257 Jan M. Rokosz, MIC Superior General HOMILY Closing of the Year of Thanksgiving for the Beatification of Father Founder, Opening of the Year of the 100th Anniversary of the Renewal and Reform of the Congregation of Marian Fathers December 8, 2008, Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception Today, more than any other day, we feel our unity with Mary at Christ’s side. We are bound by ties that are stronger than blood: one faith, one vocation, our fraternal love, and one goal, which is our guiding principle. Today, we unite spiritually with the Marians worldwide. We embrace them with our love and prayer and, united in the holy sacrifi ce of Jesus Christ, together give our thanks at the altar. By this General Convention, we have closed the Year of Thanksgiving for the beatifi cation of our Founder. I believe that, inspired by the Holy Spirit, more than 300 years later, we are reaching back to the roots of our Congregation to rediscover and to re-ignite everything that is our life and mission according to God’s everlasting plan. By the extraordinary decree of Divine Providence, we open the Jubilee Year of the 100th Anniversary of the Renewal and Reform of our Congregation, only a year after the beatifi cation. The miraculous rescue of our Community from annihilation carried out by Blessed George was probably God’s most powerful intervention in our history. It was an important demonstration of His concern for us and a confi rmation that the Church needs our charism. We give thanks to God for the gift of The Divine Mercy and we ask Him to breathe His Spirit into each one of us and into the entire Congregation today so that we may properly discern what this gift means to us. On this day, we turn to the Blessed Virgin, chosen by the Lord and full of grace. We give her thanks for her motherly care for us. We contemplate the
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