Xavier Poovakulam SUPERIOR GENERAL’S MESSAGE
Dear Fathers and Brothers,
May the peace of Christ and the joy of His compassionate love remain always with you. I hope and pray that each one of you is keeping well in body, mind, and spirit. Every day, I remember you at the altar of the Lord, asking Him to bless you abundantly and to strengthen you in your generous service. As we enter into the Lenten season, I extend my prayerful wishes to all of you, that Lent 2026, may be a time of grace, renewal, and spiritual fruitfulness.
The Gospel passage that sets the tone for this sacred season and for our missionary reflection, Matthew 6:1–6, 16–18, reminds us of the three enduring pillars of Christian life: Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving. These are not mere religious observances, but paths of inner transformation. Prayer deepens our intimacy with God, fasting frees our hearts from self-centeredness, and almsgiving opens us to the suffering Christ present in the poor. When lived sincerely, these practices purify our intentions, renew our zeal, and re-center our ministry on love.
As we journey through 2026, the Lord invites us to see every moment as a grace-filled opportunity for renewal and fresh beginnings. Even our struggles, limitations, and failures can become places of grace when surrendered to God. In a world wounded by conflict, loneliness, injustice, and indifference, our vocation as Missionaries of Compassion is not only relevant it is urgently needed.
St Paul exhorts us with urgency and hope: “We urge you not to let your acceptance of God’s grace come to nothing. Now is the time of favor; now is the day of salvation.” (2 Cor 6:1–2).This “now” is our missionary moment here, today, in our concrete realities. Living Compassion in Today’s World In his recent pastoral reflections, Pope Leo XIV reminds the Church that “the credibility of the Gospel today depends not on the loudness of our words, but on the tenderness of our compassion.” He repeatedly calls pastors and religious to be men who walk with the wounded, listen without haste, and serve without conditions or expectations.
Our missions whether in parishes, villages, formation houses, educational institutions, or distant lands are sacred spaces where Christ continues to heal, forgive, and restore. A simple visit to a sick person, a patient listening to a broken heart, a silent prayer offered in faith, a word of encouragement spoken at the right moment, these are powerful acts of evangelization. Often they leave a deeper mark than public achievements. Pope Leo XIV also emphasizes that “a missionary today must have a heart rooted in prayer and hands ready to serve, especially the forgotten and the poor.” This insight resonates deeply with our charism. Without prayer, our service risks becoming mere activism; without compassion, our ministry loses its soul. The Eucharist we celebrate must become the compassion we live.
Examples from Our Missionary Life:I am deeply encouraged by the many quiet yet powerful testimonies emerging from our missions. A brother who patiently accompanies migrant families through uncertainty, a priest who faithfully forms young people despite limited resources, a community that lives simplicity with joy and mutual respect, these are living sermons, preached not with words but with life. As Jesus assures us: “Your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.” (Mt 6:4)
Dear Friends , never underestimate the grace flowing through your hidden sacrifices. Heaven measures success differently from the world. Pope Leo XIV further reminds us that“the world does not need perfect missionaries, but converted ones.” This call to conversion is ongoing. Lent and indeed every season of our life, invites us to conversion of heart, of attitudes, and of priorities. Let us allow the Lord to cleanse us of discouragement, routine, and fear, and to renew us with missionary joy. May this year help us grow in fraternal communion, deepen our interior life, and strengthen our missionary creativity, especially in reaching those on the peripheries both physical and spiritual. Let us walk together, supporting one another as brothers, attentive to the signs of the times and open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.
Dear Fathers and Brothers, I extend my heartfelt blessings to each one of you for a grace-filled and fruitful year. Let us continue to pray for one another, that the Lord may bless us with good health, peace of mind, perseverance in vocation, pastoral wisdom, and hearts overflowing with love and compassion.
May Mary, Mother of Compassion, accompany us in our journey and teach us to say “yes” to God each day with humility and trust. May this year be a time of true renewal, drawing us closer to Christ and strengthening our identity as Missionaries of Compassion, sent to the world as signs of hope and mercy.
With lots of love and prayers,
Fr Boban Kollappalli MC
Superior General
