Message Board

Dear Friends in the Lord,

The Book of Revelation offers us a clear vision: “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth” (Rev. 21:1). This is not just God’s dream for humanity but a vision for us. As disciples of Jesus, we are called to become co-creators with God, building a world of “righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rom. 14:17). The month of September offers us a special opportunity to be co-creators with God. All of us are aware that, starting from September 1 till October 4, the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, Pope Leo, following the tradition initiated by Pope Francis, asks all of us to observe the Season of Creation! Additionally, he has made creation, the focus of the prayer intention of September: “Let us pray that, inspired by Saint Francis, we might experience our interdependence with all creatures who are loved by God and worthy of love and respect”.

On September 5, we celebrate the Feast of St. Mother Teresa of Kolkata as well as Teachers’ Day. We gratefully recall the noble vocation of teachers who dedicate their lives in shaping young minds and hearts. By instilling noble values, they form future generations capable of building a just and peaceful world for which St. Mother Teresa tirelessly strove. Her life was a living lesson of compassion, showing that true education is not only about knowledge, but also about love in action. Her mission was to make God’s tender love visible through small but concrete acts of care for the least and the forgotten. At her canonization Mass, Pope Francis said: “For Mother Teresa, mercy was the ‘salt’ which gave flavour to her work, it was the ‘light’ which shone in the darkness of the many who no longer had tears to shed for their poverty and suffering.”

On September 8, we celebrate the birth of the one who brought Jesus Christ into history and now journeys with us in making God’s kingdom come true. Mary’s birth is the sign of God’s unfailing fidelity to his promises. Her life proclaims that every female child, even in the womb, is a living testimony of God’s love and a bearer of hope for the world. Each daughter is a divine gift and a channel of God’s blessing for humanity. This feast is a special reminder of our commitment to safeguarding the vulnerable.

We all know that every child is created in God’s image (cf. Gen. 1:27), and so, its dignity is sacred. Jesus himself welcomed little ones with tender love (cf. Matt. 19:14) and reminded us that the Kingdom of God belongs to them. Pope Francis affirmed that safeguarding is not simply a protocol but a profound cultural conversion: one that protects, listens, and heals. It is a call to foster safe spaces of love and care. It is unfortunate that, honour killings and caste-based violence deface the dignity of human life, while political agenda deepen divisions for fleeting gains. Wars continue to devastate lives in Ukraine, Palestine, and Gaza, where the cries of the innocent urge us, as never before, to pray for peace, justice and reconciliation. In all the war torn places, women and children are the most affected.

In the face of all these realities, God still calls us to be his partners in carrying out the mission of creating a new heaven and a new earth. By forming the young with moral values, imitating Mary’s discipleship, safeguarding the vulnerable, and striving for peace, we become makers of God’s dream. May our Mother, the Queen of Peace, intercede for us, and the Holy Spirit guide us towards creating a peaceful world. 

Fr. Thomas Amirtham, S.J.,

Provincial, The Jesuit Madurai Province