Formation – Page 68 – Comboni Lay Missionaries

Missionary joy

12 July, 2015 by Alberto de la Portilla

The June monthly meeting of the CLMs of Mexico DF It was held in the house of the Comboni Missionaries in Cuernavaca. A beautiful and quiet place next to the famous devil´s alley. Yes, you read that correctly, the devil. According to the legend, more than five centuries ago, the intrusive devil helped to jump Hernán Cortés on his horse Rucio, a ravine five meters long for safekeeping of tlahuicas ancestors who closely followed his footsteps to kill him.

Juanita, CLM for several years and frequent visitor of the seminar for many others, was in charge of preparations for our arrival. The reception was warm although a little rainy, which did not stop performing activities under an atmosphere of friendship and joy. In the morning, we did the prayer of Lauds. The main theme for those who came to know the group was the action of the laity in the church. And in the afternoon Father Joseph Infante, brother of Pedro Infante, as he presents always with a big smile, shared with us the devotion to the Sacred heart of Jesus who lived St. Daniel Comboni and how he trusted that divine heart all his projects and concerns. In the evening, we had the celebration of the Eucharist and in our prayers we do not forget all the Comboni family, absent CLMs, and the election of the following day.

On Sunday, some had to leave early. Others took a little walk around the cathedral, where indeed we received the blessing of Bishop Ramon Castro for all CLM Group. So our meeting this month invited us to advance in prayer, sacrifice and keep walking united by the mission, encouraging one another. Thank God for his presence.

CLM México

Retreat of the Comboni Lay Missionaries of Bologna and Florence

24 June, 2015 by Alberto de la Portilla

Accompanied by Fr. Giorgio Padovan (standing in the photo), Comboni Missionary recently arrived from Brazil, about twenty Comboni Lay Missionaries (CLM) of Bologna and Florence met on 13 and 14 of June, in the house of Pax Christi in Florence, to pray and reflect together on the theme “Disciples, missionaries and Combonis in the path”. These days, according to some lay people, “encouraged some of us to share, to continue the missionary journey with more enthusiasm and joy, and to renew our heart, sometimes tired and wounded.”

The joy and beauty of being Christians and missionaries is the phrase that can summarize what has been lived in this two-day retreat in Florence. Guided by the motto “Disciples, missionaries and Combonis in the path”, the image of the path accompanied the laity in the reflections, sharing and prayer. A path that is not easy, they said, because sometimes it is uphill and very tired, but gives “sense and taste to our life and vocation.”

Fr. Giorgio Padovan, who returned a few months ago from the mission in Brazil, helped the group with simplicity, to deepen from the standpoint of the missionary, the path of laity, the baptismal vocation, personal decisions, the love to the mission and the Comboni charism.

“The thoughts and shared experiences – comment the laity – encouraged some of us to go forward, to continue the missionary journey with more enthusiasm and joy, and to renew our heart, sometimes tired and wounded. The seeds were sown for each CLM group to program with renewed creativity, the way to follow in the next year”.

How to be CLM where we live and work? How to be Christians and missionaries in the world of migration, among the excluded, through our commitment in the activities of justice and peace? in parishes and some missionary churches closed and afraid to go out? These are some of the questions that the Bologna and Florence CLM tried to answer, so they can return home enlightened and willing to make a “good missionary journey”.

Bologna and Florence CLM

CLM aspirants in Ghana reflect upon the faith of Comboni

21 June, 2015 by Alberto de la Portilla

As agreed at our last meeting in Abor, this 13^th June, we met at Dadome, an outstation of Mafi-Kumase. This time, the theme of reflection is “the Faith of Comboni”.

Comboni is said to be of multifaiths. He has faith in God, in his vocation, in the Church, in his Institution. But at the top of all is his faith in God in which the rest come out. He has a doubt at the beginning about leaving his parents. But when confirmed by his spiritual director about the truthfulness and clarity of his vocation, he went straight forward. In his zeal to evangelize Africa, he went to the Pope Pius the IXth and even rectified a wrong conception on Africans. His faith in the Church pushed him to say: “Whatever displeases the Church displeases me.” He went forth declaring:” I have sold my will…I am totally obedient to the Church.” Though he was so engaged in the mission in Africa, he was ready to leave it if the Church ordered it. Comboni received his strength in prayer. He said: “Without prayer, we die.” His time of prayer was also spent for mortification. Comboni has a pragmatic understanding of faith because he thought that “faith is an antidote against slavery.”

