The real work of Religious

Addressing the Salesians here at Kondadaba, Fr Maria Arokiam conveyed the concern of the Rector Major regarding the situation of the Congregation. He singled out the following: the inability to distinguish between discipleship and aspostleship. The Rector Major feels that we Salesians are slowly failing to see the distinguishing line dividing the two. The latter is the mission and the former the need to be with the Master. Lost in work we fail to see our real purpose. Activity is good but prior to that comes the call and the training, the 'being with Jesus'. What distinguishes us, religious from the ordinary lay people is the meaning we render to the activity we do. Merely doing an activity well is no big deal. That anyone can do it. However the challenge as religious is to make it meaningful to others too - having made it meaningful to oneself!

The fact that we do service, does not mean that we can shelve our identity as a 'sign'. Our identity is precisely in being a sign of the Kingdom while all around, people try to be signs of themselves or their private agendas. We are called to be counter-cultures in today's world.