Yengo Germain, cicm
Missionary in Belgium

The urgency of reconciliation is to live in peace today before resting in peace tomorrow.

Life, it is said, "is a journey into the unknown," marked by encounters, joys, sorrows, and conflicts. Every day, we go forward without knowing when our earthly pilgrimage will end. Christ wisely reminds us: "be on your guard, therefore, because you do not know the day nor the hour" (Matthew 25:13). This biblical truth invites us to live every moment with an awakened conscience, to seek reconciliation and to cultivate peace in our hearts and our communities.

During my three years of pastoral mission in the Diocese of Inongo, I had to work hard, among other things, to promote reconciliation between members of different biological or related families, socio-political allegiances, ideological associations, and even between members of different priestly and religious communities. Although sharing a common faith, these families, groups, and communities were sometimes divided by misunderstandings and cultural conflicts. I often witnessed tensions between different members, and the urgency of reconciliation and forgiveness remained crucial. Interpersonal relationships were not stable because they were marked by deep divisions between members of several families, communities, or associations, often due to suspicions of witchcraft, misinterpretation, clichés, and backbiting. These situations made it even more urgent to recognize the urgency of reconciliation. Having witnessed these experiences, which have sometimes even claimed victims, I have understood one thing: we believe that time is infinite and that we will always have another day to resolve our differences. But this illusion distracts us from the essentials. Forgiveness and reconciliation are acts that we must accomplish today before it is too late.

In the infinite wisdom of our Lord, we have been given the gift of living each day without knowing the hour of our departure from this world. And if the Lord has not revealed this moment, he prefers to see us "always ready" to appear before him. This uncertainty invites us to be always ready, particularly in our relationship with our loved ones and God. It is easy to believe that we will always have time to settle our differences, forgive, and reconcile. However, this illusion of infinite time is a trick of the evil one, of the devil. He wants to encourage brothers and sisters not to make forgiveness and reconciliation a full-time emergency. But we must know that every conflict embedded in our hearts is an obstacle to the peace and liberation that Christ offers us. Forgiveness and reconciliation are not acts to be postponed, for they are essential to our salvation and physical and spiritual well-being. Can we get a good night's sleep when we know something is wrong with the other person? Can we pray properly and easily offer the sacrifice that reconciles us with God when we know that, in all conscience, we have created a locked conflict with someone? I question my conscience.

As a missionary in the Diocese of Inongo, I have seen how reconciliation can free hearts and transform communities. I have witnessed members of communities who, after years of resentment, have found peace by following the example of Christ, who forgives at all times. Several times, I had to get on my knees for a long time to obtain forgiveness from one party for the other and finally end with a Thanksgiving celebration.

Taking the first step to the emergency room of forgiveness, even when we believe we are right, is a sign of humility, strength, maturity, and faith. In doing so, we follow the example of Christ, who always advocated unconditional forgiveness and love. We know it is sometimes difficult to take the initiative for reconciliation, especially when we feel neglected, belittled, ignored, hurt, or betrayed. However, by taking this step, we demonstrate our commitment to peace and divine love, essential for a harmonious life in a community, a family, or an association.

We must remember that forgiveness is a path to healing for ourselves and those with whom we seek reconciliation. As long as we live in a different society, it is not easy to avoid certain behaviors that fuel conflict. Dramatizing situations and underestimating a brother, sister, or friend only fuel the fire. To attribute evil intentions to another without proof is an injustice. To keep a score of past offenses, keeping track of each offense is poison for the soul. Christ taught us and called us repeatedly to forgive "not seven times, but seventy times seven times" (Matthew 18:22).

In our pastoral work, we have introduced spiritual practices to promote reconciliation, such as community prayers (in parishes and some families) and mediation meetings. In our prayers, we ask God to help us see what we need to abandon and leave behind, such as behaviors and habits that create division and conflict, in order to foster an environment of peace and mutual understanding. This is where human investment in a community and family paradise becomes urgent.

It is well known that the path to reconciliation is difficult, but this path is essential. Knowing how to ask for forgiveness, even through intermediaries, is a mark of humility. Knowing how to forgive and walk the path together again is an act of faith in divine love. As the Apostle Peter reminds us, "Above all, love one another deeply because love covers a multitude of sins" (1 Peter 4:8).