After this discussion, we went on to think about few issues. The first is about our presence in the Board of Trustees of In My Father’s House, a Combonian Institution witnessing the Good News to the poor and vulnerable. The second one is the creation of a Vocational Center in the same Institution. We postponed any decision making on these two issues for our coming meeting on the 11^th July at Abor.

Justin Nougnui, coordinator.

In the footsteps of Jesus – spiritual retreat in the streets of Berlin

11 June, 2015 by Alberto de la Portilla

On May 13, three women of the small group of German CLM went to Berlin, to make a spiritual retreat in the streets. We were anxious, how will that be? Full of gratitude we can say that it was worth it! The Jesuit Christian Herwartz and the Comboni sister Margit Forster affectionately accompanied us. Each of us made her personal and profound experience, going to places that made possible an encounter with God in a special way: the jail, a drug sales point, a meeting place for the homeless, tourist places in the center… Like Moses, we take off our sandals (fears, prejudices, judgments) and in the holy places we find God in a new way. Unfortunately, we had to return home on May 17. It was a brief but very rich experience, especially together. THANK YOU!

Barbara Ludewig CLM Germany

[Portugal] We live the call to mission as Christians moved by faith and not by work

3 June, 2015 by Alberto de la Portilla

On Friday May 22, we had another meeting of the CLM candidates in Viseu. The theme of this training unit was Laity in the Church – a lay and missionary spirituality presented by Carlos Barros.

We started watching a movie that touched me very much “Selma march of freedom” which chronicles the struggle that Martin Luther King had to fight to grant the right to vote for every person, which ends with an epic march from Selma City to Montgomery, Alabama, and prompted President Lyndon B. Johnson to sign the Voting Rights Act in 1965.

On Saturday Carlos told us of spirituality, has talked a lot, but some of the phrases that marked me were “spirituality is a path to God,” “is a love relationship with Christ,” which is “life fed by Christ”. Christian spirituality is not just for some, it is a lifestyle…

We had the opportunity to reflect on the identity of the CLM in Articles 4 and 5 of the directory in which they asked us to think of some questions:

How do I evaluate my spirituality in the light of these Articles of the CLM directory?
Through this training process, have I gained awareness about some aspects contained in these articles?
Are there any points in these articles where I feel that I have not yet succeeded? What are they? Why?
Do you think that someday you will guide your life by the principles contained in these articles?

During the Saturday morning, we were still surprised to receive the visit of Palmira Pinheiro – Comboni Missionary Secular, newcomer of the mission; she shared some of her missionary life.

After the meal, which was nice, and with reinforced powers, it was time to return to work. Carlos continued talking about spirituality, and more specifically Lay Spirituality where we discussed the role of the laity in the Church and, indeed, following Jesus is “a demanding and challenging task”. We must take an active role, being available to serve and not to be served. We must be radical to assume “the call to live the mission as Christians moved by faith and not by work”.

During the evening prayer we reflect on “Go you also into the vineyard,” where Jesus invites us to be part of his vineyard, not just religious, but all the faithful laity, all the baptized, because we are united by Baptism. Each of us is part of the Church, when someone is not present, the church is poorer.

Jesus also invites us to live a different life as Lay, he invites us to live detached from material goods, family ties (which is for me the most difficult to think or imagine …) and have the courage to go … not be afraid to say “Yes Father, I am here…”.

In the evening we received the testimony of Fr. Ginno Pastor in Skype (new technologies do wonders like this) where we hear his mission experience, always in Mozambique, where it showed that Fr. Ginno talked about it with love. His smile when talking about the mission, his words radiated love for others, an example of which was poor with the poor, someone who was certainly one of them while living in the mission… The phrase that touched me more of his testimony was “the smile of the other pays for everything 🙂 .”

The night dragged on because it was a great night, Pentecost, where we had a small vigil where each of us was able to share what is “being Church” writing in a bunch of grapes when we feel as Church…” I am church when…”.

On Sunday morning we participate in the Eucharist with the community of Viseu, and was nice to feel the presence of the Holy Spirit … it was a very special moment. I felt again the desire to be radical, to be different and do what I do by faith and not by obligation, as someone said, “If it is inside and not out of obligation this reflected”. It is necessary to believe in the words of Pope John Paul II: “Christ takes nothing away, only gives” and is with the certainty of this love for us, which I continued commitment as a Christian… and I hope every day to say the Lord “Here am I…”.

Andreia Martins (CLM candidate)