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| Scritto da Fr. Tarcisio Foccoli imc | |
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A personal reflection given to our brothers of the Delegation of South Africa on
“The biennium of holiness” is closing. Greetings to you all in the joy of the presence of the risen Lord on the road towards holiness!
St. Ignatius of Loyola in one of his letters says how useless it is for rain to fall on the ocean; we also ask why the full moon shines on a bright day. Besides these two points we often ask ourselves why we should preach to nuns and priests. In spite of this, I believe that it is not only a privilege to do so, but it is also my duty to share or report with my personal vision as your brother on one matter: The closing of “the biennium of holiness” is approaching it is important for me to put me like in front a mirror and see what happened in my life during these two years. In my personal prayer I asked God many times through the intercession of the Consolata and our founder Joseph Allamano for the gift of holiness. I did so also with the communities and with the entire group. The words of Jesus in John 15,5: “I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me, with me in him, bears fruit in plenty.” inspire me to see that my sharing is also a sign of brotherhood and fraternity in the spirit of community building and in answer to Christ who is sending us to “go make disciple of all the nations”. How will we be able “to go” out with joy, enthusiasm and passion for the kingdom of God if we are not living the Lord’s commandment: “It is by your love for one another, that everyone will recognize you as my disciple”? (Jn 13:35) During the Consolata Feast we close, as a Delegation, the Biennium of holiness. I wish to share some points regarding the fruits that we all are expecting from this Biennium in our personal and community life. I share this with you as my closest “companions” on the journey to Holiness. I thank the Lord for the gifts given to me during this biennium of holiness. a) The first gift. The first gift is the belief that prayer has the priority above action as our Const. 56 say “Prayer is our first duty”. In fact now I believe that an effective action depends on prayer. The mission work should be nourished by prayer. The gospel message has to be announced from the personal relationship with the Lord Jesus. “Evangelization, in fact springs from a deep and intimate relationship with God” (Const 56) I see on this our Founder’s message: “First saints then missionaries!” My holiness does not depend first from a clear pastoral program. Before sending them to preach, Jesus called the Twelve “to stay with him” (Mark 3,14). Two years ago I came to Pretoria. In the beginning I fund difficult to implement my personal prayer timetable. When it was time for prayer often there was something coming up calling my attention. When at prayer time seemed so long. But then I started feeling a sense of guilt as I reached the evening of days empty of prayer. So I started questioning myself: Where were gone my religious professions vows? What shall I say of the grace of my priestly ordination? The words of the Bishop during the ordination were stoning myself: “The priest is a builder of the body of Christ, - Be aware of what you will do,’ imitamini quod tractatis’ be an imitator of what you are doing.” These words called me to be a man of prayer, to have a more personal relationship with my commitments, my services to the brothers. To put prayer before actions. I have to say that my turning point has been the presence of Christ into the delegation’s house. The little room converted into a little chapel at the entrance of the house slowly has become the key and a strong point of reference. Christ is not a guest but He is the reason of all my soul of yesterday, today and the future. I should never be afraid to give time to Jesus. I remembered that I am a priest and I have to choose and act like a priest as a man of prayer. b) The second gift: The rediscovery of the prayer of the Breviary. I have been chosen by God and have been given the privilege to be religious, missionary and priest as member of the Consolata Missionaries in SA. Practically I rediscovered that the Breviary is really the prayer of the church. This prayer, in its richness, is becoming the daily food of my life. When I pray my Breviary alone on the veranda or in the little chapel it gives me joy to feel in communion with thousands and thousands of priests, religious and laity and I feel my responsibility to intercede for the needs of the Church and of the world and pray for the many people who ask for my prayers. This has been a wonderful experience, as I would give more time to pray calmly the Liturgy of the Hours. I wish you all to have the same experience. This prayer of the universal