With the beginning of the new millennium an epoch has been concluded, one which enclosed everything that we have been and done up to this point; we have passed into another epoch now, one in which we find a helter-skelter accumulation of all our fears, our plans and our hopes: it is much the same as those impressions and feelings felt before any “date” or “event” perceived as “an important turning point” in the course of a life and, above all, in the progression of history. It is like coming out of an environment which is completely familiar to us and finding ourselves in a dark and unknown forest.
However, the perspective of the Apostolic Letter “Novo millennio ineunte”, which the Pope signed on January 6, 2001, at the closing of the Great Jubilee of 2000, is very different. In it, taking inspiration from the words which Jesus addressed to the Apostle Peter “Duc in altum”, he calls on us all
- to remember the past with gratitude
- to live the present intensely
- to open ourselves to the future with trust.
It is from such a theme that this first issue of Dehoniana in the third millennium, has sought to take its inspiration. It, in fact, begins with an article of biblical theology on “Priestly Solidarity in the Letter to the Hebrews”, starting, therefore, precisely by remembering the “great works” which God performed for our salvation, above all through the earthly life, the passion and the resurrection of Christ - the sole High Priest of the new Covenant. His “Easter” is also “our Easter”, an announcement of pardon and of new life through the gift of His Spirit.
We have set the DOSSIER in this context, with its re-evocation of some of the great events which characterized the recent Jubilee, and which the Pope described as a “legacy”, entrusting it to the new generations so that it might remain as a living memory of the action of God in the life of the Church and in the history of the world. He mentions in particular the centrality of the figure of Christ and the frequent reminder of His message of salvation; the perennial topicality of this message is also emphasized, so that it may remain as a commitment to promote solidarity and peaceful coexistence among all peoples. The Pope also found significant meaning in the topicality and the joyous reception of this message on the part of the new generation...
We will present, as it were, a “re-reading”, swift but not superficial, of the Apostolic Letter, “Novo millennio ineunte”. We certainly do not propose an exhaustive treatment. We will present only a few brief periods in order to have “a grateful memory” of the Great Jubilee of 2000, which has just concluded.
This is followed by some information on two events which, almost like the first fruit of the Great Jubilee, have marked the life of the Congregation at this beginning of the third millennium: the Beatification of the first Dehonian religious, Fr. Juan García Méndez, and the official beginning of what is to be the “Dehonian Family”.
The successive articles tackle themes such as social ministry, inculturation of the Dehonian charism, and prospects for the future of the Congregation. Worthy of note are some experiences of youth ministry, especially for the formation of catechists, other experiences of current Dehonian spirituality (Fr. Van Paassen), and of the new evangelization in a multi-cultural context.
In this context the Pope reiterates: “Let us go forward in hope”. A new millennium is opening before the Church like a vast ocean upon which we shall venture, relying, naturally, on the Lord’s help. The Son of God became Incarnate for the love of humanity man and has set up His tent amongst us. Certainly today too He performs His work for us. “We need discerning eyes to see this and, above all, a generous heart to become the instruments of His work” for its accomplishment in history (n. 58).
Andrea Tessarolo