St. Valentine Vs Sts. Cyril and Methodius

St. Valentine became associated with lovers because his feast day fell on the day before the licentious Roman fertility feast of Lupercalia on Feb. 15. Lupercalia was a sort of Spring Break Week a month early. After an early-morning sacrifice of goats and dogs to Faunus, the god of merry-making, a band of young men, naked except for loincloths made from the skins of the sacrificed animals, ran along the boundaries of Rome, hitting those whom they met, especially wo...men, with strips of the skins. After that, there was quite a bit of drinking, dancing, and what is now called "hooking up." As it did with Saturnalia (now Christmas) and Halloween, the Church did not try to suppress the holiday completely, but Christianized it by discouraging the improprieties and linking it to the saint believed to have been martyred on its eve.

After the Second Vatican Council, the Catholic Church, embarrassed by the presence of saints on its calendar who might never have existed, booted the already shadowy St. Valentine from his Feb. 14 slot. Into his place, the Church moved saints Cyril and Methodius, two bishop-brothers who had brought Christianity to the Slavs of Eastern Europe during the ninth century. There was never any doubt as to saints Cyril's and Methodius's existence, or of their heroic virtue. The brothers braved years of political and religious persecution as they preached the Gospel. St. Methodius translated the Bible and other Christian works into Slavonic, which is still the liturgical language of many Eastern churches, and St. Cyril is credited with the invention of the Cyrillic alphabet used by Bulgarians, Russians, and Serbs. The priests saying Mass on Feb. 14 switched to white vestments in honor of the brothers' holiness.

KENYA: Archbishop-elect bids Farewell to Machakos Diocese

Archbishop-elect of the Catholic Archdiocese of Mombasa, Martin Kivuva Musonde on February 7 bid farewell to the diocese of Machakos where he has worked for the past 11 years.

Speaking during the annual diocesan pilgrimage at Our Lady of Komarock Shrine, 50 kilometres east of Nairobi, the prelate lauded the priests and all the religious leaders in Machakos for their hard work in developing the diocese.

“We have worked together my dear priests for the last 11 years; we may have done a lot in terms of doing but one thing remains in my heart you are a great team keep it up, from the deans to the parish priests, to the religious men and women to the Lay council amongst others,” the Archbishop-elect said.

“Any success that has been mentioned is not my success it is our success. I cannot claim to be perfect or a saint, I ask for your forgiveness if for any reason I may have offended you while executing my duties. Please forgive me for my witness and pray for me as I discharge my mandate in the next place that the Holy Father has sent me,” he added.

In attendance at the event that also marked the closing service of The Year of the Family and the launching of the Year of the Consecrated Person was Archbishop Charles Balvo, Apostolic Nuncio to Kenya and South Sudan.

The Archbishop–elect will be installed on February 21 at Tononoka grounds in the archdiocese of Mombasa.

 

MACHAKOS, FEBRUARY 13, 2015(CISA)

The Syrophoenician Woman’s Faith and Love....(Mk 7:24-30)

Besides faith, today’s gospel Jesus shows us on how to be a Christian. And to be Christians is to be loving persons. These two are synonymous. I will share with you some of the characteristics of a loving person. First is unconditional love. One of the dilemmas about human love is that it is often conditional. That is, “If you do what I want you to do  or be what I want you to be, I will love you. If not, I will withdraw my love from you.” And according to an author, conditional love is not love at all. It is a means of controlling another person. On the process we are damaging the person being controlled.
But unconditional love is the only way we can love one another. This gift says simply: “I want to share with you whatever I have that is good. Somewhere in the world there may be someone who is better for you or for me. That is not the point. The point is that I have chosen to give you my gift of love and you have chosen to love me. That is the only soil in which love can grow. We’re going to make it together!”

NOVENA - Blessed Joseph Allamano (FEB. 16)

Praying with

Blessed Joseph Allamano

in the Year of Consecrated Life

 DAY 1 - Called to be Happy Missionaries

God requires holiness from everyone, even from simple Christians who achieve it through observance of the commandments of God and the Church, the exercise of Christian virtues and the perfect performance of the duties of one’s state of life. We must never let ourselves be held back by human considerations or by those who are less fervent. The holiness I want for you is not that you perform miracles but that you do all things well. We must be happy to become saints in the ordinary way. The more we hunger and thirst for holiness, the more we hunger and thirst for God, the happier we will be. We cannot be sure of having the same grace tomorrow that we have today. Be courageous and take the first step. Today, not tomorrow. Do not lose courage because of our limitations or the fact that the goal seems to recede into the distance.

