Rsass

Rsass

Tuesday 13 December 2016

Pope message for peace 2017


MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS FOR THE CELEBRATION OF THE
FIFTIETH WORLD DAY OF PEACE

1 JANUARY 2017

Nonviolence: a Style of Politics for Peace

1. At the beginning of this New Year, I offer heartfelt wishes of
peace to the world's peoples and nations, to heads of state and
government, and to religious, civic and community leaders. I wish
peace to every man, woman and child, and I pray that the image and
likeness of God in each person will enable us to acknowledge one
another as sacred gifts endowed with immense dignity. Especially in
situations of conflict, let us respect this, our "deepest dignity",[1]
and make active nonviolence our way of life.

This is the fiftieth Message for the World Day of Peace. In the first,
Blessed Pope Paul VI addressed all peoples, not simply Catholics, with
utter clarity. "Peace is the only true direction of human progress –
and not the tensions caused by ambitious nationalisms, nor conquests
by violence, nor repressions which serve as mainstay for a false civil
order". He warned of "the danger of believing that international
controversies cannot be resolved by the ways of reason, that is, by
negotiations founded on law, justice, and equity, but only by means of
deterrent and murderous forces." Instead, citing the encyclicalPacem
in Terris of his predecessor Saint John XXIII, he extolled "the sense
and love of peace founded upon truth, justice, freedom and love". [2]
In the intervening fifty years, these words have lost none of their
significance or urgency.

On this occasion, I would like to reflect on nonviolence as a style of
politics for peace. I ask God to help all of us to cultivate
nonviolence in our most personal thoughts and values. May charity and
nonviolence govern how we treat each other as individuals, within
society and in international life. When victims of violence are able
to resist the temptation to retaliate, they become the most credible
promotors of nonviolent peacemaking. In the most local and ordinary
situations and in the international order, may nonviolence become the
hallmark of our decisions, our relationships and our actions, and
indeed of political life in all its forms.

A broken world

2. While the last century knew the devastation of two deadly World
Wars, the threat of nuclear war and a great number of other conflicts,
today, sadly, we find ourselves engaged in a horrifying world war
fought piecemeal. It is not easy to know if our world is presently
more or less violent than in the past, or to know whether modern means
of communications and greater mobility have made us more aware of
violence, or, on the other hand, increasingly inured to it.

In any case, we know that this "piecemeal" violence, of different
kinds and levels, causes great suffering: wars in different countries
and continents; terrorism, organized crime and unforeseen acts of
violence; the abuses suffered by migrants and victims of human
trafficking; and the devastation of the environment. Where does this
lead? Can violence achieve any goal of lasting value? Or does it
merely lead to retaliation and a cycle of deadly conflicts that
benefit only a few "warlords"?

Violence is not the cure for our broken world. Countering violence
with violence leads at best to forced migrations and enormous
suffering, because vast amounts of resources are diverted to military
ends and away from the everyday needs of young people, families
experiencing hardship, the elderly, the infirm and the great majority
of people in our world. At worst, it can lead to the death, physical
and spiritual, of many people, if not of all.

The Good News

3. Jesus himself lived in violent times. Yet he taught that the true
battlefield, where violence and peace meet, is the human heart: for
"it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come"
(Mk7:21). But Christ's message in this regard offers a radically
positive approach. He unfailingly preached God's unconditional love,
which welcomes and forgives. He taught his disciples to love their
enemies (cf. Mt 5:44) and to turn the other cheek (cf. Mt 5:39). When
he stopped her accusers from stoning the woman caught in adultery (cf.
Jn 8:1-11), and when, on the night before he died, he told Peter to
put away his sword (cf. Mt 26:52), Jesus marked out the path of
nonviolence. He walked that path to the very end, to the cross,
whereby he became our peace and put an end to hostility (cf. Eph
2:14-16). Whoever accepts the Good News of Jesus is able to
acknowledge the violence within and be healed by God's mercy, becoming
in turn an instrument of reconciliation. In the words of Saint Francis
of Assisi: "As you announce peace with your mouth, make sure that you
have greater peace in your hearts".[3]

To be true followers of Jesus today also includes embracing his
teaching about nonviolence. As my predecessor Benedict XVI observed,
that teaching "is realistic because it takes into account that in the
world there is too much violence, too much injustice, and therefore
that this situation cannot be overcome except by countering it with
more love, with more goodness. This 'more' comes from God".[4] He went
on to stress that: "For Christians, nonviolence is not merely tactical
behaviour but a person's way of being, the attitude of one who is so
convinced of God's love and power that he or she is not afraid to
tackle evil with the weapons of love and truth alone. Love of one's
enemy constitutes the nucleus of the 'Christian revolution'".[5] The
Gospel command to love your enemies (cf. Lk 6:27) "is rightly
considered the magna carta of Christian nonviolence. It does not
consist in succumbing to evil…, but in responding to evil with good
(cf. Rom 12:17-21), and thereby breaking the chain of injustice".[6]

More powerful than violence

4. Nonviolence is sometimes taken to mean surrender, lack of
involvement and passivity, but this is not the case. When Mother
Teresa received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979, she clearly stated her
own message of active nonviolence: "We in our family don't need bombs
and guns, to destroy to bring peace – just get together, love one
another… And we will be able to overcome all the evil that is in the
world".[7] For the force of arms is deceptive. "While weapons
traffickers do their work, there are poor peacemakers who give their
lives to help one person, then another and another and another"; for
such peacemakers, Mother Teresa is "a symbol, an icon of our
times".[8] Last September, I had the great joy of proclaiming her a
Saint. I praised her readiness to make herself available for everyone
"through her welcome and defence of human life, those unborn and those
abandoned and discarded… She bowed down before those who were spent,
left to die on the side of the road, seeing in them their God-given
dignity; she made her voice heard before the powers of this world, so
that they might recognize their guilt for the crimes – the crimes! –
of poverty they created".[9] In response, her mission – and she stands
for thousands, even millions of persons – was to reach out to the
suffering, with generous dedication, touching and binding up every
wounded body, healing every broken life.

