Comboni Lay Missionaries

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Portugal

Missionary animation in Meixomil (Portugal)

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The weekend of 14, 15 and 16 of March the community of life of Porto met in the house of MCCJ in Maia for another occasion of missionary animation in the parish of Meixomil in Paços de Ferreira. The meeting was opened praying in the day when the 183 anniversary of the birth of St. Daniel Comboni was commemorated. Participating in the charisma of this special day, God told us in the daily liturgy: “The Lord has exalted you today to be one people, as he told you, and to keep all his commandments;” Deuteronomy 26, 18. This is how God has called us to another day of consecration to Him, a day where we are happy to be chosen to fulfill His commandments, in order to be God’s people.

Embedded in this environment where we share the joy of the gift of being Comboni Lay Missionaries, we are encouraged to go in search of paths of faith, always having the joy of living in communion with all. We share this with all catechized, the happiness of having in common, with all people of this world, that God loves us so much; we sang happy birthday to Saint Daniel Comboni and challenged the young people preparing for confirmation to participate in the JIM project of the Meixomil Ativo group.

During this weekend, in the same parish, a campaign of fundraising organized by the JIM Meixomil Activo group for the KWE ZO ZO (“Every person is a person”) project was also launched. Thus, during the weekend we gave voice and share with everyone the many challenges of the pygmies who are vetted daily some of the fundamental human rights. We take this opportunity to thank everyone who helped make this weekend possible, the group of JIM Meixomil Ativo, the parish priest, catechists and catechized and the entire parish community, who received us very well.

During this tour, it was always the joy of serving, of being people of God. As God said in the Sunday readings “Leave your country, your family and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you”. Genesis 12:1 is this constant call to go to serve without fear that leads us to spend our time each day to this task, which makes us evangelize and be evangelized. As Pope Francisco says, “Go, without fear, to serve. Following these three words, you will experience that who evangelizes, is evangelized, who conveys the joy of faith, receives more joy. ”

by Paula Sousa

[Portugal] Echoes of the March 2014 meeting

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On 8 and 9 of March, a training meeting of the CLM, in the house of Coimbra, was held. The theme was “The documents of the Church”. The training was led by the CLM Susana Vilas Boas, amazing as always. It was also with us Fr Manuel Lopes.

Despite the complexity and richness of theme, the creativity of the presentations made it to be a nice training around the basic texts of the Church motivating the desire to know. We recognize the importance of the documents to live the faith and mission in communion, as members of the Church of Christ.

The program included the presentation of the most relevant documents for the Mission followed by the reading and debate in group and then sharing together. I transcribe fragments of the selected texts:

  • Humanity can have hope and should have hope: the living and personal Gospel, Jesus Christ himself is the “news” bearer of joy that the Church proclaims every day and who is a witness every day. (Laici Christi fideles)
  • The envoy enters into the life and mission of the One who “emptied himself, take the form of a servant. So, be prepared and be faithful lifetime in a vocation, to resign yourself and all your stuff, and be everything to everyone. (Ad Gentes)
  • With the message of the Gospel, the Church offers a liberating and creative force for development, precisely because it leads to conversion of heart and mind, does recognize the dignity of each person, encourages solidarity, commitment and service for other to insert man in God’s plan which is to build the Kingdom of Peace and Justice, already in this life. (Redemptoris Missio).
  • To each disciple of Christ incumbent the commission to spread the faith, according to his own measure. (Lumen Gentium)

The exchange was synthesized by each one in a word, that we share in the Evening Prayer: commitment, community, communion/community, will, responsibility, humility, generosity and mission.

On Sunday morning, we read the Holy Father’s Francisco message for Lent. Disturbing and challenging: “For the reason of all this is the divine love. A love that is grace, generosity, desire for closeness, which no doubt to give himself and sacrifice for their beloved creatures (…) Do not forget that true poverty hurts”.

The times of prayer set the tone of the meeting and gave meaning and force to our purposes of communion and mission in the Church.

The meeting did not miss the joy, sharing, music, sunshine and flowers…

For all this, Thank goodness!

by Patricia

 

The palace of learning

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The trip to Paris took me to the “palace of learning”, the house of the Comboni Missionary Sister where they gives “shelter” to everyone who wants to know and learn French to better serve the mission.