 

Prayer

God our Father, Joseph Allamano said: “Be strong and steadfast in the type of holy life you have chosen. May you achieve holiness through faithfulness in little things. May God help you understand this and give you strength and grace!” Lord, make us fully aware of our nothingness and trust fully in you. Mother Consolata, Mother of Missionaries, intercede for us! Amen.

 

DAY 2 - Our Missionary Vocation

From all eternity God has been thinking of you. Even though you in no way merited it He loved you. I have loved you, you specifically and not someone else. In His generosity He called you to be an apostle. He needs no one, He needs nothing. He gave this grace to you and not to someone else. A vocation is Jesus’ loving glance. The missionary vocation belongs to those who love the Lord very much, wish to make him better known and are ready for any sacrifice. Nothing more is needed. God chooses and endows with the talents needed to evangelize non-Christian countries or groups. All one needs is a great love of God and a passion for souls. Think of all the vocations that bind an individual to the Lord and you will find none more perfect than your own. When he gave you the missionary vocation, He has asked you to continue His own mission. You must not just respect your state in life – you must love it. If everyone knew or understood what it means to be a missionary everyone would want to be one.

 

Prayer

God our Father, you have called us to be missionaries. Through the intercession of Blessed Allamano, help us to respond to your call; and thereafter, to trust blindly in your assistance. Bless us to be generous, and to renounce our own will. Bless all consecrated missionaries to be detached of their own self-will, of any possession and comfort; and from their own relatives. Mother Consolata, Mother of our vocation, intercede for us! Amen.

 

DAY 3 - Missionaries full of Faith!!

If everyone needs this spirit of faith how much more necessary it is for missionaries. If we have the spirit of faith we will never feel abandoned. In everything we do the spirit of faith must be our guide. If a missionary does not possess the simple and total faith one finds in adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, what will he accomplish? Let us move forward with humility and simplicity in our faith. If we doubt everything we will soon begin to doubt our faith.

 

Prayer

God, our Father, through the intercession of Blessed Allamano help us so that all our thoughts conform to the faith. Bless the Church and our communion. Lord, make us humble so to have the privilege to know the Truth. Mother Consolata, Mother of Faith, intercede for us! Amen.

 

DAY 4 - Hopeful Missionaries!

God’s mercy is infinite. We must count on salvation because the Lord knows our weaknesses, all we need is a little good will. Really outstanding, robust hope is called confidence. We must have an abundant supply of confidence if we are to inspire it in others. It costs so little to trust in God! Why then should we not trust in Him? Do what you can and the Lord will assist you! We are really foolish when we lack confidence. After confession we should think of virtue and not of sin any longer. Cheer up, a little love of God will fix everything. Never lose heart, always begin anew! If we have this confidence we will avoid the stumbling block of anxiety and scruples. “The love of God washes away everything!” –St Joseph Cafasso, his uncle, used to say. A missionary without confidence can accomplish nothing; he is a torment to himself and others as well. Confidence shows a loving trust in Divine Providence. He never leaves something only half-done.

 

Prayer

Father, open our hearts to living hope. We know that “everything works for the good of those who love God”. Give us the grace not to get discouraged because of our mistakes, or poor results, or loneliness, but to put our trust in you. We abandon ourselves to you and leave everything in your hands, as we raise our hearts to you. Mother Consolata, Mother of Hope, intercede for us! Amen.

 

DAY 5 - Missionaries full of Charity!

Love for God is not just a sentiment, it is an act of the will. St Thomas said that the perfection of Christian life per se and essentially consists in charity. To love and to become a saint are the same thing. Where there is love there is everything. Charity is friendship between God and man. It is easy to love the Lord when all is going smoothly, when that love is comfortable. But to love Him when there is darkness, when our spirit is clouded and our heart is cold –that is true love! Let us love God with our whole mind and with all our strength. What are we thinking? What decisions do we make? Is everything according to God’s will? We grow in the love of God through our works. Let us not be happy with just saying the words – let us do the works! We grow in the love of God through purity of intention. Purity of intention is an act of love. The more perfect our purpose the more perfect our work. If our will is one with the will of God we will see things as He sees them. We must seek His will in things great and small, public and private. We must do things well and expect nothing from others. God alone is enough!