The decisive and consistent practice of nonviolence has produced
impressive results. The achievements of Mahatma Gandhi and Khan Abdul
Ghaffar Khan in the liberation of India, and of Dr Martin Luther King
Jr in combating racial discrimination will never be forgotten. Women
in particular are often leaders of nonviolence, as for example, was
Leymah Gbowee and the thousands of Liberian women, who organized
pray-ins and nonviolent protest that resulted in high-level peace
talks to end the second civil war in Liberia.

Nor can we forget the eventful decade that ended with the fall of
Communist regimes in Europe. The Christian communities made their own
contribution by their insistent prayer and courageous action.
Particularly influential were the ministry and teaching of Saint John
Paul II. Reflecting on the events of 1989 in his 1991 Encyclical
Centesimus Annus, my predecessor highlighted the fact that momentous
change in the lives of people, nations and states had come about "by
means of peaceful protest, using only the weapons of truth and
justice".[10] This peaceful political transition was made possible in
part "by the non-violent commitment of people who, while always
refusing to yield to the force of power, succeeded time after time in
finding effective ways of bearing witness to the truth". Pope John
Paul went on to say: "May people learn to fight for justice without
violence, renouncing class struggle in their internal disputes and war
in international ones".[11]

The Church has been involved in nonviolent peacebuilding strategies in
many countries, engaging even the most violent parties in efforts to
build a just and lasting peace.

Such efforts on behalf of the victims of injustice and violence are
not the legacy of the Catholic Church alone, but are typical of many
religious traditions, for which "compassion and nonviolence are
essential elements pointing to the way of life".[12] I emphatically
reaffirm that "no religion is terrorist".[13]Violence profanes the
name of God.[14] Let us never tire of repeating: "The name of God
cannot be used to justify violence. Peace alone is holy. Peace alone
is holy, not war!"[15]

The domestic roots of a politics of nonviolence

5. If violence has its source in the human heart, then it is
fundamental that nonviolence be practised before all else within
families. This is part of that joy of love which I described last
March in my Exhortation Amoris Laetitia, in the wake of two years of
reflection by the Church on marriage and the family. The family is the
indispensable crucible in which spouses, parents and children,
brothers and sisters, learn to communicate and to show generous
concern for one another, and in which frictions and even conflicts
have to be resolved not by force but by dialogue, respect, concern for
the good of the other, mercy and forgiveness.[16] From within
families, the joy of love spills out into the world and radiates to
the whole of society.[17] An ethics of fraternity and peaceful
coexistence between individuals and among peoples cannot be based on
the logic of fear, violence and closed-mindedness, but on
responsibility, respect and sincere dialogue. Hence, I plead for
disarmament and for the prohibition and abolition of nuclear weapons:
nuclear deterrence and the threat of mutual assured destruction are
incapable of grounding such an ethics.[18] I plead with equal urgency
for an end to domestic violence and to the abuse of women and
children.

The Jubilee of Mercy that ended in November encouraged each one of us
to look deeply within and to allow God's mercy to enter there. The
Jubilee taught us to realize how many and diverse are the individuals
and social groups treated with indifference and subjected to injustice
and violence. They too are part of our "family"; they too are our
brothers and sisters. The politics of nonviolence have to begin in the
home and then spread to the entire human family. "Saint Therese of
Lisieux invites us to practise the little way of love, not to miss out
on a kind word, a smile or any small gesture which sows peace and
friendship. An integral ecology is also made up of simple daily
gestures that break with the logic of violence, exploitation and
selfishness".[19]

My invitation

6. Peacebuilding through active nonviolence is the natural and
necessary complement to the Church's continuing efforts to limit the
use of force by the application of moral norms; she does so by her
participation in the work of international institutions and through
the competent contribution made by so many Christians to the drafting
of legislation at all levels. Jesus himself offers a "manual" for this
strategy of peacemaking in the Sermon on the Mount. The eight
Beatitudes (cf. Mt 5:3-10) provide a portrait of the person we could
describe as blessed, good and authentic. Blessed are the meek, Jesus
tells us, the merciful and the peacemakers, those who are pure in
heart, and those who hunger and thirst for justice.

This is also a programme and a challenge for political and religious
leaders, the heads of international institutions, and business and
media executives: to apply the Beatitudes in the exercise of their
respective responsibilities. It is a challenge to build up society,
communities and businesses by acting as peacemakers. It is to show
mercy by refusing to discard people, harm the environment, or seek to
win at any cost. To do so requires "the willingness to face conflict
head on, to resolve it and to make it a link in the chain of a new
process".[20] To act in this way means to choose solidarity as a way
of making history and building friendship in society. Active
nonviolence is a way of showing that unity is truly more powerful and
more fruitful than conflict. Everything in the world is
inter-connected.[21]Certainly differences can cause frictions. But let
us face them constructively and non-violently, so that "tensions and
oppositions can achieve a diversified and life-giving unity,"
preserving "what is valid and useful on both sides".[22]

I pledge the assistance of the Church in every effort to build peace
through active and creative nonviolence. On 1 January 2017, the new
Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development will begin its
work. It will help the Church to promote in an ever more effective way
"the inestimable goods of justice, peace, and the care of creation"
and concern for "migrants, those in need, the sick, the excluded and
marginalized, the imprisoned and the unemployed, as well as victims of
armed conflict, natural disasters, and all forms of slavery and
torture".[23] Every such response, however modest, helps to build a
world free of violence, the first step towards justice and peace.

