Rome, Italy, July 1, 2017
Dear Priests, Seminarians, Brothers, and Novices,
“One cannot be an apostle without being creative; and without being creative, one cannot be a missionary.”
For us, who confess to have an “essential call to be missionaries,” one of the non-negotiable elements of the charism of our Institute is precisely this apostolic creativity. This element comes from the very mandate of Christ: Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel and As the Father has sent me, so I send you.
For, in that go pronounced by the Incarnate Word, it is understood that our pastoral work must be one of an incisive approach, rather than a bureaucratic one. For the election of the apostles by Christ does not only imply the call to be with Him, nor the mere invitation to leave all for Him. Within our vocation is also the implicit call to “go” to make disciples of Christ of all nations. Jesus came as sent by the Father, and is always in search of lost mankind until he finds it. We, whether priests, seminarians, novices or brothers, will give witness that we truly belong to the line of the apostles only insofar as we accept walking with Christ and share in his deep desire for the salvation of souls, now more urgent than ever, because “in our day Jesus’ command to ‘go and make disciples’ echoes in the changing scenarios and ever new challenges to the Church’s mission of evangelization, and all of us are called to take part in this new missionary ‘going forth’.”
Hence, this “go” necessarily calls for a missionary attitude, which leads us to not simply be content with remaining closed within our parishes or our religious houses, waiting for others to come to us, especially considering the circumstances of today’s world. Each one of us should feel sent to each of the souls with which we enter into contact and who we have under our jurisdiction. Moreover, we should see ourselves as called to save the numerous souls as God pleases to make use of us. The love of Christ impels us! And it is the same love towards the Incarnate Word that should drive us to widen the boundaries of the Kingdom of God.
St. John Paul II says that “there must be no lessening of the impetus to preach the Gospel” to those who are distanced from Christ, “for this is the first task of the Church.” The Holy Father says that the mission “represents the greatest challenge for the Church” and “the missionary task must remain foremost.” Following this teaching, Pope Francis tells us “What would happen if we were to take these words seriously? We would realize that missionary outreach is paradigmatic for all the Church’s activity.”
In a previous Circular Letter we spoke about the universal dimension and the certain help that God gives to fulfill the mission entrusted to us. In this Letter, I would like to speak about the importance of our fidelity to the Holy Spirit—the principal agent of the Church’s mission—who does not only urge us to the mission, but at the same time arouses in us a generous creativity of words and works so that the gospel which we announce might become life in the diverse circumstances where we are, and allows us to overcome all the difficulties which we might encounter in the mission.
1. The mission is an accurate indicator of our faith
Our Constitutions say that “we do not want our Religious Family to be guided by any spirit other than the Holy Spirit,” and that “only with absolute fidelity to the Holy Spirit can we skillfully use the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
And so, the fidelity to the Holy Spirit that is asked of us—“the best, total, and unrestricted”—implies on one hand the consequent response of fidelity to the ineffable love of God and for the charism received (and therefore that which the Church expects of us) in such a way that we can say with the Apostle: “If I preach the gospel, this is no reason for me to boast, for an obligation has been imposed on me, and woe to me if I do not preach it!” But also, on the other hand, this fidelity to the Holy Spirit is the means by which we can hope that our efforts might bear fruit. That is why our Constitutions go on to say beautifully: “Our feeble breath is only fertile and irresistible when it communes with the Wind of Pentecost.” Therefore, we cannot speak of apostolic creativity without speaking of being faithful to the motions of the Divine Spirit.
Saint John Paul II repeated insistently in his magna carta about the mission that “the Holy Spirit is the principal agent of the mission” and our proper law takes as its own such affirmation on various occasions. For it is the Holy Spirit who not only “transforms the disciples in a marvelous way” and makes them capable of working as his instruments, but at the same time works in the listeners and makes the Good News “extend through history.”
Pope Francis says, as well: “How I long to find the right words to stir up enthusiasm for a new chapter of evangelization full of fervour, joy, generosity, courage, boundless love and attraction! Yet I realize that no words of encouragement will be enough unless the fire of the Holy Spirit burns in our hearts. A spirit-filled evangelization is one guided by the Holy Spirit, for he is the soul of the Church called to proclaim the Gospel.” Ultimately, “Spirit-filled evangelizers are evangelizers who pray and work,” and so that they might work, they first allow themselves to be transformed by the Spirit.
