Yesterday, January 18, as announced, Gracielabegan her trip to America. On her arrival in Buenos Aires, she was met by the Provincial Superior of America Andina, Dayse Agretti. Before beginning this new stage of canonical visits to the Daughters of Jesus of this province and, later, to those of the Philippines, the Superior General wrote to the entire Congregation her letter No. 28.
She begins by expressing her wish that 2023 will be a year of more relief for all, especially for the places that are experiencing violence the most, and continues saying what she wants us to be the Daughters of Jesus:
…;that each Daughter of Jesus scattered throughout the world may be a light that announces peace and fraternity with our gestures, words, and actions; with our decisions, with the announcement, or with the denunciation of that which does not lead to more life for people.
In the first point of her letter, she focuses on the prayer of Pope Francis‘ intention for the month of January, educators.
It is very significant that Pope Francis’ prayer intention this month is for educators1, men and women, religious and lay, who vocationally place their stake on the education of children and young people with the confidence to build a better world, despite the great challenges we face.
Pope Francis, in proposing to educators the new content of fraternity, is reminding us of his letter, Fratelli Tutti, October 2020. He encouraged the People of God to question themselves about how we are living in the world, how are our relationships in families, in nations, in our communities, in society, and in politics.
This may be an opportune moment to look at our world with the gaze of the Trinity in contemplation of the Incarnation [EE 106, 2º] and let the Lord address his Word to us. How do we feel about what is happening in our world? And in each one of us and in our Congregation, and in every human reality of which we are a part?
As I look at the school, our schools on different continents, the question comes to me. thanks to our educators, to the people who manage them, who many times make real miracles. It is inevitable to remember M. Candida, who in the Formula conceives us to “procure the spiritual benefit of souls and the Catholic education of the peoples”.
Let us also include in this intention the Daughters of Jesus who are educators at the initial, primary, secondary, or university levels. We value their contribution, which is of the Congregation, to society and evangelization.
Click on the image to listen to the Pope’s prayer intention for the month of January.
1. Worldwide prayer network for the Pope. January 2023. “I would like to propose to educators that they add new content to their teaching: fraternity. Education is an act of love that lights the way for us to recover the sense of fraternity, and not ignore the most vulnerable. The educator is a witness who does not deliver his mental knowledge, but his convictions, and his commitment to life. The one who knows how to handle well the three languages: the one of the head, the one of the heart, and one of the hands, in harmony. And hence the joy of communicating. And they will be listened to with much more attention and will be creators of the community. Why? Because they are sowing this testimony. Let us pray that educators will be credible witnesses, teaching fraternity instead of confrontation and helping especially the most vulnerable young people.”
