Moving around our communities spread throughout our Divine Providence Province, we may feel like being in the midst of a large ‘construction site’; and may even see signs posted, indicating ‘work in progress’.
In Quezon City, Philippines, a new more spacious home for twenty differently-abled children and young adults is under construction. In India, the foundation stone of the new parish of our Lady of Divine Providence has been recently laid and blessed. Also in Sivagangai, Tamil Nadu, our special children will soon experience love and receive care in a simple but functional and welcoming new multipurpose ‘open tent of charity’. In Chelsea, MI USA the St. Louis Center is expanding it’s space to improve it’s services in this special Golden Jubilee Year of that Community. Truly Divine Providence keeps extending its generous hands to sustain our commitment as servants and friends of the poor.
While we strive to make more room for the people entrusted by the Lord to our care, we are reminded by Him in this Easter season to become ourselves, ‘living stones,’ for building the Kingdom of God day after day.
During this month of May, forty-four young Guanellian brothers are renewing their decision to work full time for the Kingdom, entrusting themselves to the Lord who is drawing the plans of that project and is seeking our generous cooperation to bring to fulfillment the dream of the Father: the dream of a human family gathered around Him, the dream of a world transformed into a home where everyone is accepted, and respected in his/her unique divine dignity.
In this month of May, as we honor Mother Mary the first missionary of the Gospel, many confreres are making themselves available for new mission assignments within and out side of our Province. The construction site may change; they may be assigned to different tasks, and they may need to develop new skills and competences. But they know that the construction plans are drawn by the Divine Architect and they are co-workers in building a new heaven and earth.
Indeed there is ‘work in progress’ in our communities and mission centers. Let us continue to allow the Lord to use our hands, the bricks of our human availability, the cement of our fraternal solidarity, the sand and gravel of our daily sacrifice, the iron bars of our courageous fidelity and the running water of our daily joyous Yes . He certainly knows how to use our construction materials and value the trust of our heart.
To all, a joyful Marian month ushered in by St. Joseph, the Patron of the workers, the model of all the Kingdom’s builders.
Fr. Luigi De Giambattista, SdC
Provincial Superior
