ALLAMANO - A FATHER IN THE FAITH OF INNUMERABLE CHRISTIANS

BLESSED JOSEPH ALLAMANO FOUNDER OF THE CONSOLATA FATHERS, BROTHERS AND SISTERS.     A short biography and some aspects of the spiritual doctrine of Blessed Joseph Allamano     PRESENTATION I am happy to have a chance to present this small book on the life and spirituality of Bd. Joseph Allamano, whom many of us Kenya Christians rightly consider as our Father in the Faith. When Bd. Joseph Allamano founded the Consolata Missionaries, he wanted them to continue the missionary activity of Card. Massaia (a Capuchin, born in the same area as Bd. J. Allamano) in Ethiopia. However, for various reasons (political, etc.), his desire could not be fulfilled. As a consequence, we, people of Kenya, especially those living in the Central part of our Country, benefited. His missionaries came to Murang'a, Nyeri, and later went also to Meru, Embu, and Marsabit. They were the first to preach our Faith in these areas, so that their Founder and Father can rightly be considered as the Father in the Faith of the people living there.

Feast of Blessed Joseph Allamano 2014 - CANADA

On Monday February 17, 2014 a Family day was observed in the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Ontario and Saskatchewan. On the same day the Consolata Missionaries in Toronto gathered to celebrate the feast of blessed Joseph Allamano.

All the Consolata Missionaries, staff, benefactors and friends came together to celebrate the Founder’s passing to the glory of God.

Mass was celebrated at 1:00pm with full attendance at the Chapel. After Mass, the community convened in the hall for lunch.Fr. Michael Mutinda, the main celebrant, was joined by Fr. Jose Fernandes, the local Superior, Fr. Peter Turrone, Fr. Sosimi Atandi, Deacon Yair Morales, Deacon Joseph Afryie, a Permanent Deacon of the Archdiocese of Toronto. Three other priests working in the archdiocese of Toronto also joined for the celebration of mass.

In his homily Fr. Michael emphasized on the mission of blessed Joseph Allamano, an Italian Diocesan priest of Turin who founded Consolata Missionaries. His work is the work we are all called to do.

From the gospel reading, the acronym word STAND became a theme that Fr. Michael accentuated on. The word stand gives us interest to talk about: in this modern society where by it seem every thing is falling: spirituality, morality, love, economy, missions, etc. Jesus in his life used the word stand as a precedence of healing. Stand, take your mat and walk, your faith has healed you; little girl, stand etc. The Blessed Allamano shares this in deep experience. He was in deathbed when he recovered miraculously and stood up to found our congregation. Let us also stand in different ways!

S - serve with simplicity: as Consolata, we are called to serve the poor too as Jesus did (the charism) but always with simplicity. “The good must be done well without noise,” says Allamano.” Our service is not doing miracles but doing the ordinary in extraordinary way”.

T - teach by testimony. Pope Paul VI says, the modern world will listen more to witnesses than teachers and would listen to the latter if only they are former! We are all called to give testimony of holy life to all. Holiness is the first and foremost vocation and teacher to convert souls. “First saints then missionaries”, says Allamano. He adds, the aim of our congregation is to sanctify ourselves then others.

A - announce: announcing is a consequence of holiness. We don't need words to announce the glory of God, as much as we need to live it! In the book of the Prophet Isaiah 66, it is said: "they will announce my glory to the nations." This is our biblical theme as Consolata missionaries.

N - news and novelty of life: the Bospel should never leave anyone unchanged! We cannot come out the church the same as we went in if really the Gospel has impart in our lives. The poor cannot remain the same if really theY have the good news.

D - depart and deliver: Jesus proclaimed deliverance to the captives... today we need to deliver what? sin, forgiveness, unity, love, mission, vocation, and how? Now depart and deliver, our Mass is ended!More than ever, there are a lot of works to be done in the field of evangelization. There are now over one billion people who are part of the great Catholic communion to which we belong.

