Solemnity of St John of God

Circular Letter of the Prior General

   

It is a good thing if weencour­age one another

 

To all the Brothers andCo-workers, Members of the Hospitaller Family of St John of God

 

Asthe Feast of our Founder, Saint John of God, approaches, I send you my verybest wishes, as we prepare for, and joyfully celebrate the Solemnity of ourPatron Saint on 8 March.

 

Thevisits I make for different reasons to the many places in which the Order ispresent, have enabled me to appreciate the broad range of apostolic activitieswe are performing throughout the world. It is gratifying to hear our Co-workerstelling me, It was when I came to this house of the Order that I could seethat this was my place, and that here I felt at home. Or when our sickguests or those risking exclusion tell me that in St John of God I have beenborn again, I have rediscovered my life. I also certainly encounterdifficulties and limitations, but it is very gratifying to see Brothers,Co-workers and Volunteers committed to, and convinced of their Hospitalityproject and mission, and above all to see how they are performing it.

 

TheHospitaller Family of Saint John of God continues to keep alive the spirit,charism and mission which our Founder, Saint John of God, began. We are allcalled to commit ourselves to pursuing the same end: to relieve after and carefor the fragility of our world through hospitality, each one of us where welive, and on the basis of our own convictions.

 

Thewords written by Saint John of God to Gutierrez Lasso are an inspiration to ourown Family:Since we all share the same aim (even thougheach person should follow his own particular path accord­ing to God's wishes)it is a good thing if we encour­age one another” (2 Gutierre Lasso 11). These words were ahead ofhis time. It is unwise to become embroiled in sterile discussions which areonly intended for grand-standing, particularly since all of us share the samegoal: to do good to needy and suffering people and to practise hospitality.

 

OurSaint John of God Family is very extensive, and thanks to all its members wehave the possibility to carry our mission forward. We are not all the same, andour original motives may differ, but we are all working for the same end,according to the gifts we have each received, and this end is none other thanto practise Hospitality to the sick, the poor and the needy. This is what we sharein common, and this is why we are a great inclusive, welcoming and Hospitallerfamily. This is how John of God began his work in Granada and in Andalusia, bycreating a Family around hospitality which attracted increasing numbers ofpeople to gather around, following different paths, but always pursuing thissame end.

 

Thisyear, I would like to congratulate, and thank, all the members of theHospitaller Family of Saint John of God for their commitment to the mission andthe charism of our Founder. There is certainly much that can be improved, andmany challenges which the present age is throwing down to us, and above all wehave to be ready to face up to the future in a world in a constant state offlux, so that we are able to respond to what the Holy Spirit, who inspired SanJohn of God, is asking of us today. To be able to address this challenge, it iscrucially important never to lose sight of thegoal to which we are all striving,following our various different paths, and necessarily pursue it using new waysand adopting new methods.

 

Ina few months’ time, the Provincial Chapters will be convoked to be celebratedat the beginning of next year. This is why we shall shortly be embarking on ayear of preparation for the Chapters, which will provide us with a newopportunity for discernment and enable us to take the necessary decisions to beable to continue responding faithfully to our mission and our charism, thinkingespecially about our future. We must do so hopefully and boldly, withoutdoubting, and without fear. I ask the whole Family of the Order to spend thisyear preparing for the Chapters with a sense of commitment and responsibility,prayerfully and through reflection, discernment and purposeful dialogue, whichwill lead us to seek out and find the alternatives we need to ensure that Johnof God’s Hospitality will remain alive in this world which is so sorely in needof it.

 

Asusual, at this time of the year, I would like to inform the whole of ourHospitaller Family of the results of the 2016 campaign to build the FormationCentre in Madang (Papua New Guinea). We raised a total of 251,674.56 eurothanks to the generosity and the solidarity of everyone, for which I once againwish to thank you all most sincerely.

 

Atthe same time, I wish to announce that the campaign for this year, 2017, willbe “Tosupport reintegration, and to enhance the quality of care at the Saint John ofGod Hostel in Quito”, Ecuador. Once again, I thank you in advance foryour generosity and ask you to support this cause in order to continueimproving the service offered to people with chronic social problems, who havebeen uprooted and made homeless, and exposed to the risk of social exclusionfor a variety of different situations and conflicts.

 

Iwish you a happy Saint John of God Day. May Saint John of God’s invitation to encourage one another as we pursue thesame end stimulate us all to grow as the Saint John of God Family,dedicated to serving the least and the most vulnerable members of society,making the love of God present in our world through Hospitality, in the mannerof Saint John of God.

 

Unitedin our Lord and St John of God, I send you all my fraternal best wishes.

 

 

BrotherJesús Etayo

SuperiorGeneral 



 

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