resistance, resilience, encounters, obstacles overcome through new steps, big and small….
Let’s take a few minutes to visit the Holy Family and talk to them about our lives during this year: How have I lived through it all? What attitudes and values of the Holy Family have guided me this year?  In the face of different events, whether happy or sad, how do I recognise the Holy Family identity in my attitudes, as well as in the responses of my group or community?
“ O Jesus, Mary and Joseph who in your goodness admitted us into your Holy Family and who wish us to imitate you, fill our hearts with fervour for our work, with zeal for the salvation of souls, and with charity which will lead us to love our suffering brothers and sisters, and especially to love you always” (Spiritual Guide for Today. 173)
Sr. Geni Dos Santos Camargo
General Councillor, Rome

‘The Word became flesh and dwelt among us’ (Jn. 1, 14)
Christmas: ‘It is the day on which Jesus, Mary and Joseph meet on earth’ PBN
Christmas – in Spanish, “Navidad” comes from the Latin Nativitas meaning birth. What does a birth imply? Many external and internal movements, before and after this great life event. As Christians we commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ every year on this day. We all get excited and prepare ourselves to celebrate this beautiful event. Overcoming our difficulties such as the consequences of wars; also,  ‘Mother Earth seems to demand that we take more care with her: lately we see rains and devastating floods in different parts of the world, elsewhere there are extreme droughts, and wildfires destroying life. As far as possible, may we be in solidarity with the victims of these situations, reaching out to help them, bearing witness to the fact that the Saviour has come.
God the Son came into the world in the family of Mary and Joseph of Nazareth, as the prophets had foretold.  God the child comes against all human logic: He chooses to be born in an inadequate place, he became poor… Mary and Joseph welcome him with immense love and enthusiasm, thus emphasising the importance of the unity and the role of the family at the beginning of every person’s life. The majority of humanity did not await his coming, distracted as they were by their own interests… Has the context when Jesus Christ was born changed today? I would say no, people are still distracted, individualistic, excluding, discriminating… looking more for riches, power and earthly pleasures, indifferent to the needs of others. And yet a birth implies a responsible commitment to care for life itself.
‘The Son of God came on earth to found a holy family and wanted the first three persons in this family to serve as models for those who would become part of it. He proposed Himself as a model for all Christians, whatever their condition.’ SG # 38
The Good Father makes us a great invitation: ‘Come, brothers and sisters, to the Child in the manger, there we find our model. Come, you who seek happiness in the world… Come to the crib, what do you see there? Jesus Christ, happiness itself, embracing the sufferings of the world; Jesus Christ, greatness itself – a child; Jesus Christ who possesses everything – poor… here is the way to salvation. G. E. # 86
 Let us go forward with joy, commitment and gratitude to contemplate the Word of God made Man, life itself, a fragile, vulnerable child, full of peace, hope, tenderness, light that illuminates our life…together, united as one big Family, we can proclaim with renewed energy: Glory be to God Alone, and we can wish with all our hearts that God the Child continues to be born every day. MERRY CHRISTMAS FAMILY!
Sister Rubeni Pejerrey Campodónico
Peru

The contemplation of the MYSTERY OF THE INCARNATION reveals God’s dream of meeting all his creatures.
In Jesus, he made his dwelling among us and assumed our human condition as “one of many”.
In the eyes of faith, all the signs are eloquent: the manger, the swaddling clothes, the star, the simple people approaching….
Let us go to Bethlehem and with Mary, Joseph, the shepherds… captivated by this fragile Child, let us contemplate and adore in silence.
May his Presence rekindle our commitment to his Project of PEACE and COMMUNION.
I wish you a CHRISTMAS full of Hope and a HAPPY YEAR 2025.
HAPPY FEAST OF THE HOLY FAMILY!
 

