(First Sunday of Lent: Genesis 2:7-9 & 3:1-7; Romans 5:12-19; Matthew 4:1-11)
Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 8:3. The context of those words is worth noting: “The Lord let you be afflicted with hunger [in the desert] … in order to show you that not by bread alone does one live, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of the Lord.”
There are two places in her message where Our Lady of La Salette echoes this thought. First she speaks of a “great famine” that is about to ravage much of Europe. Later she complains that her people eat meat all during Lent.
Today, abstinence from meat is no longer universally required of Catholics except on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and the Fridays of Lent. But the challenge is still there. Mary’s point is not about a rule that has been broken, but about the meaning of Lent.
The story of the Temptation of Jesus makes it clear: if we are not nourished by God’s Word, the life we live is but a shadow, a shell of what it might be. If we do not place our hope in God’s Grace which, as St. Paul writes, “overflows for the many,” even our deepest hopes cannot achieve their fullness.
The serpent held out a false hope to Adam and Eve, and they brought sin and all its effects into the world. The devil held out false hopes to Jesus, but Jesus was not deceived.
He does not deny the importance of bread. But bread is not enough. Psychology tells us that merely feeding a child is not sufficient for the child’s well-being. Human relationships are more essential still.
The season of Lent, and the Beautiful Lady, both remind us of our need for a healthy relationship with God. Of course, material needs cannot and must not be ignored, but in another place in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus tells us: “Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides” (Mt 6: 33).
It is a good sign that Ash Wednesday, which is not a Holy Day of Obligation, is among the days that have the highest Mass attendance. Its meaning may even change from year to year. That’s a good thing, too.

Five American La Salette missionaries ventured to the unknown land of Myanmar (Burma) eighty years ago and started their mission in Arakan State, following the mandate of Our Lady of La Salette to make the message of reconciliation known. Subsequently, they founded Prome Diocese with Bishop Thomas Newman, MS as the first bishop of the Diocese. The missionaries left the country when the situation in the country turned unlivable for foreigners. Nevertheless, the growth of the Church continued under the diocesan clergy.

The La Salette Missionaries returned to Myanmar and reestablished the mission in Mandalay Diocese in 2005 with Myanmar La Salette priests trained in the Philippines. The mission and vocation continue to grow in the country.

To further the growth of the missionaries in Myanmar and of the entire congregation, the District of Myanmar has been elevated to the status of Region by the 2017 Council of Congregation in Bangalore, India.

Through the intercession of Our Lady of La Salette, may God continue to bless the newly erected Region of Myanmar as well as all the La Salette Missionaries working in different corners of the world.  

ks. Philip Mahka Naw Aung MS

This year the Council of the Congregation was held in India, at Bangalore (the official name of the former Bengaluru). A city of 11,000,000, it continues to grow in the direction of Electronic City, a growth that might, unfortunately, be described as uncontrolled. A few decades ago, the largest software companies began establishing themselves here, where labor was cheap. This attracted thousands of young professionals looking for work. Developers build wherever they find space. Huge houses have sprung up like mushrooms after a rain. Opposite our seminary and provincial house, built in 2002 in what was the outskirts of the city, there now stands, among poor homes, a whole city of ten-story buildings.

The meeting began on February 6 and will end on February 26. Present were all the Provincials (from India, the Philippines, Angola, Madagascar, Italy, France, Poland, and Brazil), as well as the Regional Superior of Argentina-Bolivia and the Superior of the District of Myanmar, with, of course, the General Council, the General Treasurer, and two translators: Jack Nuelle, and Belarmino Tchipundukwa, who is also General Secretary. During the sessions of the Council of the Congregation, each Provincial presented a report on his Province, focusing on experiences since the last Council of the Congregation, joys and problems. This Council of the Congregation also discussed the elements of a unified Formation Program for the whole Congregation; international programs and meetings; the new mission in Tanzania; vocations; the virtual library; software for the General Secretariat accessible to all Provincial Secretaries; the Commission of European Provincials (KEP); the role and formation of La Salette Laity; and preparation of the next General Chapter.

II International Meeting La Salette Laity will be reported through a special channel YOUTUBE. You can follow reports from the  meetings clicking on the picture below.

Otrzymaliśmy nowe zdjęcia od Biskupa Method Kilaini. Tak świętowano w parafii Rutete 170 rocznicę Zjawienia w La Salette.

Abbiamo ricevuto nuove foto dal vescovo  Method Kilaini.  Così hanno celebrato nella parrocchia Rutete 170 ° anniversario dell'apparizione.

We received new pictures from Bishop Method Kilaini. You can see  how they celebrated in the parish Rutete 170 anniversary of the Apparition.