Why should we take pride in the fact that our Founder, Joseph De Piro, directed us to the Assumption of Mary as the guiding Marian mystery of our missionary vocation? During a recent conversation with a professor of Catholic Spirituality, he noted that most missionary congregations adopt the Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth as their guiding Marian mystery. Our Founder, however, chose differently – and we have every reason to be grateful that he did.
This choice goes to the heart of how we understand our missionary charism in proclaiming the Kingdom of God. We have always recognized that integral evangelization demands the promotion of the whole human person – respecting our bodily dimension and honouring the dignity of our earthly lives. Following the example of our Founder, our missionaries have consistently shown that proclaiming the Gospel includes improving the quality of life for those to whom we minister. Our first missionary, Brother Joseph Caruana, embodied this when sent to Ethiopia by De Piro himself, serving the people through his many technical skills and particularly through his dedicated work in healthcare.
It is a foundational truth of our faith that the salvation brought by Jesus Christ redeems not just the soul, but the entire human person. Though we rarely pause to reflect on it, we do not merely believe in an afterlife; we profess the “resurrection of the body.” Our bodies will be reunited with our souls, making us whole once again. This ultimate reality is prefigured in the mystery of the Assumption, in which this union of the resurrected body and soul has already taken place in our Blessed Mother.
To explore the depth of this mystery further, I invite you to watch the accompanying video by renowned Catholic speaker and author Christopher West. As a leading advocate of Pope St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body, Christopher West has made these profound teachings accessible to many who might otherwise be intimidated by dense philosophical and theological jargon.
In line with my previous reflections this year, sharing this video is part of an ongoing effort to provide resources that deepen our MSSP spirituality. My hope is that this presentation inspires a renewed gratitude for the visionary gift our Founder left us when he placed our Society under the patronage of Our Lady Assumed into Heaven.
Your brother,
Fr Martin Galea mssp
Superior General.