The Constitution as a way forward: The path is not there, it is to be made by walking’
The 18th of December is an extraordinary day for the Apostolic and Contemplative sisters of the Holy Family of Bordeaux. On this day, we commemorate the Holy See’s approbation of our Constitutions.  It was in 1851 that the Founder wrote his last General Rules. The first approbation of the Constitutions was on 18th December 1903. This was revised and reformulated at the 1987 General Chapter and then Holy See’s approbation was received on 18 December 1988. The Constitution is not only a guideline for us to be witnesses in the present context, following the footsteps of the Holy Family of Nazareth and the First Christians, but also a prototype of the Dream and Desire of the Founder for all his daughters and sons: journeying together as ONE Family with five vocations. 
A rereading of the Constitutions portrays, not merely as a set of cannons but rather how the Founder re-visioned a synodal journey, a journey of walking together in faith, listening to each other, and discerning the will of God in a given context some centuries ago.  The Constitutions paint a picture of a shared God-experience: although drawn from the past they pave the way for the future journey of finding “God the Other” amongst “the Others”.  The shared God-experience creates a sense of belonging, uniting members across the globe irrespective of differences while respecting cultural heterogeneity.  This has become the call of the Church choosing the synodal path. 
Today, Pope Francis, while emphasizing one of the most important aspects of the Second Vatican Council, has set the next goal for the whole Church, a synodal journey for herself and her mission in the contemporary world.  He calls for a return to the model of the “People of God” journeying together, with a new model of governance, which engages the People of God in listening, discerning, and being involved in decision-making. The synodal journey is continuous. ‘For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation and Mission’ is the title of a journey begun in October 2021.  Hence, this “synodal journey” means the discernment of the will of God as a Christian community.  Francis claims, “The path of synodality is the path that God expects from the Church for the third millennium.1” The missionary dimension of synodality appears in a special way in Francis’ encyclical, Fratelli Tutti (2021), in which he calls for universal fraternity; a synodal Church is “a listening Church,” and every synodal praxis begins by listening to the people with the purpose to form a people, a fraternal and missionary community at the service of the common good and the care of the common home.
Through Baptism, we are called upon to participate fully in the life and mission of the Church.  We, as consecrated women have freely committed ourselves to give ourselves totally to God and the people of God; to follow Christ and share his mission of salvation, establishing the reign of God. Reading and discerning the “signs of the times”, as our Founder did by listening to the people who were struggling for life, demands finding the vocation within a vocation.  As we are living in a world that is torn apart due to economic, ethnic, religious, social and cultural divisions, we the members of the Holy Family are invited to build communion wherever we are and in whatever we do as we all are part of the WHOLE. It is also a call to be reconnected to the self through which we are interconnected to the whole Universe.
The Founder’s desire for the Family was expressed through the Constitutions and approved by the Holy See. In them, we hear the voice of God, who calls us through the cry of our people and Mother Earth for a better life. As we extend our gratitude to our Founder, whose vision is relevant even in today’s context, may we hear the invitation to journey together with ALL, sharing the dream that communion is possible.
_____________________

[1] Francis, Commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Institution of the Synod of Bishops, October 17, 2015.
Sr. Rasika Pieris
Colombo Province, Sri Lanka
 
 

“Coffee in one hand, confidence in the other.” This phrase perfectly captures the allure of coffee. It’s a beverage that inspires, energizes, and connects people. I decided to explore the reasons why people love coffee by asking a few friends. Their responses were varied but all centred around the positive effects of coffee.
One friend shared that coffee helped them overcome tiredness and feel more focused and refreshed. Another friend discovered a love for coffee’s aroma and caffeine which made them feel new and good. For another, coffee has been a constant companion since childhood, and enjoys preparing it for others.
I sincerely acknowledge that I can’t quite capture their exact expressions in words. But I can certainly relate. As a fellow coffee enthusiast, I know the feeling of missing a vital part of my day when I don’t have my morning cup. It’s like missing a close companion. Sometimes, life’s experiences make us question our encounters with others. We might wonder, ‘Why did I meet this person?’ or ‘Why didn’t I meet them sooner?’” Yes, friends I also have some common phenomena same like you to share.
In the academic year 2023-2024, there were two special heroes Anmol Dahayat and Riyansh Gupta who were famous for getting zeros in the examinations. To help them succeed, I appointed them as class monitors, sought their assistance, praised them publicly, offered them opportunities to participate in school events, highlighted their achievements, and provided positive feedback to their parents. They became the centre of my attention, receiving my love, care, concern, and undivided focus.
On November 25, 2023, Holy Cross Convent Senior Secondary School organized a “School Fete” to raise funds for the poor. Each class was required to set up a stall, and as the class teacher, I selected a group of ten students, including those two heroes Anmol Dahayat and Riyansh Gupta, to manage a food stall. The students’ initiative and hard work were commendable, and their parents expressed their appreciation. Our efforts were rewarded with two second-place prizes: one for discipline and cleanliness, and the other for significant fundraising at the primary level. This experience had a positive impact on all the students, particularly the two struggling students. They gained confidence, improved their academic performance, and were promoted to the next grade. I am grateful for the opportunity and thanked God for blessing me with the quality of coffee to accompany these students on their journey of growth and development.
In August 2024, a new student named Anirudh Kumar Sinha joined my fourth-grade class. Although he was of Indian origin, he had been born and raised in Ethiopia. Anirudh quickly adapted to my teaching style and seemed content. Since he joined the class late, I took it upon myself to teach him cursive writing personally. One day, Anirudh approached me with a question: “Sister, please don’t misunderstand me, but why do you look so angry when you enter the classroom? You are so nice otherwise.”
His honesty made me reflect on my own behaviour. I explained that I often wore a mask of temporary anger to manage the class. To my surprise, he was pleased with my explanation. However, it made me question myself Why did I feel the need to wear a mask? Couldn’t I be smiling and loving all the time?  His insightful question prompted me to re-evaluate my approach and entrance to the classroom are turned with a more positive and loving attitude.  This nine-year-old boy became a coffee of awareness. I am grateful to him for opening my eyes to a new perspective.
Life provides opportunities for us to develop the qualities of coffee and be a cup of coffee to those in need. Let us be a source of warmth, comfort, and inspiration for others. Let us also appreciate the coffee that others bring into our lives, for it can enrich our experiences and make life more meaningful.
Sr.Prince Elizabeth SAVARIYAR
India
 
