We continue with our series of missionary testimonies. In this one, Sister Lucía, a Comboni missionary in the Central African Republic, talks about some important moments in her vocation and missionary life.
We invite you to watch it (video in Spanish).
This was the theme with which we began our national assembly of the CLM in Portugal, which took place last weekend, October 25-26, at the MCCJ house in Maia. In her reflection, Sr. Graça, a Comboni Missionary and our advisor, inspired us to recognize God’s gaze on our CLM vocation and to realize how our vocation permeates our daily lives, like “yeast in dough.” She also invited us to recognize that it was God who called and chose us! She invited us to contemplate the beauty of mission and vocation, and to seek to recognize the presence of perennial joy, of mission as relationship, as a dynamic of communion, from which we radiate God’s Love.
Next, the Activity Plan and the annual budget for 2026 were presented and approved. Each local community also had space to share its plans for the coming year.
The following day, the Letters of the Ministries that make up the CLM Association were approved, which were drawn up since the last assembly, which took place in March this year.
At the end of Sunday morning, we celebrated Holy Mass, presided over by Fr. José Vieira, a Comboni missionary working in Ethiopia, where all the CLM members present, including those participating online, renewed their CLM commitment.
The weekend was a favorable time of encounter, reflection, and fellowship, with the participation of 15 CLM members, 3 of whom participated online. We thank God for calling each one of us and for always accompanying us on this missionary journey!
Saint Daniel Comboni, pray for us!
CLM Portugal Communication
In the silence. If today you hear his voice hardened not your hearts. God is in the silence
1st Kings 19:11-12
When the prophet Elijah fled from his enemies to the mountain to seek the help of God.
The Lords presence was not in the strong wind, earthquake or in the fire but it was felt in the small whispering sound
As missionaries we should find our mountains and in silence we hear the sound of God, like Moses we find the burning bush which is not consumed by fire, take out our sandals which is our sins and comforts
Create silence and peace within yourself offer the silence as a gift to others
PRAYER
Jesus was a man of prayer we learn from his style of prayer in silence and in solitude. Lk 6:12, Mk 6:46
He taught us to pray a simple prayer that carries great reference to our Father in heaven which is the Lords prayer Lk 11:1
A real prayer is in silence, you listen to God and He comes to you, through you it reaches the others.
We should pray without ceasing and with understanding a Christian who does not pray is proud and is not humble.
THE HOLY SPIRIT
Luke 3:21,5:16
In our prayers the Holy Spirit should be present for he is the Spirit that comes from our Father in heaven to teach, cleanse and to strengthen us during tribulations and persecution
Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit, he prayed with the holy spirit and the spirit testified that he was the beloved son of God during his baptism.
We learn from the disciples of Christ they were full of the Holy Spirit and they preached the gospel to the ends of world facing persecution and even death
REFLECTION OF COMBONI’S LIFE
God shaped and modelled Comboni through the people he lived with and interacted with
The environment of his family and village influenced his Spiritualty, his parents were very religious, rich in faith and rich in devotions
What brings out the uniqueness of Comboni was his characters, he was impulsive, lively jovial, highly passionate, emotive which made him highly sensitive to other people’s sufferings. He fostered and cultivated friendships from all walks of life
His love for the mission, sacred heart of Jesus and Mary, St Joseph and the people of Africa is an inspiration to all of us
THE TRINITY
Mistry of the blessed trinity
Three in one and one in three, equal but are different. Father, son and the Holy Spirit they share everything, they have constant communication and there is equality in love
The Trinity teaches us to share our values, emotions, experiences on a very intimate level, when we allow ourselves to be vulnerable, we evoke empathy from others the goal is to create a loving atmosphere of caring and understanding of each other
In the Trinity communication is perfect, for us communication is not perfect yet with the smallest steps with the right direction we can help it to improve.
We should learn to see the trinity in each and every one of us and also ask ourselves which aspect of our relationships are not in line with the blessed trinity
There is no trinity without you and I, if we want to enter into the mysterious heart of our faith we fix our eyes on Jesus who is visible among us He draw us to our Father in heaven and the Holy Spirit comes and lives in us
Through Christ we learn the ministry of the trinity ” The one who sees me has seen the Father and his spirit will live in him, me the Father and Holy Spirit are one being each one himself”.
