I was unable to travel in the last two months, but I maintained contact by telephone and messages, above all with the brothers who are in Ukraine, Syria, in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Goma and Bukavu), in Colombia and in Myanmar after the tremendous earthquake in March. I was also able to communicate with several brothers in the Chapters of some provinces and custodies.
I thought a lot that, in realities like these, we are called to grow as pilgrims of hope, not as lonely lighthouses.
I think of the brothers of the two Entities in Ukraine who remain close to their people and suffer for the presence of family members and acquaintances at war. Despite the difficulties, they continue to celebrate the liturgy, distribute humanitarian aid, and spiritually accompany those who live the drama of the conflict.
In Syria the brothers have lived with all the tensions of this time and have not stopped supporting the life and hope of those who remain. Their communities have become places where many find not only material help – from the distribution of food and medicine – but also welcome and listening.
The same happens in Congo, where there is a lot of uncertainty between Goma and Bukavu. In the postulant house in Bukavu, the brothers and postulants were attacked during a theft. Hearing them was strong for me. What struck me is their ability to transform this painful experience into an opportunity for a new beginning. The young postulants, although shaken by what happened, found in common prayer and in fraternal dialogue the strength not to give in.
In Myanmar, the brothers are well, far from the epicenter of the earthquake, and are working together to help those affected by the earthquake. In often prohibitive logistical conditions, they are trying to bring not only basic necessities but also that human closeness that restores dignity to those who have lost everything.
In January, the brothers of the Province of São Paolo in Colombia made themselves present among the internally displaced persons in the aftermath if riots and violence that, in the northeast of the country on the border with Venezuela, have produced thousands of refugees. Three brothers together are pilgrims among these people and accompany their journey in such a difficult moment.
Some provincial chapters are called to make difficult choices, yet the sense of walking together for the common good is slowly growing. I was able to see how the numerical decrease in some historical areas of our presence is paradoxically strengthening the awareness that only united and with new visions can we face the challenges of our time.
This era is teaching us that being pilgrims of hope means, first of all, recognizing our interdependence. We are not called to be lonely lighthouses that shine in the darkness, but rather a constellation of lights that, in their humble presence, illuminate the path of many. Our strength does not lie in individual heroism, but in community testimony, which does not want to dazzle with great projects, but illuminate with constant, patient, and lowing presence where darkness seems to prevail.