 

Prayer

Father, we know that the mission is entrusted to the ones who love much. Lord, that I may love you! Lord, that I may know you and your holy will! Grant me your love and your Grace and it will be enough for me! You alone can bless and console us. All for the greatest Glory of God! Mother Consolata, Mother of Holy Love, intercede for us! Amen.

 

DAY 6 - Consecrated life – Poverty

What does consecrated life in the religious state mean? It means a state of perfection – not that we are perfect when we embrace this life but because we strive for perfection continually and with total commitment. In other sacrifices we offer the Lord external things but in religious life we give Him ourselves. And one gives to God not just what one does but one’s freedom as well. The vows do not eliminate our freedom rather they increase it. Never forget that our religious vocation is not a contract but a vocation. The Lord does not like contracts. He is always generous. We should make a vow to serve the missions even at the cost of our lives. Jesus became poor to enrich the others. Essentially the vow of poverty consists in the renunciation of the right to use or dispose at will of temporal possessions without the proper permission. A spirit of poverty involves taking care of everything. We must work like poor men.

 

Prayer

Lord, you said “Blessed are the poor” to all. Bless those, signs of the Divine Providence, who sustain the missionaries and the missionary work of the Church in different ways. Mother Consolata, Mother of Poverty, intercede for us! Amen.

 

DAY 7 - Consecrated life – Chastity

Chaste for the Kingdom. We must empty our hearts of all worldly affections and fill them with the love of God. Virginal chastity is not a prerogative of the body but rather of the spirit. Chastity is the virtue of the heart. Do not lose courage if you are tempted. Gold is refined in the fire. If we pray, God will grant us the precious gift of life-long chastity. Pray, pray well and pray always. Mortify the sense of taste, mortify your eyes…

 

Prayer

God, as we carry this treasure in vessels of clay, help us to be always vigilant and pray. Mother most pure, mother most chaste, Virgin of virgins, pray for us! Amen.

DAY 8 - Consecrated life – Obedience

Obedience must become a habit for all of us. We must obey our superior “as if he were the Lord Himself”. God does not want us to obey for human motives. Universal –everyone without distinction-, prompt –without hesitation and always ready-, heartfelt –from the heart and not forced upon us-.

 

Pray

Father, we want to be of the same mind as Jesus Christ, who although He was by nature divine did not consider equality with God something to be grasped. He emptied Himself and took the form of a servant. We know that you love a cheerful giver. Bless us to be ready to search, to accept and to do your will. Amen.

 

DAY 9 - To Jesus through Mary

I would be failing in my duty and my special affection for the blessed Virgin  if I did not take advantage of every possible occasion to speak about her. Our Lady is the Queen of all missionaries. Devotion to Mary is a necessity. If you have no devotion – and not just devotion but tender devotion – to Our Lady you will never become saints. Anyone who wants to become a saint without Our Lady is someone who wants to fly without wings. She –Our Lady Consolata- is our very tender mother who loves us like the apple of her eye… she has supported us both materially and spiritually. Undoubtedly everything we accomplish is the work of Our Lady, the Consolata.

 

Prayer (adapted from a prayer of Bd. Allamano to Our Lady, after which he says “I believe Our Lady smiled at this)

“I thank you, Mary, for your protection all these years. If I have done poorly you will take care of it, you will repair the damage, and that will be the end of it. Please accept everything as if I had performed perfectly. I do not want to rationalize – I will accept things as they are; but since you have kept me here you must be satisfied with my work”. Intercede for us all. Amen.

