Comboni Lay Missionaries

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Letter to the comboni family for the jubilee year of mercy

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Daniel Comboni«Not for an instant did this adorable Heart…not beat with purest and most merciful love for men. From the sacred manger in Bethlehem he hastens to proclaim peace to the world for the first time: as a little boy in Egypt, alone in Nazareth, a preacher of the Good News in Palestine, he shares his lot with the poor, invites little ones to come to him, comforts the mournful, heals the sick and raises the dead to life; he calls the burdened and forgives the repentant; dying on the Cross he prays with great docility for his own torturers; risen in glory he sends out the Apostles to preach salvation to the whole world»

(W 3323).

Dearest Sisters and Brothers of the Comboni Family,

With this letter, fruit of a period of prayer, reflection and sharing that we lived together at the closing of the Year for Consecrated Life and the commencement of Jubilee Year of Mercy, we wish to offer all the members of the Comboni Family some of our reflections and we want especially to invite each one of you to live in depth the challenges and opportunities that the Jubilee Year offers us personally and as a Family. To this end we desire to propose to you a day of prayer in common, remembering what Comboni told us: “The omnipotence of prayer is our strength” (W 1969).

“Miserando atque eligendo”: loved and pardoned / called and pardoned

Called by the grace of God to follow Christ in the footsteps of St. Daniel Comboni “Before the world was made he chose, chose us in Christ to be holy and spotless, and to live through love in his presence” (Eph 1:4), we have also received, as an integral part of our charismatic DNA, the call to contemplate the Pierced Heart of Christ on the Cross, the most eloquent expression of the infinite mercy of God for the whole of humanity, and to allow ourselves to be transformed, so that we, too, may become an embrace of love and mercy for all “to make us praise the glory of his grace, his free gift to us in the Beloved, in whom, through his blood, we gain our freedom, the forgiveness of our sins. Such is the richness of his grace”. (Eph 1:6-7)

Like all men and women disciples of Christ, we are aware that the Gospel we wish to proclaim is greater than us. We well know that the sequela Christi, which calls us to witness to Him with our lives and our words, is demanding but we are not always equal to the task of proclaiming the message He entrusts to us: at times we lack the necessary depth to live according to our calling.

In our personal prayer, sacramental life, spiritual direction and in the encounter with our brothers and sisters we experience the mercy of God. We are grateful to the Holy Spirit who works in our hearts, granting us the spirit of repentance and purification. We thank God for the gift of joy in being pardoned that renews us and makes us ready to start afresh every day.

Misericordes sicut Pater: within our communities and families

God loves us and forgives us, and makes us experience this mystery through the personal encounter with Him and expresses his mercy through our brothers and sisters. In our communities and families, we are called, consequently, to accept one another, thanks to the Holy Spirit who unites us around Jesus and makes us ever more a cenacle of apostles.

In daily life, in the moments of fraternal correction and in our meetings and gatherings, we come to know how much we live in mutual mercy. If we all commit ourselves to living the Good News of the merciful love of God, we help one another to grow, to be purified and reconciled.

Our brothers and sisters, family members, make us understand that they forgive us when they wait patiently and move in step with us; they bring us into contact with love when they have confidence in us, despite our limits. When the communities and the family live in mercy, they become a place of grace, of healing and reconciliation in which communion and life are built up, without denying one’s own difficulties, weaknesses and limits, or those of others.

All of this qualifies the experience of mercy that we live among ourselves. “Mercy is not opposed to justice but rather expresses God’s way of reaching out to the sinner, offering him a new chance to look at himself, convert, and believe.” (MV 21)

Misericordes sicut Pater: in the apostolic community

God our Father has called us to serve and work together as an apostolic community; in this place of collaboration, we are challenged to grow in our journey of going out of ourselves and configuring ourselves to Christ, the obedient servant. To us, who are called to live the new commandment of love, “Love one another; just as I have loved you, you also must love one another” (Jn 13:34-35), the Lord gives all the graces necessary to share his mercy and makes us able to forgive one another.

The gift of mercy makes us able to go out of ourselves, to live gestures of tenderness and to be charitable among ourselves: that is, to accomplish works of spiritual and corporal charity in our midst.