However, for such transformation of the disciples and action within souls to take place, it is imperative for us, missionaries of the Incarnate Word, to let ourselves be guided by the Spirit, to live the mystery of the sending of Christ, and to love the Church and men as Jesus has loved them.
This is why it is pointed out as a proper part of our spirituality as missionaries the acceptance and the commitment “to being molded from within by the Spirit, so that we may become ever more like Christ,” and to “to receive the gifts of fortitude and discernment, which are essential elements of missionary spirituality.” For “it is not possible to bear witness to Christ without reflecting his image, which is made alive in us by grace and the power of the Spirit.” The mission today, as in the apostolic times, continues to be “difficult and complex,” and for this reason it is absolutely necessary that we maintain an intimate union with Jesus Crucified, animated by the Holy Spirit, fundamentally and principally by means of prayer.
It is in prayer where “we must ponder the mysterious ways of the Spirit and allow ourselves to be led by him into all the truth,” it is there where we must drink in the freedom of spirit with which God blesses the truly humble.
Seeking Christ in prayer is fundamental for us. This holds true, simply because being religious and being a missionary, implies being men of faith. Our Directory does well to say: “Mission is an issue of faith, an accurate indicator of our faith in Christ and his love for us.” Faith that should be nourished by the daily contact with our Eucharistic Lord.
Blessed Paolo Manna wrote to his missionaries: “The fervent life of a missionary, his regular, wise, industrious and untiring activity, the unalterable joy of his life and his perseverance in the work, even in the midst of privation, hardship and difficulty, are always the result of a life of faith. If faith is obscured, then zeal is also diminished; then even the strongest are affected by tiredness and discouragement, and they might end up completely unhappy and lose their vocation. If instead, the missionary lives by faith, then it is great, it is wonderful, it is divine: he can give his whole self to the Church and to souls; no hardship, no difficulty defeats him; no heroism is beyond his power! If the spirit of faith in him is languid and weak, he will get worked up, he will work, but nevertheless, all of his fatigue will serve for little or nothing, and the lack of success of his works done half-heartedly, will increase in him a lack of trust and depression.”
This is why Christ calls us to himself before sending us out; and if each day we seek him in prayer, neither strength, nor creativity, nor dedication for seeking the opportunities for presence, witness and apostolic service, nor energy to always go forward in our missionary work will ever be lacking. “Only in the depths of contemplation can the Holy Spirit transform your hearts; and only if your own hearts are transformed will you be able to fulfil the great task of helping others so that the Spirit may guide them into all the truth, which is the essence of the Christian mission.”
To achieve being ‘in tune’ with the Holy Spirit, the Directory of Spirituality, points out that we should: a) be attentive to his inspirations, working against habitual dissipation, lack of mortification and disordered affections; b) exercise ourselves in the discernment of spirits; and finally c) be docile and ready in the execution of the Holy Spirit’s requests because ‘indecision is foreign to the grace of the Holy Spirit’, always working against the temptation to delay, against the fear to sacrifice and totally surrender, and against the temptation to recover what we have given, seeking compensation or setting our hearts on things that are not of God.
It is of equal importance for us to recognize ourselves as “sent by Christ” for “We cannot understand or carry out the mission unless we refer it to Christ as the one who was sent by the Father to evangelize.” Our proper law, quoting the magisterium of the Church, clarifies that, although it is true that the missionary is required to “renounce himself and everything that up to this point he considered as his own, and to make himself everything to everyone,” it is also true that precisely because the missionary is sent by Christ, he experiences the consoling presence of Christ, who accompanies him in each moment of his life: I am with you always, until the end of the age. Convinced of this truth, we should fearlessly march onwards, with a certain boldness to carry out, with constancy and generous self-giving, any enterprise that the Spirit himself prompts us to take on.
