Comboni Lay Missionaries

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Portugal

«Mind the gap»

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LMC PortugalIt’s my lasts days in London, where I arrived a month and a half before. This moment, while I am writing, seems a scene almost worthy of movie: I am sitting in the underground station, waiting for the tube that will take me home, ‘looking for yesterday’, ‘for everything and ‘for nothing’. At the same time as I am mentally anticipating the journey to Poland, increasingly close, I cannot avoid remember the days “around here”.

In all of this, almost without realizing it, the warning expression recorded on the ground, “mind the gap”, called my attention. Gap between… Save space … How much space is enough for us to be safe? From when and until when should we keep this space? And waiting for what? The “right time”? To go where?

Pope Francis frequently reminds us that we are invited to come out of our comfort zone and have the courage to reach all the peripheries. We should feel impelled to go further, closer, higher, deeper. To pilgrimage more.

These weeks have been, and continue to be, essential in this time of preparation for the mission. Not only because the opportunities to be in places that never had, to meet new people, the language training and learning, … But also for what I am learning about life in community and «space». I have learned that this time we live in, whatever it is, is the time of learning.

We are trainees and heirs of the great love, the love of Christ. Even if some moments seem hard to face and we think that there’s no way out; even if our «appreciation» converges to impatience, I am maturing the idea that loving God means to accept with patience and attention the meetings with others as messages of full sense, even we not feel able to understand them immediately and properly.

I remember that on my first day of classes, in one of the guides that have been given to me after the inscription, was written with great emphasis “the present is now and the future starts right now”. In fact, if we don’t give up on life, our present, we are always starting and building the future. Every day that the Lord gives us is a blessing and a sign of faith in us.

In this community I have learned about the importance of building a life that is not a closed and intransigent life; I am learning about the importance of not get hide or behind the line where everything seemed safe or guarantee. Though, I am learning that the waiting and the patience will always be essentials requests and parts of our lives that need to be mature.

I entrust that my trip did not begin here, and it is not even to finish so somewhat here. In the true travels, in the great travel, I do not think that questions about what we do have considerable interest. We came, we are and we go. And then it makes sense to feel and realize in our lives the expression of the words of the Holy Books: in this world, we have not a stable address/ residence. The scenery of the world is passing, everything has a provisional dimension.

Heidegger once compared the journey of life to a person walking in a huge forest where i tis pitch dark, where it is raining and thundering, and one has a completely lost the way. There is a bolt of lightning and for an instant the way is clear. Then it is dark again. All one can and must do is keep going in the direction one saw illuminated by the lightening flash. This is our challenge and our opportunity: to keep going, to trust that God is faithful, to remember the way in the light of those key moments through which God intervenes in our lives.

Marisa Santos. CLM Portugal

Assembly of the Comboni Lay Missionaries (CLM) in Portugal

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LMC PortugalDuring the weekend of October 15-16, 2016 the CLM of Portugal gathered in Viseu for their National Assembly and for their second formation meeting on the topic of, “The Word as (with) Vocation,” moderated by the CLM Paula Clara.

During the Assembly, we as CLM had the opportunity to reflect over what was accomplished this year and see the many marvels the Lord has worked in us. We remembered the return of Marcia from Mozambique, and of Élia from the Central African Republic. We remembered the departure of María Augusta for the Central African Republic and of Marisa, who is studying the language in England. Many milestones were reached along the way right here. Above all we concentrated in organizing the European Assembly of the CLM to which we were all committed and for which we felt responsible, and in which we all worked a lot without leaving any detail to chance. We also spent time evaluating and then electing the various ministries of those who, as CLM, are responsible for the organization, such as the coordinating team, the formation team, the finances and many other things that are necessary for the future life of the CLM.

LMC PortugalAll this reflects what Pope Paul VI wrote in the dogmatic constitution Lumen Gentium (#7): “As all the members of the human body, though they are many, form one body, so also are the faithful in Christ. Also, in the building up of Christ’s Body various members and functions have their part to play. There is only one Spirit who, according to His own richness and the needs of the ministries, gives His different gifts for the welfare of the Church.” We are different people with different ministries and responsibilities. We journey together here at home and beyond our borders, praying and committing ourselves in the name of God according to the charism of Comboni.

LMC PortugalThe meeting on formation could not have been more connected with the Assembly. While some were reflecting on vocation, others were reflecting on what their vocation had produced. In such a journey there are moments when walking together is not enough, but we felt the need to abandon ourselves to divine providence through our commitment. For this reason, on Sunday, relatives and friends joined the CLM family to witness the promise of Neuza, Rufina and Paula.

The journey takes place by walking as a community whose nucleus is Christ. After a day of formation and discernment we wanted to pray with our lives what we daily pray in the Our Father, “May your will be done.” We choose to follow a path of happiness, knowing fully well in advance that we will suffer, laugh, cry, love, fall, get up, get lost and be found. Here we feel at home, the hugs get longer, the laughter echoes in the hall, and often we pray with tears and in silence, because words are not enough to express the love of God. Here we learn that there are no distances that can stand in the way of staying united. Here, like St. Augustine, we turn Love into a greater prayer. Together, we are the thousand lives for mission that St. Daniel Comboni dreamed of. We are the dream of Comboni and we dare to follow in his footsteps making it possible to have much more than a thousand lives for the mission.

