Formation – Page 88 – Comboni Lay Missionaries

CLM formation in Ghana

29 April, 2015 by Alberto de la Portilla

Since the Provincial Counsel has assigned Fr Godwin Kornu to journey with us, we have also started focusing on the formation process. In the line of this, we have our monthly formation at Bakpa-Avedo, an out-station of Mafi-Kumase, the quasi-parish where resides our chaplain. The theme should have been Comboni’s Faith, but father decided to talk first of all about FAITH. Father started by defining Faith in four ways:

Faith in something or in somebody.
Strong religious belief.
Faith in reference to a particular religion.
Faith used in conjunction with adjectives good or bad. To keep or to break faith.

The (b) is the one closer to our situation said the Rev. Fr. He said that faith is a gift from God and He is the initiator. To have faith in God is to surrender to Him. The faithfulness of God arouses faith. The one who believes will wait actively and Hope should give us joy. Our joy should not be circumstantial but should have its root in God. Faith does not go in contradiction with the reason but faith is higher than reason. Faith is, said father, compared to a seed which everybody has to develop. Prayer is the way by which faith can grow. But while praying, we should have in mind that our prayer can’t change God’s plan for us but prepare us to receive what God has for us.

After this presentation, we discussed some few issues. We concluded for all members to create a Small Christian Community (S.C.C.) at our various places as a way of our commitment. Through it, we can carry out some of our activities as far as Evangelization, Mission Animation, Vocation promotion and JPIC are concerned. We also decided to show our closeness, “common cause” to two of our members having some accidents. The 9^th May was at the end agreed on for our coming meeting at Abor, our CLM Center. After this, we had the agape.

Justin Nougnui, coordinator.

Visit the House of Mission Santa Terezinha, Comboni Lay Missionaries

16 April, 2015 by Alberto de la Portilla

My trip to the house of Mission of the Comboni Lay Missionaries (CLM) take placed between 4^th and 10^th of March of this year. I was fortunate to meet the Comboni Missionaries in August 2014 in Piquiá, Açailândia (MA) and this visit to Ipê Amarelo, was certainly inspiring to my vocation, find more lay and watch their actions and activities is indeed the way to clarify the dedication of some years of my life to the mission.

“Here I come, with pleasure, to do your will Lord” (Ps. 39)

I attended the meeting of the Pastoral Care of Children, the paint workshop for women, youth group, disciples of Emmaus, catechesis and the Way of the Cross in the Community. Activities that I experience in my community San José de Egypt, Parish of Our Lady of Fatima in Imperatriz / Maranhão.

In the days when I was in Nova Contagem, Minas Gerais, I could see projects, as the Combonis House Justice and Peace, the space called “Hope” in the community of Our Lady Auxiliadora – ACCSA and even from a little further the project of the Industrial School of Carapira in Mozambique, through our conversations with Lourdes.

Undoubtedly, every detail has marked this experience, especially the affection of all, the sharing and the prayer requests by Lourdes to each member of the communities we passed, it is important for this phase of decision.

“I slept and dreamed that life was joy. I awoke and found that life was service. I served and I found happiness”.

Raylene Bananeira

Emperatriz-Maranhão

First recollection of the aspirants CLM in Ghana:

14 April, 2015 by Alberto de la Portilla

As decided at the preceding meeting, we had our recollection on this 21^st at Mafi-Kumase where our chaplain resides. The theme of the recollection was RECONCILIATION. The schedule of the day was as followed: first talk, a breakfast, confession and personal prayer, lunch, personal meditation, second talk and mass.

The development of the topic took three main parts: the definition of reconciliation, fertile grounds for reconciliation and the obstacles to reconciliation. Reconciliation is a gift from God. He is the initiator who searches for the lost ones for the restoration of harmony. Reconciliation is needed to better our relationship with God, each other and with ourselves. Father said that sins separate us from God. Among the fertile grounds, our Chaplain mentioned the admittance of responsibility, making up of the relationship, the need for the offender and the offended to see the necessity to better their relation, patience and tolerance, humility. The offended has to give to the offender the benefit of doubt. Those are some of the attitudes that lead to reconciliation. For the obstacles, he mentioned the stubbornness of the offender, the pride of both, shame, the sense of righteousness, intolerance, anger, guessing people’s hidden motives and the fact to retaliate. Sometimes, the culture also does not create a conducive environment for reconciliation. It is a fact where e.g. it is believed in some cultures that the elderly person cannot be wrong. For a younger one who is truly right to accept this part of the culture up to reconcile with his offender is a great challenge.

Before the mass, we decided on the coming meeting on the 11^th April. We also elected Vivian Mackenzie to be our treasurer. Just after the mass, we departed from the place.

Justin Nougnui, coordinator.

EASTER CLM Spain 2015: “Listening to God where life calls”

11 April, 2015 by Alberto de la Portilla

Under the slogan “Listen to God where life calls” met last week in Madrid the group of Comboni Lay Missionaries of Spain to celebrate Easter as a community.

There have been some intense days of prayer and encounter with the Lord in His Word, brothers, in nature … but not forgetting to look at the world and reality, with their hopes and pains, desires and proposals, with their stories … because as missionaries we are called to discover and listen to God where life is crying out.

From here, we thank everyone who made this event possible. Thanks for sharing and for being partners in our path.

Spanish CLM

We cannot bury our missionary spirit!

5 April, 2015 by Alberto de la Portilla

On March 15, we met in the city of Curitiba to continue the meetings with people interested in the Comboni missionary lay vocation of this region. At this second meeting, continuing with the theme of vocation and mission, we had the opportunity and commitment to pray together on the birthday of St. Daniel Comboni. United with all the Comboni Family we dedicated to pray and reflect on his life and our commitment to the mission for humanity.

It is inspiring to see that Comboni did not measure efforts to meet Christ in the face of African brothers, traveled great distances, helped encourage the Church and make visible where life was threatened. His testimony managed to attract many, he was to meet the people, he put himself on the way, used all the resources available at the time and was not afraid of difficulties.

To reflect on the importance of the missionary call, we also saw the documentary “Mission and ecclesial communion” of the Missionary Campaign of 2010.

The Mission also nowadays requires an urgent and courageous response. Mission beyond our borders and Missionary Animation, two essential points of the vocation of all baptized. These moments are important to rekindle our missionary call and help to create missionary awareness in the Church, with the hope that more people awaken to this vocation

We also share how the organization of the CLM in Brazil was born, a brief overview of these almost 20 years of existence. It always good to remember what the Pope Francis recommended in the message of the missionary month “remains of the great urgency of the mission ad gentes, which are called all members of the Church, because this is, by nature missionary: the Church was born in “exit”.

Let us continue walking, being a small sign, sharing life and in the defense and promotion of Life for everyone.

CLM Brazil