My Dear Brothers,
Let me take a moment of your time to write and speak to you personally. At this moment, I am sitting on the plane and writing this very heartfelt letter to convey to you some of my thoughts during these past few days since my election. I would like to greet you and embrace you with the greetings and embrace of our Holy Founders. We are all surprised and perhaps at this time still pondering how this previous General Chapter unfolded. There are so many gifts, blessings, camaraderie and spirit of community that took place at the Chapter. I personally was surprised about the outcome of the Chapter. I am not sure how the events unfolded the way they did but I am sure of one thing, everything was inspired and guided by the Holy Spirit. And in fact, the very theme of the chapter was to make all things new. The theme of the General Chapter totally breathes something new for all of us.
A phrase that lingers within my heart and my ears during the Chapter is “Non abbiate paura… don’t be afraid…. have courage.” The Spirit of God will bring something new out of this event. I am not sure what new things God will bring about. However, I cannot be anxious about that, but only trust in his loving presence and embrace the new things to happen with love, patience, openness and generosity.
I too invite you to do the same. Do not be afraid to come out of your comfort zone. Do not be afraid to look at things from a different and wider horizon. We need to open wide the doors of our community to let the fresh air in and to bring new ideas out by sharing with one another ways to build a better community.
Be not afraid to trust our good Lord through our superiors and our communities. As we had to discern the Spirit of God through the chapter, now we must respond to the Spirit with courage and faith. Embrace the change. Let us open our hearts and be sensitive in the ways and workings of God. Change can only be effective and beautiful when it begins from the heart and flows through the mind. It makes all things new when we are together and not out on our own.
I am always inspired with the words uttered in the Ritual of our solemn profession vows when the superior who receives the vows greets the newly solemn professed by stating the words of our Founders found in the Constitutions, “Common is God, common is the commitment to perfection, common are the difficulties, common the work, common the salvation, common finally will be the glory.”
My dear brothers, I call on you now and let us move forward. Open your hearts and welcome the change to come. Look after each other’s welfare and look at each one with love and compassion.
During these next few months, my good consulta and I will be spending a lot of time working in the curia at Sant’Angelo in Pescheria. We will empower each delegation within the capacity of the statutes given to them, to serve each zone of our community better. We will be here serving and attending to your needs in the best way we can and will help each one to encourage us to live our religious life more fully and faithfully.
Let us strengthen our faith, hope and love in our God and may our Holy Founders, the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Michael guide and protect us always!
Sincerely yours
Fr. Ted Kalaw, crm