Estoril (Portugal). On 9 March 2026, 45 Daughters of Mary Help of Christians from Our Lady of Fatima Province (POR), hailing from all the houses and having already walked the paths of education for 40 years or more, in the generous dedication of their lives to children and youth, to the poor, and to those in need of love, gathered at the Provincial House in Estoril for a day of spiritual renewal and reflection on their personal and Salesian lives, with the aim of continuing together in the search for new paths and new energies.
Following the greeting by the Provincial, Sister Deolinda Teixeira, and an invocation to the Holy Spirit, Father Filipe Santos of the Caparide Seminary presented the Sisters with a reflection that centered them on the essentials of life, “For this is indeed the will of God, your sanctification” (1 Thess 4:2) helping them to traverse the “paths of a unified life.”
Starting from Baptism, the principle of unity in Christ, and from the journey of sanctification undertaken thus far, he told them that, “the more we live in Christ, the more our entire life will be unified in Christ,” and that “to live in Christ means, first and foremost, to live in a relationship of intimacy with the Father, as children in the Son.”
Descending into the concrete reality of life, he pointed out three traits that identify union with Christ and transform it:
1st trait – To have the heart of a Son who lives a “filial relationship” with the Father:
“Abba, Father, Dad!” This is how Jesus addresses the Father, in a relationship of great tenderness, trust, and unique intimacy. Jesus does not live for Himself, nor is He self-centered. His words and gestures point to the Father as the fundamental axis of his life.
2nd trait – To have the heart of a Son who obeys filially:
Jesus lived His entire life under the sign of obedience; thus, He is truly the One who comes to do the will of God.
3rd trait – To have the heart of a Son who seeks the glory of the Father:
Living in union with the Father and surrendered to His will, His actions are not driven by the assurance of His own individual glory, nor by the pursuit of the vain glories of the world.
The participants then had time to reflect on and discuss this presentation by Fr. Filipe, comparing it with the reality of religious life and asking themselves what paths must be followed to live out unity with Christ and with their brothers and sisters.
The afternoon was dedicated to sharing on the proposed theme, characterized by synodal participation, unhurried, yet undertaken with a keen awareness of the value this theme holds for the life of the FMA. Several proposals stemming from reflections on the theme of the revitalization of the Province were also presented.
Grateful to the Provincial, who accompanied them throughout the day with her presence, her words, and her witness as a Sister, the Sisters returned to their respective communities with the conviction that it is not the years lived that make the difference, but rather how they were lived, and that one is always on a journey toward being able to say, “In Him we live, and move, and have our being!” (Acts 17:28).
