Message from the Superior General on the Feast of the Assumption
Dear brothers and sisters,
Happy Feast of the Assumption!
It is from Rome that I have the joy of wishing you a happy Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. Many of our brothers here in Europe have made the journey to Lourdes for the 153rd national pilgrimage. Archbishop Jean-Paul Vesco of Algiers has been entrusted with presiding over this pilgrimage. As I wish you a wonderful Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, I pray to the Lord to fill us all with the desire to strive toward the heights of Christian virtues.
The expression “the desire to strive toward the heights of Christian virtues” is found in a question Father d’Alzon asked himself while meditating on the mystery of the Assumption that we celebrate today: “Do I have a true desire to strive toward the heights of Christian virtues? How sincere is this desire?” (E.S., p. 1026)
A question like this cannot leave us indifferent. It touches us deeply and deserves our attention for a moment; it perhaps demands an answer that, in all humility, I find difficult to formulate.
The philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau said: “Woe to him who has nothing left to desire.” But the most important question is no longer whether or not we have desires, for thank God, almost all of us still do, since their absence would be a disaster for our lives. What we should do above all is to examine our desires sincerely and clearly distinguish between those that alienate us and those that set us free.
At a time when the temptation to want to be like everyone else, to desire what others desire, dominates and disorients us, how can we keep alive our vocation to strive for the things above? That is, to continue living according to our charism and our Constitutions. This inner struggle is harsh and relentless. May God bless the efforts we make and not let us succumb to the “sad temptations of discouragement,” in the words of our founder, Father d’Alzon.
At some point, we must accept the reality of what Jesus said: “No one can serve two masters,” especially when they are opposed to one another. Father d’Alzon takes up this same idea and applies it to the theme of desires: “But no one can serve two masters. If I remain attached, as my nature inclines me to do, to the joys, pleasures, and goods of this earth, I cannot love heaven. Love for heaven, the desire to possess God as the supreme good, can only go hand in hand with detachment from earthly things.” E.S., p. 1254.
Dear brothers, as we celebrate this Solemnity of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, let us not forget to ask ourselves the question our founder asked: “What is my deepest desire?” (E.S., p. 1255). And if, in one way or another, we find an inconsistency between this desire and the reality of our lives, let us turn in all humility to our God so that he may purify our desires.
May our desire to strive toward the heights of Christian virtues be a deep and sincere one; may God help us overcome the temptation to become discouraged so that we may press on, and finally, may God help us transform this desire into concrete actions, following the example of Zacchaeus, who climbed a tree to see Jesus. And may we, following Mary’s example, who said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38), let our longing for the things of heaven transform us into people who are open to God’s plan.
Happy Feast of the Assumption to the whole family!
With fraternal regards,
Ngoa Ya Tshihemba, a.a.
Superior General