July 2001

Dearly beloved Bothers and Sisters,

As we are coming closer and closer to our first LMC General Chapter we need to offer more sacrifices, pray more fervently and study our Statutes and related documents more diligently so that when we come for the Chapter we will have many things to share. There is a very old saying in Latin: "Nemo dat quod non habet": no one can give what he/she doesn’t have". If you come without proper preparation you may return home disappointed and empty handed, so let us make every effort to come to the Chapter well prepared.

There are two kinds of preparations: remote and proximate. Both are necessary for the success and fruitfulness of our meeting. Remote preparations began almost two years ago. Last October we had the meeting of some of the delegates from 16 countries to discuss and discern the LMC vocation and mission in the third millenium. This year in the month of June we visited some of the LMC groups in Central and North America. An unforgettable experience indeed!

It was also a grace for us to visit our dearly beloved Msg. Joe Flusk in New Jersey. He has been the LMC National Spiritual Director for U.S.A. and Canada for ten years. Words are inadequate to thank him and thank God for him for his sincere concern and generous and rich contributions to the LMC Movement. May the good Lord reward him for his kindness and generosity. Although he has been told by the doctors that his illness is terminal we found him very joyful and serene as he always has been ever since I came to know him. Let us offer our humble and unceasing prayers and sacrifices for all his intentions, particularly for his health of mind and body.

It was so painful, so heartrending not to have visited many more LMC groups, although we wanted very much to do it. In our next visit we make it a point to visit other groups where we were unable to be with this time.

The LMC delegates of Italy met in Rome on 7 and 8 July to discuss in detail the programme, the topics, the arrangements etc. for the forthcoming G. Chapter. The group realised the importance of:

1. Studying the Statutes and the related documents in detail.
2. Going over the various responses to the questionnaires with the intention of preparing from them one single document, which would show the many problems, possibilities and solutions for the future.
3. To appoint the right persons to prepare the Liturgy both of the Holy Masses and the Liturgy of the Hours in the three main languages of the Meeting, namely English, Italian and Spanish, including the songs for Holy Mass, Adoration etc.
4. The total cost and how to solve the problem of those who are unable to pay in full or nothing…
5. The choice of the names of the volunteers and the work they have to do during the Chapter;
6. The importance of praying and begging for prayers from the M.C. Sisters and others for the success of the G. Chapter, that it may be a profound Pentecostal experience of God not only for the participants but also for the entire LMC Movement, for its growth and expansion.
7. The importance of a sound doctrinal, moral and spiritual formation that is relevant, positive and helpful for the LMCs to respond to their God given vocation without loosing their secularity and lay character before, during, and after their vows. It is good to remember that the LMC formation ends only 15 minutes after each LMC’s death.
8. Distribution of topics of importance to persons to be presented in the general assembly.
9. Not only do we need to prepare a manual with explanation and comments on the Statutes but we also must prepare a guide for Spiritual Directors and formators.
10. The ‘LMC Elders’ should be trained to give formation to the new members who come to the group to try their vocation.
11. Some dimensions of the LMC Movement:

1. Christological: life, teaching and example of Jesus Christ
2. Ecclesial: respect and obedience to the teaching of the Church and its Magisterium, proper communication and maintaining right relationships with the pastors, one’s own Ordinary and other ecclesiastical authorities. It also means working with one’s own parish priest especially for the weakest, the oldest, the lonely, the abandoned and the poorest of the parish according to one’s means and state of life.
3. Eschatological and Missionaries of Charity dimension: on 10 September 1946 Jesus told Mother Teresa: "My little one, give me souls". We are called to work for the salvation and sanctification of the poorest of the poor. "Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. I was hungry, thirsty, homeless, naked etc…. As long as you did to the least of my brothers, you did it to Me". We enter heaven then through feeding the hungry, quenching the thirsty, welcoming the homeless, clothing the naked, visiting the sick, the imprisoned etc… Love of God and love of one’s neighbour are like two wings of a bird. With these two and only with these two wings - the wing of the love of God and the wing of the love of one’s neighbour - we can fly to God. Both wings must be healthy and strong and must balance them to fly freely and safely to God.

1. The assimilation by and the transmission of the M.C. Charism to each and every LMC member as each member is also meant to pass from one’s own "noia" (mentality) to the "noia" of Christ. This is part of one’s daily conversion and transformation.

The meeting was very enriching and inspiring.

