The future of the Association of the Holy Family of Bordeaux a challenge to move forward prophetically as we celebrate our 203rd foundation anniversary on Trinity Sunday 2023
203 Years of existence as a Family is a Miracle that calls for a fitting celebration by the Family of Pierre Bienvenu Noailles. The birth of the Association of the Holy Family of Bordeaux was on a very significant Feast of the Church – the Solemnity of the Blessed Trinity - on May 28th 1820. It is our Holy Family Tradition as the Founder wanted it to be – to celebrate our Foundation Anniversary on Trinity Sunday. It’s not merely a remembrance or commemoration but a reality to be celebrated with deep gratitude in our hearts, counting the numerous Blessings that the Lord lavishly showered on us from the beginning of the Holy Family Foundation since 1820.
A Flash-back of our Past which is so precious to us that we remembered with gratitude during our Bicentenary Celebration, we see now the additional 03 years as a continued miracle that sustains the depth of our Charism lived by the Five Vocations of the Holy Family in the spirit of God Alone with Mission Communion. We have realized the urgent calls and the need to become more visible and relevant in today’s World that is rapidly changing and the need to accelerate our speed in “Numbers and virtues, works and good example” as our Founder says to catch up with the Signs of the Times which perhaps signaling us to keep ‘pace’ to avoid being left behind. We are to be a ”Charismatic Family” with a prophetic vision and voice to proclaim the Good News in a language of ’life’ lived authentically to a World in rapid progress of modern technology, advanced theories and philosophy that questions even the existence and the Presence of God and the handiwork of God’s Creation.
The past Three Years were crucial so to say and as life-giving, as we looked back on our Past, taking seriously our Present in order to move our way towards the Future together as Family, challenging ourselves to become a “Charismatic Family”, “to be new wine bursting old skins” and to take up the challenge to embark on a journey to “cross over to the other shore.” This genuine discovery of ours as a Family needed a definite Response in many directions to change our course to meet and to be relevant to the World of today. We questioned and were cautioned about our Numbers, Values, Lifestyle, Witness, and that quality as well quantity too is a priority. We are more than satisfied that we are “jack of all trade” as the saying goes and we begin to see perhaps the reality that we are “master of none” in some way as the manpower and skills-ability is concerned, that we are not strong and vibrant enough to meet the needs of the global standards that provides us with the possibilities and opportunities to be a “change” ourselves and to’ transform’ the lives of others.
With solid rootedness in our Charism and Spirituality, we are now challenged to believe that “drinking from our own well” is not at all the vision and dream of our Founder but allowing and making way for All to drink from our own Well and we move towards the “Common Well” of the People to drink from the free flow of their life, struggles and dreams to deepen our sense of Being and Building Family. In this sense, the challenge now is to become more “visible”, making ourselves known far and wide for our quality of Holy Family Way of life, our Witnessing to Communion and more so to become “Skilled” Workers in the Lord’s Vineyard. Let us no longer be known for our ‘passive’ presence and collaborative action. Let us recall our “sacred Past”
when Holy Family stood out for its Own Projects and Activities, discipline and Qualitative Education and open to all the needs mentioned as the Seven Branches of the Holy Family during our beloved Founder’s time, which were the priorities of that time.
NOW, the Signs of the Times are compelling the PBN Family to be more equipped to respond to the many and varied situations and perhaps more dangerous and undesirable situations that we see, hear and witness in our World today, in the Political, Social, Economic, Health, Cultural, Religious, Scientific, Justice and Peace, Ecological and Family situations with the overall influence of Mass Media that call for immediate responses from the Five Vocations of the Holy Family to become visible as qualified and skilled “Labourers” in the Lord’s Vineyard and to take up the challenge to let the Holy Family Members to become active participants in the arena of the World’s situations and to penetrate all walks of life with their expertise on Political matters as Law-makers to stand for Justice and Peace to live our Corporate Commitment meaningfully, as Sociologists to uphold Values Education, Doctors and Med-Techs and Nurses in Health field, Economists in a world situation that cater for the rich and disregard the Poor, Religious Evangelizers to uphold the Gospel Values, Scientists to give witness to the God of all Creation and to save Mother Earth, as Counsellors and Psychologists to safeguard the “Nuclear Family” from the many dangers that threaten to destroy the sacredness of Marriage and the harm done to the Children in numerous ways including Child abuse, domestic violence and the abuse of vulnerable Adults. The visible and Active presence of the Five Holy Family Vocations is a must and a priority in all these grave and glaring situations!
It’s time Now, that we as PBN Family, work hard to give birth to “Expertise and Skilled Labourers” needed for the Signs of the Times in order to be relevant and to be become outstanding in our Holy Family Ministries that are tangible, prophetic and humanitarian. It is the FUTURE for us as PBN Family, to let our Charism of Communion shine through Being and Building Family in our down-to-earth responses to signify the “Purpose of our existence in the 3rd Century” focusing on our forward journey to make our determination come true in crossing over to the other shore. We vow not to remain as on-lookers or passive audience but a Family that understood the reality of the Dream of our Founder !
Happy and blessed 203rd Foundation Anniversary to the PBN Family!
Sr. Ida Joseph
Philippines