The vocabulary of trinity is complete with all of us included.
Belinda, CLM Kenya
Eight Comboni Lay Missionaries from the parish of Saint Kizito in Begou, in the Diocese of Sarh, took their vows of commitment on Sunday, October 12, at the parish of Saint Kizito in Begou. This took place during a Mass of Thanksgiving presided over by Fr. NGORE GALI CELESTIN, national chaplain of the Comboni Lay Missionaries. This commitment comes after eight years of catechesis for the lay people. In his homily for the occasion, the celebrant asked the lay people to be good examples for the Christian faithful and encouraged them in their commitment to this mission.
The eight lay people
The eight lay people with the celebrating priests
CLM Chad
REKINDLING THE FIRE OF MISSIONARY PASSION
Dear confrères,
We greet you with the peace and joy of our Lord Jesus Christ, and we extend our warmest wishes to you on the solemnity of Saint Daniel Comboni, our Founder. This day is a special occasion for all of us, and for everyone whose life has been touched and inspired by his example and mission.
Two weeks ago, we concluded our Inter-capitular Assembly, which had begun with a day of formation on the theme Reviving the Fire for Mission. A clear message emerged: the urgent need to strengthen our unity and to build communities capable of responding to the challenges of our times, making careful use of the human and material resources entrusted to us. At the same time, we must recognise that our Comboni identity must be preserved and strengthened: some confrères leave the Institute, others retire, and we wonder where the courage to go where others dare not go has gone
From the very beginning, we have been an international and multicultural family. This diversity is not a mere detail: it is a sign of the Kingdom and a testimony that communion among peoples and cultures is possible in Christ. It is a message of hope for a world often divided. Preserving this gift is more essential than ever, if we want to counteract nationalism and tribalism, which risk creeping into our communities too.
To face these challenges, we must rekindle the fire of our missionary passion. Fire is a symbol of zeal, courage, and conviction; it drives us to mission and sustains us in difficult times. Jesus Christ, the first ‘Missionary of the Father’, said: “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!” (Lk 12:49). Comboni also often spoke of a “heart burning with genuine love of God”: “When the Missionary in Africa has a heart burning with the pure love of God, when he keeps his eyes fixed on the contemplation of the great goodness and sublimeness of the work for which he spends himself, then all the privations, the continuous hardships, the greatest trials become a paradise on earth for his heart” (Writings, 2705).
When this fire burns in us, crosses and difficulties cannot stop us. A heart on fire remains focused on the goal and is not distracted by obstacles or setbacks.
We are convinced that a mission such as ours — whose fruits we may not fully see, where years of work may seem fruitless, and which sometimes challenges logic and hope — can only be carried forward if we are truly inflamed with passion.
Today more than ever, we feel called to rekindle this fire. Many of us feel weary or fragile, and this fatigue can affect our communities as well. To nourish the flame, we must remove the ashes and add fresh wood. The best way to do this is to return to the original fire that burned within us when we first responded to the Comboni missionary call — those moments when Comboni’s life and the mission of the Comboni Missionaries touched our hearts deeply.
Each of us remembers the moment when Comboni’s life set our hearts ablaze: perhaps it was his selflessness in responding to God’s call as an only son; or his courage to leave the Mazza Institute to pursue what he considered essential; or his perseverance in the face of opposition, even within the Church; or his steadfast faith in times of loss; or his conviction of the dignity of the African people, his tireless commitment to integral human development, his openness to diverse cultures, and his prophetic vision of mission.
Whatever the spark that first inspired us, it still burns and can rekindle our missionary fire. When we let it burn again, we overcome fatigue, indifference, and complacency; our love for mission is renewed, giving us strength to face every challenge.
And what better time than the feast of our Founder to rekindle this flame, remembering that he has given us a unique identity in the Church and in the world as Comboni Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus?
Wishing you a joyful feast day!
Rome, 10th October 2025
Solemnity of Saint Daniel Comboni
The MCCJ general council
