Bits of the Gospel

Hand drawing-St. J B Cottolengo by Kirimo "Kwani wote wanaoongozwa na Roho wa Mungu ni wana wa Mungu, kwa maana hamkupata roho ya utumwa mwogope tena, bali mmepokea Roho anayewafanya kuwa wana wa Mungu na kuita, "Abba! Baba!" Roho mwenyewe hushuhudia roho zetu ya kuwa sisi  ni wana, tu warithi pia, yaani warithi wa Mungu wanaorithi pamoja na Kristo, tukiwa tunavumilia mateso pamoja na Kristu, tupate kutukuzwa pamoja naye." (Rom. 8:14-17) Ni dhahiri kabisa kwamba Mt. Joseph Benedict Cottolengo sio tu mwana wa Mungu bali mwana Mpendwa na Mpenda Mungu. Upendo huu wa pekee kwa Mungu ulitokana na imani yake dhabiti. Kama Kijana alielimika katika mafundisho makuu ya imani. Alijua kuwa Mungu ametupa wote upendeleo wa pekee sana, ambapo kila mmoja wetu alipewa nafasi ya pekee machoni pa Mungu. Kwanza kabisa, imani hii ilimjengea msimamo na tabia ya aina yake. Katika utendaji kazi wake kama padre, alijitahidi kuwa na upendo wa pekee kwa kila mmoja, akiwapa nafasi ya...

I know of a man, a saint I have known, and encountered in the streets. I know of a man, I have met him again and again, bending over the down-trodden, just next to your house. I know of a man, with "a Big Heart", magnanimous! You too might have seen him cross the road just ahead of you, eager to reach out to the next man, and so touch his heart. This man of "a Big Heart" touches hearts and fascinates. He fascinates me and thousands others, who now have also grown big hearts, and have learnt the art of touching hearts! Thank you St Joseph Benedict Cottolengo!

January 16, 2011, Padre Aldo Sarotto led the Cottolengo Family in Africa at an historic consecration of the Altar and the Blessing of the Church of St. Stephen the Martyr, Kisarawe. His Eminence Polycarp Cardinal Pengo led the august event, franked by his Auxiliary Bishop Eusebius Nzigilwa. The laying of the relics of St. Joseph Benedict Cottolengo on the altar marked "a new beginning of his presence" in Tanzania. With enthusiasm and a very unique zeal, the Cottolengo family is growing, with many aspirants knocking at our doors. Deo Gratias! Meanwhile, the Divine Providence is sending whatever we need to pave the way for these young people. We are all looking at the future with hope. "Divine Providence never fails!"

I now remember the witty words of Dietrich Bonhoeffer: "Cheap grace is the mortal enemy of the Church.[...] Cheap grace is preaching forgiveness without repentance; it is baptism without the discipline of community; it is the Lord's supper without confession of sin; it is absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without the living, incarnate Jesus Christ." And without being aware of what we are asking for, we want to obtain what we do not know. Good Friday, for instance, is the event [sic, the experience!] that frees us from thinking about small gains in order to ponder on our own personal fate, about the ultimate meaning of all life. And yet, many abhor the Good Friday, all set to grab the sweet glory of Easter. Easter, in fact, is a big and loud 'No' to cheap grace, if cheap grace were to be understood in terms of separation of the Good Friday experience from the Easter glory!