Servants of Charity

‘No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks’- St. Ambrose 
Dear friends,
I remember the six years of my mandate with gratitude and thank our provident Father for the opportunity and innumerable blessings, especially the life of grace He has given me. It is not because I was so good, but because He has been so good to me. It is not because I was faithful, but because He has been faithful to me. It is not because I was successful because He picked me up whenever I fell and gave me chance after chance.
Paul, the apostle, says in his 2nd letter to Timothy (4:5b) “fulfill your ministry”- the one that flows out of a sincere spirit of humility and submission, relying heavily on God’s promise and fulfilling His calling. By God’s grace, I was surrounded by beloved confreres who were willing to continue the adventure with me while I learned and fleshed out the real-life laboratory of a Province.
In my first circular letter dated 1 November 2012, I shared with you three things: 1. I am here to appreciate and affirm the goodness; 2. No head table mentality- but a towel and wash basin mentality; 3. With cords of compassion and bands of love. Not from any of our merit, but because of the great benevolence of God, we recognize that we have grown in a visible manner. We have had more brothers to share our life, charism, and mission. We appreciate a closer fraternal union of our brothers coming together in sharing the burdens and blessings of one another. We have given a consolidated structure for all in most all of the mission centers for our needy brethren. 
“The best way to show my gratitude to God is to accept everything, even my problems, with joy” (St. Theresa of Calcutta). In my darkest moments of painful cynicism, damaging calumny, non-collaboration, I always remembered the redemptive calling of Jesus, who was mocked, beaten and spit upon. The apostle Paul had a troublesome condition in his life that he referred to as a “thorn.” He prayed to God to remove it, but apparently it never went away. To his question, “How to handle a thorn”, God’s words to Paul were “My grace is sufficient for you” (2 Cor 12:9). I thank the Lord for these experiences that have made me share the sufferings of our Holy Founder St. Louis Guanella. We cannot count his grieving worries, his keen humiliations, and the discomforts of traveling, adversaries, distrust, lack of co-operation and mistrust even among his brother priests. But in spite of all these troublesome situations, he was consecrating his whole self to his call in a constant difficult and thorny immolation. Nevertheless, he never complained of anything. 
“Thank those who find fault with you because it is they who put a chisel in your hands to carve yourself into a better person.” 
I reserved in my heart some of the excruciating situations that took place and the defamatory letters that were circulated; but, with patience, compassion and forgiveness, I leave everything in the wounded hands of our Lord. Dear Confreres, we need to critically and creatively look at the growth of our DPP. Let us leave our futile cynicism and crippling mediocrity that paralyzes the life of our province. 
Now it is time to “go on.” God does not say, “Stay”. And it is time to move on or move out since there is a place in the Generalate for my precious service with wider horizons! I trust that you will not deny me now your pardon and understanding if I have offended you in any way!
I would sincerely like to thank our former Superior General and his Council for their wisdom-filled guidance and trust. Of course, my bounteous gratitude goes to the newly elected Superior General and his Council for their prophetic role in carrying out the mission of our Congregation in the different cultural realities. I place on the record my admiration to all my collaborators for all their co-operation, support, and, above all, the hard work towards the DPP reaching a new height. Hereby I willingly, gracefully, and gratefully hand over the office to my successor and his Council. 
May St. Louis Guanella, apostle of an admirable creative charity, the Samaritan priest who bent down to pick up the wounded, guide our DPP and may Blessed Mary, Mother of Divine Providence, intercede for us with her maternal love and proximity!
Your most humble and obedient servant!

Fr. Soosai Rathinam, SdC

Provincial Superior
Divine Providence Province