In conclusion

7. As is traditional, I am signing this Message on 8 December, the
Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Mary is the Queen of Peace. At the birth of her Son, the angels gave
glory to God and wished peace on earth to men and women of good will
(cf. Luke 2:14). Let us pray for her guidance.

"All of us want peace. Many people build it day by day through small
gestures and acts; many of them are suffering, yet patiently persevere
in their efforts to be peacemakers".[24] In 2017, may we dedicate
ourselves prayerfully and actively to banishing violence from our
hearts, words and deeds, and to becoming nonviolent people and to
building nonviolent communities that care for our common home.
"Nothing is impossible if we turn to God in prayer. Everyone can be an
artisan of peace".[25]

From the Vatican, 8 December 2016

Franciscus

________________________________

[1] Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, 228.

[2] PAUL VI, Message for the First World Day of Peace, 1 January 1968.

[3] "The Legend of the Three Companions", Fonti Francescane, No. 1469.

[4] BENEDICT XVI, Angelus, 18 February 2007.

[5] Ibid.

[6] Ibid.

[7] MOTHER TERESA, Nobel Lecture, 11 December 1979.

[8] Meditation, "The Road of Peace", Chapel of the Domus Sanctae
Marthae, 19 November 2015.

[9] Homily for the Canonization of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, 4 September 2016.

[10] No. 23.

[11] Ibid.

[12] Address to Representatives of Different Religions, 3 November 2016.

[13] Address to the Third World Meeting of Popular Movements, 5 November 2016.

[14] Cf. Address at the Interreligious Meeting with the Sheikh of the
Muslims of the Caucasus and Representatives of Different Religious
Communities, Baku, 2 October 2016.

[15]Address in Assisi, 20 October 2016.

[16] Cf. Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia, 90-130.

[17] Cf. ibid., 133, 194, 234.

[18] Cf. Message for the Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of
Nuclear Weapons, 7 December 2014.

[19] Encyclical Laudato Si', 230.

[20] Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, 227.

[21] Cf. Encyclical Laudato Si', 16, 117, 138.

[22] Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, 228.

[23] Apostolic Letter issued Motu Proprio instituting the Dicastery
for Promoting Integral Human Development, 17 August 2016.

[24] Regina Coeli, Bethlehem, 25 May 2014.

[25]Appeal, Assisi, 20 September 2016.

Saturday 15 October 2016

Official opening of Good Shepherd Peace Center!!

Dearest brothers and sisters,

WHAT A DAY!!

Finally we made, our efforts and miracles from God we managed to officially open our 

GOOD SHEPHERD PEACE CENTER

First of all we thank the Lord for the gift of such an important event and for all the goods that will follow for the people of S:pith Sudan; we are all here to serve the people of God and together bring the Kingdom of God.

Many people attended the celebration and the atmosphere was one of the most joyous we have experienced here in South Sudan; everything was telling us that peace is possible if we all pray and work together.

May the Lord bless the community who will run the centre and sustain them with His care and love.

RSASS Executive Body

Sunday 11 September 2016

KIT - GOOD SHEPHERD PEACE CENTER OPENING



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fr. Federico Gandolfi OFM
www.abunaloro.blogspot.com

Wednesday 29 June 2016

Church leaders statement

CHURCH LEADERS ISSUE A STATEMENT ON THE RECENT VIOLENCE IN WAU: 'TRUST IN GOD, WHO SAVES'

South Sudan Council of Churches (SSCC) has issued a statement this Tuesday, 28 June, on the recent violent events that occurred last weekend in Wau, South Sudan's Western Bahr al Ghazal State.

Church leaders say they had come together in prayer and reflection on the Word of God and cry out for an end to the violence in South Sudan, "especially for the bloodshed to end in Wau and the areas around it."

"In the name of God, let those with weapons of war stop the violence and killing!", reads the statement.

In their statement, Church leaders also say that "since its outbreak, we have been deeply disturbed and aware of the suffering that the recent and intolerable fighting has brought. Many innocent people have been displaced from their homes, and cramped in church compounds, and UN protection of civilians sites. As peace makers, we are all outraged by the deaths, injuries, hunger and fears that have crippled one of our largest cities. But we are also aware that many other parts of the country are affected by acts of violence that have resulted in the loss of innocent lives, crippling of the economy and fear. Innocent are the victims and their blood have been shed as political forces battle and thieves steal from those who have little."

Besides, Church leaders encourage the people of South Sudan not to lose hope, but to trust in God.

They also "urge for the Transitional Government of National Unity to immediately bring the violence to a halt and to call all forces to stand down." They, moreover, "demand that human rights be upheld and all citizens be protected until they can safely return home with humanitarian support given to those affected by the fighting".

They further "call for an immediate recommitment of the parties to the Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (ARCISS)" and urge and call on the people "to remain calm, embrace unity and peace".