2. Ardent missionary fervor
If a missionary is not only a man of faith but must also be “a person of charity,” it is absolutely necessary that we be nourished by the same Spirit of Love, who is the Holy Spirit; that we let ourselves be guided and inspired by Him, and that we “make space” in our hearts so that it may be filled with zeal, so we may “go forth” with a healthy initiative, and with complete readiness in search of souls, overcoming all obstacles.
The Second Vatican Council clearly teaches this: “These habits of mind should be earnestly exercised already in [the] time of training; they should be cultivated, and should be uplifted and nourished by the spiritual life. Imbued with a living faith and a hope that never fails, the missionary should be a man of prayer. Let him have an ardent spirit of power and of love and of prudence. Let him learn to be self – sufficing in whatever circumstances; always bearing about in himself the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may work in those to whom he is sent, out of zeal of souls, let him gladly spend all and be spent himself for souls, so that ‘by the daily practice of his duty he may grow in the love of God and neighbor’.”
Precisely for this reason, our proper law insists that our religious cultivate, from the beginning of their formation “a great love for the virtues that form the foundation of our spiritual growth, such as humility, charity, and docility to one’s superiors.” For, “hardly will those be suitable for the mission who ‘know everything,’ ‘who don’t get along with anyone,’ who find defects in everything, who argue about everything and will not listen to or obey anyone except when the other person is in line with what they think themselves.” And the reason for this is very simple: because “God opposes the proud, but bestows favor on the humble. And if God opposes a missionary, what good could the missionary possibly do?”
Each one of us should always keep in mind that “the vows do not dispense one of his proper apostolic initiative, or of intensely seeking in his relationship with God, the will of God in diverse circumstances, seconding the motions of the Holy Spirit.” This is why we usually refer to when we say that one “must have one’s own drive (motor propio).” Apostolic initiative and obedience are two realities that cannot be dialectically opposed to one another. Personal initiative does not exclude nor is the detriment of obedience, and obedience should not exclude such initiative; both realities should be harmoniously united.
For this reason, our Directory of Missions Ad Gentes establishes that our religious “for such an exalted task, …be prepared by a special spiritual and moral training. For he must have the spirit of initiative in beginning, as well as that of constancy in carrying through what he has begun; he must be persevering in difficulties, patient and strong of heart in bearing with solitude, fatigue, and fruitless labor.”
The Chapter Fathers recalled the same thing during the recent General Chapter in 2016, upon speaking about the formation of our religious as missionaries: “a deep vision of faith is necessary, especially illumined by the mystery of the Incarnation. [This] demands reflecting and meditating upon how the Word would have adapted to this particular culture, that of one’s proper mission; and how is it that his Mystery enlightens this concrete human being and acting.”
To illustrate what we have been saying, I would like to quote here this masterful page of Saint Manuel González who with an experienced hand wrote: “It is with that zeal which disquiets, which distresses, which takes away sleep, which turns the souls of the faithful into a type of obsession for the priests, that the priest learns to become all things to all people and it is this zeal which gives the adaptability for different offices, conditions, personalities and circumstances to the one who exercises the role of father for such diverse types of children.” The saint continues, “That zeal gives to the priest, who possesses it, the ability and the flexibility to become a farmer with the farm workers, lawyer with those who plead, a carpenter, a stonemason, or any other type worker when there is work to be done but no money to pay for it; a child with the children, young with the youth, old with the elderly. That zeal, finally, is what places on the face of the priest that unchanging smile with which he receives all people and all things, whether pleasant or unpleasant, and on his lips that word, always calm and affectionate; it is that zeal which many times leads him to put his hand in his own pocket only to empty it out into the pocket of another. Yes, zeal brings forth true miracles of initiative, of improvising, of self-control, of generosity without conditions or limits.” That is why I say, that wherever this zeal is nested in the heart of a missionary, there, the true flower of evangelization will spring forth.
Imbued by the Spirit of Christ, which is the Holy Spirit, He himself will inspire us to open new paths so that the message of the Son of God might penetrate in the hearts and at the turning points of culture, teaching us in the perception of the signs of the times, to be a part of the vanguard of the renewal desired by the Church; responding effectively and competently to the needs of the current times. Saint John Paul II wrote: “It is the Spirit who impels us to proclaim the great works of God.”
