‘Our Mission, an overflowing of love’ is the theme of our Provincial Chapter. It is a faint echo of the words of Mother Marie Gertrude, our Co-foundress expressed in solid virtues, “The missionary vocation is an overflowing of love, a course left free to God’s will which launches and leads it, according to His plans and laws with His own power and means.” Each day different topics were dealt in accordance with the theme of the chapter.
May 5th: THEME: ‘INFILLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT’
The solemn inaugural Holy Eucharistic celebration began with a procession officiated by Rev. Fr. Selvaraj SJ. The Chapter delegates were welcomed into the abode of God with sandan. Each received a rose flower and placed them at the altar as a symbol of their self-offering to the Lord of Love. Day was spent in recollection and silence imploring for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
Applauding the Chapter theme, ‘our mission, an over flowing of love’, the celebrant in his homily explained how ‘Abba experience’ of Jesus led Him to actualize the mission for which He was sent. Thus he instructed us to have the same “Abba experience’ to recall, to response, to restore, to renew and to rejoin ourselves for new evangelization and to actualize the theme of the Chapter. The day came to an end thanking the Lord for purifying and enabling the participants to be open to the prompting of the Holy Spirit during the proceedings of the Chapter faithfully.
May 6th: THEME: ‘LIVE JESUS’S WAY OF LIVING’
The graceful and blissful atmosphere of the conference hall invited all the chapter delegates at 8.30 a.m. with solemn enthronement of the Bible accompanied with meaningful prayer.Sr. Maria, the Provincial declared open the Provincial Chapter with her warming words of welcome and appealed for collaboration and cooperation.
Sr. Maria, the Provincial presented the Report of the Province for the Past five years in a very meaningful and comprehensive way using modern technology. The participants followed the report clearly and acquainted with the development and present status of the Province.
It was a privilege to have Rev. Fr. Paul Miki, SJ the director of Kalangarai, Nagapattinam, amidst of us, who is directly in touch with periphery and serves the oppressed and marginalized. He shared his reflection on ‘liberating love’. He enlightened us that love has tremendous power to liberate us interiorly and exteriorly. Through his life experience, he also made us realize that when we live with contented heart, our life would become meaningful and thus our love would move towards God and the poor.
Sr. Maria, the Provincial officially announced the office bearers. The rest of the day was spent discussing in groups on ‘Liberating Love’ followed by General session.
May 7th: THEME: ‘FORMATION FOR MISSION AND IN MISSION’
Rev. Fr, Amalraj, SDB was invited to enrich us on “Formation for mission and in mission”. He shared about the need for a paradigm shift in formation. He vividly brought out how religious life oscillates between the traditional and liberal concept. Thus he recommended us to concentrate on the goal of formation as to become mystics, prophets and servants of the poor. He admonished that the formation process should focus on the transformation of a person into the image of Christ. He concluded by giving some proposals for better formation.
Make a shift from highway mentality to byway mentality.
Formation as personalization and as a patient accompaniment.
Formation in the context of mission experience.
Then the delegates went in groups for deliberation on ‘formation’ followed by plenary session.
The members were proud to have Sr. Tharsil Mary, an S.M.M.I, sharing her views with conviction on ‘Evangelical love’. She spoke about evangelical counsels – poverty, chastity and obedience in an elaborate way. While explaining poverty, she quoted the words of Pope Francis, “Jesus’ greatest treasure was poverty. Jesus’ boundless confidence and trust in the Father gave Him strength.”
She emphasized on the practice of poverty, for it was initiated by God Himself and it leads to integration and brings about liberation. Thus integrated person would experience the revelation of God.
While dealing with chastity, she stressed how modest, prudent and ascetic each one ought to be in order to belong to God alone. While speaking about obedience, she pointed out that how committed a religious should be. She advocated to check often whether our will, wishes and desires coincide with that of God’s Will. She also reminded us to grow in capacity to listen to God through the Word of God, authorities and events of life. She concluded by saying that when a religious get involved with people, the flame of love would burn brightly and spread God’s love widely.
The rest of the day was spent in discussion on ‘evangelical love’ followed by general session.
May 7th: THEME: “LOVE GOD IN EVERYTHING AND LOVE EVERYTHING IN GOD”
Rev. Sr. Motcharakkini, the Provincial Councilor was the resource person of the day. She used innovative method to present her views on ‘unifying love’.
She explained four tributaries of unifying love as Salesian love, reconciled love, family spirit and love to wider vistas. She counseled us by reminding, “How we say is more important than what we say.” She obviously narrated that Salesian love pastes the hearts and unifies the family. Thus we need to love others which reveal our love for God.
She highlighted the reconciled love and stated the root cause of the difficulties we face in forgiving oneself and others. She concluded by saying that we need to go to the people, mingle with them, listen to them, befriend them and lead them to God in order to spread His love.
It was followed by discussion on ‘unifying love’.
May 10th: THEME: ‘FORMATION FOR MISSION AND IN MISSION’
The delegates spent time in prayer to listen to the promptings of the Spirit in order to elect delegates for General Chapter. The following members were elected as delegates for the General Chapter: Sr. Sebastina Francis, Sr. Motcharakkini, Sr. Elizabeth John and Sr. Karuna Josephat. Time was allotted to discuss divers matters. Sr. Maria, the Provincial closed Provincial the chapter with the vote of thanks.