LMC PortugalPaula Sousa, CLM Portugal

What title?

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Marisa LMC

What title should I use? “one week has already passed” or “it’s only been a week” (since I came here)?

I arrived in London on September 3rd. It was almost midnight when I entered in “my new house.” Sometimes (yes, sometimes), this is not just my house, it’s more than that: it’s my home – I can feel it. [“It’s only been a week” and I’m fine here, in this community.]

Normally, we are seven persons at home – me; four priests (Father Angelo, Father Rogelio, Father Louis and Father Patrick); and two others (Paul and Amir, who joined us few days ago). But this number often changes: sometimes priests from other communities, or family / friends come to pass the night or some days with us, in our community. [“It’s only been a week” and I’ve met so many people!].

This community allows me to learn, grow and mature. We start the day together in the Chapel – for Morning Prayers and Mass. In the evening, before dinner, that’s where we return for the Evening Prayers. Slowly, I’m feeling abler to pray without peek constantly to the books (all in English!). [Sometimes I think that “it’s only passed a week and I can say a prayer without read (well, occasionally, I look to the book…); other times, if I feel some frustration for the language, I think: “one week has already passed and I still need a guide.”] Yet, the priests are very patient and encourage me to not lose the will to learn. Sometimes, they even invite me to do the Readings.

Usually I leave home 10 or 15 minutes before 9am to go to school, for the English lessons, where I spend the rest of the morning. In the same class as I am, there are other people of many ages and nationalities (Turkish, Brazilian, Argentine, Mexican, Peruvian, Japanese and Chinese).

The (moments of) meals are made in community, with the Fathers. It’s another moment of sharing. More than share food, we share life with each other. It’s also an added time for affection and learning, a privileged space where relationship flows. [“it’s only been a week ” but our relations are growing gradually and every day we know more and more of each one].

In my spare time I have the opportunity to visit London (like the Natural History Museum, Science Museum, Southbank Museum, London Eye, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Portobello Road (market), Royal Parks (Hyde Park, Diana – Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain, Serpentine Lake, Kensington Gardens, Albert Memorial, …). [“it’s only been a week ” but I could see so much!]

I also take some time to read, to know/ talk with someone or to help with something at home.
Here I can learn with anything, no matter what. But I’m observing that it’s important to be available, predisposed, to let it happen – make some (or many) mistakes without fear and then, accept all the corrections with humbly. Read, watch television, hear all we can, study, … it’s also important to learn [English], but I’m recognising that I can learn more every time that I make a mistake and someone corrects me. I’m learning that the correction has, in some way, a relational dimension – because needs a generous opening, spontaneousness and empathy – and it also help to grow and construct life between who corrects and who let be corrected.

Marisa LMC

Yesterday, on Sunday, something wonderful happened! According to the Ethiopian calendar, the September 11th is the first day of the year – it’s called «Enkutatash» (“gift of jewels” – I’m not sure of the translation or the meaning…). Father Frasa, who’s with us only for few days, invited me to celebrate the New Year with the Ethiopian Community. It was delicious, a paradise experience, at least! The Eucharist, with the Ethiopian Ritual took about 3 hours (the Mass was celebrated in ge’ez, Amharic, so, I had serious difficulties to understand «anything» of what they’re saying or praying or singing…).

Marisa LMCIn the end, the Father introduced me to the Community and they welcomed me with pleasure and huge hospitality, inviting me to a traditional meal with them. I shared the dish with 4 other children and a mom: I understood that it’s a sign of friendship, hospitality, loyalty (“those who eat the same dish will not be betrayed”, they told me). I taste injera and gursha (when someone rolls a piece of injera, soak in wot and feeds us directly to the mouth – feed someone is a sign of friendship (“I like you, so, I food you”); receive someone’s food is a sign of hospitality and acceptance (it’s like a hug between friends) [“it’s only been a week ” and I already have been blessed with a little from “Ethiopia”!] it was the promise of a reunion on Sunday. On next Sunday, I’ll return there. it’s curious to repair that one of my first contacts, where I tried an experience of intimacy, and where I felt like «as baptism» to the Ethiopian culture and people, in deed, happened at Mass and with the sharing of meal. What a blessing!

I’m ending. But not before noting that was not “only in Ethiopia” that the new year started. In some way, it’s how I feel also: starting something unique, ushering a new cycle and making the first steps on the Mission that God trusts me.

What title should I use? Love – the Community; the sharing; the service; the correction; … – Love is the title (and all the rest).

[Note: “one week has already passed,” and I (was/ have been) blessed with so many miracles, with so many meetings, so many experiences… and I’m confident that more things are coming because, in fact, ” it’s only been a week ” – ” I’ve come that they may have life, and have it abundantly. “(John 10:10)

Marisa Almeida, CLM in London

Departure of Marisa for London

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Marisa LMCYesterday left to London, from the Francisco Sá Carneiro´s airport, Marisa Santos, as the first phase of its specific preparation before heading to the mission of Awassa (Ethiopia). She will remain there until the end of October to improve English language.
Her family, friends and the CLM wanted to be present in her farewell.
We know that she arrived well and is already in the MCCJ house of Dawson Place.
We wish Marisa to have a fruitful time of learning. May the Lord and St. Daniel Comboni accompany and protect her.
Marisa LMCWe are together!
Carlos Barros, CLM Portugal