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FMA–INS.info od gave his only Begotten Son on the day of Christmas. We celebrate this Gmystery of the Incarnation, the coming of Jesus, the Son of God into our world. It is the central mystery of our faith. God so loved the world that He sent His only Son Jesus Christ (Jn. 3:16). Love does such things. He loved the humanity and gave himself to all of us. As Baby Jesus brought glad tidings of great joy from the Father, may He fill our hearts with love, joy, peace and happiness. FMA-INS. info wishes all its readers a Holy season of Christmas and may this Christmas help us to extend our hand to help someone, cheer someone and bring someone dear to Baby Jesus. The loss of sense of God among the people especially the youth, the rapid growth of the secularization and growing number of non believers, who still have not heard the Gospel Message provide the context for Pope Benedict XVI to declare the “Year of Faith” beginning on October 11, 2012 until November 24, 2013 as a mark of celebrating 50 years of the second Vatican Council’s Decree on the Church’s Mission Ad Gentes. The Church cannot simply ignore the constant changes that are taking place. It becomes the signs of the times in order to make God’s Word relevant in the contemporary world. Hence the Pope gave a clarion call to the whole universal Church for a renewed urgency on new evangelization. It basically calls for renewal of faith and regaining the faith of the apostles which is handed on by our Lord Jesus Christ to all of us. May the celebration of the year of faith give us impetus to share and witness our faith to all whom we meet in our mis- sion proclaiming the Gospel values according to the signs of the times. Another reason that invites us to renew our commitment as Daughters of Mary Help of Christians is the beginning of the Diamond Jubilee year of our Province. We are grateful to our missionaries who have toiled in our land to bring it up to what it is now. Therefore, it is our turn now to spread our wings far and wide and embrace the vast horizon of humanity who still needs a word in the ear or a pat on the back to walk through their journey of life. As we rejoice and thank God for the sixty bountiful years of our Province, it is with a deep sense of gratitude we pledge once again to rekindle the fire of being signs and expressions of God’s foreseeing love to all. Let our faith and zeal in our ministry grow and glow as we hearken to the call of Strenna 2013: Like Don Bosco the educator, we offer young people the Gospel of joy through a pedagogy of kindness. Sr. Euginia Laloo FMA–INS.info The expectations, the needs of ordinary classes of today, Footprints of force us to question the parameters of just a few years ago. It is certain that Foreseeing Love the FMA never renounces their educative identity, in the name of which they launched the most courageous in the history of initiatives, and at times, in that same name, we can attest to holding to positions which the FMA were outdated. Creative fidelity is a huge challenge. It requires not only a knowledge [Extract from the talk given by of the beginnings, but unity Sr. Grazia Loparco, FMA during the GC XXII] in how we understand the gospel and human values …continuation which we are to express 5. Concluding Reflections today everywhere. Around a consistent and credible The Institute of the FMA was born at a time when nucleus of identity, we can secularization was taking over in the most developed areas, continue our discernment in with new repercussions on women and families. The charism every culture, so that we can has travelled a long road during our history and it urges us to sow the seeds of the gifts go beyond the icons of Mornese and Nizza, which still retain we received, that they may the fascination of the beginnings intact. Many other riches are blossom into a more human there to be discovered in every country, because the charism is entrusted to the creativity and responsibility of every FMA. and just society, as we take During the early decades the FMA gave proof of their ability to care of the shoots entrusted adapt, to go ahead , to open up to the new times and faraway to us. places. Right up to today one can see the success of certain Questions about a responsible intuitions and ways of approaching the young, thanks to an type of educative love experience that continues to bear fruit, especially in contexts which are gradually experiencing the problems which were Without idealizing the past, more typical of western civilization sometime ago. It seems we are conscious that the that today, we are still very much in the vanguard regarding Salesian charism operates the education of girls, in the more traditional environments, also in the midst of delays, while in those most influenced by the effects of scientific, ambiguities and, at times technological and in communications development, we are a deserting of educational struggling to stay in tune with young people in a way which ideals. Helder Camara, a is really educational. We are not talking about geographical true prophet, described a boundaries, but of cultural ones, because we find them within profound vision of fidelity in the same environment, the same cities. the context of Vatican Council FMA–INS.info II. The General Chapter is a vision of the person and particularly of the woman in church event and therefore in the family, society and the church, expressed in adequate close harmony with it: language, so as to “leaven” culture with the gospel and the preventive system? “Fidelity to the church does not mean grasping on the Which ways and means possible today could influence in the educational field, formal and informal? past : it means that we do not waver while we accompany Being preoccupied teaching what was useful for real life, the church which is going and not just intellectual, recreational, or domestic abilities, forward; it means we do not responded to a feminine model. In particular contexts today, waver about doing today in every type of work, do we take the same care? Has the what yesterday might have concept of holistic education also included the socio-political dimension, and communication amidst a multiplicity of seemed rash, because it is the languages? church itself which leads us to do it”. In the oratories and in catechesis, in the informal educational works, do we also manage to reach the young people, or do we Today the church is inviting stop with the preadolescents? How come we do not provide a us women to a renewal of meaningful response for the older ones? religious life. Where are we E.g. catechesis, and Christian initiation come up against as FMA, as religious who are many new situations because of the dechristianisation at bearers of a specific gift for work in many parts of the world, in non-Christian contexts the education of the young? and in places marked by emigration and mobility. Have we As a sign of our love for been rethinking our preparation? life, some of the following Has religious practice tended to form to an intimistic type of questions could accompany piety, to a virtues life in the family or also to social conscience our reflection: accepting the dynamics of possibility? Has it formed to self- awareness and a sense of responsibility towards others, In our province, what type towards life? Towards justice and solidarity? of woman and what type of people has our education The FMA schools: education to a critical sense or simply formed? Has the feminine “social price-fixing”? In countries where, due to the model evolved? As a result efficiency of the state system, the catholic school is no longer of thinking among us or as a a necessity, do we manage to present an educative project which is meaningful, with a clear vision of the person and reaction to provocations by his/her goal? the culture? As FMA we have a clear strategy i.e. the formation of Are we trying to plug a hole Christian teachers. But for example, the proverbial non- where the risks of secularizing political approach, to what extent has it contributed to a mentality are concerned or limited formation of the girls and boys to the socio-political where historically Christianity dimension and to social responsibility? Why is it difficult has been absent, or are among our school students, to find young people who are we constructive, offering a enthusiastic for the common good? Is it not true that we Christian anthropology, a have possibly weakened our contact and our dialogue with FMA–INS.info 6 FMA–INS.info nd rou university students, who are A now more numerous and FMA PCI 2012 more motivated? – Bellefonte, & In the early 1900’s the FMA n Our Province Shillong I were among the first religious to attend university, but then, he FMA-PCI, a delegation was it the rush for certificates, Tof the six provinces of obtained in a short period, Salesian Sisters gathered for which created the cultural a three-day meeting at Mary vacuum which makes us feel Our Help Training Centre, Bellefonte-Shillong from Septem- inadequate in the mission? ber 21–23, 2012.

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