church brings a special fire into the spirit and allows to see my activities in a new dimension. c) The third gift: the daily Mass. The tabernacle in the chapel is now the centre of the house. The holy Mass is the Eucharist of a consecrated life. I am very grateful when I have the chance to celebrate with a congregation, but, when I don’t have a pastoral duty and also on Monday our day off, I celebrate Mass alone. For sometime in the past, the celebration of the Mass alone was almost a ridiculous moment of prayer, but now the celebration of the daily Mass comes as an avalanche giving a true meaning to my day, to my life and to the relationship with our brothers and to mankind. I understand better the words of Paul “It is not longer I living: it is Christ living in me.” (Gal 2.20 ). The Mass is like breathing of my religious commitment, it is the light of my life and the reason for a fulfilled priestly existence. The message chosen for my 40th anniversary of my ordination is giving me always a very profound experience: “We thank you for counting us worthy to stand in your presence!” (Eucharistic prayer II: this was the theme of Pope Benedict XVI Chrismal Mass of 2008, see www.Vatican.va). Se questa parola ora si trova nel Canone della Messa immediatamente dopo la consacrazione dei doni, dopo l’entrata del Signore nell’assemblea in preghiera, allora ciò indica per noi lo stare davanti al Signore presente, indica cioè l’Eucaristia come centro della vita sacerdotale. d) The fourth gift: A better missionary spirit. These days I don’t have a specific pastoral responsibility as when I was in a parish, but now I say that the mission work flows from the relationship with Christ. You know how much I run during my stay in the mission field. You said to me many times expressing your wonder on my activities: “Are you sleeping during the night?” I answered: “My body is resting, but my mind is working also during the night, always planning”. I confess that doing my service in the Delegation I am praying with you, working with you, suffering with you, planning and rejoicing with you. For me holiness cannot be considered with an individualistic, sterile and abstract connotation; rather it is, necessarily, the holiness of Christ, which is contagious for all. e) The fifth gift: No project without conversion. “Restructuring” and its consequences gave to me some nervousness. In fact since our V Conference the word “restructuring” is always present on the dialogue between the General Direction and the Direction of the Delegation. We all know the fact that eMbalenhle has been given back to the Diocese of Dundee and in the same way Damesfontein mission will be given at the end of 2008. In our Delegation the restructuring is not new. Evander-Secunda, Piet Retief, Dundee, Pomeroy, Bethal, Ermelo, Newcastle are all missions given back to the diocese. So the policy continues. Yet, restructuring is not only closing but also opening. In the recent years we opened in the Dioceses of Johannesburg burg and Pretoria. With the opening of the seminary in Cedara there will be openings in Durban as well. The GD has a project for our Delegation. In my report in “Da Casa Madre” No 1 – 2008 we find my journey of conversion. I affirmed that we don’t build up any new project without conversion. Certainly the tunnel is always present and it seems never ends. But this reality is reminding me of Moses with all his difficulties in the journey of Exodus, trusting God’s words . “go” and “I shall be with you!” I feel the same desire of the two disciples of Emmaus: “They pressed him to stay with them: “It is nearly evening and the day is almost over !” (Luke 24: 28) No projects without conversion. No conversion without prayer - no prayer without humility - no humility without accepting the plan made by somebody else. In the end of the dialogue with the angel Gabriel, Mary said: “Let what you have said be done to me”.(Luke 1:38) Certainly our celebration of the closing of the biennium of holiness during our next meeting in Pax Christi in Newcastle will not be only be an expression that we are not only called to be “saint” in the future but will be a renewal of our commitment to be worthy to be proclaimed “saints” by the entire church. May the Lord accomplish in us the work of holiness He has begun in us and the love of our Mother, the Consolata, after whom we are named and whom we venerate protect in us the spirit and the charism of our Founder Joseph Allamano to whom we pledge our fidelity..Your brother Tarcisio. Father…Make us poor, humble and chaste,
Witnesses of hope and consolation, and servants Concerned with our brothers and sisters Whom we meet on our journey. Through Christ our Lord. Amen Mary Consolata, our Mother Help us to be holy missionaries. We are called to be holy and then missionaries! |
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