In announcing the works of God, it is almost a natural consequence of the action of the Holy Spirit to raise up, in the heart of the missionaries, initiatives of all types, so that with great daring, and even greater enthusiasm, one does not only set forth on the noble task of saving souls, but that one multiplies the ways of doing so, always on the lookout for occasions to proclaim the Gospel.
And so, we say that “we want ‘to leave no stone unturned so that the love of Christ may have the highest supremacy in the Church and society.’” For, by the uncontainable pressure that comes from the fully conscious responsibility of the missionary mandate and from the love of Christ, this zeal for souls arises. “All missionary and apostolic work is based on the conviction that Christ must reign.” Hence, for us, “a merely conservative attitude is not enough,” but rather we experience a passionate anxiety “to preach the Word in every way, following St. Paul’s advice: Preach the word, be urgent in season and out of season, convince, rebuke, and exhort….” As Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen well said: “exertion without the Holy Spirit is impatience; impatience, touched by the Holy Spirit, is zeal for souls.” Therefore, we consider it our priestly happiness—and that of the seminarian, monk, brother, or novice— to gladly spend and be utterly spent for the salvation of souls.
Given that “consecrated life itself, guided by the action of the Holy Spirit, becomes a mission,” we are convinced that our religious consecration, the intimacy, the richness and the stability of our special bond with the Holy Spirit are at the root of this zeal, of this passion for the missions, and of the missionary creativity which distinguishes our Religious Family.
We are asked to be “cheerful in our works,” and marked by an originality and a genius within our apostolate. As missionaries of the Incarnate Word this is truly ours, and this is the spirit that has bound us together: not counting what it costs to be servants of Christ and of his Gospel, being valiant in all of our apostolic works because we set out on them completely trusting in Divine Providence which never ceases to assist us and gets us through everything. And this is why we unceasingly ask God the grace to “preserve and cultivate the spiritual fervor and the joy of evangelizing, even when we have to sow among tears,” for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control. So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord.
In communion with the winds of Pentecost, we are called to be ready for the “Unlimited availability for the ministry of the Word, motivated by reasons of urgency, opportunity and effectiveness in the service of the kingdom of God,” because we are convinced that coming from “the line of the apostles” we have received the whole of this world as the five talents that we are called to bring to fruition, and that is why we do not renounce a priori any type of apostolate, nor do we want to save any efforts for carrying the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all places. The Chapter Fathers already said this in 2007: “no apostolic work is foreign to us, precisely because nothing authentically human is foreign to us.” And because, in analogy to the mystery of the Incarnation, which is at the center of our spirituality and charism, and in which the Word assumed a complete and perfect human nature, we must be convinced that we should reach all men and every environment which can be assumed by the gospel, for ‘anything that wasn’t taken, was not redeemed.’”
This is why we want to and why we should mission as the Incarnate Word himself did, the same way the apostles did, and the same way that the multitude of missionary saints who preceded us have done, totally giving ourselves to the missions with “an interior enthusiasm that nobody and nothing can quench,” not “dejected, discouraged,” but through a life abandoned to the cause of Christ, radiating the fervor of having received the joy of Christ, and persuaded that it is an honor for us to consecrate our life “so that the kingdom may be proclaimed and the Church established in the midst of the world.” This is our challenge; whether our mission be in a parish in the midst of the indifference which is typical of big cities, or in an isolated village; whether we work in a university or help take care of orphans or handicapped persons; and even whether we are within the cloister or if we have been “ ‘relegated,’ for motives of an illness or age, to an apparent inactivity.” Because in all places we long to be salt of the earth and light of the world, salt which gives new inspiration to society, light which directs towards eternal horizons.
And so, although some consider as “misbegotten” and while others might affirm “that it’s not prudent” to “take on works with limited means, in a poverty of resources and personnel; making great sacrifices to take on new apostolates or missions; choosing and accepting the most difficult places” to mission, we, who want to be ever more faithful to our spirituality “anchored in the sacrosanct mystery of the Incarnation,” understand—as the Notes of the last General Chapter point out—that “living based on the [mystery of the Incarnation] brings with it a constant calling to the virtues of transcendence and of self-denial.” While for some, this might be uncomfortable, we do not want to, and we cannot renounce our identity.
