On the occasion of the feast of the Founder of the Redemptorist Congregation, the Superior General, Fr. Rogério Gomes, invites the Redemptorist Family to reflect on the life of St. Alphonsus and he highlights some guiding ideas to be Missionaries of Hope today in the footsteps of the Redeemer.
Looking at the example of the Saint, Father General emphasises that the experience of God is the centre and foundation of our personal and community life, missionary action and moral reflection. From that reality comes a love for the most abandoned, a deep sense of social justice, and an individual and community lifestyle.
Father Rogério writes that the community must be a welcoming place to realise ourselves as persons and missionaries. He also points to the need for perseverance in confronting the problems and challenges we encounter in our vocation and mission.
Father General recommends constant formation for missionary work and a new ecclesial, spiritual and theological-moral mentality. He writes: “We cannot, like Alphonsus, undertake a change of ecclesial, pastoral, spiritual and moral mentality if we do not update ourselves and take an interest in personal and community formation”.
On the 236th anniversary of our Founder’s death, Father Rogério asks us some concrete questions: How are we incarnating the Redemptorist charism in our being? How do we evaluate our sense of belonging to the Congregation? How is the quality of our community life? How is our relationship with the vow of obedience and the exercise of authority?
Father General concludes his message by entrusting the Redemptorist Family to Mary and Alphonsus: “May Mary and Alphonsus, with their apostolic zeal and constant prayer to the Father, encourage us to be, even today, Missionaries of Hope in the footsteps of the Redeemer Son”.
Read the full text of Fr General’s Message on the Solemnity of St Alphonsus.
