My dear DeSales Oblate confrere!
Two months have gone by quite fast and I want to reach you right before Easter. Let me start with a short reflection on the cross, one of the main themes of the Holy Week. Going through St. Francis de Sales thoughts about the cross I found following quotation. Though it does not seem to be sure, that he really wrote this, the spirituality behind it is his for sure.
“If all angels, all geniuses of the world would have studied, what would be best in this or that situation, which sacrifice or which sorrow, which temptation or which difficult loss, they would have found nothing, which would have been better as what happened to you. God's eternal wisdom has thought from the beginning of time to give you this cross out of his heart as a precious gift. Before sending it to you he looked at it with his all-knowing eye, he thought it through with his godly wisdom, he double checked it with his wise justice and warmed it with his love and mercy. He took it in his hands, if it would not be one millimeter too long, one milligram too heavy. Then he blessed it with his holy name, anointed it with his grace and inhaled it with his consolation and looked once more at you and your courage. And this is how your cross reached you as call from God and as a gift of his merciful love, so that you can become yourself and find your fulfillment in God.”
Our life depends to a large extent on how we look at things and how much we are willing and able to go into the depth of things. Joys are easily assumed, sufferings and crosses are much more difficult to understand and to acknowledge and to accept. As Easter comes closer I wish and pray for you, that you are enabled, by looking at the example of Jesus, how he took the cross, to carry your own cross, to see it, to embrace it, and to grow with it. Your cross is a call to you so that you can become yourself and finally find fulfillment in God. To “Live Jesus” includes the way at looking at the cross and at the way of carrying it! With these thoughts I wish you cordially a Happy Easter, and as the cross becomes a part of your growth, may the resurrection fill you with joy, courage and a spirit of trust!
And now a few updates on events, past and future.
I have asked Fr. Ceresko to renew for two more years his commitment at the Divine Word Seminary in the Philippines, where he has been teaching successfully for the last years. As you know Fr. Ceresko is somehow the forefront of the start of our first apostolic activity in Asia. Though we keep listening to what happens to us in India, we continue to keep our focus on a step towards a start there. As Fr. Josef came back from the Philippines he reported how much Tony’s work is appreciated and qualified. I am happy and grateful, for all Tony is doing for the DeSales Oblates there. As he struggles with some health difficulties, being lonely as DeSales Oblate and the old age of his father I recommend him and his family to your prayers.
Something new also can be reported about Fr. John Sankarathil. Fr. John has been asked to do his doctorate in Spirituality in Fribourg/Switzerland for the next three years. He will start his studies in the middle of July. He will be living in the diocesan seminary in Fribourg in order to have an exclusive French surrounding, but stay in close contact to Fr. Aregger in Duedingen. I take the opportunity to thank publicly the DeSales Oblates community of St. Charles in Monaco under the leadership of Fr. Penzo to have welcomed and hosted Fr. John for the last three years. Your service rendered to our confrere is deeply appreciated. For Fr. John we wish him all the best in his new challenge in Switzerland. We are looking forward to Fr. John’s visit in India from April 22nd onwards. Welcome Father!
On April 30th our community in Samarpanaram will celebrate a big feast. Brothers Maichael Mathew, Vincent Kumar and Xavier Manchu will make their final commitment as DeSales Oblates. I want to mention the great joy this event represents for our community. Please join in prayers for our three confreres as well as for our community.
On March 25th Fr. Shaju’s Mother, Annamma, passed away. Though it was somewhat expected, it always is a difficult moment for one to loose his mother. I recommend to your thoughts and prayers Fr. Shaju, his mother and his family. Fr. Baiju, Fr. Mathew, Fr. Allie, two brothers from Salespuram and myself attended the funeral on March 26th in Wynad/Kerala. In all the sadness of this funeral I remember vividly a moment that uplifted me. At one moment Fr. Shaju’s grief was quite strong, naturally. And then I saw Fr. Baiju and Fr. Mathew supporting Shaju, helping him to go this final way with his mother from home to the cemetery. This moving moment encouraged me seeing these three brothers helping each other through difficult moments of life.
I want our sick to know that they are in our prayers: Fr. John Dolan, who is still in the States and whose back pain has not yet fully gone, Fr. Anthony Ceresko with his Cellulitis, Br. Anish with difficulties with his thumb and some more DeSales Oblates in both communities.
The community in Samarpanaram had to experience some sad moments as three brothers were asked to discontinue their novitiate. The reaction to these decisions was quite heavy on the part of the individuals as well as on the part of the community. It is not easy to let someone go, and it is not easy to accept decisions, which have a major impact on one’s life. The visibility of growth within our community as DeSales Oblates remains a point of view, which leads us to make the needful decisions. I would like to challenge the community in its way of addressing issues. Sometimes things are not as they appear to be. Prayerful consideration, reflection, personal clarification should be given priority before general assumptions are expressed and conveyed. A lot of pain is created within the community when unverified allegations are not questioned in all charity. I encourage each one of you to address difficulties that you perceive appropriately. Look for the correct time, the correct moment, the correct person, and before you have not done so, avoid the diffusion of your own perceptions as realities. I see the challenges we had to face in the last month under the light of what I said at the beginning of my letter. These difficulties are a call to grow as community and are meant to bring us closer to God, if we are able to embrace them!
Finally, I am happy to announce that Fr. Georg Dinauer osfs, the founder of Oblate India, will come to India to give the retreat to our temporary professed brothers in May. Fr. George, we are looking forward to your esteemed presence in India. I think I can say: Welcome home, Father! He will bring with him two more guests, whom we will be welcoming as well in our midst.
Once again a Happy Easter and God may bless and protect you!
Fr. Sebastian Leitner osfs
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