It was therefore here that I met Palmira. Palmira -Comboni Secular Missionary- has been during two months in Paris studying and preparing herself better to go to the Central African Republic, where she will integrate and collaborate with the CLM community present therein.

Always encouraged, Palmira, looks forward with missionary enthusiasm the time of departure and beyond the current situation of the Central African Republic, far from discourage her, is an incentive to keep going.

“Why do people ask me if I want to depart? Of course I do. I’m here for that and my desire is to be at the service of this mission!” – Said Palmira, full of desire to move forward.

During these days, we managed to contact Elia that rejoices in the strength of Palmira and reaffirmed its willingness to continue to share her life with this people: “There is fatigue, but nothing makes me want to leave. If Palmira comes, then we will be together in this missionary journey. In these difficult times the missionary family is my refuge and help. ”

We also find Veronica who, for professional reasons, is in France since October. Veronica is happy both professionally and at the pastoral level, offering to help Palmira with whatever she needs.

I want to show here my gratitude to Fr Luciano who accompanied me during these days.  To the Comboni Sisters who welcomed me so well, thanks to Veronica for a fabulous dinner which gave us a good missionary moment.  And especially big thanks to Palmira: for all that we have shared during these days.

God walks with us in this way that we continue towards the mission He entrusts to us.

By Susana Vilas Boas

Walking strong in a faith with the truth and the knowledge

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The weekend of 21, 22 and 23 February the community of life of Porto joined the parish of Grijó for another missionary animation. The meeting began with a reflection and exchange on the encyclical Lumen Fidei where we could reflect upon faith as the most beautiful expression of love for God. But a faith walking strong with the truth and the knowledge, a faith rooted in God and whose trunk strengthen us with the truth, with daily reflection on the Word of God. So, in fact, “As it is light, faith invites us to penetrate it, always more to explore the horizon that illuminates, to better understand what we love.” (LF 36).

It was in this sense that moved by this faith that drives us to always learn more, we share the charism of being Comboni Lay Missionary in the world, we share testimonies of missionary experiences, let challenges in a walk of faith and commitment into a walk of missionary animation for youth. In this way we gave voice to the project KWE ZO ZO – “Every person is a person”, to the JIM´s project (young missionary commitment) and shared with the parish community the gift of being CLM. But for all this to be possible, many collaborated with us. So we want to thank everyone who helped us, from the parish priest, the deacon, the sexton, all catechists, the youth group, the groups of catechesis and the whole entire parish community that welcomed us so well and that generously contributed to the project.

Along our route we tried to interpellate each person in their life, in their routine and simplicity tries to follow the call to holiness, to love this God always gracious and merciful. As Jesus challenged us in the Gospel, “Be ye therefore perfect as your Father, which is in heaven, is perfect” (Mt 5, 48). So we also try to challenge each person to follow the fearless mission entrusted to him/her by the Lord Jesus Christ and to respond with joy to the call that God has for us with the gospel!

In the farewell remained the great joy of our hearts to share experiences, joys and learnings. The joy for the continuation of this path in community, this path that will only be made walking in communion with our brothers around the world!

By Paula Sousa (Portugal)

CLM Assembly in Portugal

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Time to (re) launch challenges and deep breathing

Last weekend we made our second National Assembly. We are in our beloved home of Coimbra and take advantage of this time to look and reflect on the present and especially the future.

With the grace of God, we come to end the review of our directory (which we hope will be approved shortly) and, according to the reality of our communities of life, we draw guidelines for the future based upon the challenges taken in the International CLM Assembly of December 2012 in Maia.

We wanted, as usual, live this Assembly with the presence of those who are in formation. So with them, we shared moments of prayer, food and leisure, living this time in the light of the Apostolic Exhortation “The joy of the Gospel.” So it was with this joy and with the help of Fr Silverio Malta (MCCJ) that being in Assembly we remained in communion with the candidates in formation and all the Comboni family.

In our prayers, the “Joy of the Gospel” was read and prayed in the light of joy, the suffering and hope of the CLM in mission and the peoples to whom we are sent.

In fact, the increasing violence in the Central African Republic and the political instability in Mozambique leaves us restless, in suffering and in communion with the CLM there present and these peoples victims of these situations, but also because of this cross that we find the strength for our walk in faith and hope towards the One who has conquered death and pain.

by Susana Vilas Boas