We uphold that, while it is true that we are asked to be “religious who live poverty to the fullest,” it is none the less true that, for the apostolic works we need proportionate material resources and so we should also be “magnanimous and magnificent in taking on apostolic tasks, according to God’s will, without getting caught up by the difficulties or the expenses that one should have in the different apostolic commitments, trusting Divine Providence for this. Especially in the Houses of Formation, in education, in the means of social communications, in publishing works, in missions, in the service of those who are most needy, etc.”
On another note, I wanted to point out that all of our proper apostolates have a great validity, and when we speak of “apostolic and missionary creativity” we do not mean looking at “what everyone else is doing” to imitate them, which would be detrimental to that which is properly ours. Rather, we affirm, yet again, that our proper apostolic works do not only maintain their actuality, but that the Church has actually sent us to develop precisely those apostolates in having granting us the canonical mission the day of our approval as a religious institute. And so, when we speak of “missionary creativity” we refer to the adaptation that is duly required (“according to the different circumstances of time, place and culture”) so as to become “privileged means of evangelization, of witness and of authentic human promotion,” so that they may be always vigorous, incisive, with further reach and scopes, opportune, up-to-date, knowing how to seek out new spaces, without fearing ‘investing’ for doing that which is good, being encouraged so as to reach the modern Areopagi where the message of the Gospel can have greater intervention, etc without this being an impairment to our identity, or distancing ourselves from the evangelical intention of the foundational charism. Rather, on the contrary! we strive to bring from the storeroom both the new and the old.
This “apostolic creativity” is asked of us by our Constitutions when they state: “We have to take on the modern Aeropagi that are open to the Church’s activity without abandoning the traditional methods of apostolate. Healthy creativity is an essential element of the living Church tradition. We must not be afraid; Christ Himself invites us to put out into the deep!”
Elsewhere, our proper law also points out: “The mission, of itself, allows for great creativity, always insofar as that which is essential is respected: that the authentic Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ be preached, that the conversion is sought out for those who are in sin, that those who receive missionaries approach well prepared to the sacraments, that there be a renewal in the depths of the Christian life, that the perseverance of the people be taken into consideration.”
May it be far from us that “pastoral of upkeep,” without enthusiasm, incisiveness, without contact with the people, behind a desk, not in touch with reality and which waits for souls to knock on our doors. For, that type of ‘pastoral’ work is, in the end, nominalist, superficial, about waiting and not incisive, as the Church asks of us and as we desire. And so, it does not attract, it does not transform, it does not move to great ideals, and it produces very little fruit.
Therefore, the excuses for lack of time, lack of support, of ‘being surrounded by long faces’, of the lack of infrastructure, or the pretexts born from the excessive worrying for one’s own health, of the anxiety provoked by the exaggerated expectation of “perfect conditions” or the too common temptation of thinking that “nobody sees what we do,” or covering one’s back by saying “I’m not in charge” only to detach oneself from seeking out new inititatives, etc should never restrain, paralyze, or dissuade us from moving to atleast try that others might love and serve Jesus Christ and to always do more and do better for the sake of Christ. It is precisely there, in those circumstances, where we should exercise our apostolic creativity. In fact, how many times, just for those same difficulties taken on with integrity, with creativity, with shrewd ingenuity, God has blessed—and blesses—our apostolates with abundant fruits. We are never more authentically members of the Incarnate Word than when we work so “that Jesus Christ will be the Lord of all that is truly human, even in the most difficult situations and under the most adverse conditions,” for this is our charism.
Dear all: It is up to us to “guide our soul to great acts…” to “risk our lives so that others might have life and hope,” to continue onward driven by “an untiring zeal for souls, with a spirit of sacrifice, with patience, and mercy…,” founding “all our apostolic enthusiasm” in Christ alone and in the unfailing help of our Most Holy Mother.
