Dear brothers,
The first day of February is the Memorial Day of all our Claretian Martyrs. We recall them and thank the Lord for their fidelity until the end. Their memory challenges us to be faithful in all things starting with the small fidelities in our everyday life. I often think with admiration of the missionary culture of the communities of our martyrs and of the whole Congregation, which courageously confronted the political and social attitudes hostile to the Church that dominated at that time. That was a prophetic stand. They saw life and its purpose through a different lens than that of the ideologies the time. Our brothers preferred to embrace death rather than renounce Christ to please others.
We have consecrated ourselves to God as Claretian Missionaries to fulfil the aim for which God raised the Congregation in the Church. On the day of our profession, we pronounced it with courage. Behind that act there is an alternative way of seeing things, a prophetic vision, different from the logic of the world. A prophet sees things from God’s perspective and feels the pain of God suffering for his people. Jesus lived fully this alternative vision. For Claret, the prophetic mission of Jesus was the very marrow of his apostolic experience and the source of his inspiration (cf. MCT 58).
As we recall the martyrdom of our brothers, I invite you to reflect on the prophetic dimension of our missionary vocation. To what degree is our way of seeing the world, others and God different from the secular vision that surrounds you? How close is your mindset to that of Jesus as set forth in the Gospels? These soul-searching questions can animate our preparation for the XXVI General Chapter. At a time of great change at all levels we need to explore what is prophetic in our present life and mission, and how we can make our own the vision of Jesus for humanity.
Let us ask through the intercession of our martyred brothers for the gift of fidelity to our prophetic charism. I wish you a profound celebration of the memory of all Claretian martyrs.
Mathew Vattamattam, CMF
General Superior
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