The penultimate day of our week-long parochial faith awakening spiritual experience. The day for the sick and the day for the meditation on the mystery of the Cross. The conclusion of the day was the meeting with married couples taking on the issue of the crisis of the father figure in the world. Here are the texts:
Showing posts with label Friday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Friday. Show all posts
Friday, May 31, 2013
Friday, September 28, 2012
Weekend? You bet!
Whenever I come across people excited by TGIF (Thanks God It's Friday) frenzy, I question myself if I am abnormal. To me, Friday is the beginning of the busiest time of the week. This 'weekend' is no exception to this rule...
Friday, June 24, 2011
Two Signs
Just a while ago I have finished the Holy Mass of the Solemnity of the Birth of Saint John the Baptist. As today is Friday, this Mass was the last event of the recollection day in the shrine, which dates back, as I wrote on my occasions, to 1994 when we were about to begin the construction of the parochial church, and has been continuing for 17 years now on each and every Friday of the year without interruption till today...
Friday, April 29, 2011
Father's Arms
The first day of the annual celebration of Divine Mercy Sunday in the diocesan shrine of Divine Mercy here in Kiabakari... A day of hiding in Loving Father's arms in His House on top of Divine Mercy Hill... A recollection day in the shrine for all members of parochial community - from Kiabakari Small Christian Communities and from all outstations... Like a day of closing our ranks in the face of gathering troops on the horizon ready to come down upon us starting from tomorrow...not in bad intention, but in their quest for living waters from Divine Mercy Ocean flowing out of this shrine...
Friday, April 15, 2011
Good Friday
No, it is not the Good Friday in the Holy Week I am thinking about. Today is Friday and it has been a very good Friday so far to me...
Friday, November 26, 2010
Black Friday
From Wikipedia: Black Friday is the day following Thanksgiving Day in the United States, traditionally the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. On this day many U.S. retailers open very early, often at 5 a.m., and offer promotional sales to kick off the shopping season. Because Thanksgiving always falls on the fourth Thursday in November in the United States, the day after occurs between the 23rd and the 29th of November...
Friday, July 2, 2010
Triduum Sacrum
No, I am not talking about THE Triduum Sacrum during Holy Week - Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday with Easter Vigil. This is another Triduum Sacrum, three holy days we observe and celebrate in a most devout, passionate and solemn way.
Friday, May 28, 2010
An Extra Added Flavor
It's Friday again. A recollection day as usual in the shrine. With some extra added flavor. So many intention to pray for, so many heavy thoughts, so many unanswered questions. So much stress and frustration creeping in my soul.
I do not surrender. I know I must be patient with God and myself, and with people around me. I must pray and do not get tempted to ask God divine questions - when and how He will answer my prayers? These questions I will not ask Him. I have asked them before and got punished. These questions even Jesus Himself did not dare ask His Father.
So I keep faith and pray and endure this time of trial. Fridays are good windows of opportunity to exercise this attitude. And this is precisely what I do always on Fridays, and today is no exception.
But there is this extra added flavor. I woke up feeling sick today. One of the worst days in recent months. went for a sick call to Bibi Monica, attended to people in the office and started the recollection day with Lauds and Rosary, midday prayers and Angelus, now going for the Stations of the Way of the Cross. But today my own body is my worst enemy. Like a heavy cross that grows heavier and heavier with minutes passing by. And now I'm pretty sure malaria is coming thick and fast. Nausea already, can't have anything in my mouth. Depression - which is a standard feature of my malaria periods is encompassing my soul and psyche. I feel sad and lonely and worthless. How I know well this condition. Hopefully this malaria won't be as bad as last August, when I was out of equation for almost a month with depression at its highest and helplessness killing my soul. I was lucky to survive then. I dread the very thought of that horrible experience returning. But who knows?...
It would be most unfortunate to get sick seriously today when I have so many things to do yet, and tomorrow an important meeting of Lay Parish Council and exercise in the afternoon of Baptism Mass which will be on Sunday at 9am with school kids baptized in the Shrine.
