By Bro. Dominic Nam, SDB

       Rome, 15 January 2021 -- We have listened to the stimulating words of the Rector Major and Bishop Olivero Derio on the hope that we are all really in need of. The RM writes in his strenna: “hope is like our blood: we do not see it but it needs to be there. Blood is life. This is what hope is like: it is something that circulates within, that must do so, makes us feel alive. If you do not have it you are dead, finished, there is nothing more to say... When you do not have hope it is as if you had no more blood... You might be whole but you are dead. That’s the way it is.”

       Bishop Olivero Derio guided us in a critical reading of the dark culture we are living in, a life that lacks vivacity, without anything concrete, without depth or direction.

       “Hope is an intrinsic element of the structure of life, of the dynamics of the human spirit.” It is a structure intrinsic to how we are made: we have been made to hope; without hope we die."

       Bishop Olivero suggests some concrete actions for us that generate hope:

• Moving from a language of truth to a language of possibility in action.
• Moving from a language of command to one of beauty.
• We need to touch real life, and pay attention to our inner life.
• Giving great value to everyday life is to be done with all one's heart, with love. We remember well when Dominic Savio asked Don Bosco what he must do to become a saint: Do your duties joyfully. This is our path to holiness.

       I invite you to continue reflecting and exploring this topic and share your experiences in your regional programmes. Enjoy your time!

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