In this regard, I wanted to mention here—for the edification of all and as concrete examples of missionary enthusiasm—the praiseworthy efforts of our members, for example, in going forth with constructions while being themselves in situations of great need, trusting that God will send the necessary means for the vocations that he sends (as is the case with the Novitiate in Tanzania and the Seminary and Novitiate in the Philippines); or the almost irrepressible desire of our monks to open more monasteries—although it implies great sacrifices—so as to multiply the intercessory and prayerful presence in this world which so needs them; the dedication and the commitment of those who work to carry forth, as well as expand, the “Fabro Project” with quality publications in Spanish, English (and even in Russian); the fervent offerings of countless religious to go to difficult places (even where missionaries are persecuted and their lives are always threatened); not holding back any means for the often dry and difficult task of learning new languages (such as Arabic, Chinese, Russian, Germanic languages, Lithuanian, and so many other dialects); the intense and arduous work that so many jurisdictions carry out to put on Youth Festivals, Family Days, truly concerned about “counting on the means to give a more regular spiritual assistance, and a more solid and complete formation;” the apostolate with Volunteers which bears great fruits; in addition to the great strength that our missionary work takes on, in those places where we work together, working with our Sisters; as well as, the hidden but magnificent work of spreading the good spirit and disseminating the Good News done by those who work in the various web pages of our Institute. I also would like to point out the selfless giving of the many members who busily work in carrying forth the formation of so many candidates for the priesthood and the Consecrated life (currently 133 postulants and novices and more than 350 in seminary); as well as the quiet and selfless work of spiritual direction, of teaching and advising in the governments and in the missions which around 200 of our priests help with in serving the Sisters Servants of the Lord.
Although there are many more to name, countless valuable examples hidden to our eyes, but clearly seen before God, these listed are enough palpable and practicable examples, as long as we have in our soul and in our heart the words without Me you can do nothing which our Lord spoke. Only God knows the numerous other apostolic initiatives that we might accomplish by his grace and our generosity. The destiny of an entire people might be radically transformed in time and in eternity depending on the fidelity and generosity with which we follow the inspirations that the Holy Spirit places in the depths of our hearts. This, in fact, has happened many times in the history of the evangelization of nations. Let us always keep this in mind.
3. Apostolic Tribulations
We would have a short-sighted vision of reality if we were to ignore or deny the difficulties of various natures —internal and external— which we are faced with in the missions. And without detaining myself to list them all, I wanted to remind you of this: difficulties are a part of our path, and although at times they may seem impossible to overcome, they should not discourage us, because the work for the salvation of souls is not merely a human work, but a divine one. And the One who pronounced the words Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel, is the same one who told us: Do not be afraid! Behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age; take courage, I have conquered the world.
Today, by the grace of God, our Institute is on all five continents, mostly in countries where holy missionaries have walked before us, superior men, through whom the Holy Spirit worked marvels.
Some of them were men who were eminent for their intelligence and their prophetic teachings, as is the case with our beloved Saint John Paul II, the great planetary missionary, who until the end of his days continued saying: “Do not be afraid! Open wide the doors to Christ!” “Rise, let us be on our way!”
Others for their great capacity for speaking the language of the place of mission, or for their great ability to assimilate and their interaction with different people, as was the case with the great missionary Matteo Ricci, an Italian, who spent almost 28 years in China. “Where there is friendship, there is success,” was one of his maxims. And his characteristic kindness towards the Chinese people, accepting them in their history, their culture, and their tradition, made him “Chinese with the Chinese,” and so he became “a precious connecting link between West and East, between European Renaissance culture and Chinese culture, and between the ancient and magnificent Chinese civilization and the world of Europe.”
Others stood out for their great strategic vision and their hardworking for the mission, as we see in the example of Saint Toribio of Mogrovejo, Spanish missionary, who at 42 years old was named the Bishop of Lima. He crossed his Archdiocese, primarily on foot, three times, in those times when it included the countries of Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Columbia, Venezuela, and part of Argentina. He used to say: “Our great treasure is the present moment. We have to take advantage of it to gain eternal life. The Lord God will ask us for a strict account of the way that we have made use of our time.” He was the one to found the first Seminary in America and he increased his parishes in his Archdiocese by over a hundred. We take from him the phrase which we pray in our formula of religious profession when we say that we will pledge all our strength so as “not to be elusive to the missionary adventure.”