 

Who is Our Lady of Loreto? Is it just one of the many names given to Mary and what is the significance of this name?
I must confess that all I knew about this title given to Mary was about the house that was transported in its entirety by angels, from Nazareth to the town of Loreto. Whether this is myth or reality, why the great devotion, with thousands of people still going on pilgrimage to Loreto annually?
Why did our Founder and a number of Popes through the centuries, have great devotion to Our Lady of Loreto? On 24th March 1920, eve of the Feast of the Annunciation, Pope Benedict XV issued a decree, declaring Our Lady of Loreto patroness of air travellers and aeronautics. What can we learn from our Lady of Loreto and why is asking her intercession today so needed?
According to legend, the house where Mary lived her whole life and where the Archangel Gabriel appeared to her in Nazareth, is the very same house that was transported by angels on 10th December 1291, to finally rest in a town in Italy called Loreto. It is believed that in order to protect this house because of its significance, it was miraculously relocated finally to Loreto.
All of this is a mystery to ponder… does it have significance for one’s faith? Unlike most other Marian feasts, Our Lady of Loreto doesn’t refer to an apparition or a Marian title but to a building. Specifically, it refers to the humble home in which Mary grew up and the extraordinary events that took place there.
What is of importance is what we can learn from our Lady of Loreto and why we so urgently need her intercession today. Pope John XXIII emphasised “Loreto pointed to the life of the Holy Family as a model for, and renewal of families and of the world”. (Áine Hayde’s PHD thesis 2004) Pope John Paul II added to the Litany of Our Lady, “Queen of Families”.
Over the centuries, Our Lady of Loreto has become a place for those needing comfort, healing and consolation in times of suffering. We know the challenges facing families today and especially our Earth family, maybe now more than at any other time in history. Like our Founder, Pierre Bienvenu Noailles, who under Our Lady of Loreto’s inspiration had the fundamental idea to form a new society in 1818 (General Rules 1844), we too can ask our Lady of Loreto to intercede for our world today.
According to our Founder, “to pray at Loreto was to come close to the mystery of God’s love manifested in the bosom of a highly favoured family” (Fr. Noailles and the Association of the Holy Family). In this House, the simple, humble and ordinary becomes extraordinary through Mary’s Fiat, the Incarnation (Luke 1:38). God takes on human form (John 1:14) so that humanity can recognise its divinity and interconnectedness with all of life. Has there ever been a greater love story than that of God’s outpouring of love, simply given so lavishly!
In this time of Advent, we are invited as we celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Loreto, to contemplate this great love and the person through whom it was made possible. Mary teaches us to open ourselves to the Presence, to radical abandonment, to show that Christ lives in us, by the power of the Holy Spirit; that he has made his home in us as he did in the womb of Mary and that we too, are to birth the Christ wherever we are, especially in situations that most need it.
 This incarnate Love is not to hold on to but to be given, shared lavishly and to enable us to be co-creators of Communion in our divided suffering Earth community, “We learn to live no longer for ourselves but for God Alone in the service of the kingdom” (Constitutions Article. 9) – an invitation to live each day with deep awareness, to be fully involved with life, to open ourselves to the profound unity within all life, to look for the sacred essence at the heart of everything, connecting all life in a sacred web of communion.
Sr. Cathy Murugan
South Africa
  