If we were to describe the most common color or complexion of the members of our Church it would be brown. If we were to look on a map to locate were most of the Consolata missionaries in the world lived, it would be in the regions where there is great physical or material poverty. If we were to describe the economic status of most of the world's Catholics, most of us would live in poverty.

Most of the world's baptized Catholics owe their faith to great missionaries who have left their families, friends and comfort zone, and through their vow of obedience, they follow their superior’s directions and sweep through the globe to preach the Good News about Jesus. Faith in Jesus Christ circles the globe largely as a result of the heroic efforts of missionaries to endure profound hardship to bring the good news of salvation to the world and even to die. Yet we live in a world that is very hostile toward religion of all kinds. Christianity in particular, some might argue, bears the repercussion of this discrimination and outright persecution.

The days of the martyrs are not long gone, but instead happening now more than before. Recently, two Salesians priests were murdered. Let us continue to pray for all men and women who are suffering these atrocities for exercising their fundamental human right to express and practice faith.

Blessed Joseph Allamano was such a missionary. Due to his failing health, he wasn’t able to travel out of Turin, but this did not stop or discourage him to be a missionary. His deep faith and desire to spread good news compelled him to establish missions that started to send their missionaries to Africa and eventually spread to all the continents. His work laid the groundwork for the spread of the Catholic faith in over twenty-five countries and give consolation to thousands of people in the globe.

 

Paul Mageto

 

Not only ten (10) but 613 Commandments.

The Hebrew word translated “Law” in the Old Testament is Torah. The Encyclopaedia Judaica says of this word, “Torah is derived from the root vrh which in the hifil conjugation means ‘to teach’ (cf. Lev.10:11). The meaning of the word is therefore ‘teaching,’ ‘doctrine,’ or ‘instruction’; the commonly accepted ‘law’ gives a wrong impression. The word is used in different ways but the underlying idea of ‘teaching’ is common to all” (“Torah”).

            According to an ancient tradition, the Torah existed in heaven even before the world was created. The concept of the pre-existence of the Torah is shown in the works of Philo, a Jewish philosopher in Alexandria, Egypt, who lived during the time of the apostle Peter. He wrote of the pre-eminence of the Word of God (the Logos) and identified it with the Torah.

            There are a whole lot more than only 10 Commandments found in the Old Testament, there are 613 Commandments! In studying the Torah, the Five Books of Moses, intensely, the Jewish Rabbis have found a total of 613 laws and commandments given to Israel. We read in the Talmud, the compendium of ancient Jewish religious knowledge and history: Says Rabbi Simlai: “Six hundred and thirteen commandments were transmitted to Moses on Mount Sinai. Three hundred and sixty five of them are negative commandments [prohibitions], corresponding to the number of days in the solar year. The remaining two hundred and forty eight and positive commandments [i.e.. injunctions], corresponding to the number of limbs in the human body” (Makkot 23, Judaism, Arthur Hertzberg, page 86).

            In Celebrate! The Complete Jewish Holidays Handbook, by Lesli Koppelman Ross, we read that at Mt. Sinai the Ten Commandments were followed up by 603 other laws, both ethical and ritual, that encompassed a total of 613 mitzvot and commands. The author states, “The 248 positive mitzvoth were said to correspond to what the rabbis believed were the number of bones in the body, and the 365 negative mitzvot were said to correspond to the days of the year. Together they suggest that we devote every part of our bodies, every day of our lives, to following God’s Word”.

            Therefore, there are both "positive" and "negative" mitzvot (do's and don'ts) which can be divided into 365 Negative Mitzvot (to remind us not to do bad things every day of the year) plus 248 Positive Mitzvot (the number of bones in the human body - for a total of 613. In this way, Hebrews and Jewish people are able to obey the mitzvot with their entire body. (mitzvot is plural, mitzvah is singular).