I'll go and check blood for malaria right after the Stations of the Way of the Cross. If I manage to finish it with this nausea intensifying with every minute, arrrgh...
Thank you, o Lord, for this cross. This is the only personal gift I can offer to you - something out my body, soul or psyche. Something which is truly me. May this hammer the wall of impossible surrounding Kiabakari for so many months since the beginning of this year, where everything stuck and nothing is going forward in development of this place. Please, accept this gift. And bring down that hateful wall...Amen.
Friday, May 21, 2010
The Rock
I've just finished our Friday recollection day in the Shrine. As we approach the Solemnity of Pentecost, I thought it would be most appropriate and timely to share with you one remarkable story.
In January 1994, as I was about to commence the construction of the new parochial church which was to be a shrine of Divine Mercy in Kiabakari, I was one day approached by a group of my parishioners, roughly thirty persons, mostly retirees and adults. They came up with the idea that - since we are about to build a House of God and this work will not find appreciation in the eyes of the Evil One, who will most probably cause a lot of problems on the way, trying to prevent us from completion of the project - we need to fast and pray so that, by doing that, we will protect the project and it will come to the completion.
I was left speechless by the audacity and courage full of faith of those Christians! They, without being pushed by anyone, decided freely that they will come every Friday to our temporary chapel which I put up using the roof sheets from the old chapel which we had just demolished to pave way for the new church on top of the hill which came later to be known as Divine Mercy Hill.
Imagine the extreme conditions inside this structure - roof sheets on the roof, roof sheets as walls, and dust as a floor. And those brave Christians spending up to 10 hours inside fasting without water and praying EVERY Friday till the end of the construction of the church which happened three and a half years later!
Truly, they have become like those people who were supporting hands of praying Moses during Israelis battle, as we read in the Bible...
What they had decided in January 1994, they fulfilled faithfully till the end. Whenever I was able I was with them, leading some of the prayers, being available for confessions and Holy Mass...
After the dedication of the church on July 3, 1997, the Evil One who - so far - was unable to break their resolve and make them quit, struck hard for the first time. My 'wanamafungo' (as I came to call them, meaning - retreat people') came to me asking if there is a need to continue with these Friday retreats as the church was ready and the goal has been achieved...It was a clever temptation, based on sane reasoning...
But I sensed a temptation and resisted. I asked them to continue and decided to give those Friday recollection days more solid look and put them in a regular framework or schedule - with morning prayers, spiritual talk, rosary, Stations of the Way of the Cross, adoration, confessions, Holy Mass and Divine Mercy Hour.
Every year I proposed certain themes for every Friday of the year, with third Fridays of every month given special emphasis as an open day for people and pilgrims from the whole diocese and beyond, as the idea of elevating the status of the shrine to the diocesan shrine of Divine Mercy was clearly seen on the horizon and - bishop and me - started to talk about it louder...
I used to invite a retreat masters for the whole year (twelve third Fridays of the month) who were to give talks on set themes that were decided upon in the pastoral calendar of the shrine...
Second strike of the Evil One came when I was asked by the late Bishop Justin Samba to move to Musoma Cathedral as a parish priest. I thought it was over - in regards to the future of the shrine and Divine Mercy devotion at large in Kiabakari...
My successor in Kiabakari did not feel this devotion and the need to have a shrine of Divine Mercy, so he wanted Kiabakari to be just an ordinary parish...
And even if he was not ready to be to 'wanamafungo' as close as I was, those heroes continued with their iron resolve and resisted the temptation to abandon Fridays...
I returned to Kiabakari in November 2006 and they were relieved clearly as they knew that the old times returned too, and with them - Fridays also as a retreat day with full participation of the priest...
And this is how it is up till today. They have praying and fasting for 16 years now - EVERY Friday of the year! Some of them have passed away, some of them moved out of Kiabakari, some of them got tired or sick and cannot come again on regular basis, some new members came in, the rest - depending on the Friday - are going strong. There are Fridays with just a few people participating, on other Fridays we are many...
It does not matter to me much. The resolve and continuity is what matters...
