The holy gathering of religious men chosen by office and elected by their confreres in their respective delegations started today. Delegates from the communities from Rome, Anagni, Naples, Roccamontepiano, San Cipriano d’Aversa, Villa S.Maria, Billerbeck, Münster, Goose Creek, Lodi, Ramsey, Spartanburg, Sumter, Goma, Kamole, Kaseghe, Nairobi, Nyamilima, Beni, Arunachal Pradesh, Bengaluru, Kunnothu, Mallikassery, Lipa and Vinzons arrived today at Domus Fraterna in Sacrofano, a retreat house outside of Rome which is hosting the venue of the Adornos’ general meetings since 2006.
Cardinal Edoardo Manachelli, former Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Ancoma-Osimo and a good friend of the Adorno Fathers, presided at the Mass with the Chapter Fathers in the Chapel at Fraterna Domus. In his homily, he enumerated three important things to reflect upon this great gathering: See the excerpts below:
Three important points were offered for us to reflect upon from the theme of the 63rdGeneral Chapter: “I will make all things new”.
- Newness of the grace of God. The grace of God renews our life. All the chapter fathers must renew each ones life and put mercy before each one’s weakness in order to bring about goodness. The motto of the Order: Ad Maiorem Resurgentis Gloriam must be renewed through the grace of God by striving to rise everyday for we are weakened by so many things.
- Providence of God. Relying on God’s providence and not our preferences must be believed and lived. Preference tends to suggest doing your own thing but it can never substitute God’s providence. Like the Gospel relates that all the birds of the air live on God’s providence. Everybody must renew their trust in God’s providence by renewing one’s faith in God. One must ask the question: Am I a believer? Jesus asked the people, including St Peter, who do you say that I am? Everyone must respond like Peter in order to renew one’s faith. Faith must be understood as a gift. It is not a product of theological inquiry. It is the Father who gives faith. You have to believe in the Father’s gift and develop a personal relationship with his Son. Renew your first love today, that is, your faith in Christ and fully live your Charism, which is a gift to us from the Holy Spirit. Our Charism is not a fossil in the museum. It is old since the foundation of our community in 1588 but remains ever new. See the zeal and love of St. Francis Caracciolo in the Eucharist and express it in the manner you live your life with passion and zeal for your faith.
- Be renewed by the Word of God. This implies not just a renewal of attitude, proposals or style regarding your way of life but most importantly, a constant renewal in the Word of God, the spirit and life of God himself.
The Chapter fathers will begin their work today July 3 with the grace and inspiration of the Holy Spirit, so that this theme may be realized, to renew all things in Christ. There are so many things to discuss and decisions to make in this chapter. One of the great things the chapter fathers will discern with the help of the Holy Spirit is to elect the new Superior General of the Order.
We hope and pray that, with the help of the Holy Spirit, a new Superior General with zeal and with the spirit of renewal will be given to usher our religious Order toward the future.