            The Law is God’s Divine Instructions in Righteousness without which man would have NO blueprint for moral, holy living. Jesus Christ attempted to abolish the rabbinical, man-made opinions and traditions that kept people in bondage. Neither He nor His apostles ever spoke against the Law nor suggested that after Jesus’ death the Torah was to become null and void. The Apostle Paul said, “Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law.” (Romans 3:31)

            Where does one find those original 613 commandments? They come straight from the Torah. You can see them sprinkled throughout the Torah in places such as Gen 26:2-5; Ex 15:25-27; Ex 16; Ex 20:6; Lev 22, 26, 27; Num 15, 36; Deut 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 26, 27, 28, 30, 31. There are more, but you get the picture. Here is the whole list of them:

Conflicts, pain and suffering

Many things can go wrong in a relationship because the mechanism of support is not a very efficient one and each test comes at a different level.

The simplest test is when one person is experiencing pain (that is outside the relationship) and he/she shares it with you. For example, something unpleasant happens to you at work and you go home and share it with your family during dinnertime. You talk about a colleague or a service person who was rude. It has nothing to do with them and passes no judgment on your family.

The second level test is when each person in the relationship is experiencing their own pain, external to the relationship. For example, one person has had a bad day at school and the other was extremely worried because he had financial difficulties which were occupying all of his mental space. In this situation, both people in the relationship shift their focus from the pain they are experiencing to an "accounting" frame of mind, "My pain is more important than yours". They compete for "stage time".

The third level test is when both people are experiencing a common pain. For example, both X and Y lost a child, so they are both in pain. They have a common pain so each of them lacks the emotional capacity to help the other. In such situations, a third person is a must in order to help. There is an added risk of experiencing the pain of not being able to support someone you love.

The forth level test is when one person is experiencing pain that is the "fault" of the listener/other person. For example, I am angry and upset with my child and I expect them to give me empathy, sympathy and compassion to deal with my pain. This request leaves no place for empathy, because the other person cannot understand your point of view (that they were wrong). It leaves no place for sympathy, because they cannot feel angry at themselves in the same way you do (if they did they would probably feel guilty, and guilt is an obstacle in relationships).

The only way to help you is to ask, "How can I help you think differently about me?" which puts them in a defensive mode, guaranteeing failure in the relationship test. Only the person experiencing the pain can avoid this conflict, by not expecting the other person (the person "at fault") to attend to their feelings.

If you need support in such a conflict, do not expect it from the person who caused you the pain. Seek the help of a third person, preferably someone who does not know the person who has caused you pain and will not take sides (such as a life coach or relationship counselor). This test should be avoided at all costs. If you cannot avoid blaming the other person for your feelings and expecting their support, the relationship gets a "fail".

Compassionate Relationship: Empathy, Sympathy and Compassion

Most people have conflicts in their relationships and fail to resolve them because they confuse between empathy, sympathy and compassion. This confusion can be caused by either person in the relationship. It can be a result of ineffective expectations or insufficient support. Regardless the reason, life, the ultimate examiner, would give a "Fail! Big time!" on this test.

Understanding the difference between the three is essential to passing the relationship test.

Empathy

Empathy is when you notice and understand the other persons' situation, experience, perspective or feelings. It does not mean you share their feelings, agree with them or have been asked to share your judgment, thoughts or ideas. It definitely does not mean you need to solve their problem.

The best way to proceed is to say, "I can see that you are very disappointed and upset", or just be a sounding board and repeat back to them what they said, "So you are sad because he was rude to you. I can understand why". Often times, people only want empathy. Someone to talk to that will understand their perspective and feelings. Empathy is a way to give support with your presence.

 

Sympathy

Sympathy is a step forward in the relationship. It is not simply understanding the other persons' perspective or feelings but feeling the same feeling yourself. It is completely adopting the other person's reaction to the problem. A person who is showing sympathy mirrors the other person's perspective and feelings, as in, "Puts himself in the other person's shoes" (note: sympathy greeting cards are in fact empathy cards, because we do not feel exactly the same as the person experiencing the pain. We can imagine how he or she feels, but in a different way).

