Dear Friends,
Well, we are already in the third month of the year 2025. It is so true that ‘time and tide waits for none’. Change is the only reality that is constant. In this rapidly changing universe, what can provide us with certainty? Here we turn to our Mother Church and our congregation. They are showing us the paths to follow and secure our journey with the theme of “HOPE”.
Pope Francis has declared this year 2025 as a Special Jubilee Year with the theme “Pilgrims of Hope”. We are invited to journey together in a synodal manner with never dying HOPE. Our universe faced a great calamity during the Covid 19 pandemic. There was so much of death and gloom. The war on Ukraine and Gaza has added another set of hopelessness. The war is still raging on. The climate change is fast ushering destruction and loss to nature and humanity through unexpected floods, fire landslides and drought. In these circumstances of our fragile world, our Pope Francis is inviting the world to journey with Hope that in the coming future, the Truth and Justice will prevail. There will be the victory of the Truth if we keep our hopes alive. We are going through the experience of Good Friday but we all will emerge victorious on the day of Easter. Pope Francis invites all to embark on a spiritual journey, whether through physical pilgrimages to Rome or through local celebrations, to deepen our faith and experience of God's grace. The Pope has arranged many programmes to celebrate the journey of hope for all walks of life. Let us support his initiatives. We have to do our part become little beacons of hope in our families, communities and in societies where we live and work.
To our Salesian Congregation and to all the family members, Former Rector Major, now Cardinal Angel Fernandes Artime has given us the strenna for the year 2025, “Anchored in Hope, pilgrims with young people”. He has aligned the guiding principle of our Salesian Family to that of the Church. He is emphasizing that each Salesian member have to infuse hope in the lives of our young people, journeying with them, accompanying them and leading them witnessing to the eternal hope in Jesus who never deserts us. In short, This Strenna captures the Salesian commitment to journeying with youth as companions and guides, emphasizing listening, guiding, and empowering them.
We are in the Lenten season, a spring time for spiritual life. A time of renewal through repentance and reconciliation. The three pillars of prayer, fasting and almsgiving impel us to experience the final moments of Jesus – betrayal, passion, death and the glorious resurrection from the tomb of death. This is the perfect example of not losing HOPE even in the darkest moment of life. Victory is real for those are willing to endure the pain with patience. Every athlete who has won the championship medal is a testament to this reality.
Therefore, dear friends no matter what happens in our lives, let us NOT LOSE HOPE, let us NOT GIVE UP ON HOPE and let us NEVER SAY THAT HERE IS NO HOPE.
Let us infuse HOPE and be a AMBASSADORS of HOPE.
Fr. Patrick Lepcha
DBYA-SA,
Director
