Formation – Page 73 – Comboni Lay Missionaries

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)

Aspirants CLM in Ghana meditating on faith

1 June, 2015 by Alberto de la Portilla

This 9^th May 2015, at our Centre, we reflected upon Faith through the help of our Chaplain. In fact, this meditation is the continuation of the topic we have started at our last meeting. The Rev. Fr shared with us some authors view and experience about Faith.

According to Thomas Merton:” Ultimately, faith is the only key to the universe. The final meaning of human existence and the answer to the questions on which all our happiness depends cannot be found in any other way.” For another author, faith is related to love and the two find their meaning in God. “For faith, says St Ignatius of Antioch, is the beginning and the end is love and God is the two of them brought into unity. After these come whatever else make up a Christian gentleman.” Faith says Father is not against reason. He supported that view quoting Armiger Barclay and Blaise Pascal. The early one said:” People only think a thing’s worth believing if it’s hard to believe.” The latter one declared that: ”Faith declares what the senses do not see but not the contrary of what they see. It is above them not contrary to them.” Father insisted on faith as a gift from God. We are capable of nothing, said Soren Kiekegaard, it is God that gives us everything. He is the one who gives us faith. Faith determines what we are and we are what is our faith says a Hindu proverb.

After this time of reflection and meditation, we were introduced to some lay people from Spain. They belong to an Association called Youcanyolé. They are Christian motivated by their faith which witness the Good News to the poor through their work. Indeed, they did marvelous works here at In My Father’s House especially at Lume where IMFH is having a clinic. Our encounter with them is to arouse our collaboration. They can constitute a link between us and the CLM group in Spain. We can also gain some of them to join our International Movement. After the short encounter with them, we moved forward. We got the feedback of our two friends that had some accidents. We also now have a Bank Account for our group. We decided of having the coming meeting on the 13^th June at Dadome, an out station of Mafi-Kumase where our chaplain resides. After this, we have our community meal.

Justin Nougnui, coordinator.

Missionary CLM Meeting in Mexico – March 2015

14 May, 2015 by Alberto de la Portilla

With God’s grace the monthly meeting of the Mexican CLM took place, where we had a great gathering, laugh, sing, prayer. We pray the Holy Hour, have prayer of Lauds and participate in the Eucharist.

The focus was place on preparing the group to participate in the Easter mission field to Guerrero, where there is permanent MCCJ presence and also the CLM, with the presence of Carolina Carreon and Minerva Juarez in the community of San Juan Huexoapa. This mission is in the Diocese of Tlapa in Guerrero, in the parish of Metlatónoc. Father Gabriel talked about the willingness and openness with which the missionary must prepare, Eric told us about the customs and traditions of the people na saavi, Manuelita told us about the history of our permanent mission house, and Ramon shared with us his experience in mission field last year that his first time.

With great enthusiasm, we continue forward with the invitation to all who have the concern to be part of this project of the Comboni Lay Missionaries. Continuing with the ideal of St. Daniel Comboni.

Thousand lives for the mission.

CLM Mexico

“Comboni: God, the Cross and the Mission”

6 May, 2015 by Alberto de la Portilla

From the 17 to 19 April we celebrate in Viseu the eighth meeting of the training program of CLM in Portugal. The training was dedicated to the theme “Comboni: God, the Cross and Mission”, presented with enthusiasm by our sister Carmo Ribeiro. Participating in this meeting, Carlos (CLM), Andreia, Carolina, Flavio, Marisa, Neusa, Patricia and Paula, CLM candidates.

We were welcomed generously (and comfortably) by the Community of Viseu of the Comboni Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus, to whom we are very grateful for the hospitality.

The kick-off of our trip was the movie “The Mission” 1986, a historical drama directed by Rolland Joffe that presents the period in the history of the evangelization of the Guarani Indians of Brazil.

On Saturday and Sunday morning Sister Carmo guided us in finding Comboni, his life and mission, which transmits Christ: “Speak of Comboni, his life and mission, is to talk about his experience of God. This experience that molded, shaped, give meaning and direction to all his life. The life that became mission. The experience of God is the aliveness of God, let God live in us, and above all let us live in Him”.