Finally, Church leaders "appeal for an open, credible and transparent investigation into the violence to be carried out and for its cause to be clarified and responsible parties held to account."

Wau has witnessed a great deal of violence over the weekend. A government official has disclosed that more than 40 people were killed and thousands displaced in the clashes that occurred in Wau last weekend. The situation, however, remains calm and an investigation into the causes of the violence and fighting is said to be on the way.

Wednesday 25 May 2016

A workshop report

YOUTH MINISTRY, MENTORING AND ACCOMPANIMENT WORKSHOP
Intra Africa Hotel,  Juba
May 17-19, 2016

Narrative Report

From May 17-19, 2016, we were privileged to be able to conduct a three full-day workshop in Juba, South Sudan on the topic of Youth Ministry, Mentoring and Accompaniment.  This event was to build upon the workshop of last year which examined the Discernment and Accompaniment of Vocations to the Priestly and Religious Life.  Following last year's workshop, the vast majority of participants expressed the need to have further training.  Upon reflection, it was decided to choose this year's theme as a way to not only offer more assistance to those engaged in the initial formation of candidates to the religious and priestly life, but also to assist those engaged in the general formation of young people.  Our rationale was that all Catholic youth ministry should aim to assist young people to discern their path in life in the light of their Baptismal calling, and this in turn directly impacts on discernment of the more specific vocation to religious and priestly life.

As we did last year, we again invited participants from all religious congregations in South Sudan along with representatives from each of the Dioceses.  The response actually exceeded our expectations so that over the three days, we were able to accept 48 participants coming from every diocese of South Sudan:  Juba, Tambura-Yambio, Wau, Torit, Rumbek, Yei and Malakal.  In total, the 48 participants were comprised of 34 men and 14 women, or 15 Diocesan Priests, 32 Religious and 1 layman.  Not included among these numbers were our two facilitators: Fr Augustine Sellam SDB, a member of the Salesians, and Mr Nelson King.  Fr Augustine was the main presenter and was present for the whole three days, while Mr King attended the first morning only for his presentation.

The program schedule is at the end of this report and the following is a brief outline of each day:
Day 1:
The morning was devoted to the theme of The Situation and Challenges facing Young People in South Sudan Today.  It was presented by Mr Nelson King who has acted as a youth advisor to the Archdiocese of Juba.  Mr King is currently engaged in counseling, specifically in the area of HIV-AIDS.  He helped to set the stage for our workshop by outlining some of the major challenges facing young people from his own experience.  He also offered some ways in which he believed these challenges need addressing.  Following his presentation, there was an ample period for questions, clarifications and discussion among the participants.  Several raised their own concerns from their experience of working with youth which helped to clarify the expectations and needs of our participants when it came to ministry with youth.

In the afternoon, our main presenter, Fr Augustine Sellam SDB began by looking at the topics:  New Wine in New Wine Skins - Youth Ministry in Perspective  and Principles, Components and Models of Youth Ministry.  Using a combination of Powerpoint Presentations, an animated style of delivering his material, handout questionnaires, and interaction among the participants including through the use of games, Fr Augustine covered the above topics and what followed over the next two days.  He not only offered us useful material, but modeled a style that would be attractive and conducive to working with youth.

Day 2:
In the morning of Day 2, we continued with the topic of Models of Youth Ministry, using as a paradigm the journey of the two disciples to Emmaus in Luke 24.  We then moved on to the topic of the Qualities of a Youth Minister in which we were offered a chance to reflect on ourselves in terms of how we may or may not be developing the sorts of skills and qualities that are essential for effective ministry with youth.  The tips offered by Fr Augustine were helpful in that they were practical and possible to do by most of us.

In the afternoon we then moved to the topic of Youth Mentoring.  Again, Fr Augustine used an example from Scripture, namely that of St Paul in 2 Tim 1:ff.  Among much material, he spoke of the types: Upward and Downward Mentor and helped us to reflect on our own experience of being mentored by each of these, both necessary and helpful for the young.

Day 3:
On the final morning of the workshop, we began looking at the large topic of Accompaniment in Formation.  Part of this was to again look at the characteristics and trends, both positive and negative which are shaping our world and therefore our young people.  The question was then asked, "What type of formation are we giving to our candidates in religious and priestly life that will allow them to be at the vanguard of what is happening in our world?"  Fr Augustine challenged us by getting us to think in different categories in relation to our candidates and stressing that we must offer them a true perspective of religious and priestly life and not just a dream.

The final session of the day was devoted to the Myer-Briggs Type Indicator.  We were each given an opportunity to complete a questionnaire to assist us to identify our type and then we looked at some of the characteristics, strengths and weaknesses of each type as time allowed.  This was helpful in that it made us alert to not only our own different working styles and preferences, but to those of our candidates.  This enables us to view them according to their differing gifts rather than as simply not fitting in with our own style or personality.

Finally, after some concluding remarks by Fr Augustine, we closed the workshop with the celebration of the Eucharist.  Fr Augustine was the main celebrant and led us in prayer using some ways that again might be attractive and helpful for young people.  All in all, the whole workshop proved to be most informative, practical and enjoyable.  Evaluation forms were distributed to the participants, and all those who responded gave a high score to the helpfulness of both the material and the presenters of the workshop.