We are often confronted with conflicts and misunderstandings in our daily missionary life. It is easy to let these disagreements fester, believing we will always have an opportunity to resolve them. However, the uncertainty of our existence reminds us that the time for reconciliation is "now," for every moment is an opportunity to make peace and restore broken bonds. Thus, we can seek to live in peace today in order to rest in peace tomorrow, for the Lord "forgives us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us."

Antonius Harnoko, cicm
Missionary in Japan

Since the beginning of its mandate in 2022, the Provincial Government of Asia has taken seriously the task of studying, reflecting, and planning for the future of the CICM-CH. As I continued the works that my predecessor, Anthony Lim, had begun, I was tasked to research, dialogue, discuss, and reflect for communal discernment the future of CICM-CH. One of my tasks was to visit CICM-CH on June 1-8, the land where our Founder's great dream sprang.

It was not without any anxiety that I set foot for the first time in CICM-CH. Joseph Jin and John Zhao (postulant) met Peter Koh, who flew from Singapore, and I, coming from Osaka, at the Beijing Capital Airport. We were brought to a hotel not far from the airport. After that, we went to a Chinese restaurant wherein the other 3 postulants,

a high school boy who was interested in joining, and a lady friend who

did the translation for us, had waited for our coming. For almost two hours, we had a delicious dinner while having a conversation with them in a low-profile manner.

On Sunday morning, the 4 of us attended the eucharistic celebration in the Cathedral. It was a wonderful experience to pray and to witness the Corpus Christi celebrated in a Chinese liturgy. After the mass, we went to visit St Joseph Church, which is not far from the cathedral. And then, Joseph Jin drove us to see the Great Wall. It took us a 5-hour drive to the mountain hotel and the Great Wall's entrance. It was an amazing experience to walk for 3 hours, enjoying the greatness of the Wall and the beautiful sunset. Joseph reminded us how hard it was for the confreres in those days passing the Great Wall. With awe, we spent a silent prayer for so many people sacrificing their lives for this kind of world wonder. Our surprise did not end there. We were brought to a small inn-resto whose owner is a Catholic who knew CICM in the old days.

After a Chinese breakfast and hotel check-out, we headed to Tiger Valley, where our Founder died and was buried. When we arrived at the church, we were welcomed by a lay leader and brought for a tour of the church, former CICM residence and the cemetery where 8 CICM confreres are laid eternally. We moved to Xiwanzi Chong Li after lunch in a small restaurant not far from the church. Amazed by the beauty of the city-mountain and city development in Xiwanzi Chong Li, the winter Olympic city of 2022, my imagination was brought back to those first confreres who dedicated their entire lives to this small city. We were in awe when we saw the development of the Xiwanzi church community, where CICM began its mission here.

When we visited the beautiful church of Xiwanzi, a parishioner brought us to the parish priest. In a very simple and humble way, he prepared Chinese tea while conversing about life in Xiwanzi today. He spoke in a low voice in a dimly lit tea room. We were brought to the cemetery of  confreres on the hill a bit outside the city. From there we could see the whole city. With a burning heart, the parishioner who guided us to the site shared how much the CICM missionaries were loved and respected by the people. He invited us to have more confreres and other friends to visit their community in Xiwanzi.

In the evening, we drove out of Xiwanzi City for about 40 minutes towards a village called Gaojiayin. We had a very warm welcome and dinner. During the dinner, we shared and animated one another in being family of CICM. The families were very pleased and open to offering their sons the chance to join. We spent the night in a Catholic nursing home, which is managed personally by a family of our postulant. We were so inspired by their charitable dedication to taking care of abandoned elderly in the village, even without any support or subsidy from the outside. It was an authentic witnessing of Chinese Catholic families who put their faith into action despite their limitations.

The following day, we had a simple but delicious breakfast in the nursing home's kitchen. The families requested Joseph to celebrate morning mass in their chapel. Indeed, it was a humbling experience to share the table of the Lord in a simple chapel next to their cowshed. After the mass, we left the nursing home happy and proceeded to Hohhot, one of the most memorable mission stations of CICM.