It is often hard for us to ‘live in mercy’, assuming the sentiments of the Heart of Jesus. At times, we are more drawn to be charitable towards those outside our community and our family, forgetting those with whom we live daily as an evangelising community. God, who wants us to be merciful, desires that we practise mercy first of all among ourselves and those closest to us.

Misericordes sicut Pater: with the people of God

Our service invites us to entrust ourselves to the people of God who welcomes us in his name. Experience teaches us that, if we are humble and open, our brothers and sisters will be merciful to us. Attitudes of arrogance and superiority on our part evoke a different sort of response. The call to live in mercy, as Comboni did, obliges us to undertake a journey of conversion and healing in order to live our relationships in simplicity, humility and humanity.

Misericordes sicut Pater: towards our institutions

During our journey of belonging to our Institutes/groups/Comboni Family, our sentiments of love, healthy pride and gratitude ought to grow with the passing of years. However, at times we find sentiments of bitterness, destructive criticism and the ‘terrorism of gossip’, as Pope Francis calls it. We may say that this is part of our human condition, marked by sin and still in transformation. Our weaknesses should neither surprise nor scandalise us. They ought not diminish our sense of belonging, our happiness in being Combonians, or our desire and commitment to live, in a worthy fashion, the call to be Holy and Capable, in the footsteps of St. Daniel Comboni.

During this Year of Mercy, let us be reconciled with our discomforts and wounds and let us really “…be clothed in sincere compassion, in kindness and humility, gentleness and patience…” (Col 3:12) and so give new life to our love for our great Comboni Family.

Misericordes sicut Pater: instruments of mercy

The experience of mercy fills us with joy and the desire to proclaim that his mercy is without end (Ps 25:6).

Following the example of St. Daniel Comboni, the experience of divine mercy makes us widen our hearts and open our arms towards suffering humanity so that “... we can offer others, in their sorrow, the consolation that we have received from God ourselves” (2 Cor 1:4). Through our witness, service and presence among the people of God, by means of our being mission, we are called to participate in the saving work of the merciful God revealed in Jesus.

And so … Let us celebrate Mercy

In this Jubilee Year, through the intercession of Mary, Mother of Mercy, we ask God the Father for the gift of acknowledging our need of His mercy and our desire to be reconciled: with ourselves, our brothers and sisters in our communities, our family members, our collaborators, the People we serve and our Comboni Institutes and groups.

We therefore invite all the members of the Comboni Family – SMC, ISMC, MCCJ, LMC – and other Groups/movements that take their inspiration from the Comboni charism, to celebrate, on 17 March, 2016, the XX anniversary of the beatification of St. Daniel with a day of prayer-contemplation on the Mercy of God in Comboni. This is an invitation to all of us, as his children, to let ourselves be transformed by the Mercy of the Heart of Jesus and to revive our compassion and commitment to proclaim, in word and in deed, the God of Mercy to our most abandoned and suffering brothers and sisters.

 

We greet you with deep affection.

The General Councils and Coordinator of the LMC Central Commission:

SMC  – Comboni Missionary Sisters

ISMC – Secular Institute of Comboni Missionary Women,

MCCJ – Comboni Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus,

LMC – Comboni Lay Missionaries.

 

Rome, 28 February, 2016.

Something ends, something new begins…

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Ewa

“Our children have just finished their holiday season. This time it lasted unusually long – 3 months. The reason was the election of the new president of Uganda which took place on 18 February 2016. Fortunately everything went well and there were no big problems. In less than three weeks I will be back in Poland again. Well, something ends, something new begins. During the holiday season, I spent most of the time with the youngest children who have some problems at school. It was a kind of remedial classes. After the renovation work, the classes were held in the dining room that was turned into the class room. We spend a lot of time there, learning but also having fun. We painted, created things from plasticine, coloured and cut. In Poland it is something common but for my kids in Uganda it is always something special and new.”

Besides being the general administrator, here I am also someone between a baby sitter and a social worker. All this time I have been here, I have discovered that this is the best place for me. It is amazing and surprising at the same time, because it was not something I had intended to do. Mission teaches obedience and commitment in places where there is a need, not in places where one thinks he/she should be. Sometimes our imaginations are not real; our point of view differs from the real and true needs of the world. Because we think that our needs are: time for prayer and, above all, openness to the Holy Spirit. We also need all of these to discover what God really wants from us, in this particular place. I can’t say I know it already, but I search for it, all the time. I am starting to understand why I have been sent here. Now, as I am actually finishing my two years mission experience, I know I will return here, to my children, to St. Jude.