Fr Mario Debattista ofm
for the Organizing Committee

Sunday 22 May 2016

Laudato si... And we are planting a tree

Following RSASS General Assembly recommendation, during our Parish feast today we have planted a Mango tree at the presence of many  parishioners.
A simple moment, an important sign to take care of our common Home

Commments on Holy Trinity Sunday readings

Homily for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

by Fr Mario De Battista ofm

This feast of the Holy Trinity we celebrate today is clearly a celebration of who God is. We Christians, unlike other world religions, say that God has revealed himself to be one God, but that this God is three Persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Each Person is wholly and totally God and yet there are not three separate Gods, but one God.

Brothers and sisters, this God of Christians that we believe in and worship is we say, a mystery. When we call God a mystery we are not saying that God is so far above us human beings that we cannot know anything about him. No, if we could not know anything about God, then our faith would be something strange, even useless. Rather, when we call God a mystery and put our faith in Him, we are placing our trust and hope and lives into the hands of a God whom we can know more and more about, but without ever reaching the end of our knowledge. This is God as mystery, a being without end, a being we can never know completely, a being who shows Himself to us without end.

It is perhaps for this reason that in today's Gospel, we hear Jesus say that he still has many things to say to the disciples (and to us), but that they would be too much for us now. The knowledge of the mysterious God that Jesus himself knows completely cannot and should not be known by us completely, at least not at once. Rather, we must wait for the Spirit of Truth, the Holy Spirit, who will lead us to the complete truth, to the complete knowledge of who God is and what God is like.

Brothers and sisters, God knows us infinitely better than we know Him and certainly better than we even know ourselves. God knows that even if he were to give us the complete truth about himself (and about ourselves), we would still not be able to receive it and understand it. As St Augustine once said, for us to know the total mystery of God, it would be like a boy trying to empty all the water of the ocean into a small hole he has dug on the seashore.

So today's feast is not one in which we pretend to know or fully understand the mystery of God as Trinity. More important than this is to celebrate this feast as part of the slow journey of the human family to know more of the truth of who God is. We are on a journey of knowing God, a journey that will only end when we ourselves are one with the God who made us; one with the God who is three Persons but One.

As we travel this journey led by the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth who is given to us by the Father through his Son, Jesus Christ, we are also on a journey to know ourselves more and more. I say this because one of the first things we know about God is that He created us. He created us from His own desire that we exist and have life, and He created us from His own desire to love us as His very own children. We, each and every one of us, only exist because God himself wants us to exist and because God loves us enough. Without God wanting us and loving us, none of us would be here at all.

And this is why we can say that each one of us is made in the image and likeness of God. Each of us is made from God's desire and love. Each of us comes from and out of the God who is and the God who is love itself. This also is the truth that Jesus wants us to learn through his Holy Spirit. This truth is one that we each need to learn and understand and take to our hearts in how we live with one another. Because this truth teaches us of the infinite goodness and worth that we each have in the mind and heart of God.

Brothers and sisters, our parish theme today is "Living the Truth as God's Family." Living the truth means at least that we know the truth of how precious and loved we each are to our God … that we know we are not important or valuable to God because of the things that we human beings tend to value in each other, such as our wealth and possessions, our power and influence, our physical attractiveness or personality. No, we are valued and loved because of God's loving desire that we exist, and everything we do and how we live should be to give thanks to God for so great a gift.

Finally, it is when we try to live this truth, is then that we live truly as God's family. To live as God's family means we live as God made us to be – his beloved sons and daughters, brothers and sisters to one another. Living the truth as God's family, as the Spirit of God teaches us, means there can be no place in our Christian communities for the sorts of divisions that affect our nation. I do not need to name these I think.

God is three Persons but one God. We are many persons, but because we are made in God's image and likeness, we too are called to be one. Let us continue the journey to become one, placing our hope and trust in the God we profess as Trinity.


Thursday 19 May 2016

Evening Agape

As you can see we ended our Wporkshosp with a nice meal by the Nile River.
 
The atmosphere was very good; all of us enjoied the Workshop and now it's time to put into practice what we've learned.
 
It was also very nice to have a good number of diocesan priests with us!! Thank you all
 
 
Stay tune for future activities
 
May the Lord give you Peace
 
RSASS
 
enjoy the pictures
 
 
 

 
 
 



 
and this is the cake we all deserved!!
 
 

Final Mass

and here we are, our final Mass and getting ready for some more time together tonight with the wish to meet all again next year!!

And we are preparing ourselves to be better formators..... :-)

Pictures will speak by themselves....