Almost two years ago we booked the same place where the LMCs had their first International Meeting in October 1992. I would like to tell you in advance, dearly beloved Delegates, that there can be many inconveniences to face during the G. Chapter. We belong to the M.C. Family and I am sure that you all want to experience the M.C. simplicity, poverty, humility etc. Besides, it will be something beautiful and nice to meet and share with LMCs from about 25 countries edifying and encouraging each other to pursue holiness and the perfect fulfilment of their own state of life. Actually we do have the LMCs in about 40 countries. In some countries they are just starting, and in some there are only a few.

The Chapter begins on the evening of 29 September 2001. It is the feast of the three Archangels: Sts. Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. (God’s defender, God’s announcer and God’s remedy). Mother Teresa was doing all these three works. With all her might, power and strength she defended and served God in the poor, in the sick, in the dying, in the lepers, in the orphans, in the aid-patients, in the hungry, thirsty, homeless and in all those who came to her for help. While working with and for the poorest of the poor and dying destitute she went on filling heaven with the souls of the poorest who lived on the street like animals but died with tender care and went home to God like angels.

She announced the good news in season and out of season throughout her life and her work, through sacrifices and loving service. Take the hundreds and thousands of poor, sick and dying people who are being helped and served with dignity in every corner of the world, in the poorest as well as in the most affluent countries of the world, following the words of Jesus who said: "The poor are always with you" (Jn 12, 8) and they can be found everywhere. Through Mother Teresa and her Missionaries of Charity, God opened the eyes of so many people to recognize the existence of the poor everywhere even in the very rich surroundings. "They are everywhere, if only we have eyes to see", as the song goes. So let us continue to "show each one something beautiful for God", as Mother Teresa did and taught.

Mother Teresa has been God’s remedy to the problems of today. Loving concern, selfless giving, respectful welcome and humble service are real remedies to today’s sickening world of selfishness, indifference, apathy and unconcern. She became a channel of peace, an angel of comfort and a sign of hope for our time and for all times. A symbol of love in action. She brought love in the place of hatred and violence…And the world recognized it when she was given so many different awards including the Nobel Peace Prize, the highest award and the greatest recognition, and when the leaders of the world – believers and non believers alike – paid their last reverence, respect and homage to her lifeless body on 13^th September 1997, the unforgettable day of her state funeral.

My dearly beloved LMCs, Jesus begged Mother Teresa on September 10, 1946: "My little one, give me souls". What Jesus wanted from Mother and why He asked her to found the Missionaries of Charity was for the souls of the poor. He also said: "I have many caring for the rich and able to do people, but for my very poor there is absolutely none. For them I long, them I love. Will you refuse?".

Years went by. Much has happened. Mother Teresa worked very very hard; fulfilled Jesus’ desire; gave many souls, especially the souls of the poorest of the poor, the sick and the dying, the leprosy patients, the aids victims, the homeless. Now it is our turn. Humanity is in need of redemption and purification. Jesus still cries from the Cross: "My little one, give Me souls. Be humble and little…" How de we do that? How do we satiate Jesus’ infinite thirst for souls? By becoming what we are and by blooming where we are!

LMCs, become what you are, become what Jesus wants you to be, and bloom where you are. No matter where you are born and where you live. But it matters what you are and how you live. We are more important for what we are than what we have or where we come from. Accept with gratitude the place and the country of your birth. None of us has chosen our birthplace. God is not going to be happier or we are going to be rewarded or punished because of our place of birth. LMCs, let us not feel inferior or superior on account of our country of origin or condition in life, but let us put into use the gifts God has given us and help each other and the poorest of the poor of the whole world through fervent prayer, generous sacrifices and many works of mercy as Mother Teresa has taught us.

Those who have more, give more. It is your duty to do. Those who have less, give less. We expect about 150 participants in all. Some may be able to give more while a good number of them are not able to contribute much or anything at all. Because of it we will not stop them from participating in the G. Chapter. Jesus wants us all to share. Let us learn to share "the widow’s mite" (Mk 12, 41-44).

So your sharing in the "widow’s mite" will make a mighty ocean, an ocean of love. Mother Teresa used to say: "give until it hurts". Let us give then without counting the cost.

We intend to have two kinds of participants for our General Chapter. One group of about 130 or thereabout Delegates will take part in the entire General Chapter from 29 September (evening) to 7 October at 1.00 p.m. 2001.

The other group of more or less 20 persons in all will volunteer to help the meeting run smoothly giving the Delegates the total freedom to take part in all the events of the Chapter without distractions or interruptions. The volunteers may also take turns before the Blessed Sacrament exposed during the entire Chapter praying for the success and fruitfulness of the Chapter. A few have given their names. These volunteers also will join the pilgrimage to Loreto and Assisi and the general Audience with the Holy Father and some of the common events which may be judged opportune and that will be announced later. In any case the volunteers too have to pay their ‘quota’ as the other participants.

