The Superior General of the Claretian Missionaries, Fr Mathew Vattamattam, has sent a message to the congregation on the occasion of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, celebrated on 28 June:
Dear Brothers,
As pilgrims of hope walking together through progress, novelties, change, conflict, war and destruction, we draw strength from Mary’s heart, from which her ‘Magnificat’ sprang forth — a song born from an interior life firmly rooted in God’s promises and open to His Spirit.
On this feast of our identity, I invite you to contemplate her Heart — that inner sanctuary where the love of God became flesh. From Mary we learn to live and love from the depth of our being, to find courage amidst uncertainty, and to rejoice in our littleness. Our Founder resonated deeply with this mystery, which formed him into the missionary he became. As children of her Heart, let us seek to keep our interior life centred on Christ, alive and surrendered to His Spirit, overflowing in love.
Mary’s contemplative Heart experienced that when God reigns, the proud lose their thrones and the seemingly insignificant are exalted. May we also learn to see the world through God’s eyes — exalting the humble and filling the hungry with good things — rather than through the lens of power, honours or possessions.
Mary teaches us that our true worth is not defined by human criteria, but by how God sees us. When God looked upon the humility of His handmaid, everything changed — including her life.
We too are called to live faithfully our Claretian vocation, in communion with the great chain of holy witnesses who have lived in the Church and in our Congregation throughout history. In a world dominated by those who wield powerful weapons and control vital resources, it can be difficult to uphold hope. Yet it is precisely in this wounded world that we are called to be signs of hope — through our fraternal life, our closeness to the poor, and our unwavering commitment to peace, justice and the care of our common home.
The Magnificat calls us to profound conversion: from our egos to humble service; from assertion of rights to gratuitous giving; from self-sufficiency to trusting surrender; and from seeking our own good to genuine solidarity.
May this feast renew in us the desire to be true pilgrims of hope, wherever and to whatever mission we are sent.
Immaculate Heart of Mary, lead us to salvation.
Fr Mathew Vattamattam, CMF
Superior General
26 June 2025
