Repentance : the Path of Transformation towards the Future

… Real transformation starts from the willingness of the heart and of the self to change. It is comes with an attitude of readiness to learn new things that do not bind one to anything, an attitude that looks towards the future and prioritizes the common good, proclaims the Face of God’s Love to others and gets involved in concrete and real changes.

As FMMs, transformation is the path towards the new structure in the Institute, on which we walk and journey together towards “change”. For me, it is not an easy thing to start a change since it will all begin with myself.

As a Region within the new FMM structure, we FMM’s, coming from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, Indonesia and Korea, met and gathered in early February 2020 in Taiwan. It was indeed an experience that was very pleasant, memorable, as well as challenging in preparation to becoming “one region”. I really felt the sense of “unity”, the uniqueness and giftedness of being FMM, born of the spirit of our Mother Foundress, Blessed Mary of the Passion. This workshop led us to the path of becoming “one”: one vision, one mission, one heart, one soul, and members of one “FMM Body”. Initially, it was a bit awkward to put together the cultures and habits of each of us. However we came to know and understand each other. We listened and lived out the principles of Generative Listening, Generative Speaking and Generative Dialogue by sharing our own experiences and by looking at our strengths and weaknesses both on the personal and community levels. We were reminded to be aware of our role both as members and as Local Animators.

This meeting made us aware of how grateful we were for our call as FMM. As we were invited to work together, we discovered the demands and challenges that we needed to face in order to give birth to new hopes and aspirations for each of us and for the Institute. The workshop which was full of discussions, teamwork and reflections, gave an overview of our lives as FMM in the future: no longer “me and myself,” or my community alone, nor my province and my country. We become one: it is now “all,” “you, me, and us”.

Truly, I was very grateful for all of these encounters which were my experiences of faith. They increasingly fostered my love for my FMM identity and for God who has called me to be FMM.

This “path of transformation” towards becoming one region is a personal call for me to walk the way of repentance: it challenges me to be more open to change, dares me to get out of my comfort zone, commands me to leave behind old habits that keep me away from the path of transformation, and demands that I set my heart on the “Missionary Vision” of the Institute and on Jesus who is the teacher and model for my life.

To you, Blessed Mary of the Passion, a woman of vision, thank you for giving birth to this awesome and unique Institute that has made us one “family” no matter what or who we are, or where we come from, and for making this congregation a way of life for those whom God has called to be one with Christ who is our way, truth, and life. May your prayers, dear Mother, strengthen and enable us to live according to your expectations, desires and according to God’s will. Amen!

Indonesia ,