In first person, we get to know Comboni through his writings read in parallel with quotes from the Bible that inspired it.

Our itinerary went through the discovery of the pillars of the life and mission of Comboni who are also the pillars of any Comboni vocation. Here I present these pillars citing the writings of Comboni.

1^st Trust in God

“May the Lord dispose as best it pleases Him. We are in his hands and we are only too well supported. Thus may it be done according to God’s will”. E 457

2^nd charismatic moment: pierced Christ’s love, of Christ the Good Shepherd

“The Catholic, who is used to judging things in a supernatural light, looked upon Africa not through the pitiable lens of human interest, but in the pure light of faith; there he saw an infinite multitude of brothers who belonged to the same family as himself with one common Father in heaven. They were bent low and groaning beneath the yoke of Satan, and they were placed on the threshold of a most terrible precipice. Then he was carried away under the impetus of that love set alight by the divine flame on Calvary hill, when it came forth from the side of the Crucified One to embrace the whole human family; he felt his heart beat faster, and a divine power seemed to drive him towards those unknown lands. There he would enclose in his arms in an embrace of peace and of love those unfortunate brothers of his, upon whom it seemed that the fearful curse of Canaan still bore down “. E 2742

3^rd The Love of the Cross

“I find myself right on top of Golgotha, in the same place where He was crucified the only Son of God, here I was redeemed.” E 39-43

“The cross has the power to transform Central African in a land of blessing and salvation”

4^th Cenacle of the Apostles

” This Institute, then, becomes like a little Cenacle of Apostles for Africa, a centre of light sending to the centre of Africa as many rays as are the Missionaries who go out from it. These rays of light, bringing warmth as well as illumination, cannot but reveal the nature of the Centre from which they spread out “. E 2648

5^th Mary, Mother of the Church and Mother of Africa

“To you I owe, O Mary, not died yet … Oh Mary show yourself also queen and mother of the poor Africans, because they are also your people… Show yourself Mother!” E 1639-644

6^th Saint Joseph

“St. Joseph is always young, always has a good heart and honest intentions and always love Jesus and the interests of his glory.”

“We are the happiest in the world, because we are in the hands of God, Mary and good San Joseph.” E 5082

7^th Prayer

” Since the work I have in my hands belongs completely to God, for it is with God above all that we must deal with every important and lesser matter of the Mission: therefore it is very important that piety and a spirit of prayer should prevail among its members”. E 3615

8^th Sense of Church, belonging

“I refuse to convert the entire world, if by the grace of God it were possible, if not mediate the mandate and approval of the Holy See and its representatives.”

In addition to the richness of these days, yet there was time for two meetings. We visited and were visited. On Saturday afternoon we visited the Community of Sisters Conceptionist of Santa Beatriz da Silva, who shared the joy and the mission of a life totally dedicated to God in a fruitful silence and inhabited (as someone said, it’s beautiful!). On Saturday night, we received a visit from two Comboni Missionary Sisters, Sister Lourdes Ramos and Sister Augustine Guida. Sister Lourdes Ramos shared her missionary experience among the indigenous of Amazon and later on the island of Lampedusa. Following the example of Comboni, a life made mission, forgetting herself, wounds to serve and love the brothers.

By unfortunate coincidence, that night of April 18, shipwrecked at sea an immigrant ship in route to Lampedusa, we know the tragedy that followed … that night the sister made memory of those who leave their houses and risk their lives to live and when arriving to land has nothing to live with. “We are all people,” I think that even today, in our prayer these brothers are not indifferent… “He felt his heart beat faster, and a divine force seemed to push him to these barbarian lands, to squeeze in his arms and give a kiss of peace and love to those unfortunate brothers “…

Finally, we finished our meeting celebrating Easter, the glory of the Risen Christ; LIFE that flows from the pierced heart. “My God is a God wounded”, recognized by Thomas in the marks of his love for us: “My Lord and my God!”

Patricia