Each year, we Missionary Servants of the Holy Spirit embrace a theme that helps us reflect on and deepen our personal and communal life as well as our mission. In 2022, we focused on our Trinitarian spirituality with the “Year of the Dance of the Trinity.” In 2023, we embraced the theme of the “Passion for Global Mission.” The theme for 2024 was the “Year of Compassion,” and now, 2025 is the “Year of Transformation.”

We will inaugurate the Year of Transformation on January 15, the feast day of our founder, Saint Arnold Janssen. His life is a powerful example of transformation, as he allowed himself to be shaped by God’s love and surrender to the Holy Spirit. Through this, he transformed his own difficult temperament and went on to become the father of three religious congregations.

The theme for the Year of Transformation emerges from the Congregational Directions, which were approved at our General Chapter in 2022. In General Direction No. 4, it states:

“The rapidly changing world, new technology, and the diminishing significance of religious-missionary vocation demand that we cultivate a spirit of discernment as lifelong learners. In the process of holistic formation, we take responsibility for integration and transformation at both the personal and community levels.”

To bring this guideline to life, all SSpS missionaries worldwide are invited to embark on a journey of personal and community transformation. This process is meant to help us become a sign of transformation in the world. We also extend this invitation to all those who are part of our mission or who feel connected to our spirituality and charism, encouraging them to join us in this transformative journey.

Transformation Begins Within Us

We naturally resist change, especially when it takes us out of our comfort zones. Transformation demands that we change our lives, attitudes, habits, structures, and routines—and this is never easy. Yet, we live in a world characterized by constant transformation. Everything is changing, and it changes quickly. If we don’t undergo daily transformation—while remaining true to our deepest identity—we risk being swept away by the whirlpool of consumerism, excessive information, and the superficiality of modern society.

When I was a teenager, I dreamed of changing the world. I saw so many injustices that needed to be addressed. Today, I still witness the absurdity of wars, the violence that’s intolerable, the destruction of nature, ongoing hunger, the exploitation of the poor, and the devaluation of life. I still want these realities to be transformed, but I’ve come to realize that true transformation can only happen when we address the root of all injustice and evil: the human heart.

And where is the heart of humanity? It is within me and within you. It resides in each of us, and in all of us together. It is this heart that I must transform. In some way, we are all connected to the good that happens in the world, but equally to the evil.

If I cultivate love and kindness within myself, transforming bitterness, hurt, anger, despair, sadness, jealousy, aggression, and all the negative tendencies within me, I contribute to making humanity a little better.

If I am able to say no to injustice, nurture the plants in my home, and respect and love the people around me, I don’t fool myself into thinking that these actions alone will transform the world. But they do transform my world, and they make a difference to the people who live with me.

The Challenge of Transformation
Living the Year of Transformation is a demanding journey, as challenging as the metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a butterfly. There are times in life when this metaphor becomes painfully real, and we experience the discomfort of being inside the cocoon, not fully understanding what is happening to us. These are the long, dark nights of the soul that, in time, transform us into luminous, life-loving people.

However, the transformation we are called to undergo may be even more difficult than that of the butterfly. Its metamorphosis takes place within a relatively short time. But we are challenged to transform ourselves daily, throughout our lives. We must navigate the confusion and contradictions of our present era, cope with the rapid changes in technology, endure the consequences of a wounded and sick world—and yet never forget that we are beloved children of God, brothers and sisters to each other, and part of God’s creation.

Every new day, we must allow the Holy Spirit to transform us into the person God envisioned when He created us—into the person I am meant to be—becoming more like myself and more like Jesus with each passing day. This ongoing transformation is what will, in turn, help transform the world around us.
If we transform together, the world will be transformed too.

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Ana Elídia Caffer Neves, SSpS is a Brazilian journalist and member of the Editorial Team of Vivat Deus Website.