The mission in Zambia of the Pallottine Missionary Sisters is now two years old. To mark the occasion Sr. Izabela Swierad, the Superior General, together with Sr. Basilisa Jacob, the Provincial Superior of the English -Tanzanian Province and Sr. Mary McNulty, a member of the Mission Commission went on visitation in May 2019. It was a very busy week with many activities. Here are some of the highlights of the visit.

Exodus 3:11-20; Matthew 11:28-30

"This is what you shall tell the Israelites: I AM sent me to you."
"The Lord remembers his covenant for ever."
"Come to me, all you who are weary and find life burdensome, and I will refresh you."

I have to confess, that I sometimes find some aspects of life to be "burdensome."  And there are those days when I feel "weary."  I tell myself that it is no big deal.  I know so many people who have to face burdens and relentless challenges I don't yet know.  And whenever I'm tempted to some measure of self-pity, I'm reminded of the millions of people on this earth who live in unspeakable hardship.

Exodus 3:1-6, 9-12; Matthew 11:25-27

Have you had the experience of standing with a person, say a friend of many years, or before a familiar object, say a sculpture or a fountain or an aged tree, and suddenly seeing that person or that beautiful object as if for the first time? Or, more to the point, seeing the real presence of God right there, embodied before you, for the first time? It is as if the true person or being shines out through the familiar material reality. It is as if our hearts catch the burning of love communicating itself, for love is luminous and must communicate itself to the beloved.

Holiness: A Path Travelled Together

Blessed are the poor in spirit,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Mt. 5:3)

I would like to begin by thanking the General Secretariat of the Union for the opportunity given to me and God for the gift of life which He gives me day by day and for having given me Christian parents who from my infancy have guided me on my way and through the precepts of the Lord.

How I became part of the Union of Catholic Apostolate.

Since every call is a vocation from the Lord with a specific purpose, and we only have to say to the Lord, “See, I have come to do your will, O God”, my call to the Union of Catholic Apostolate began in Luanda on September 24^th 2008, when I made my first journey to Rome on a Sabena/Brussels flight via Brussels to begin my studies in Rome. At that time, my family had just come to know a priest friend from the missions who was in Rome, Fr. Paul Bacchelett; who was able to host me for just two months in Via dei Falegnami and enrol me in the Angelicum University.

Exodus 2:1-15a; Matthew 11:20-24

Today's gospel reading follows immediately on the passage in which Herod arrests and kills John the Baptist, and Jesus seems to somewhat suddenly take up the prophetic voice that John had used. There is more than a touch of anger in his words, and we can take them to be an accusation not only against these specific towns but against that whole generation and their rejection of John as well.

Jesus speaks of the signs and miracles, not only his own but also John's, that should have lead to conversion.

June 2019

Rome

▪ In spite of the sunny days, the Pentecost celebration gathered a large group of faithful at St. Peter’s square for the Holy Mass presided by His Holiness Pope Francis. In his homily he underlined the attributes of the Holy Spirit urging all the believers to open up their hearts to the Holy Spirit who brings harmony, peace and unity.  Further he said if we adopt the Spirit’s way of seeing things, then everything changes in our life so that we become people of joy and hope.

Exodus 1:8-14, 22; Matthew 10:34-11:1

Throughout Matthew’s gospel Jesus presents his main teachings through the use of sermons and discourses.  There are five such gospel sections presenting Jesus’ teaching each of which is followed by events, miracle stories and incidents that highlight these teachings.  The gospel reading today comes at the end of one of these discourses and centers on the preaching of the reign of God.   Jesus has called the disciples into service and he prepares them for that service by sending them out to preach the reign of God to the people.  This will not be an easy task he tells them, “What I am doing is sending you out like sheep among wolves.”

Deuteronomy 30:10-14; Colossians 1:15-20; Luke 10:25-37

The Gospel cannot happen in your head alone. You never think yourself into a new way of living. You invariably live yourself into a new way of thinking. The gospel is about relationship and lifestyle. Unless there is someplace on this earth where it’s happening between you and another person, I don’t believe you have any criterion to judge whether it’s happening at all. Unless you’re in right relationship with at least one other person on this earth, unless there is some place you can give and receive love, I don’t think you have any reason to think you’re living the gospel.