Africa – Page 78 – Comboni Lay Missionaries

Three “sayings” of Jesus

26 September, 2015 by Antonio Villarino

A commentary on Mc 9, 38-48 (XXVI Sunday O.T., September 26th 2015)

The gospels, besides narrating episodes of Jesus’ life and reproducing his parables, contain also collections of “sayings”, small sentences that He surely pronounced in different times and places and the first disciples retained by heart and repeated to the new disciples that were entering the communities. In the verses we read today, we find three of these sayings that I understand as follows:

1.- Goodness has no frontiers. The exact saying of Jesus is “whoever is not against us, is with us” and He pronounces it because somebody wanted to forbid people who did not belong to the group of disciples to act in the name of Jesus. It would be like forbidding someone to help the poor because he or she is not a member of the Church. Any act of goodness belongs to God; it’s a sharing in God’s goodness. We are invited to acknowledge it, be grateful and glad for it.

2.- A glass of water may have an infinite value. Jesus says: “Whoever gives a glass of water in my name, will not lose the reward”. Sometimes, not much is needed to put joy in a persons’ life, to make her or him feel respected, to offer a sign of hope in the middle of difficulties. To give a glass of water is a sign of welcome, respect, availability to “give a hand” if needed. Who gives a glass of water to someone in need, is open to the other and who is open to the other is open to God. What is the “glass of water” that I could offer to the people around me?

3.- Be careful, do not become a stumbling stone for the little ones! Mark puts here three sentences with a common reference to the “scandal”. We know that this word means really “stumbling stone”, trip up somebody who is defenceless, so that he falls down. Jesus, who is full of goodness and tenderness, becomes quite angry when someone lacks respect for the house (temple) of his Father or when somebody wants to trip the little ones, those who have only God to trust. You should not “joke” with the little ones of God. At the same time, Jesus tells us something that to my ears sound like that: “Do not trip up yourself; if something is doing any wrong to you, cut it, do not indulge, choose the way to righteousness with decision and clarity”
Every Sunday, as we celebrate the Eucharist and listen to these words of Jesus, we say to Him: Amen, thank you, I wish these words to illuminate my life. Help me to make them true in me.
Fr. Antonio Villarino
Roma

Little by little, we are taking off

25 September, 2015 by Alberto de la Portilla

It was a great joy for me that slowly but with assurance we are moving forward in the response to our vocation. Things planned are being slowly implemented.

Before having our meeting this 12^th September, some members came a day before for a discussion about a project. In the evening of Friday 11, we were gathered to meditate upon the Sorrowful Mysteries of our Lord Jesus. After this prayer, we read two letters from the Writings of Comboni, one written to Fr Nicola Mazza on the 4^th Sep. 1857 and the second one written on the 20^th Sep. 1857 from Egypt to Dr Benedetto Patuzzi (WC 19, 20-26). The main purpose is the knowledge of our Founder. After this, we took some time to reflect a little bit about how we are moving. This time of Community Prayer is to strengthen all the local groups which are formed by members in the same area. Before starting our monthly meeting this 12th September, we prayed the Lauds. For our meeting, we had first a mass presided by Rev. Fr Joseph Rabbiosi. At the meeting, we emphasized on the roles that the local groups have to play: the necessity to come together and pray, involvement in JPIC, the formation and preparation of some youth, the proclamation of the Good News in some villages and the mission promotion.

We planned for the coming meeting which falls on the 10^th October to present the History of CLM.

Justin Nougnui, coordinator.

Testimony in Carapira

24 September, 2015 by Alberto de la Portilla

Carapira

“The essential is invisible to the eyes”! I never found much meaning to this phrase as after Mozambique … When we dare to open our hearts to God’s call, we run the risk of discovering the true meaning of happiness. In fact, there were so many graces received, the experienced and shared love, that this experience has shaped my life, my heart filled in such a way that my thoughts, desires and dreams are all oriented towards Mozambique. Throughout the year we prepare these months of mission in Mozambique, we prepared ourselves with actions of charity, intense training, intimate encounters with God through prayer and so expectations were high and immense the anxiety. The truth, however, is that I never thought we will live so intensely this month with such dedication, with so much love … Weak was my faith, I admit! After all there were many people who prayed for us, there were many sincere hearts that have directed their prayers to God. The seven members of Faith and Mission group that reached the Carapira mission in Mozambique have only reasons to thank God for all we received.

