Advent 2013: “Let your light shine”. This Advent time (1-24 December) we pray as communities united all across the world that the Holy Spirit may inspire us to transform our world; empower us to seek the common good for all persons; and give us a spirit of solidarity making us one with all who suffer injustice and live in want. In attachment we publish the Prayer reflection for Advent 2013 in English (text) and Spanish (texto 1, texto 2, texto 3 y texto 4).
The Community of Life of Porto went on mission again. From 9 to 10 of November we make mission animation in the parishes of Castelões, Pousada de Saramagos and Vermoim.
In our mission, we were surprised by the missionary and fraternal spirit with which we were received. In fact, on Saturday, the CLM Sandra and Carlos animated “moçambicanamente” the catechesis groups from 7th to 11th grades and the Eucharist – presided by Father Manuel Lopes (MCCJ) – had the collaboration of Susana (CLM) who briefly presented the reality of Central African Republic. At the end of the Eucharist, animation and missionary message continued with the particular involvement of the CLM Franquelim.
Always in communion with this parish, we accept the invitation of the catechists, and the deacon David, and share dinner with the young group following with a vigil of missionary prayer organized by this same group. There, everything spoke of mission. From our side, we saw missionary germinating seeds acting in the heart of this parish. Praise God for the wonders he made!
On Sunday, we went to the Inn of Saramagos and then to Vermoim. In these two parishes we celebrate the Eucharist where we could count with the presence of both the deacon David as the parish priest – Fr Carlos.
Ready to return home, some of us even went to Maia for another meeting of the Vocations Youth team where we met, as usual, all the Comboni Family represented in communion efforts to continue to sow seeds of missionary activity in the heart of so many young from the JIM group around the country.
CLM community from Porto
Last weekend we were in Madrid visiting Palmira and Carmen.
Within our Comboni family is normal for each missionary to prepare thoroughly before departing for mission. We always try to give the best of ourselves and this training is a must.
In this case we have a very unique training experience. Palmira Pinheiro is a Portuguese Secular Comboni Missionary who came to Spain to prepare before heading to the Central African Republic, makes this preparation with Carmen Aranda, Spanish Comboni Lay Missionary, also preparing to leave for the same mission. Without any doubt is a unique experience. It is a community of international training and also between members of different branches of the Comboni Family. This provides a unique wealth of experience and is a challenge for the trainer team accompanying the experience composed of Spanish CLM (Mercedes, Luis and Isidro) and Antonio Guirao Comboni missionary.
There is another peculiarity, this time this lay community include three others (a couple and a bachelor) from another association of Spanish lay missionaries (OCASHA).
This collaboration is the result of the Comboni family interrelationship that we have in the different countries and internationally, as well as the coordination and collaboration work that is performed within the CALM (coordination for the Associations of Lay Missionaries in Spain).All this reminds me of the dream that Comboni already had in the mid-S. XIX claimed the Council Vatican I (following his plan for the Regeneration of Africa): “The responsibility of the mission should be Catholic, not just Spanish or French or German or Italian. All Catholics should help poor black people … with our plan we aim to pave the way for the entry of the Catholic faith among all tribes across the territory inhabited by Africans. And for this, I think, should unite all the l initiatives”.
In a language of his time Comboni encouraged us to leave our limitations and particularism. He encouraged us to put the needs of the most neglected continent and its people, as a top priority. And all together we set to serve “the poorest and most abandoned” (as he said).
This Comboni´s dream of collaboration without interest among all it´s realized in this training community so varied as international .The whole Church in the service of the needy.
The rest of the weekend, Carlos and I continued working some issues of the CLM Central Committee. Happy and excited to see how these companions with availability and illusion are prepared for missionary service in Central Africa.
Once complete the missiology course of three months (where prepared with the other Spanish missionaries going out from this year), they will complete their training and perfecting the language in France. There, they will be living with the Comboni Missionary Sisters (more collaboration within the family) but we keep that story for later and we certainly encourage them to tell about it.
Greetings to all. Alberto
On 15-17 November there was a formation meeting of Comboni Lay Missionaries in Cracow. The main theme was a missionary. We considered, what mission means for us, how we can act for the mission in our country and abroad. On the meeting also presented a presentation about Fair Trade and The Black List Companies. On Saturday evening we went to Mogiła (the place where John Paul II first used the term ‘new evangelization’) and we took part in the Mass, which was celebrated by Bishop Grzegorz Ryś. It was a part of the Evangelistic Forum .
A very important event was the election of a new coordinating team. Thank you very much Ewa and Tomek for performing these important functions in recent time and we welcome new people: Ania Obyrtacz as a coordinator and Michał Kędzior as a economist! Also Father Maciej Zieliński, who was responsible for CLM in Poland, resigned from his function, because he is leaving on a mission. Now Fr. Krzysztof Zębik, who came to us from Warsaw, is responsible for CLM in Poland.
By CLM in Poland
On November 4th three Comboni Lay Missionaries have started the last stage of preparation to the missions. This is a time of our community experience. Now we form our little community, living in the house of the Comboni Missionaries in Cracow. The aim of these four months, that we are spending together, is to prepare us to the missions in Uganda, where we are going in the next year.
The community experience is a time to grow in faith and mutual enrichment. It will be a very interesting experience for us, during this we will have the chance to get to know each other, learn to live together, share every moment, joys and sadness.
The last stage of preparation to the missions is very active and abundant in all kinds of activities- so we have plans! We will gain the necessary knowledge, but also engage in various activities. First of all, we will continue to grow and strengthen our faith. We are beginning a biblical and theological course, that aim to broad the knowledge of faith, religion and Bible. The knowledge, we will get, will serve us both at work on the missions, and also here in Poland.
We are also getting to know better the person of St. Daniel Comboni, his spirituality and charism, learning how to love people, who are next to us- the poorest and most abandoned. There are things that you can only learn through specific actions or activities, so commitment to volunteer work is very important. Each of us will start a volunteering in different institutions, because helping starts here, at the local level. We must be able to see those who are close.
A language course is also very important. English is the official language in Uganda, so we’re learning now in Poland, to avoid the language barrier. We will also take an active part in missionary animation and assist meetings and retreats with the MCCJ.
Last months before leaving are very crazy, because we have to do a lot of formal things. We have to meet with our diocesan bishops to inform them about our departure. We’re visiting also a center of missionary formation, where we can meet other people preparing to mission (laity, priests and nuns).
So, we will have a lot of work. We know that four months will pass very quickly and we’ll have to say goodbye. We hope that this time of community experience will be a good time for all of us – time to work, study and growth spiritually. We ask everyone to pray for our community, for each one of us.
Asia Owanek, Comboni Lay Missionary