Wednesday 18 May 2016

Christian shall not be Social Climbers, says the Pope

Pope: No to social climbers, money and power harm the Church

2016-05-17 Vatican Radio
(Vatican Radio) Saying Jesus' path is serving others, Pope Francis urged Christians on Tuesday to overcome the lure of worldliness and human ambition and warned against social climbers who are tempted to destroy the other in order to reach the top. His remarks came during his homily at the morning Mass celebrated in the Santa Marta residence.
The gospel reading where Jesus’ disciples were arguing among themselves over who was the greatest was used by the Pope for his reflections about the dangers of power, money, ambition and vanity. He noted that whereas Jesus was warning his disciples about his coming humiliation and death, they were concerned with worldly matters such as who would become the most powerful among them.
Christians must overcome the temptation to be social climbers, seeking power
In response to the apostles’ arguing, Pope Francis reminded of Jesus' warning to his disciples that "if anyone wishes to be first he shall be the last of all and the servant of all."
“Along the path where Jesus shows us to journey, the guiding principle is service. The greatest is the person who serves most, who serves others most, not the person who boasts, who seeks power, money… vanity, pride. No, these people are not the greatest. And this is what happened here with the apostles, even with the mother of John and James, it’s an event that happens every day in the Church, in every community. ‘But which of us is the greatest? Who’s in charge?’ Ambitions: there is always this desire to be a social climber, to have power, in every community, parish or institution.”
No to bad mouthing others in order to rule
Pope Francis went on to stress how service is still the Church’s message to us nowadays. Whilst the world speaks about who has more power to be in charge, Jesus reminds us that He came amongst us “to serve” and not “to be served.”
“Vanity and power …  and how and when I have this worldly desire to seek power, not to serve but to be served and spare no efforts to get there: gossiping, speaking ill of others… Envy and jealousy create this path and they both destroy.  And we all know this.  This occurs in every institution of the Church: parishes, colleges, other institutions, even in the dioceses … everywhere. There’s this desire for worldliness and this is all about wealth, vanity and pride.”
Worldliness is the enemy of God and divides the Church
Reiterating that Jesus came to serve, the Pope said Christ has showed us the true path of Christian life: service, humility. He explained that when the great saints spoke of being very sinful,the reason for this was was because they had this worldliness inside them and they had many worldly temptations.  None of us, he stressed, can say ‘I am a holy and pure person.’
“All of us are tempted by these things, we are tempted to destroy the other person in order to climb higher. This is a worldly temptation but one that divides and destroys the Church. It is not the spirit of Jesus. It’s wonderful, we can imagine the scene: Jesus who says these words and his disciples who say ‘no, better to not question (Him) too much, let’s go ahead,’ his disciples who prefer to argue among themselves over who will be the greatest. We’d do well to think about the many times that we have seen this in the Church and about the many times that we ourselves have done this and ask our Lord to show us the way, to understand that love of this world, namely worldliness, is an enemy of God.”
(from Vatican Radio)

Tuesday 17 May 2016

Youth ministry workshop

Dear Brothers and Sisters,
We're now running our workshop on youth ministry organised by the RSASS vocational group.

There are many partecipants from all South Sudan and abroad.

Here some pics

Monday 16 May 2016

Pope Francis and the questione about female deacons

2016-05-12 Vatican Radio

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis led an in-depth discussion on Thursday about the role of women in the Church, saying he wants to set up a commission to study the possibility of reinstating female deacons. His conversation was part of a question and answer session with some 900 heads of female religious orders and congregations who form part of the International Union of Superiors General, or UISG.

Pope Francis spoke off the cuff during his closed door encounter with the sisters, who are currently holding their General Assembly in Rome this week, marking the 50th anniversary of the foundation of their organisation.

During the hour and a half long conversation about the mission and ministry of women in religious life, the Pope responded to several delicate questions, including one about the history of female deacons. He said understanding about their role in the early Church remained unclear and agreed it would be useful to set up a commission to study the question.

Women deacons in the early Church

Up to the 5th century, the Diaconate flourished in the western Church, but in the following centuries it experienced a slow decline, surviving only as an intermediate stage for candidates preparing for priestly ordination. Following the Second Vatican Council, the Church restored the role of permanent deacon, which is open to single and married men. Many experts believe that women should also be able to serve in this role, since there is ample evidence of female deacons in the first centuries, including one named Phoebe who is cited by St Paul in his letter to the Romans.

More women in leadership positions

Pope Francis reiterated that he wants to see an increase in the number of women in decision-making positions in the Church, saying women's perspectives are very important for both the elaboration and the carrying out of such decisions. 

Asked about the possibility of women preaching the homilies during Mass, the Pope said it's important to distinguish between other types of liturgies, where the sermon can be preached by consecrated or lay women, and the Mass, where the homily is connected to the role of the priest serving "in persona Christi".

Changes to Canon Law

Questioned about the prospect of changes to Canon Law which would facilitate the reform process being undertaken by many women's congregations, the Pope said such changes could be possible, providing they were the result of a process of discernment by the competent authorities.

Service not servitude

Finally Pope Francis spoke about the vital work of the sisters who care for the poor and marginalized. He said this is a vocation of service to the Church and must never be confused with servitude, which is sometimes still asked of them. They should not fear being labelled as 'activists', in their service to the needy, he said, but they should also find time for rest and for listening to older or sick members of their communities who are a precious source of wisdom and memory. 

Saturday 14 May 2016

Comment to Pentecost Sunday Readings - year C

Pentecost's Readings Reflection – Year C
Acts 2: 1-11; 1Cor 1: 3-7, 12-13; Jn20: 19-23
"To be mysteriously Fruitful"
Evangelii Gaudium # 280

When Pentecost day came…. As this Pentecost celebration arrives, let us ask ourselves: how will the Spirit find us today?  Enclosed in the room of fear like the disciples? Disappointed for not seeing the striking results we were expecting? Struggling to understand and to be understood like the people assembled in Jerusalem? Restless in search of that peace that the world cannot give us? Trying to remain impassioned with Jesus' mission? Let us recall what Pope Francis considers the secret of every missionary endeavour: "Keeping our missionary fervor alive calls for firm TRUST in the Holy Spirit, for it is he who "helps us in our weakness" (Rom 8:26). But this generous trust has to be nourished and so we need to invoke the Spirit constantly. He can heal whatever causes us to flag in our missionary endeavour.
This Pentecost let us entrust generously ourselves once again to the Spirit of God. Let us allow him to come anew into our lives. Let us nourish our personal relationship with the One who knows how to lead us in a mysterious but fruitful way. Let us TRUST in Him! This is the secret!
They were all amazed and astonished….How does it happen…? We continue quoting Pope Francis while he describes the experience of being led by the Spirit:  "It is true that this trust in the unseen can cause us to feel disoriented: it is like being plunged into the deep and not knowing what we will find… YET, there is no greater freedom than that of allowing oneself to be guided by the Holy Spirit, renouncing to the attempt to plan and control everything to the last detail, and instead letting him enlighten, guide and direct us, leading us wherever he wills.
Letting go our securities, disoriented before the newness, amazement, surprise, freedom….all these happen when we trust and allow the Spirit to do in and through us. Yes, He makes us mysteriously fruitful!