A word about our programme for the General Chapter.

From the evening of 29^th September to the 1^st October midday i.e. a day and a half will be spent in retreat as an immediate spiritual preparation for the G. Chapter. It will be conducted in three different languages, English, Italian and Spanish. The other small language groups may have to join in one of these three groups. This applies for the rest of the Chapter meetings as well.

In the afternoon of October 1^st we have the ceremony of lighting the lamp, hoisting the flags of each country represented. Then there will be a panoramic presentation of the ‘status quo’ of the LMCs growth and development in the world. We may also have a film show on Mother Teresa plus some cultural programmes. So delegates please come prepared and bring your own national costumes. Some of these things may be changed or readjusted according to time and situation. Please do bring along anything that you think can enrich the participants and the Movement as a whole.

Tuesday 2 October – Pilgrimage. In the morning of 2 October at 6.00 we leave for Loreto, the house where Our Lady and the Holy Family lived. It is about 4 hours by bus from Rome on the Adriatic Sea. At 11.00 a.m. we will have the holy Mass celebrated by His Excellency Msg. Angelo Comastri, the archbishop of Loreto. From Loreto via Assisi we come back to Rome by late evening.

Wednesday 3 October – General audience with the Holy Father. We leave the house at about 6.15 a.m., have Holy Mass in the Church of the Holy Spirit at 7.30 a.m., celebrated by his Eminence Cardinal Agostino Cacciavillan. The Church is next door to the Vatican. After a simple breakfast we move on to the audience place. Already we have received the reply from the Holy Office of the Vatican that they will do everything to have a place for us closer to the Holy Father. Request is also made to have a group picture taken with the Holy Father. It will depend on how his health is going to be and many other factors. Please do pray much. We have booked three buses for both days.

And then we resume our G. Chapter meetings in the afternoon of 3 October, please God.

On the evening of 6 October there will be the professions and renewals. All the professed are going to renew their vows together. His Eminence Cardinal Francis Arinze is going to preside over the Eucharistic celebration, as he did in our first International LMC Meeting in Rome in October 1992.

On 7 October the Eucharistic Liturgy followed by lunch will take place in the Mother House and the birthplace of the LMCs, in via S. Agapito 8 (Largo Preneste) – Rome. Only by 2.00 p.m. the participants will be free to leave or do whatever they want to do on their own. Those of you who are intending to stay longer may need to inform us at the earliest so that we may make the arrangements for your extended stay. Please also let us know your arrival and departure dates and time and other flight details, including the airport where you arrive, as there are two airports in Rome, Fiumicino and Ciampino.

We have been trying to keep the expenses to a minimum and indispensable which amounts to U.S.$ 400 per person. It includes food and lodging for the whole week, the rent for lingua phones, the buses (3 buses for 2 October, 3 buses for 3 half a day) as well as other unforeseen expenses.

Let us pray very fervently everyday for the success and fruitfulness of our G. Chapter not only by the Delegates but also by all the LMCs of the world. During the Chapter I would like to ask all the LMCs to have an extra hour of prayer alone or in groups. We could organise a twenty-four hour eight day chain of prayer. Let us divide the hours: 24X8 =192 hours, and then split these hours into a chain of non stop prayer hours during the week of the G. Chapter. In the meantime all the LMCs of the world pray the following prayer everyday:

"We beseech You, O Lord, mercifully pour into our Movement Your Holy Spirit, by Whose Wisdom it was created, by Whose Providence it is governed and maintained and Whose Love may enkindle in our Movement that same fire which our Lord Jesus Christ sent down upon earth, earnestly desiring that it should burn mightily, and so…

Protect me, Holy Spirit, that I always may be holy". Please conclude this prayer with a "Memorare".

Let us remember again the words of Jesus to Mother and then try to do it:

"Offer more sacrifices, smile more tenderly and pray more fervently". I would like to add: study the Statutes and other related documents more diligently.

Jesus wants the LMCs to be His fire of Love amongst the very poor especially amongst one’s own family members, amongst the sick, imprisoned and dying and any and everyone in need.

My dearly beloved LMCs of the world who will be with us in spirit,

May I ask you to be united with us, as one heart full of love in the Heart of Jesus through Mary, in prayer and sacrifices during the entire Chapter. You are more numerous than the actual participants and many of you perhaps would have liked very much to be present in person and yet cannot for some reason. May I ask you and all other LMCs to offer the sacrifice of not being able to be with us in person for the success and fruitfulness of our G. Chapter, that we may seek nothing except the perfect fulfilment of the divine will and that we may help one another to desire nothing but to love until we die of love. Please do remember me in your prayers as I do for you. Love and prayers

God bless you.