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From the Provincial
Passion & Triumph
Dear Friends,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
It was about this time last year that the movie “The Passion of the Christ” was being discussed and debated. As I think about Easter, which is fast approaching, I am reminded that Mel Gibson’s movie is only half the story. Besides the passion of the Christ, there also is the triumph of the Christ, and the two are perhaps not so distinct as we might sometimes think. Good Friday and Easter Sunday are part of a continuum – one action of God’s grace by which we are redeemed and saved. Good Friday without Easter Sunday is incomplete but so too is Easter Sunday without Good Friday – and not only in the story of Jesus but in our life stories as well.
I noticed this coming together of passion and triumph at the beginning of the new year as the world reeled from the almost unimaginable destruction from the tsunami. Yet, the horror of that tragedy became the occasion for an outpouring of love and support from across the world, an outpouring which transcended so many of the barriers which normally divide us, an outpouring which for a moment gave us a glimpse into what we can do and what we can be to and for each other. In the passion of that disaster, charity triumphed.
Of course, this is a message of our faith as well. It is what gives meaning to Jesus hanging on the cross on Calvary. His passion is a triumph for love.
This Easter, as we once again celebrate the story of our salvation in Jesus, I pray that you too will see glimpses of glory in whatever crosses you must bear in life, that you will realize something of the mystery of triumph in passion.
Turning to news in the Province, a lot of my attention is focused on two projects about our future. This issue of the VINCENTIAN features more information on the new residence project for Vincentian priests and brothers at St. Mary’s of the Barrens in Perryville, Missouri. I am happy to extend a personal invitation to each of you to join us for groundbreaking ceremonies on Saturday, April 2, 2005. You should have received a personal invitation and I hope you can join us on this day when we look to the future with hope – a hope sustained in part by your collaboration and prayers and support.
The other project may not be getting quite the same publicity, but it too is important for our future. After a year of planning and praying, we are ready to begin a new mission in Colorado Springs, Colorado. We are beginning modestly by sending two Vincentians this summer to serve in the Diocese while also continuing to plan for how the Province might grow in numbers and apostolic works there in the coming years. I will share more about this new mission in future issues of the VINCENTIAN.
Of course, both projects are costly, especially building the new residence at St. Mary’s of the Barrens. In the last issue of the VINCENTIAN, I invited each of you to unite with us in our efforts to continue the mission given us by Saint Vincent de Paul and the Church. In addition to your support and prayers, I invited you to share your financial resources. You responded generously to this invitation. On behalf of the priests and brothers of the Province, and especially on behalf of those we serve, I thank you, and I ask you to continue to remember us in your prayers. The two projects I mentioned prepare us for the future – both to better take care of our senior members at St. Mary’s of the Barrens and to continue our apostolic mission in the Midwest. Your continued and ongoing financial support helps us secure a hopeful future.
Again, I wish you and your loved ones all the graces of Easter – its passions and triumphs. Thank you for all you do for the Church and Congregation. You are in my daily prayers.
Blessings,
James Swift, C.M.
Vincentian is published bimonthly by the Midwest and Southern Provinces of the Congregation of the Mission, the Vincentian Priests and Brothers, to promote the apostolic works of its members and those of the larger Vincentian Family.
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