A Fervent Call
for Missions

St George Preca was aware that he had a divine calling to teach the people of God. He lived in Malta, but his heart was open to the world. That is the meaning of the acrostic M.U.S.E.U.M. - Magister utinam sequatur Evangelium universus mundus: Master, may the whole world follow the Gospel. St George Preca lived before the Second Vatican Council of 1962-65, but his vision went beyond any time frame. Preca fulfilled the ministry of teaching through various means and forms. He preached, he counselled, he comforted, he spent hours hearing confessions, and he prayed incessantly. But he also believed enormously in the written word: he spent hours writing. Preca himself read avidly. Apart from the Bible, and particularly the New Testament, which he almost knew by heart, he was conversant with the main writings of the eminent Masters of spiritual life. Though his spiritual and theological formation is marked by the common trends of his times, some insights and emphases are specifically his, they are marks of his charism. The Direttorju Spiritwali (Spiritual Directory) can be seen as a compendium of Fr Preca’s most common counsels and directives, that is, of his spirit. Some of the “Directives” appeared in print, as sixteen-page pamphlets, between 1954 and 1960, two years before his death. In 1988 the book, containing all the 605 directives, was printed for use by the SCD members and by the general public. The content of a few of the directives must today be nuanced somewhat to reflect the Church’s updated teaching. But, for the greatest part, they all reflect the radical spirit of the Gospel which disciplined the life of Preca to sanctity. Hence it is good reading for us all.   These are some directives found in the Direttorju Spiritwali (Spiritual Directory): Whoever stands should be careful not to fall. You would be really deceiving yourself if you believe that when you are strong in virtue you cannot stumble. Could you ever imagine that Solomon with all his wisdom would fall, or that David with all his saintliness should fall also? It is fear thatQ should make us shudder. Study so as to arrive to knowing God from the works of His hands. If the sea instils fear in you, how much more is God to be feared!  If a star is beautiful,¡ how much more beautiful is God who created it! If a father is merciful towards his own children, how much more is God who encourages the heart of man. If a mother loves her own children, how much more does God love His children! And so on. God does not love anyone except him who loves good learning. A good instruction is the source of all benefits. No one can lead a good life, if one does not seek to be instructed. Everyone is bound to learn, for one is bound to fulfil one's duties. So whoever is careless about learning should expect eternal damnation. The resolution or the intention not to sin any more in future should be solid, firm, and efficacious, that is, that you would do all you can not to sin any more, particularly to avoid the proximate occasion of sin. Your resolution should also be universal, that is, that you would not commit any sin voluntarily. Our neighbour in this world is an occasion for us either for our eternal salvation or for our eternal dakmnation. Through our neighbour we exercise ourselves in love, and so we are blessed.  But alas for us if we hate even one person, for that person is the image of God, and if we hate him we would be hating God.

Lives of the Saints by Alban Butler is a celebrated book that provides in-depth accounts of saints honored by the Roman Catholic Church. First released in the 18th century, Butler's work remains a vital resource for those interested in the lives and histories of saints. Butler blends historical facts with spiritual insights, detailing each saint's life, virtues, miracles, and sometimes martyrdoms. Organized by feast days, the book serves as a helpful tool for daily devotion and reflection. While the language might seem old-fashioned to modern readers, the thorough research and comprehensive coverage make it an indispensable resource. The lasting appeal of Lives of the Saints is its ability to inspire through the remarkable stories of individuals who led holy lives. Butler's meticulous documentation and thoughtful commentary create a rich narrative of Christian heritage, making this book valuable for both academic study and personal spiritual growth. Butler's work remains a significant and uplifting piece of Christian literature.

The life of the founder, St George Preca, was bursting at the seams with the love of God! He restlessly taught about this through his writings and the spoken word, in parish squares, in the streets and most especially in SDC centers. What an example to follow! A few years after founding the Society, Preca was on his way on foot to do just this, to meet the members and children in one of the SDC centres. This would become an extraordinary walk for Fr George, experiencing a stupendous vision, as he would later describe it. Along the road he saw a boy, apparently about twelve years old, pulling a cart with a sack of manure tied onto it. At one point, this boy turned towards Fr George and in an authoritative voice ordered him: “Help me!” Though taken a little aback, calmly and fearlessly, the founder stretched out his arms and started pushing the cart and its load of manure, with the boy himself pulling. Upon reflecting deeply on this vision, Preca understood that the twelve-year-old boy pulling the cart was Jesus, who at that age was found in the temple among the Jewish Elders, the cart and manure represented his Society, and he was behind pushing. The founder was convinced that he was not alone; the members of the SDC were there with him, pushing and trusting in the one who was leading the way. Today, the Lord still pulls the Society into new missions, and the SDC Members still push the cart for more people to embrace the Good News. St George Preca is fervently calling the SDC members to keep on pushing the cart and to live the SDC vocation and its unique charism! To the extended family of friends of the SDC, please keep the SDC Members in your prayers, that they never cease to fulfil their call and witness to God's people!

