Bits of the Gospel

St. J B Cottolengo has been gathering his family together once more through the annual Solemnity--normally on April 30--this year set for May 2. We of the fraternity in Tanzania had a get together on April 27. Fr. Philip, Sr. Carla, Sr. Oliva, Sr. Margaret, Sr. Agnes, Sr. Ann, Sr. Lucy, Fr. Ngatia, Sr. Pauline and Fr. Kirimo. With us is Vincent Patrick, a young cottolengo admirer. All at Peace! With such unity we can testify that we are truly followers of Christ. D

Easter is joy multiplied because that joy was totally missing on the Good Friday.It is joy because all beauty of life was completely absent on Good Friday! Do you remember the words of Pilate to the people, "Ecce Homo"! [Jn 19:5]? Yeah. Nothing was admirable in the whole scene. Nothing. Imagine the people declaring, "His blood be on us and on our children" [Mt. 27:25]. How will the blood of Jesus be on them? Are they taking the blame on behalf of Pilate, one man? Then, the One Man they claim to know and want to eliminate becomes their blessing, their excuse, their "scapegoat". They will not be condemned. No, they will simply be forgiven. Actually, both the multitude that claim to "do away with him" and the Roman Officials who participate in doing away with him "do not know what they are doing"[Lk 23:34, Acts 3]. And therefore, Easter is the return of that Joy and Beauty, that Truth which we did not admit well in advance. Easter is ...

Qui a Kisarawe viviamo questa settimana Santa con uno stato d’animo molto particolare. Cio' non solo per le funzioni religiose così ricche di significato per chi, come i nostri anziani, gli ammalati che soffrono nel corpo, per le mamme singole e per i giovani che si sentono solo ed abbandonati, vive la passione.Oggo, giovedi santo, vogliamo riflettere sulla liturgia carica di riti significativi. Il condividere con noi il pasto solenne dell'Ultima Cena arricchisce il cammino pasquale per tutti noi perché apre a noi la dimensione della vicinanza di un Dio che si fa nel pane e nel vino il Corpo e il Sangue di Gesù. Arricchisce il cammino pasquale perché ci orienta all'annientamento, in questi due simboli, nella persona stessa di Gesù che serve i suoi; quindi, nel passaggio a noi (pasqualità della fede). Eccp,proprio qui arriviamo al punto, al messaggio stupendamente antico e modernissimo per il mondo di oggi, in attesa di un'alba pasquale rinnovante: nel perdersi si s...

Dominika ya Matawi – Siku ya Vijana Ulimwenguni Tumsifu Yesu Kristu! Mapendo! …. Mt. 26:14-27:66 Wahusika na majina yao ya mitaani Baadhi ya watu tunaokutana nao katika injili ya leo ni maarufu kiasi cha kuwa na nickname. 1. Yuda Iskariote Yuda hana jina la mtaani kwani jina lake tayari ni matusi. Linatosha. Ni mmoja wa wale thenashara, wale marafiki kumi na wawili wa Yesu. Marafiki? Utamwitaje Yuda rafiki? Mnafiki labda inafaa. Uhusiano wake Yuda na Yesu ni fumbo kweli. Alikuwa mmoja wa wafuasi wake wa karibu. Hakuwa katika lile kundi kubwa lililomfuata Bwana kwa mbali, mara kwa mara, au katika matukio makubwa. Yaani, Yuda hakuwa mmoja wa wale wakristu wanaojitokesha kipindi cha Kwaresima, Mkesha wa Pasaka/Krismasi, au siku kama ya leo ya matawi. Alikuwepo kila siku. Ni mmoja wa wale wanaosali ibada za kila asubuhi, alishiriki mipango yote ya jumuiya ya wafuasi wa Yesu. Yuda, kama mimi na wewe alikuwa karibu na Yesu, katika Mwili lakini sio Mtazamo! Ninapoongea kuhusu Yuda, nap...

Lenten Reflections: Holiness as our Mission Statement (Acts 4:32-37). Introduction Today, I propose a reflection a little different from yesterdays. What are the characteristics proper to a Cottolengo Missionary? And on the other hand, what are the ideals of a Cottolengo Missionary? The following, I am convinced, are some of the essential characteristics of a Cottolengo Missionary: - One called by the Love of God to follow Christ in the Little House of Divine Providence, also called Cottolengo, and sent by her into particular missions. When Cottolengo started sending sisters to the provinces of Italy, he chose to enter into official agreements with dioceses and parishes. He demanded that the priests respect the particular life of the sisters. This was to safeguard their identity from influences that would water down their particular formation and spirituality. Today, this kind of risk is always high. Our duty as Cottolengo followers is first of all to be a different presence for ...

Centered on Divine Providence (Mt. 6:31-34). Introduction This evening our series of reflections will be a look into our activities as people called to live charity as a witness to the love of God the Provident Father. I know we all will see that we want to focus on Divine Providence as the Key to Cottolengo Spirituality but also as part of Christian living. What aspects should be reflected in our work so that all our institutions, our activities and our plans appear as the work of Divine Providence? In other words, what are the characteristics proper to Cottolengo institutions, to people who live a spirituality centered on Divine Providence? Let’s try to analyze some. 1. A Cottolengo institution that is founded on the Divine Providence recognizes God as the principle cause and the human person takes the role of “the manual labourer”, in terms used by Cottolengo Himself. This does not mean that the human person is untrained while God is the absolute expert. No. It rather means t...

Missions and Adventures: Lenten Reflections 3: The Word