Dear brothers in mission,

As the Congregation of the Divine Word, we are living through a time of transition. In several PRMs, the process of electing the new leadership team has come to an end, while others will be immersed in this process during the first four months of the year. In this transition are especially some of you who are concluding an entire period of service in missionary animation, and others who will continue to exercise this service from the leadership of the new provincial team.

Christmas is a time that speaks to us, among many other things, of a before and an after, of active waiting and of a fragile presence. The better we prepare ourselves to receive God among and with us, the more aware we become of the fragility of that coming and of the great commitment that surrounds us to care for it and make it shine. God does not impose, does not force, does not condition; rather, He invites us to be hopeful participants in a path of full humanization that seeks to take flesh in our own persons and in all humanity.

The mission entrusted to us does not belong to us. We are servants of a divine project of life, light, and truth that passes through us, impels us, and transcends us. It is a transforming force that grows within us and that, at its best, becomes a witness that spreads, that motivates, that helps others find the meaning of this life.

To delve into this mystery of God’s incarnation—knowing ourselves to be recipients of an overflowing life and fragile protagonists of a shared mission—allows us to contemplate the epiphany of salvation amid light and shadow, anxieties and hopes, fears and trust.

Let us draw near to the manger grateful for the call to be part of this mission, humble as we present our efforts, and hopeful in the transforming power of life making its way through our history.

Marcelo Cattaneo, SVD
General Mission Secretary