Ewa

St. Jude is not just children, but also people who work there. Baby sitters, people who look after the children – I spent lots of time with them. At the beginning of my mission, I was dedicated to managing all the employees, which was really hard, as I was the youngest person here and I was preparing to become their supervisor. I was supposed to check and assess. It was not a very comfortable situation, because I came here to help, not to control. However, as I mentioned before – mission teaches humility, but also verifies our vision about ourselves, our knowledge and behaviours. I have to admit that sometimes even the easiest things ended with some misunderstanding. The way of being, talking, gesturing were interpreted wrongly. Fortunately, we have learnt from one another eventually.

Mission is also a community, very extraordinary in my case. We were sent to a totally new place and created a new community in Gulu – before it had been only in Matany – where Danusia (another CLM) was. There were four of us, young and inexperienced girls: three Polish and one Spanish. Even the time we spent in prayer, talking, resting but also arguing and causing misunderstandings, was beautiful and intense. What always united us, though, was the mission, the people and, most of all, prayer. Each one of us is a different picture of God, but with the same faith and big open heart.

On behalf of my community and myself, I would like to thank all of you, for every little gesture, holiday cards, emails. On behalf of my children, I would like to thank for all the financial support: thanks to it our children now have new uniforms, better food, the possibility of better health control and … we coloured their world. But most of all, I would like to thank you for every prayer, every sigh about us: without you, we would not be here

Ewa

Ewa Maziarz, CLM

Meeting General Councils of the Comboni Family

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ConsejosFCLast weekend we met in Carraia (home of the secular missionaries) the General Councils of the Comboni Family.
Like every year, this event helps us to be close and attentive to the news that each of the branches are having.
The morning, after a set time of prayer, was dedicate for sharing these progresses.
The Comboni missionary sisters told us their walk and especially the steps that have being taken to prepare the chapter this year as well as the reorganization of the institute taking into account the new realities. The Chapter is been prepare with a first experience in a concrete and challenging reality in every community which split reflection and sharing. Looking guide the institute toward truly significant presences, knowing that not all is graspable.
The Comboni missionary Secular told us their way from the last assembly and the challenges that arise. The importance of reappropriate its own history and experience of the charisma while remaining faithful in their everyday to their vocation, keeping growing and trying to maintain a spirit of collaboration with other secular institutes and the rest of the Comboni Family.
This year the new general counsel of the MCCJ told us their way of preparation and conduct of the general chapter, collecting the reflections arising in each province and each brother. The inspiration they have had in the teaching of Pope Francisco. And the central themes that have come during the Chapter on the Mission, the Person and the Restructuration of the Institute.
For our part, the CLM explain the great challenges we are trying to pursue. Especially seek to strengthen each group and the CLM family in general, work with each group and at continental level, the importance of communication, training and the economy, ending with the commitment and challenge that from the charisma is presented as Comboni Family referring to our missionary work and witness our missionary being.
Later in the afternoon, we had a period of reflection on mercy in the life and mission of St. Daniel Comboni from a text of Father Carmelo Casile. A rich sharing time, which also helped us think as a family.
The day ended with the joint celebration of the Eucharist and dinner in a cordial atmosphere. In Carraia we felt very welcomed by the secular missionaries and enjoying the good atmosphere that characterizes these meetings.

Greetings

Because for God nothing is impossible!

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CLM Ethiopia

One of my main apostolates is the work of physiotherapist in the Mother Theresa Home. There, some time ago the sisters asked me to visit one of their patients – Addisu – teenage boy dying of bone cancer. Addisu’s mother died of cancer, his sister also. He fell ill 1,5 years ago, but as he came from a poor family they had no money to send him for treatment. Finally, he came to one of the missionary clinics in the village distant approx. 100 km from Awassa. Unfortunately there they couldn’t help him too much, it was too late for any treatment, so they sent him Mother Teresa Home in Awassa. As he came here he was in a terrible psychological state, really suffering due to pain, but also the fear of death. But when I met him I couldn’t believe it was the same boy. He was so cheerful, smiling, calm. Although sometimes the face passed him grimace of pain (which must be unimaginable, his leg in which he attacked the cancer looks horribly … and also there is no such strong drugs that are used for palliative patients), in a moment the smile and desire to talk returned. When I asked the boy what is his biggest dream that I might try to fulfill his wish, he said that what he wants the most now is baptism. For me it was surprising answer. But at the same time everything became clear – that his peace of heart, this joy despite suffering … It’s all thanks to God, the God who surrounded him with so much love and peace in this difficult time.