 

God Our Father, we thank you for having numbered Joseph Allamano among the Blessed of the Church. He has made your fatherly tenderness shine among us; he has honoured Mary Consolata as a mother full of love and an inspiration of the Mission among the peoples. We request you to give to the church the joy of venerating him among the saints as an exemplary witness of announcing Jesus and His gospel. We humbly implore you through his intercession to grant us what our heart requests 

you with confidence. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

 

 

 

ÁFRICA/QUÊNIA - “Não ao aumento dos impostos para a escola superior”

ÁFRICA/QUÊNIA - “Não ao aumento dos impostos para a escola superior”, diz a Igreja

Nairóbi (Agência Fides) - A Igreja católica no Quênia está preocupada com o alto custo dos impostos cobrados por diversas escolas superiores aos pais de seus alunos. Nenhum jovem deve ser excluído da escola pública por não pagar as taxas” afirma uma declaração recebida pela Agência Fides de Dom Maurice Anthony Crowley, Bispo de Kitale e Vice-Presidente da Comissão para a educação e a educação religiosa da Conferência Episcopal do Quênia. Dom Crowley recorda que é dever do governo disponibilizar bolsas de estudo em todas as escolas do país, e que esta verba se destina aos estudantes mais pobres. O Bispo, embora elogie o envio de controles em todas as escolas secundárias quenianas para verificar eventuais violações das linhas-mestres das taxas escolares, pede que pais e professores também participem dos controles. O forte aumento das taxas escolares suscitou protestos de muitas famílias em Nairóbi. A declaração da Igreja católica foi publicada por alguns órgãos da impren sa queniana. (L.M.)

(Agência Fides 6/2/2015)

The Consolata 18th annual Golf tournament

The Consolata 18^th annual Golf tournament

“If you don’t want to play, make an effort anyway.

When it’s time to play, play… All is for the sake of the missions.”

(Joseph Allamano, SL – 163)

Bob Ryan would describe it as a passion, an obsession, a romance, a nice acquaintanceship with trees, sand, and water. And for sure it is when it comes to playing “The Golf”.

The Consolata 18^th annual Golf tournament attracted nearly 100 golfers this year for a day and the only sunny shinning one of the third week of September. The event took place on Wednesday, September 17^th, 2014 at Woodington lake golf club, Tottenham, Ontario, proudly sponsored by PREMFORM LTD among others. The day was sunny and hot clear, with some cool breezes in the evening.

The event attracted more than 35 other sponsors and various donors. The day included lunch and concluded with a nice dinner and a reception with awards raffles and prizes presented.

The Consolata Missionaries in Toronto, Canada, with the aim of supporting missions and missionary projects in and outside Canada, organize some events (the Consolata Canada Club events) of which their proceeds go to the intended missions. The C3 (Consolata Canada Club events) are celebrated annually, just to mention: Blessed Joseph Allamano day, the Passover supper, the spring fashion show, the Consolata day, the Mission Sunday, the Consolata pasta lunch and the golf tournament among others.

The Consolata Missionaries in Toronto and the C3-Consolata Canada Club "Golf Committee" would like to thank all our sponsors and the silent donors, players and volunteers for their support in making the 18^th Annual Golf tournament a great success and with invaluable contribution to the missions!

N.B: Founded in 1901(priests and brothers) and in 1910 (sisters) by Blessed Joseph Allamano in Turin, Italy, the Consolata Missionaries now count with about one thousand members (priests and brothers) working in 27 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and America.

Familiarity can breed mistaken Contempt...

Familiarity can breed mistaken Contempt...

 

“Hell is other people.” – Jean-Paul Sartre

“I only drink to make other people seem interesting” – George Jean Nathan

“Fish and visitors smell in three days.” – Benjamin Franklin

  

            People’s intuition is that learning more about a new acquaintance will lead to greater liking. In fact, on average, we like other people less the more we know about them. And occasionally we do actually meet people who turn out to be similar to us, who end up as our close friends or even partners. It’s these relationship hits that we tend to remember when meeting someone new rather than all the times we were disappointed. As some studies show, on the vast majority of occasions the less we know about someone the more we are inclined to like them. It’s like the fake student in Moreland and Beach’s study, ambiguity allows us to imagine that other people share our world-view, our personality traits or our sense of humour. Unfortunately as soon as we start to find out more about them, we’re likely to find out how different they are to ourselves and, as a result, to dislike them. Long experience of someone or something can make one so aware of the faults as to be scornful. For example, Ten years at the same job and now he hates it—familiarity breeds contempt. The idea is much older, but the first recorded use of this expression was in Chaucer's Tale of Melibee (c. 1386).