We could go on naming countless examples of courageous missionaries, dedicated to all types of work, ready for any sort of undertaking. Whatever the case may be, it is certain that it was not only their natural talents, nor their capacity for organization, nor the numerous means available which made them great missionaries. Rather, above all, it was their awareness of their own incapacity and the generous self-giving with a total and trusting abandonment to the all-powerful and provident love of God which made of them great missionaries, and more importantly, holy missionaries, who let themselves be carried by the breath of the Holy Spirit, convinced of the truth of the teaching of St. Paul: “What is Apollos, after all, and what is Paul? Ministers through whom you became believers, just as the Lord assigned each one. I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused the growth. Therefore, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who causes the growth…For we are God’s co-workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.”
The salvation of mankind, in which we are—by sheer grace and divine election—collaborators, is a task which is eminently divine, of a greatness such that it surpasses the dimensions and the possibilities of human strength; and as such, it can only be carried out if we accept and trust completely in the omnipotence and the unlimited goodness of our God. This was the secret of the saints, the soul of their zeal, their perseverance, and their triumphs; this is the sublime teaching that they have left for us and that I wish all of us to always have present before our eyes.
All of us, sooner or later, are purified in the crucible of apostolic tribulations. Nevertheless, we should be brave and enthusiastic in our apostolates, without allowing the difficulties, the lack of support, the eagerness to see the widespread fruits, the insecurity of the future, the ingratitude of those who benefit from our works, the lack of physical strength, or interior desolations, discourage us, take away our enthusiasm, or distance us from the work begun. “In fact, the grace of God is fully manifested in weakness.”
Together with the Spiritual Father of our dear Religious Family, I say again to you: “Let no one be discouraged! Let no one be carried away in the moments of difficulty and in eventual defeats! May no one be overcome by the temptation of the futility of our efforts!”
Saint John Bosco once wrote to a pastor who was discouraged: “You, though, should say calm. Do not speak about being freed from your parish. We must work! [Say to yourself:] I will die in the work field as a good soldier of Christ. Am I worth nothing? I can do all things in Him who strengthens me. Are there thorns? With those thorns, transformed into flowers, the angels will weave for you a crown in heaven. Are times tough? They have always been so, but God never fails in giving assistance. Christus heri et hodie.” And on another occasion, he said to his own: “May all work with zeal and ardor: work, work! Busy yourself always and untiringly to save souls!” We, too, should do the same thing, “come what may, happen what may…whatever criticism arises.” “What matters is to take a step, one more step. It is the same step that always begins again.”
It is true that many times “each brick is a cross, each stone a suffering. The tears intertwine them. This is how the saints built.” This too, is how we should build. And, although, at times it seems that God delights in multiplying the difficulties, that detain us and pin us in an impotence and, although we want to, we cannot: Let us always trust! Our Lord is ours! Let us go to him with confidence. Souls expect much from us. Let us not deceive them in our generous giving.
Lastly, I want to mention here the brave and often times heroic example of many of our members who, in difficult fields of mission, give us the example of perseverance and of how true royalty—as he whose kingdom is not of this world taught us—is in the joy of self-denial and in being accounted for as nothing. To them, who were not content with just simply passing through those difficult places, and not being discouraged in the face of difficulties, have remained there, although a long time might pass until the seeds they have sown for evangelization might bear visible fruits, I manifest our most sincere gratitude and recognition, because the lamp of their faith and of their charity shines with an even greater clarity. And no one who gives of himself in such a way can be lost. Continue to always be faithful!
To the Mother of the Incarnate Word and the Queen of Apostles, I entrust all of the apostolic works of our Institute as well as all of those which we have in the works, and those that in the future God will inspire in our souls. May She fill our hearts with the same fervent zeal which animated her own heart. May we be helped in all things by this Mother in whom we trust and who is our ideal as missionaries. Ave Maria and onward!
Viva la misión!
Fr. Gustavo Nieto, IVE
General Superior
