Alberto de la Portilla – Page 200 – Comboni Lay Missionaries

[Mozambique] Mission Animation with youth of the parish of Carapira

30 March, 2014 by Alberto de la Portilla

On 16th March this year there was a meeting of young people from the district of Mutoro, one of 3 areas of the parish, involving 96 young including coordinators and animators of Missionary Childhood and young people from 40 communities of 10 areas in this region. At this meeting the CLM and training candidates participated in a moment of missionary animation with youth. The meeting began at 13 hours with the presentation of the participants, where the laity in formation spoke about their history in the group.

Therefore, Mozambique has 3 foreign CLM and 4 Mozambicans lay missionaries in training. Comboni Lay Missionaries shared the story of St. Daniel Comboni, who was a son of a poor Italian family and also shared that the Comboni family are composed of priests, brothers, sisters, lay and secular.

During the conversation a young man asked what means to be secular. Secular means to be a consecrated lay missionary who lives her vocation within her family without the marital union.

We also spoke of some requirements to become Comboni Lay Missionary.

The missionary animation meeting ended with the song << Rejoice in the Lord always. >>

Flavio, LMC and Zeferino, candidate in formation of the Comboni Lay Missionaries

[Portugal] Echoes of the March 2014 meeting

28 March, 2014 by Alberto de la Portilla

On 8 and 9 of March, a training meeting of the CLM, in the house of Coimbra, was held. The theme was “The documents of the Church”. The training was led by the CLM Susana Vilas Boas, amazing as always. It was also with us Fr Manuel Lopes.

Despite the complexity and richness of theme, the creativity of the presentations made it to be a nice training around the basic texts of the Church motivating the desire to know. We recognize the importance of the documents to live the faith and mission in communion, as members of the Church of Christ.

The program included the presentation of the most relevant documents for the Mission followed by the reading and debate in group and then sharing together. I transcribe fragments of the selected texts:

Humanity can have hope and should have hope: the living and personal Gospel, Jesus Christ himself is the “news” bearer of joy that the Church proclaims every day and who is a witness every day. (Laici Christi fideles)
The envoy enters into the life and mission of the One who “emptied himself, take the form of a servant. So, be prepared and be faithful lifetime in a vocation, to resign yourself and all your stuff, and be everything to everyone. (Ad Gentes)
With the message of the Gospel, the Church offers a liberating and creative force for development, precisely because it leads to conversion of heart and mind, does recognize the dignity of each person, encourages solidarity, commitment and service for other to insert man in God’s plan which is to build the Kingdom of Peace and Justice, already in this life. (Redemptoris Missio).
To each disciple of Christ incumbent the commission to spread the faith, according to his own measure. (Lumen Gentium)

The exchange was synthesized by each one in a word, that we share in the Evening Prayer: commitment, community, communion/community, will, responsibility, humility, generosity and mission.

On Sunday morning, we read the Holy Father’s Francisco message for Lent. Disturbing and challenging: “For the reason of all this is the divine love. A love that is grace, generosity, desire for closeness, which no doubt to give himself and sacrifice for their beloved creatures (…) Do not forget that true poverty hurts”.

The times of prayer set the tone of the meeting and gave meaning and force to our purposes of communion and mission in the Church.

The meeting did not miss the joy, sharing, music, sunshine and flowers…

For all this, Thank goodness!

by Patricia

Final Vows of Sr. Lilia (Comboni Missionary Sister in Carapira)

26 March, 2014 by Alberto de la Portilla

The mission team from Carapira held a big party on March 15, celebrating the birth of St. Daniel Comboni and the lives that continue consecrating. On this day was the sister Lilia Karina Navarrete Solis, who made her perpetual profession, with the slogan “I consecrated you and appointed you a prophet to the nations” (Jer. 1:5). Known as Sister Lily, is a Mexican citizen and works as director of the Health Centre in Carapira. Everything took place in a family atmosphere with the presence of officials of the Health Center, parochial and religious leaders of the Diocese of Nacala and Nampula, among other guests. After the celebration presided by the Bishop of the Diocese of Nacala, Don Germano, we shared lunch. The CLM join together the team that helped acclimate the place, serving food, washing dishes, tidying everything back in place and supporting in every way possible. Sister Teresina, apart from the head of the organization, was also the godmother of the profession.

This is always an appropriate time for missionary animation. Thus, the lay group prepared a panel entitled “Daniel Comboni inspired”, which featured images and short texts about the four branches of the Comboni Family: Comboni Missionaries, Comboni Missionary Sisters, Secular Comboni Missionaries and Comboni Lay Missionaries.

Let us pray for sister Lilia and all vocations!

We are together!

CLM Carapira

Do not get close to your own flesh

24 March, 2014 by Alberto de la Portilla

DO NOT GET CLOSE TO YOUR OWN FLESH

On February 6, 15 people died in the “El Tarajal” Beach in Ceuta. Some media said they were undocumented, Sub Saharan, immigrants … but basically they were 15 people, with 15 stories, with their 15 families. Each of them with their dignity, their rights and especially with their life. Following what happened that day, there was a great stir, especially at the political level where they blame the political adversary and try to take advantage of the event.

The Archbishop of Tangier, Monsignor Santiago Agrelo published a letter that has no waste and we collect below.

And the Lord said: Share your bread and your light shall rise

No one needs to interpret, because it is said to understand it even for children. “Share your bread with the hungry, houses the poor homeless, dress who goes nude” And after this command accessible to all, if it were necessary, the reason that sustains is added: “Do not close your own flesh”. The starving, the oppressed and the homeless, the naked, are “our own flesh”!

“Do not get close to your own flesh”: This unique knowledge should be enough to have changed the politics about the borders, another the logical of our reasoning, another the purpose of our demonstrations, another the matrix of our concerns, our aspirations, our complaints, our options.

“Do not get close to your own flesh”: If you walk on the path of this wisdom, “your light will break like the dawn,” ahead of you shall go the justice and behind shall go the glory of the Lord, your light will shine in the darkness, your darkness will become noon. ”

“Do not get close to your own flesh” and the bread that you share with the hungry, make you light for the homeless, as it is light to you the One that with his life in the hands like a loaf, said: “This is my body which is given for you“.

“Do not close your own flesh”: Seat the poor to the table of your life, and you shall be to them the light with which God enlightens.

And for the many that again and again remind me that the Church is not an NGO, again and again I will remind them that the poor are “our own fles”, and that our bread is their own bread, and that the Church is their own home.

Happy Sunday

Other Letters published by Bishop Agrelo these days about immigration:

Letter to Immigrants (in Spanish)

Option for God option for the poor (in Spanish)

More information on the website of the Diocese of Tangier:

And you can follow Monsignor Santiago Agrelo through Facebook

Happy anniversary of Comboni

15 March, 2014 by Alberto de la Portilla

Greetings to everybody in this special day.

On this important day for all Comboni Family, friends and collaborators we want to share with you a modest video with some pictures of our missionary activity.

Little by little we are encouraging and preparing for the meeting that we will have as Comboni Family in Spain around the 150th anniversary of the Plan of Comboni.

Hope you like.

St. Daniel Comboni helps us to be faithful to our missionary vocation and continue to support all those who need it.

With your help it will be possible.