What Child is this?

Did you ever notice what we do when we hold a small child?

We all do it. Our eyes. We look straight into the child’s face, and silently speak the wonder, awe, love that can’t be put into words.

Our lips. We use our lips a lot when holding a baby. We purse them, make sounds that aren’t words, and we kiss the child from a distance.

Our arms. If ever arms expressed holding something precious, they do it when we cradle a tiny baby. Few could describe such grace, but everyone can picture it.

Our whole body. Did you ever notice that we never stand still when holding a tiny baby? We slowly sway from side to side, turn in half circles, lean forward and back.

Did you ever stop to think that you were once held that way? Anyone who ever held you as a tiny child held you that way.

Did you ever stop to think that God holds you that way? Not just when you were a tiny child, but now! Even if things aren’t going well – especially if things aren’t going well.

What child is this? It’s me. In God’s arms.

Merry Christmas.

The author of this text is unknown but the drawing was made by our confrere Anthony Coninx on a piece of cloth given to Antoon Oostveen years ago. Anthony headed the Communication Office at the Catholic Secretariat and set up Radio Yatsani. He had great artistic gifts. Unfortunately, he has Alzheimer and had to be put in an institution in Belgium.

Let us pray for him and for all our sick confreres who have dedicated their lives to the Lord Jesus in our common mission in Africa. They are in God’s arms today in a special way.

Oh behalf of the Southern Africa Province (SAP), I wish you all Merry Christmas and a Happy 2014 New Year.

Father Serge St-Arneault, M.Afr

SAP Provincial Secretary

Newsletter South Africa no 34 – December 23, 2013

On this second day before Christmas, I am happy to come again and to wish you a very “lucid” one! This is an idea taken from the President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops. Lucid comes from Latin and means “from the light”, “filled with light”, “clear”. 

We just lost our dear Tata Madiba who was one of those lucid ones, who reflected light and was a bearer of light in our world.

May we try to imitate some of his virtues by being bearers of peace, justice and reconciliation.  Indeed, Christmas awakens in us our deepest longings, and only God can fulfil them, but occasionally, in the course of history He gives us some models to imitate, and Nelson Mandela was surely one of them. FULL TEXT

Present Magazine Christmas 2013

Christmas greetings from the Southern, I hope and trust that all is well with you and that you are eagerly waiting to welcome the Light of the world, Christ, our King and Saviour.

At Christmas, Christ brings us the blessings of great joy, a message of peace and the immense love of God, his Father. It is no doubt that our Holy Father’s message in his Apostolic Exhortation, “Evangelii Gaudium”, echoes this fact and invites us to be messengers of Joy and Hope in our changing world today.

I invite you all to find a copy of this captivating, challenging and converting message from our Holy Father. Believe me that, after you have read his message, you will never be the same, change will definitely be felt and seen in you. Indeed, there will surely be some transformation in your life. I have read it and it has made me reflect and let myself be challenged by its richness and depth.

May you experience the Joy of Christmas and be compelled to radiate it to all you meet, especially the little ones and the marginalised of our society.

God bless and may the King who brings us Peace, Joy and Love, be your guide and strength. I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Full magazine

Fr. Kangwa Francis, M.Afr – Vocation Director

From Left: Julius Musonda, Fr. Kangwa, Rogers Mwansa and Peter Mutasha

New Perspectives in Mission: the Challenge for New Paradigms

held its last conference of the year on Saturday 7^th December, under the theme: New Perspectives in Mission: the Challenge for New Paradigms.

Three speakers shared their understanding of Mission, in relation to the theme. Fr Lastone Robert Lupupa, SJ, currently Parish Priest at Our Heavenly Father Parish in Chelstone, spoke about how he became interested in the mass media, and how he uses them to spread the Good News in Zambia and beyond. For him, the mass and social media are a great tool to reach out to more people who thirst for the Word of God. Reverend Pastor Ezron Z. Musonda, the Principal of the Baptist Theological Seminary of Zambia, shared his experience of Evangelism prior to his teaching career. He explained that for the Baptists Bible Study Groups and the physical pastoral contact remain a fundamental way of evangelising.

As a way of synthesis, Fr. Marc Nsanzurwimo, a missiologist and member of FENZA gave an expansive academic comprehension of Mission today. He underlined the different approaches to mission that took place. He highlighted the challenges and opportunities that globalisation presents to Evangelisation. He ended his presentation by pointing out some fundamentals in evangelisation such as Justice and Peace, Reconciliation and the Care for Creation. See the PDF document.

As usual, time was given to the participants to ask questions and to react to the presentations. This prompted a good sharing of views and experiences. This conference made it clear once again, that today fast-changing world presents challenging opportunities to evangelise. Will we rise up to the challenge for new paradigms? And how? These will remain ongoing questions.

Next year, FENZA shall organise 3 conferences on pertinent issues, drawing hopefully as many even more participants.

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Other link: http://mafrsaprovince.com/2013/11/28/conference-on-mission-fenza-7th-december/

Migrants around the world

The issue of migrants is closely linked to the issue of modern slavery. A large percentage of migrants are victims of labour and sexual exploitation leading them to live a life of slavery. In addition, some migrants are victims of human trafficking, which is one of the new forms of slavery.

Whereas the context of this ‘dossier’ leads us to look at the ‘migrants-issue’ from its negative aspects, we should not forget its economic, cultural and spiritual aspects. In fact, many nations both those who send and receive migrants ,would not be what they are today – especially in terms of economic development- without the contribution made by millions of immigrants. FULL TEXT