The challenge with sympathy is that it limits your ability to help and support the other person. If your friend/sibling/partner/child feels helpless, there is no point in feeling helpless at the same time, right?

Parents and their children struggle greatly with the sympathy test. This is because parents whose children are insulted feel the insult themselves. Likewise, children who watch their parents fight, take the hard feelings on themselves and carry it around with them. In coaching, for example, the coach must avoid sympathy in order to help the client overcome and manage the overwhelming emotion. This is a skill that was challenging for me at the beginning of my special education career. But as they say, "Practice makes perfect". Sympathy is a way to help another person by being in total agreement with their perspective and feelings.

Compassion

 

Compassion derives from the Latin "patior" and the Greek "pathein", meaning to suffer, undergo or experience. It means to experience something with another person. It requires us to put ourselves in another person's shoes, immerse ourselves in his/her point of view, feel the pain as if it is ours, and yet keep the focus on the other person without being paralyzed by their feeling. Compassion is the combination of empathy and action, in the desire to help, without the hopelessness attributed to sympathy. When you are compassionate, the focus is on helping the other person to deal with his/her challenge, without judging them.

Sometimes, the offer to help is enough to pass the relationship test. Bear in mind that compassion does not mean doing for others what they cannot do themselves, or making them do what you think they should have done (which is judgment). It is more offering a helping hand to do something that goes in line with what they want to achieve.

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (18th to the 25th January)

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

Theme for 2014:
Has Christ been divided?
(1 Cor 1:1-17)

 

At least once a year, many Christians become aware of the great diversity of ways of adoring God. Hearts are touched, and people realize that their neighbours' ways are not so strange.

The event that touches off this special experience is something called the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Traditionally celebrated between 18-25 January (in the northern hemisphere) or at Pentecost (in the southern hemisphere), the Week of Prayer enters into congregations and parishes all over the world. Pulpits are exchanged, and special ecumenical celebrations and prayer services are arranged.

 

Ecumenical partners in a particular region are asked to prepare a basic text on a biblical theme. Then an international group with WCC-sponsored (Protestant and Orthodox) and Roman Catholic participants edits this text and ensures that it is linked with the search for the unity of the church.

The text is jointly published by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and WCC, through the WCC's Commission on Faith and Order, which also accompanies the entire production process of the text. The final material is sent to member churches and Roman Catholic dioceses, and they are invited to translate the text and contextualize it for their own use.

 

Resources

The resources for 2014 are available as downloads from our resources page. There is also an order form to purchase the material in a published format.

THE MINISTRY OF LECTOR IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH.

THE MINISTRY OF LECTOR IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH.

The aim of this reflection is to help those lectors or those preparing to be lectors with their mission of sharing God's Word.

The first consideration is to understand the difference between reading in Church during Mass or Eucharist and other types of reading. During the liturgy, the reader is fulfilling a mission to his or her fellow community members. It is a sacred duty that involves a sharing of one's own faith. This does not mean that a reading should be stiff or formal, but rather the realization that we are continuing Jesus’ mission of sharing the Word with God's people. It is something special and requires adequate preparation.

Because it is Scripture that is being read does not mean that the skills of public speaking (adequate loudness, good phrasing, proper emphasis, etc.) are not required or are to be downplayed. Rather, it means that these skills which are picked up through training and experience are used in a context in which God's Word can speak to God's people: a Word that has power and that challenges, comforts, and builds up a community. It should not be a task that is being performed: a good lector allows the community to sense the presence of the living Jesus in that community through him or her without focusing too much attention on the lector himself or herself.

To put it simply, the readings from scripture have been chosen such that there is a spiritual message readily apparent in almost every passage. The reader's goal is to allow the congregation to hear that message.

Reading within the Liturgy: Some background points