 

As we enter the season of Advent, our hearts are troubled by the calamities of our times. Indeed, the tragedies of migrants perishing at sea, the rise of the Extreme Right in our democracies, characterised by a rejection of diversity and universalism, as well as conflicts, natural disasters and poverty, plunge many into anxiety. As a result, this context of fear and vulnerability leads some people to think that ‘God is far away’ or that ‘life no longer has any meaning’. Yet Advent calls us to hope. So we are invited to ask ourselves some essential questions: when will we find security again? Who will protect us from evil? Who will help us renew our strength to face the changes of this world?
A call to hope
In the face of these uncertainties, Advent invites us to become pilgrims of hope. As believers, we have the grace to discern glimmers of hope in the midst of darkness. Pope Francis, in his Bull for the Jubilee Year entitled Pilgrims of Hope, exhorts us to do just that: “We must fan the flame of hope that has been given us, and help everyone to gain new strength and certainty by looking to the future with an open spirit, a trusting heart and far-sighted vision”.(Letter to Msgr. Rino Fisichella for the Promotion of the Jubilee, Feb. 2022) This exhortation is also in line with the spirit of faith of Father Pierre-Bienvenu Noailles, who wrote in a letter: ‘Blessed are the souls who take advantage of trials to love and fear God Alone… Who will take our God away from us? And with Him, why fear?’ (Letter to Mme Machet, 4 March 1827). These words remind us that even in adversity, hope enables us to walk with God.
With this in mind, the texts for the Sundays of Advent Year C accompany us on this journey of hope.
The first Sunday invites us to courage and strength in the face of doubts and setbacks, assuring us that God will not abandon us.
Then, the second Sunday urges us not to give in to worry, giving us remedies to get us through trials, such as prayer, love, righteousness and discernment lived in joy.
The third Sunday focuses on joy, the true joy that comes from knowing that God is at work in our lives.
Finally, the fourth Sunday calls us to hope, following the example of Mary and Elizabeth, who firmly believed that ‘nothing is impossible for God’ (Lk 1:37). In fact, their total trust in the Lord opened the doors of salvation by welcoming the Saviour, the source of light and hope
In this spirit, our responsibility as bearers of hope takes on its full meaning. We are called to translate this spiritual dynamic into concrete action in the service of God’s mission.
Our responsibility as bearers of hope
At the Council of the  Family in Martillac in August 2023, three priorities were identified for moving forward in communion or synodality. Firstly, we need to deepen and live out the synodal dimension of the Charism of the Holy Family. Secondly, we need to work creatively with young people. Finally, it is crucial to protect the web of life by recognising its sacred value. These commitments reflect our collective responsibility in God’s mission today, making Advent a ‘favourable time’ for renewal and commitment.
To begin with, living out the synodal dimension of our Charism requires an inner conversion, moving from ‘me’ to ‘we’. In this sense, it implies sincere prayer, attentive listening and attention to vulnerabilities, while promoting co-responsibility through participative leadership. Furthermore, it is imperative to improve internal and external communication, particularly via digital means, in order to build a supportive and active community.
Secondly, working with young people requires a special sensitivity in order to listen to them, understand their language and organise initiatives that fully involve them. Furthermore, accompanying them in their vocation, while offering them an inspiring future through our testimony, strengthens this mission.
Finally, protecting the web of life means respecting and preserving every being in accordance with God’s will. This requires a commitment from all members to adopt a lifestyle that is responsible, ecological and respectful of human dignity. To this end, it is essential to educate and raise awareness in communities, drawing in particular on Church texts such as Laudato Si’, which call for a profound ecological conversion. However, this approach requires a change of mentality, encouraging everyone to transform their lifestyles in a harmonious relationship with themselves, others and nature. Indeed, in a context full of challenges, our Delegation may be faced with a variety of actions to undertake, while responding to the crucial need to promote this transformation.
Building communion through solidarity
Advent invites us to make these commitments a reality in our personal, community and social lives. As Pierre-Bienvenu Noailles reminded us: ‘Always speak favourably of those who persecute us, let us return good for evil… We will soon reach the goal’ (Letter to Madame Machet, 13 March 1827). Through our acts of faith, solidarity and communion, we can transform our communities into places of hope and light, responding to God’s call to the world.
Fr. Pascal DJEUMEGUED
Priest Associate, Cameroun