They are my true heroes. They are THE ROCK on which Kiabakari is being built for the past sixteen years...
I bow my head in front of them in admiration, praise and gratitude. I salute them with love and pride! I kneel down and wash their feet humbled by their faith and values they have been standing for fiercely for so long. They - through their fasting and prayers and persistence - made all this happen what you can see now in Kiabakari mission and the shrine. Their patience, determination, fasting and prayer conquered Lord's heart and made him to fulfill our dreams and visions - His plans and vision for this place...
In January 1994, as I was about to commence the construction of the new parochial church which was to be a shrine of Divine Mercy in Kiabakari, I was one day approached by a group of my parishioners, roughly thirty persons, mostly retirees and adults. They came up with the idea that - since we are about to build a House of God and this work will not find appreciation in the eyes of the Evil One, who will most probably cause a lot of problems on the way, trying to prevent us from completion of the project - we need to fast and pray so that, by doing that, we will protect the project and it will come to the completion.
I was left speechless by the audacity and courage full of faith of those Christians! They, without being pushed by anyone, decided freely that they will come every Friday to our temporary chapel which I put up using the roof sheets from the old chapel which we had just demolished to pave way for the new church on top of the hill which came later to be known as Divine Mercy Hill.
What they had decided in January 1994, they fulfilled faithfully till the end. Whenever I was able I was with them, leading some of the prayers, being available for confessions and Holy Mass...
After the dedication of the church on July 3, 1997, the Evil One who - so far - was unable to break their resolve and make them quit, struck hard for the first time. My 'wanamafungo' (as I came to call them, meaning - retreat people') came to me asking if there is a need to continue with these Friday retreats as the church was ready and the goal has been achieved...It was a clever temptation, based on sane reasoning...
But I sensed a temptation and resisted. I asked them to continue and decided to give those Friday recollection days more solid look and put them in a regular framework or schedule - with morning prayers, spiritual talk, rosary, Stations of the Way of the Cross, adoration, confessions, Holy Mass and Divine Mercy Hour.
Every year I proposed certain themes for every Friday of the year, with third Fridays of every month given special emphasis as an open day for people and pilgrims from the whole diocese and beyond, as the idea of elevating the status of the shrine to the diocesan shrine of Divine Mercy was clearly seen on the horizon and - bishop and me - started to talk about it louder...
I used to invite a retreat masters for the whole year (twelve third Fridays of the month) who were to give talks on set themes that were decided upon in the pastoral calendar of the shrine...
Second strike of the Evil One came when I was asked by the late Bishop Justin Samba to move to Musoma Cathedral as a parish priest. I thought it was over - in regards to the future of the shrine and Divine Mercy devotion at large in Kiabakari...
My successor in Kiabakari did not feel this devotion and the need to have a shrine of Divine Mercy, so he wanted Kiabakari to be just an ordinary parish...
And even if he was not ready to be to 'wanamafungo' as close as I was, those heroes continued with their iron resolve and resisted the temptation to abandon Fridays...
I returned to Kiabakari in November 2006 and they were relieved clearly as they knew that the old times returned too, and with them - Fridays also as a retreat day with full participation of the priest...
And this is how it is up till today. They have praying and fasting for 16 years now - EVERY Friday of the year! Some of them have passed away, some of them moved out of Kiabakari, some of them got tired or sick and cannot come again on regular basis, some new members came in, the rest - depending on the Friday - are going strong. There are Fridays with just a few people participating, on other Fridays we are many...
It does not matter to me much. The resolve and continuity is what matters...
They are my true heroes. They are THE ROCK on which Kiabakari is being built for the past sixteen years...
I bow my head in front of them in admiration, praise and gratitude. I salute them with love and pride! I kneel down and wash their feet humbled by their faith and values they have been standing for fiercely for so long. They - through their fasting and prayers and persistence - made all this happen what you can see now in Kiabakari mission and the shrine. Their patience, determination, fasting and prayer conquered Lord's heart and made him to fulfill our dreams and visions - His plans and vision for this place...
THE TRUE ROCK ON WHICH KIABAKARI IS BUILT.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)