Aware that what we are and do is not about us, but about God’s inclusive love for all, we want to continue Jesus’ compassionate mission. This entails sensitivity to reality, discernment of the signs of the times, courage to take a stand for the most vulnerable and constant conversion. “Recognizing that the selfishness of the human heart is at the root of all oppressive structures and systems, we struggle against sinfulness in our own lives; and in whatever situation we are, we stand for justice, freedom and peace”. (Constitutions 112)
We keep in mind and are grateful for the stories of our Founding Generation. We appreciate how they endeavored to care for others with Samaritan hearts. Fr. Arnold Janssen, Mother Maria Helena and Mother Josepha strove with consistency and humility to walk the talk. For them, love was not an abstract concept but concrete action. By allowing the Spirit to transform their lives, they were convinced that only love can create bridges to unite people from different cultures, age, social condition and religious believes. They bequeathed to us their conviction and dream that the new earth and new heaven starts here and now. They set us in the motion to keep searching gentle ways to open human hearts to God’s loving action. Mother Josepha said, “Our task is to open all hearts to love”. Mother Maria’s motivation to serve in the foreign missions was marked by her deep desire to share her God’s experience. She wrote, “I often felt a great sense of pity, especially for the abandoned pagan children; I felt a tremendous longing to be there and to search for those abandoned children in the swamps, fields and forests…” Both, Mother Maria and Mother Josepha showed us that effective response to others’ needs flows from a contemplative heart. As God’s centered persons they were able to put others, not themselves, in the center of their loving care and concern.
During the 14th General Chapter, we felt anew God’s call to get out of our boxes, to leave our comfort zones, to deepen global consciousness and to widen the circle of communion by reaching out to others, especially those in most need. Thus, Jesus’ words: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor” and “Go and do the same” found an echo in our Congregational Direction: toward communion-widening the circle.