Nobody is able to…., except in the Holy Spirit. "The Holy Spirit knows well what is needed in every time and place. This is what it means to be mysteriously fruitful.
With this assurance and inner certainty we move freely, fearless wherever the Spirit wishes to lead us. Sharing the many different gifts and through many different ways of serving but always in the same Spirit!

Peace be with you! Receive the Holy Spirit!
Empowered by the Spirit we are able to go forth from ourselves and turned ourselves into courageous sharers of the Gospel in every time and place. In this very special moment in South Sudan, let us remember the definitive, deepest and greatest motivation, the ultimate reason and meaning behind all we do: the glory of the Father which Jesus sought at every moment of his life, the glory of the Father who loves us.

As the Father sent me, I'm sending you! In the Spirit we can do it, we become MISTERIOUSLY FRUITFUL!
      
Sr. Nancy Noguera, Missionary Sister Servant of the Holy Spirit (SSpS)
Catholic Diocese of Yei, South Sudan.

Thursday 12 May 2016

Amoris Laetitia - Apostolic Exhortation on the love in the family. Pope Francis

Dear brothers and sisters,
 
below you find the link to “Amoris Laetitia”, Pope Francis Apostolic exhortation on love in the family.
It is a very long document (240 pages in pdf format), but worth reading especially for the ones of us involved in family issues.

you can also dowload the document from the same page of the Vatican link here below. Just click on the title:
 
 
 
 
have a wonderful time!!
 
God bless you all

Wednesday 11 May 2016

Congregation website link

Dear Brothers & Sisters,
 
Please not that on the left hand-side sidebar named
"Religious Order and Congregation Web-site"
I have added a new link for the "Missionary and Sister Servants of the Holy Spirit".
 
You can also click here to be redirected to their website

That Congregation in...

THE BEGINNING

In response to the call of the Holy Spirit and the needs of peoples where the services of women are crucial, on 08 December 1889 in Steyl in the Netherlands, Arnold Janssen, the Founder of the Society of the Divine Word (SVD), together with Mother Maria, Helena Stollenwerk, and Mother Josepha, Hendrina Stenmanns, lays the foundation of the Congregation of the Missionary Sisters Servants of the Holy Spirit (SSpS), as a religious-missionary community dedicated to the life-giving Spirit. In 1896 he establishes yet another congregation, Servants of the Holy Spirit of Perpetual Adoration (SSpSAP).  Initially the two foundations for Sisters are one Congregation with two branches depending administratively and financially on the SVD.
 

Name of the Congregation Mission Congregation of the Servants of the Holy Spirit 

 
Arnold Janssen’s personal dedication to the Holy Spirit, made in Vienna, Austria on 3rd October 1887, is a concrete expression of his desire to come to know the greatness of the Spirit’s love. This desire is born of his deep rootedness in the Trinity.
Two years later when he gives the new women’s congregation the name Servants of the Holy Spirit, he confirms his dedication to the Spirit, and acknowledges the Spirit’s central role in the Church.
In his faith journey, Arnold comes to understand the Holy Spirit as the Father of Love; and the life-giving and unifying love of the Holy Spirit as the true source of the Church’s missionary dynamism.
Our Founder’s ultimate desire is that the Spirit’s love be an inspiration to others. He describes the special aim of the Sisters as follows: “to love the Holy Spirit as the Father of Love and the Dispenser of graces, to adore and glorify Him, and to try to spread love and devotion to Him in others.” He even calls the Holy Spirit the Father of the Congregation.
In 1914, for various reasons the name ‘Society of the Servants of the Holy Spirit’ (in Latin SSSS) which was customarily in use, is changed to the ‘Congregation of the Servants of the Holy Spirit’ (SSpS). When the revised third edition of the Constitutions are submitted for approval in 1925, the Congregation, which is now distinct from that of the SSpSAP, is referred to for the first time as ‘Mission Congregation of the Servants of the Holy Spirit’. By the time of the definitive approval of the Constitutions in 1938, ‘Mission Congregation of the Servants of the Holy Spirit’ has become the Congregation’s official name.

Thursday 5 May 2016

RSASS Executive Body visits the Minister of environment.

Dear brothers and sisters,

Tuesday this week as executive body of RSASS we had the opportunity to visit the new elected Minister of environment, honorable Josephine Napwon.
The Minister welcomed us in her private house where we had a small talk and fr. Daniele Moschetti briefly told her about RSASS and our recent meeting on "Laudato Si". We gave her a copy of the encyclical and a copy of our final communique.
Honorable Josephine looked pleased as she is very close to the Church and hopes in further cooperation.

Peace to you all
Executive Body RSASS

Monday 2 May 2016

Final Communique of RSASS General Assembly

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

few days ago we ended our Annual General Assembly of RSASS. It's been a nice time we'd spent together and we all agreed on the final statement we have already handed to the Minister of Environment hon. Josephine Napwon.