When we arrived at the Cathedral of Hohhot and enjoyed the beauty of its surroundings, we were approached by someone we finally knew as the bishop of Hohhot. He looked so simple, so much so that we did not expect that he was the bishop. Even though we were a bit hesitant, he insisted on inviting us into his office for Chinese tea and conversation. It was quite a humble and friendly encounter with the bishop. He proudly shared how the CICM entered their life journey as Christian communities for many years. But, he was so honest that until today, foreign missionaries cannot come and work in the mainland as we always think of. After we left Hohhot, we drove another 5 hours to Yulin, and we proceeded to the hotel prepared by our confrere James Li. We found a small eatery nearby and ate a simple but delicious ordinary Chinese cuisine before retiring for the day.

James Li came to our breakfast at the hotel and helped us, especially Peter Koh and myself, to be registered in the city. The process of registration took us some time. As we moved to visit the parish church where James worked, he gave us a tour of his parish, which was under a major renovation. After a tour, I invited the two confreres to have a community sharing. Our praying together, our fraternal sharing, evaluation, and discussion brought us again as CICM religious missionaries to the mission land of our Founder. James' parishioners prepared a simple but delicious goat meat for our lunch. After lunch, James drove us to visit the first Christian Mongolian community founded by CICM in Boro Balghasu. Since the parish priest was not present, we simply took time to see the surroundings. We came back to James' parish and attended the Mass. A good friend of James treated us to dinner, and we had another new friend from CICM.

The next day, we departed from Yulin and moved to Shijiazhuang City. In the afternoon, three postulants came to meet us, and we had a very happy conversation, sometimes in English but most of the time in Chinese. Joseph brought us to a tourist spot, where we had a nice dinner together with the postulants.

We left Shijiazhuang in the morning, and after a 2-hour drive, we reached the house of Joseph Gao in Renqui Town. Joseph Gao's family invited us for lunch with some of his relatives and friends who were very much interested in the CICM works and formation. We were also introduced to a mother whose son is interested in joining CICM. After lunch, we proceeded to the house of Joseph Jin's brother, not so far from the house of Joseph Gao. After some rest and walking around visiting the parish church and a sister's convent, we were blessed with food and drinks brought by Joseph’s family. It was a good and happy CICM family gathering!

We left Joseph's house very early the next day. We reached the Beijing   International Airport around 6 AM. After a long queue at the airport, Peter and I could fly back safely to our respective homes.

A ten-day trip to the mission land of our Founder made me realize that our CICM-CH is still alive in a very different way today. From the communal reflection of the CH Community, there are some important points worth mentioning:

Community Life

a. Two confreres working in the mainland are happy with their respective assignments. Because of the distance, they have some agreed time to gather together basically once every 2 months.

b. The information/communication coming from the General Secretariat and the Provincial Secretariat is smoothly done. This makes them connected to the rest of the Province. They are happy with some activities of the Province/District that include them.

c. Some activities, especially about congregational/church matters, are still sensitive concerns.

d. From time to time, they gather together with the postulants as a community.

CICM missionary project

a.     At the moment, there is no specific communal project inside CH because of the restriction and of a small number of 2 confreres only. In the future, if more confreres work in CH, we can have common missionary projects.

b.    Regarding the coming non-Chinese confreres, it is still difficult to consider a long-term missionary engagement inside CH.

Initial Formation

a. Joseph Jin has been excellent in promoting vocations and meeting  families and the priests in the seminary. With the increasing number of CH confreres and vocations, there is a sense of hope for the future of CICM-CH. Some of these vocations originally came from Xiwanzi, where the Founder and his companions began the CICM mission. The fruits of vocation sowed by our Founder have begun.

b. There is an urgent need to review the initial program for CH postulancy/orientation year.

c. Confreres who have easy access can go to CH to animate the confreres and postulants and give them a bigger view of CICM.

d. Many Chinese Catholic families and friends continue to cherish the memories of the CICM's presence, both past and present.

