On 8th of June, we celebrated the feast of Pentecost - the birth of the Christian community - the assurance that the Spirit of the Risen Lord is with us and in fact within each and every one of us. Pentecost represents God's gracious, enabling presence actively at work among His people, calling them and enabling them to live out in dynamic ways the witness of being His People. Pentecost Sunday is a day to celebrate hope, a hope evoked by the knowledge that God through his Holy Spirit is at work among his people. It is a celebration of newness, of recreation, of renewal of purpose, mission, and calling as God's people. It is a celebration of God's ongoing work in the world. Yet, it is also a recognition that His work is done through His people like you and me as He pours out His presence upon us. As we enter into the Ordinary time of the year, it would be good to deepen and strengthen our faith in the God who is present in these tumultuous times and who is calling and empowering us through the gift of His Spirit to be His Word and to do His Work among his people. In our post Iraq war and post SARS period, we need to believe in the power of the Spirit that will raise up courageous men and women, young and old, who can signs of hope for so many who have been hard hit by the economic situation.
Good news, bad news ~ who knows? The bad news of economic recession has seen the good news of a growth in appreciation of the essential values, of the values that are lasting, of faith and hope and love. It is a time for renewal and re-founding our lives on firm foundations. The rapid development and progress in recent years have undeniably caused us to forget the basic truths, that we are made for God and restless is our hearts till we rest in God and what is eternal.
I thank the present Canorita team for having given us a panoramic view of significant events in the Province and keeping us connected and informed of current events in the Province. We trust that the new, incoming team will continue to inspire us to give thanks to God who called us to share in the mission of Magdalene in Singapore to make God known and loved to mean and women of our times in a language that is simple and life-generating.
I encourage each and everyone of you to write to Canorita or our website to keep the conversation going. In these times, we need to be in solidarity and support one another, to reach out to the many people whose lives we tough or who touch our lives. No one is so poor that he or she has nothing to give, and no one is so rich that he or she has nothing to receive.
Inspired by Magdalene of Canossa who emphasized "union of hearts", let us join hands and join hearts in the coming year, to "hook-up" and "net-work" by phone, e-mail, snail mail or personal encounters, to keep alive the spirit of St. Anthony, the untiring disciple of Jesus.
With loving thoughts & prayers,
Sr. Anne Tan,
Provincial Superior