Here below a copy of our final document:


Religious Superiors’ Association of South Sudan (RSASS)

LET US TAKE CARE OF OUR COMMON HOME, SOUTH SUDAN


Workshop on the Encyclical Letter Laudato Si - Final Statement – Juba, 30 April 2016

“Let us read the signs of times” (Cf. Mt 16:3)

We came together in Juba from the 27 to 30, April, 2016, as representatives of the more than 500 religious present in South Sudan to reflect on the message of the Encyclical letter of Pope Francis “Laudato Si” (May You be praised) and its implications for us today.

While the country is trying to come out from the violence, death and destruction of the civil war and implement peace, we are called to overcome our anxieties and fears and not to lose hope. We ‘raise up our heads’ (Lk 21:28) and read the signs of the times. We don’t want to react to any kind of challenge we have to face but to interact with one another and with all people of good will and live our universal call of being co-creators of the world we live in.

Looking around at our reality in South Sudan, we SEE some worrying signs: pollution of the water, of the land, of the air; deforestation and cutting of trees without replacement, burning the forests, overgrazing; oil exploitation as the major income for the country but as a grave polluting agent.

Exercising our JUDGMENT, we see a breaking of the fundamental relationships that make us men and women created in the image of God. In the long years of war we lost the relationship with our brothers and sisters, becoming like Cain who killed his brother. We have lost our relationship with God who has entrusted to us, as stewards, his creation, and making ourselves lords of creation we put in danger our sacred home. We have lost sight of the common good because of greed and thirst for power.

As the prophet Micah (6:8) said we feel called to ACT justly, to love tenderly and to walk humbly with our God. Education of children and youth and formation of leaders is a priority in our parishes and schools. As a Church we feel the need to be a prophetic voice towards those who are decision makers in the political arena through our commitment to Justice, Peace and the Care of Creation. By using the media, particularly radio, we intend to spread the message of Laudato Si in our communities. Liturgical celebrations and international days of observance can be the chance to sensitize our people on the importance of planting trees, keeping the environment clean, particularly in urban areas, and improving and practicing agriculture.

Finally, we cannot avoid making a personal reflection on our life-style, being self-critical and open to change, aware that the resources at our disposal are limited. Our spirituality has to be translated into our actions.

Together with Pope Francis, Let us sing as we go. May our struggles and our concern for this planet never take away the joy of our hope. (No. 244)


Best regards to all of you
Executive Body RSASS

Friday 29 April 2016

HOME - Yes; our Common Home

Please follow the link by clicking on the below word HOME; you will be amazed.

You'll have the chance to watch an outstanding video about our common HOME. It's the history of our planet and how us - human beings - have treated it and risk to put into a great danger





National Assembly THIRD DAY

Again being together as Religious in South Sudan has begun by celebrating Mass; here there is a brief summary of the homily

Extract on the homily:

Jesus gives a new commandment as he is the “new Torah”, the new way of salvation that why he can give a new commandment; he calls us to Love one another. Love is an act of the will and a concrete action; in any situation we found ourselves we are called to choose whether to love or not; and so offer love to all our brother and sisters and towards the whole creation.
St. Francis was not an ecologist; there was no such a concept in the 1200; he was a man deeply in love with Jesus Christ; with God. He recognises God as Creator and therefore all that has come into being is our brother and sister. The Creation has a value as it is the “first book” through which we understand the presence of God and can “go to him”.
As religious we have something more to tell the world; not only that our planet is in danger due to the abuse of it we have carried out for centuries; but that this world is a gift from a Father who cares for us and wants us to be co-creators of his handiwork.

This was how the Nile welcomed us this morning:



Work in the assembly and presentation of the Group works


Thursday 28 April 2016

Let it be... second day of RSASS Assembly

We have hit the second day of our annual meeting.

Fr. Daniele Moschetti has opened the day by presiding the Mass and during his homily reminded us all the importance of "remain" in Jesus in all what we do and not to lose hope in the future. He told us about St. Daniel Comboni experience for whom remaining in God  meant to keepfaith in all the difficult circumstances he'd found himself.

After Mass fr. Peter Nox enlightened us again on environmental and ecological issues. This morning approach has been more scientific revealing the important studies which lie behind Pope Francis Enciclical Laudato Si.

Enjoy the pics; more will be added later, just be patient ;-)







 



 
Group works!!








Wednesday 27 April 2016

Opening Mass at RSASS Annual General Assembly 2016


The General Assembly has begun with the Holy Mass presided by H.E. Charles Daniel Balvo


This is a brief extract of his homily.

Act of the apostles, what was their identity? Who were they? Simply Jews or missionaries to the gentiles? To whom do they have to go? And they had the first gathering in Jerusalem to decide to see if they were something new but still recognising their origin.

They were both, rooted in the Jewish tradition, but they were bearing something new. We have inherited that “newness” of life and we keep preaching it all over South Sudan. The things that keeps us together is the Lord Jesus himself; he's the vine we are the branches. Whatever we face his life and love is present in our own lives; yet sometimes we cut off ourselves from him.
These are important days for South Sudan, maybe peace will come, but the best will come if we do not forget our mission, spreading the love of God remaining rooted in Jesus Christ. Paul was convinced that nothing can separate us from God, we shall not forget that.


Have a good work to all the participants


 
 
And these is just some Group Work after plenary session