We greet you, the Word made flesh; We greet you, the Son of the Virgin; We greet you, O Jesus Christ; We ask you to be all for us. Let us worship the true and living God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy Kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive (a small cross is traced over the heart) those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. Amen. Holy is God! Holy and Mighty! Holy and Immortal One! Have mercy on us. To God alone honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen. The eternal Word of the Father became (+) flesh through the Holy Spirit, was born of the Virgin Mary and was called Jesus.   THE LORD’S SUPPER               Our Lord Jesus Christ, the night before He died, gathered the twelve around him, took bread in his holy and worshipful hands and, raising his eyes towards heaven to God his Almighty Father, thanking him. He blessed the bread, broke it and gave it to his disciples saying, “Take and eat all of you, for this is my Body; do this in memory of me.” In the same way He then took the cup, containing wine and a little water, in his holy and worshipful hands, and, thanking God as before, He blessed it and gave it to his disciples saying: “Take and drink all of you, for this is the chalice of my Blood which shall be shed for the remission of sins; do this in memory of me.” Blessed be Jesus Christ. Blessed be the Virgin Mary. (x10)               The Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father. And Our Lady Mary, conceived without sin, crushed the head of the accursed devil.   We bless you, God the Father. We bless you, Word of God made flesh. We bless you, Holy Spirit.               Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.                 Receive, O God the Father, the divine wounds of your Son and our beloved brother, Jesus Christ, which we offer to you now in order to acknowledge you as the true and living God, and the Lord of all people and of all things; to thank you for your great love and providence towards us, to make satisfaction to your justice offended by our sins and to obtain your grace that we may serve you faithfully, and to be happy with you forever after death. Amen.   I sincerely approve every good deed that has been done and that will be done until the end of the world. I sincerely disapprove every evil deed that has been done and that will be done until the end of the world. I sincerely forgive all my enemies. I intend to do all things from a motive of faith, without which no one can please God. I ask God the grace to give him the sacrifice of all my will, whenever in his wisdom He demands it of me, because God is true Lord and Father.               Lord Jesus Christ, true shepherd of souls, console the afflicted, give perseverance to the just, turn sinners to you, save the dying, grant eternal rest to the faithful departed, restore health to the sick, and pour your spirit into every Christian. Amen.               I thank you, Lord Jesus Christ, for giving yourself up as victim for our salvation. Amen.

Let us bring St John the Baptist to our mind and listen to his teaching about two virtues that were so manifest in his life. Penance and Mercy towards the Neighbour My beloved, listen and understand. I will show you what you must do to escape the wrath that is yet to come: trust in Christ Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, and imitate him in humility, in mercy towards the neighbour, and in his forgiveness of the enemies. Bear the fruit of penance by heartily condemning every evil you have done, and by paying God's justice with deeds of mercy towards your neighbour in need. The practice of mercy towards the neighbour is so powerful that for those who exercise it everything becomes pure and because of it they are counted among the blessed. "Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy." Now is the right time. Time cannot be bought, nor can it be determined by man. So be careful, lest you seek time to do penance and do not find it. You should tremble before the wrath of God's justice which, to satisfy itself, required a divine Person to take flesh, come into the world and shed his blood. Our God is an awesome God. Amen. We praise the Lord our God. It is right and just.  Adapted from L-Eku tal-Ħbieb (The Echo of Friends), Day 1

Summaries of popular books have become popular in our time with a popular website such as Spark Notes or Thinkr. This is because today we tend to alienate ourselves quickly and a book of 300 pages can discourage anyone from reading it. But in the Gospel we can find one of the first summaries that became popular, a summary that Jesus himself came up with. One of the early writers of the Church wrote: "The Lord's Prayer is really a summary of the whole Gospel." Saint Augustine adds to this point and tells us: "Search all the prayers that are in the Scriptures, and I do not believe that you can find anything that is not in the Lord's Prayer." Saint Thomas Aquinas writes that this is the most perfect prayer... in it we not only ask God for everything we need but also what things should come first, that is, what our desires should be. Therefore, we keep the words of this prayer on our lips and every day we let it bring us closer to what God, as our good father, wants for us. Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.