Dear friends, today was an unusual day for me. Not because of what happened to me, but because of what I made of it. According to the program of the day, I celebrated mass with the Salesian sisters in their house of the aged, where our community does chaplaincy. The Gospel reading from Mark was about the calling and the sending of the 12. My reflection was about our daily calling to live our missionary and religious commitment in accordance with the signs of our time and the needs of our locality. Back in the house, I was doing my preparations for the project of formation 2012. Suddenly, my attention was drawn to the file of downloads in my documents. Normally when I am connected I do the download of the files and visit them on a later date.

This time what caught my attention was the document, “Da Casa Madre”. Without any specific article in mind I started reading through, especially those written in English and Portuguese. In a span of an hour I read the Dacasa Madre of December and January. What I want to share with you is the sensation it gave to me that I decided to jot a few lines to share with you.

First, I was impressed with the diversity in living our charisma, how we are responding to different needs in different realities around the globe. I got a lot of information in different parts of the institute. It brought to me the generosity of our missionaries, not only of being, of doing but also of sharing. Without this information we may tend to think the Institute continues with the humdrum of centuries, whereas there are many and diverse missionary activities happening all-over in the Institute.

The second sensation was, despite the variety of missionary commitments, the consciousness of our unity is safeguarded. I felt myself together with all people who are doing and writing these testimonies. I think it feels good when,I in the heart of Amazon read about deaconate ordination of our brother Tallone in Mongolia, chronicles of the region of Portugal, just to mention but a few. This interaction closes the geographical distance that exists between us. I become part of this important event of the life of the region. Reading about the event; “Riding for climate justice”with its inspiring message, “Don’t get washedaway”. “Don’t get burnt”. “Act now for climate justice”in South African gives me courage to continue with my participation in struggle for the same cause here in the Amazon defending the integrity and sanctity of creation.

With this I would like to encourage all our dear bothers and sisters in the Consolata family to make an effort of sharing the little they are doing. Could be what they are doing as a region, as a community or participating with other institutions, especially nowadays as we venture in the new methodologies of mission; “interinstitutionality” or “intercongregationality”. Remembering the words of our blessed founder Joseph Allamano that say, it is in the ordinary things of our daily life that the mission is done.