In Carapira, from the beginning , we were welcome as family by the various members of the Comboni Family present there, we really felt welcomed, integrated. The first night we had a meeting to present ourselves together, allowing us to learn a bit of the work done in the mission, and to affirm our willingness to work hard this month. Yes, it was always a concern of the whole group to work hard, or in the words of Fernando Pessoa, to put in all that we are in everything we do no matter how small it is. And we did not stay unanswered. The next day we had a meeting where we received several proposals, either in the Industrial School of Carapira, in the ministry, at boarding school of the sisters, as well as with the community. I remember that after this meeting, the group began to divide tasks, specify the duties of each, with an intensity that quickly filled the quadrant of our activities. I was always glad to see everybody working. I am well aware that this was only possible by the confidence placed in us from the beginning, but I also know that throughout the month we did everything possible to meet expectations. To be honest, despite wanting to make the most of myself and work hard, I was always aware that a month would be very little to give ourselves unreservedly. The truth is that I was wrong. Of course, the difficulty of the language and adaptation to the place complicated things, but also the smiles, sympathy, trust placed in us and the fantastic reception we had, made everything so much easier. From the beginning, Brother Luis allowed us to participate wholeheartedly in school, either in the administrative work, whether in activities with students; Father Firmino allowing to accompany him on the visits to communities; the sisters allowing us to help with explanations to the girls at the boarding school and visiting the sick and elderly in the community and the Comboni Lay Missionaries that have always followed us closely and with whom we work very comfortable. I knew the work of the sisters, brothers and priests minimally by the various testimonies I had heard. But I confess I did not know the great work done by the Comboni Lay Missionaries. Their dedication to the Industrial School of Carapira, classroom, administration, nursing, in the dining room, as well as monitoring of extracurricular activities is impressive. But beyond that, the pastoral work in the communities, work in the parish, in the formation of the animators, the role of justice and peace for the communities… they left me baffled. Honestly, for the first time, I want to become a Comboni Lay Missionary. On a personal level, this month was very important to me. I found many of my limits when fatigue wanted to beat me, I was challenged to learn to live in community, how to be tolerant, to try to solve problems through dialogue, to examine me internally. When I think about it all, I’m glad I could grow. But apart from all these challenges I’ve been so happy … The Eucharist filled my heart with songs and dances that expressed so much, the smiles of children, the joy of the people of the communities, the Comboni family who I met in Carapira and I now call friends, girls in the boarding school that made me smile, young in the school, young people … Oh, my God, how I miss it! I want to mourn for joy …. I want to go back!!! … In Mozambique I felt the sun on my hand! The sun of joy, the sun that illuminate our life, the sun that warms us, that warms our hearts, the sun that allows us to exchange glances, the sun that makes us live intensely the day! In Mozambique I had the sun in my hand!

Pedro Nascimiento

Comboni Family day in the MCCJ Chapter

16 September, 2015 by Alberto de la Portilla

The XVIII General Chapter of the Comboni Missionaries on the theme “Comboni Missionary disciples, called to live the joy of the Gospel in today’s world” started on September 6 in the General House in Rome. On Monday, still in the reading of reality, gave the floor to the institutes of the Secular Comboni Misionaries, the Comboni Missionaries Sister and the Comboni Lay Missionaries. Through its reports, the Assembly approached the achievements, difficulties and dreams; in which in one way or another also it reflected the Institute of the Comboni Missionaries.

The secular Isabella d’Alessandro expressed their concern about the decline in staff, however, this is not a limit to the enthusiasm and desire to open up to the challenges posed by the mission. She recalled that the experience of weakness is an opportunity to collaborate with others, which invites to deepen our identity.

Mother Luzia Premoli, Superior General of the Comboni Missionaries Sisters, presented the main lines of reflection held as an Institute on the issue of ministerial service. The transformation of the mission requires a change in the governance model. Also, the rapid decline of sisters in the Institute poses challenges to be responding through various forms of reorganization.

Finally, Alberto de la Portilla, coordinator of the CLM submitted its report to the Assembly. He explained the internal structure of the movement and the challenges made in the last intercontinental CLM assembly of Maia (2012). Expressing the desire to consolidate the already established groups and improve international coordination.

The first three days of the XVIII General Chapter in Rome

14 September, 2015 by Alberto de la Portilla

The XVIII General Chapter of the Comboni Missionaries, currently taking place in Rome, started on Monday morning with the presentation of the By-laws for the Chapter by Fr. Pietro Ciuciulla, a member of the Pre-capitular commission. This document is the instrument that will guide the operating methods of the Chapter and help in the planning of the different phases.

In the afternoon, there was group work, at continental level, in order to suggest changes and amendments that could improve the final text of the By-laws.

When all came together in the Chapter hall, there was a sharing of their ideas and proposals. Every Chapter of the document was voted upon and the final text approved. The main change of the By-laws, compared with the one that guided the previous Chapter, concerns the section on discernment, to which more time has now been allowed and it is to be done in groups. Also the methodology has been adapted to fit the flow of the work. There has been a desire that the Chapter concentrates on the content which should focus on some priorities of the Institute, thus avoiding the need to produce long documents.

After the approval of the working calendar, the Tuesday afternoon session took place in small groups to discern on the suitable candidates for the different offices that the Chapter needs. At the end of the day the four tellers where elected.

On Wednesday, 9^th September, the session started with the election of the offices, a process that took the whole day.

Council of Presidency: Fr. Enrique Sanchez (president), Fr. Giuseppe Moschetta and Fr. Manuel Augusto Lopes Ferreira.

General Secretary: Fr. Pietro Ciuciulla.

Moderators: Fr. Pedro Andres Miguel, Fr. Joseph Mumbere Musanga, Bro. Alberto Degan and Fr. Rogelio Bustos.

Special Commission: Fr. Rafael Ponce (coordinator), Fr. Dario Bossi and Fr. Jeremias dos Santos Martins.

The Central Commission is made up of the General Secretary, the four moderators and the coordinator of the special commission. Their task is to coordinate the work of the Chapter.

Tellers: Bro. Matthias Adossi, Bro. Dessu Yisrashe, Bro. Humberto da Silva Rua and Fr. Felix Cabascango.

Communication: Bro. Alberto Lamana (coordinator), Fr. Jean Claude Kobo and Fr. Efrem Tresoldi.

Liturgical commission: Fr. Roberto Turyiamureeba, Bro. Jean Marie Mwamba and Fr. Alcides Costa.

Cultural and recreation commission: Fr. Juan Armando Goicochea, Fr. Karl Peinhopf and Fr. Ramon Vargas.

The day concluded with the celebration of vespers of the solemnity of Saint Peter Claver, patron saint of our Institute.