Title: Walking as Pilgrims of Hope
Intro: I have been contemplating how we are called to be pilgrims of hope in a world that desperately seeks meaning and direction.
Scripture: Romans 15:13
Reflection
Dear Brother and Sister Religious, as I write this reflection from our mission house, I am moved to share with you my thoughts on our shared journey through this sacred season of Lent. As your brother in consecrated life, I have been contemplating how we, as religious priests, brothers, and sisters, are called to be pilgrims of hope in a world that desperately seeks meaning and direction.
Last week, while celebrating Mass in one of the rural churches, I encountered a family who had walked two hours to participate in the Eucharist. Their simple faith and determination to be part of our eucharistic community deeply moved me. The mother, carrying her infant, spoke of how their monthly journey to Mass sustains their hope through difficult times. In their pilgrimage, I recognised our own Lenten journey. Like them, we are all seekers of grace, though our paths may look different. This encounter reminded me of my early years in religious life, when my formation director taught us that hope is not merely optimism but a theological virtue grounded in God's faithfulness.
Now, as I travel between communities celebrating sacraments, offering spiritual direction, and accompanying people in their faith journeys, I see how this lesson has deepened through years of missionary service. Recently, during a gathering of religious—both brothers and sisters—we discussed how our vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience shape us as bearers of hope in these challenging times.
Our vow of poverty has taken on new meaning in our missionary community this Lent. We recently decided to further simplify our living conditions, redirecting resources to support families affected by recent natural disasters in our mission areas. Sister Maria's congregation partnered with us in this initiative, combining their medical mission with our pastoral and social outreach. This collaboration between our communities has become a powerful testimony to how evangelical poverty creates space for hope to flourish in unexpected ways.
The desert of Lent invites us to examine our vow of chastity as an expression of hope-filled love. Last month, while visiting a juvenile rehabilitation centre with Brother Swami, I witnessed how our vow of chastity enables us to love with the heart of Christ—freely, fully, and without reservation. During confession, one young man asked, "Father, why do you and the brothers spend time with us when you could be somewhere more comfortable?" Our presence and dedication spoke more eloquently than any words could about the transformative power of consecrated love.
Obedience, too, reveals itself as a pillar of hope in our religious life. Last year, our community faced a difficult time. During the discernment process, I was deeply moved by how the contemplative sisters in our area offered to maintain a perpetual vigil of prayer for our deliberations. Their solidarity reminded me that obedience to God's will is a shared journey, one that requires us to hope against hope, as Abraham did.
As a spiritual director to several religious communities and lay groups in our mission areas, I have observed how our different charisms complement each other in witnessing to hope. Sister Subi, a Canossian sister, recently shared how her community's work in sustainable agriculture draws inspiration from our commitment to integral human development. Brother Joseph, who runs the mission school, finds hope in collaborating with Vedruna sisters in adult faith formation. These connections remind us that hope flourishes in the unity of our diversity.
The discipline of Lent calls us to embrace hope not as passive waiting but as active participation in God's transformative work. During our monthly gathering of religious in the mission station, which includes contemplative and active communities, Mother Sonia shared a profound insight about the woman at the well. She noted how this encounter mirrors our own missionary journey—carrying Christ's living water to those who thirst for meaning and hope.
Our Way of the Cross through the villages has been enriched this year by incorporating the experiences of various religious communities serving in our area. Each Friday, different congregations lead the meditation as we walk with the people. Recently, a group of Divine Word fathers and missionary sisters led us in a powerful reflection on how Christ's passion continues in the suffering of the poor and marginalised. Their witness challenged us to find hope not despite suffering but through it.
As religious priests, brothers, and sisters, we each bring unique gifts to this pilgrimage of hope. In my travels between mission stations, I am struck by how our sisters' dedication to education and healthcare complements our sacramental ministry. Likewise, the practical wisdom of religious brothers often helps ground our pastoral work in concrete service to the community.
This Lent, I have been particularly moved by the witness of our elderly religious. Father Carlton, though no longer able to travel to remote missions, spends his days praying for our missionary work and counselling visitors to our centre. "Each prayer is a step in the mission journey," he told me recently. The visiting medical sister remarked how his peaceful presence brings hope to all who seek his guidance.
Our communities face many challenges—limited resources, vast territories, and complex social issues. Yet in my conversations with religious across different congregations serving in our mission areas, I find a resilient hope that transcends these difficulties. A local community of sisters recently invited us to join them in creating a "Mission Hope Network," coordinating our responses to community needs. This collaboration has shown us how hope multiplies when shared across our different charisms and traditions.
As I conclude this reflection between mission visits, I am reminded of a conversation I had with a young religious preparing for missionary life. "How do you maintain hope?” she asked, "when the challenges seem overwhelming?" I shared with her what my own formation director told me many years ago: hope is not about seeing the immediate results but about trusting in the One who sends us forth.
In these remaining days of Lent, I invite us—religious priests, brothers, and sisters—to consider how our distinct yet complementary vocations witness to hope in today's world. How do our different charisms, when brought together, create a fuller image of God's hope for humanity? Perhaps we might begin by gathering across congregations, sharing not just our challenges but also our experiences of God's faithfulness in our missionary endeavours.
May our journey through this Lenten season strengthen our bonds as brothers and sisters in consecrated life, rooting us more deeply in the hope that does not disappoint. Let us continue to support one another through prayer and presence as we make our way toward the promise of Easter joy.
May the heart of Jesus live in the hearts of all...amen.