Since I met Addisu, I’ve started to pray for him a lot and also sking for prayers of all my friends. And thus we could experience how much powerful prayer is!

CLM Ethiopia

There was a chance to consult with other doctors and they found that lung lesions are not cancer metastasis and that it is not too late for amputation, which could save his life! On one of our Bible fellowship meetings (where we always have a prayer for different issues) I mentioned the situation of Addisu and it turned out that the husband of one of the members of our group is a surgeon! And that’s one of the best in Awassa! Then I could see how God starts to work and connect all the puzzles! We had appointment with the doctor in very short time (because Addisu’s suffering began increasing by spreading the infection from the wound on the leg) and the next day there was surgery! Addisu is so amazing! And the prayer probably gave him a lot of peace that once they were taking him to the operating room, he showed no sign of fear or sadness that he would lose his leg but he radiated joy. Because he will live! After a few days, they discharged him from the hospital and now we work intensively with physiotherapy in order to make him walking again. And also another miracle in the whole situation – the father of Addisu, who after the death of his wife and daughter, seeing dying son completely separated from the boy… It was too much for him to see the next family member dying of cancer and unable to do anything about it. He tried to forget sadness and pain in alcohol … But now when he saw that his son would live, came to Awassa and was caring about him so nicely! It is so beautiful! That God heals not only the boy’s body but also his relationship with father … Although it is known that still a lot ahead of them, so let us pray on!

Madzia Plekan CLM in Awassa Ethiopia

“Nzapa a ga na é”!

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Papa

November 29, Sunday, at 10, we saw pass the Alitalia plane carrying the Holy Father.

We did not go to meet him, as many people did along the road between the airport and the city center… We just left for Bangui Cathedral around 14hs, the Mass was scheduled for 17. We get earlier, we didn´t have to wait long to get in and they gave us a good place from which you could see well His Holiness. This Mass was for bishops, priests, religious and committed lay people working in parishes. Several times during his homily, people stopped to applaud him. As we had five extra invitations, we could take five pilgrims from our parish. The rest were near the Cathedral, where they attended Mass transmitted through a giant screen where they remained during the prayer vigil that lasted all night, with moments of prayer for peace, confessions and many songs. “No revenge, violence or hatred.”

rca

At five o’clock in the morning, people started heading for the stadium to attend the Mass celebrated by Pope Francisco. We arrived around seven and we had already many people in the stands.

At that time, the pope was visiting the Central Mosque of Bangui, the highlight of his visit. Due to the climate of hatred that exists in the country between Muslims and non-Muslims they are afraid that this time were canceled, thank God it was not!

Holy Father’s words: “We are all brothers”, “Make every effort to achieve peace, work, pray, but remember that there is no peace without love, friendship and tolerance”. The spokesman of the displaced Muslims of Km 5, said. “We are delighted to welcome the Pope. He is not here just for Christians; he is a server, a godsend for all Central Africans”.

According to François, he is working at the UN, Pope Francisco after the official speeches, took off his shoes, crossed the mosque and went to pray at the place where Muslims pray. He said everyone was very surprised and excited because this was not in the Protocol. As a token of gratitude, a group of youths Muslims on a motorcycle, “removed the site” of the Minusca (peacekeepers of UN) and escorted the Holy Father to the stadium.

rca

In his homily at the Mass in the stadium Pope spoke again of Forgiveness, Reconciliation, Peace and “Pass to the other side” (“Passons a l’autre rive”), because “there is no peace without forgiveness”. “Say No to revenge, violence and hatred!”

In the street people were happy saying, “God came to us!” ” Nzapa a ga na é!”

Hopefully after the visit of the Holy Father Peace remain in this land and this people that have suffered so much have life and life in abundance.

rca

From RCA

A missionary hug

Augusta and Elia (CLM)