Sisters and Brothers, welcome to the General Chapter Bien Hoa, Vietnam!
I am Carlos Antonio Caceres Pereira, O.P., Provincial of Province of St. Vincent Ferrer, Central America.
The Eucharist today was celebrated by fr. José Fernández, provincial of Brazil and fr. Martin Gelabert, of the Province of Hispania, was the preacher.
Santa Marta appears attentive to the loving attention towards Jesus the Lord while Mary contemplate. Together with today's gospel he invites us that Martha and Mary must always walk together. 
In that same direction the Chapter has completed the document on vocations, cooperator brothers and formation. Among other things, there is a challenge for the Order in its different entities to attend to new brothers so that they are called to unite contemplation and action, but also in the quality of the selection, in the accompaniment, in the way of understanding the current culture and youth.
Also, the Order seeks to assure the structures and put the necessary forces for the new brothers to be trained in the most complete way to be preachers of the good news. To this end, the Order has produced in previous years two documents for that purpose: the Ratio Formationis and Ratio Studiorum. Each province according to the particular realities must apply these great documents which outline the formation and studies desired for candidates for the Order.
Likewise, in the afternoon we began to analyze and approve our 4th chapter document dedicated to studies, centers dedicated to them and some institutions (universities and initiatives) under the supervision and animation of the Master who accompanies and sustains these works, very important for the charism of study.
Among the Institutions is the Pontifical University of St Thomas or Angelicum of Rome, The Albertinum of Fribourg, and the French Biblical and Archaeological School in Jerusalem; also activities such as DOMUNI University (offers online theological studies), OPTIC through technologies a dialogue space for those who ask questions from the sciences and promotes interdisciplinary research in the face of destructive technology, finally the Collaborative Centres of Specialized Studies in Asia and Africa. All these institutions and activities need financial support, professional help and exchange, but even more a serious projection for the immediate future because it is everyone's business.
For, because as Saint Thomas of Aquino says, it is more beautiful to illuminate than to shine these institutions are to be relevant for the Order today, they must think and project themselves for the good of our charism, which is preaching. You are invited to touch the realities of the world and its mentalities so that they are not only pages where we study on dead sheets of paper or live from the glories of the past.
Remembering these 800 brothers in initial formation who walk with us and qualify our studies invites us to a thanksgiving for the Order, but a serious commitment to let us speak for God through them and offer a review and renewal of these institutions that strengthen life contemplative.
Let us remember that Marta (the one who works) and Maria (the one who contemplates) must always walk together, this is the life of our Order: contemplatives in action, at the service of the Kingdom.
Please forget not to keep us in your prayers. Thank you!