Bless the Lord, O my soul;
And all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget not all his benefits.
Ps 103:1-2
In February, a hundred years will elapse since the Provinces were established in our Congregation. The Congregation developed so well that this historic step was appropriate and necessary.
We can look back and remember with gratitude what happened and what was achieved. However, at the same time, remaining faithful to our charism, we are obliged to face the challenges of today.
This we do in our Provinces/Region in different ways – depending on circumstances, opportunities and possibilities – festive, with many visitors and participants or simple and modest, yet deep and rooted in faith, especially in the Provinces/Region which have become smaller. We look with gratitude and amazement at everything that has emerged over these years, where we could work as the Sisters of the Divine Redeemer and where human searching could be accompanied and suffering eased.
We also do this considering the needs of today asking ourselves of how can we live our charism today. We want to do this with a confident look into the future.
Consider the reality in our Congregation and in our Provinces, some of you may ask: What we should do? How can it continue? What does God want from us today? What is the hope that sustains us today?
All of us are aware of the situation of consecrated life today – decreased number of Sisters, aging members, economic problems and, in some places, question of survival, but also intellectual aspects such as relativism, marginalization, and social irrelevance cannot be overlooked.
And it is precisely at this time that we are called to give our witness – what supports and helps to live; what part does our faith play in a fruitful life; how do we help people today to lead a meaningful life in freedom, justice, and recognition of their dignity?
However, the message remains the same: "The spirit of the Sisters of the Divine Redeemer should be the spirit of Jesus Christ." This must be achieved in all phases of a person's life and in all phases of an institution's development.
The celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Provinces makes us reflect on it and live the testimony in our phase of life, because we live towards a future that comes from God.
"The hope that does not perish is not based on numbers or works, but on HIM for whom nothing is impossible," encourages the Religious today Pope Francis. Let us also strengthen each other by continuing to be here for each other, supporting and accompanying each other, and bearing witness to the hope that sustains us.