The CH missionary community, particularly, and ASI Province in general, are not desperate but rather patient and content to continue the mission despite the many challenges we will face in the future, especially for our good and beautiful mission in CH. Lastly, to help our confreres better understand the situation and, at the same time, to animate confreres and people of God in CH, we are considering reviving the pilgrimage to the CICM Mission in CH as part of CICM ASI’s ongoing formation program.

« For the one who loves, nothing is difficult. »  §

Alejandro Ulpindo, cicm
Missionary in the Philippines

The following reflection is the summary of my 20 years of CICM journey from the postulancy up to now (2004-2024). I have never stayed alone in my ministry, either apostolate or assignment; I was blessed to always work in a community context. Hence, I journeyed with talented and enthusiastic confreres. From their characters and passions, I learned to appreciate their uniqueness and update my lifestyle and my convictions. The particular lesson I learned is to avoid any generalization and stereotyping and to speak of community life at an interpersonal relationship level before talking about interculturality. I hereby advise everyone to speak of community life, first, on an individual or interpersonal basis to better appreciate its beauty, which lies in the diversity and individuality of each member.

My Confrere, My Mission

The 14th CICM General Chapter declared that life in community is already a mission: "Community is not only for the mission, but it is also a mission." What does it really mean? A simple definition of community for religious people shows that the community is a group of individuals who share common interests, values, beliefs, or goals and interact with one another. If the community is understood as a group of individuals, it means the community and "each individual is mission." My confrere is a mission that I have to love, cherish, protect, and care for. We must support one another in love: "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds" (Hebrew 10:24). If one falls, we raise him; If he is tired, we carry him! If he makes mistakes, we forgive him and try to endure his mistakes. Hence, if you form a community of more than two or three confreres, it implies that you have more specific missions to cherish and serve. Therefore, it is advisable to keep in mind that religious people don't only coexist and work together, but they share, support, and grow together in faith: "one heart and one soul."

Universal Brotherhood vs. Fraternal Union

In my opinion, the declaration that life in community is already a mission instills the distinction between two things: our togetherness (universal brotherhood) and the acceptance of each individual as a witness to the Gospel (fraternal union):

"… Furthermore, we declare that life in community IS mission, for where two or three brothers are gathered in the name of Jesus and share everything, they are witnesses to the message that God is love. Our witnessing is all the more powerful if our communities are composed of members of different races and cultures. Being CICM today means to live and work together in Provinces and communities composed of confreres of different nationalities and cultures. This is the way that we ought to live our 'Cor unum et anima una.' When we accept each other and live thus in fraternal union, we witness the universality of Christ's love."

Based on the declaration, the mission today is a collective and collaborative endeavor. I am personally convinced that there is no problem with the concept of "universal brotherhood." Universal brotherhood emphasizes the broader idea of unity and kinship among all humanity, transcending boundaries and differences. On the other hand, the problem in several CICM communities remains in the level of acceptance of my confrere (fraternal union) due to differences in characters, attitudes, and behaviors. Fraternal union focuses on fostering close bonds and supportive relationships within a specific group or community. Hence, "when we accept each other and live thus in fraternal union, we become witnesses to the universality of Christ's love."

Causes of brokenness in community life

Every community has its ups and downs, its joys and pains. The recently concluded CICM 16th General Chapter could pinpoint some joys and pains that affect our intercultural living. There are several kinds of conflicts - interpersonal conflicts, group conflicts, even conflicts with the Congregation, and leadership issues. I could rearrange them into a table and add some based on my experience – mainly stereotyping, laziness, hypocrisy, mismanagement, and bias. Stereotyping remains one of the serious challenges in intercultural communities followed by conflicts related to the evangelical counsels.

These elements create a blockage and put the community in a situation that is sometimes difficult to describe. The document (Acts of the 16th General Chapter) also acknowledges a significant improvement worldwide. Some attitudes have also been evoked to improve this aspect of life, such as readiness for conversion, respect, humility, patience, and tolerance. The challenge remains on how to treasure them. It is sad to say that sometimes we (or some) opt not to cooperate. Some confreres struggle to live in a community due to strict behaviors and a lack of collaboration. I heard many confreres say they prefer to stay alone (rather than being wrongly accompanied). Some confreres cooperate better with lay people than with their confreres; many issues of mistrust, suspicion, etc. What should be done in case of repeated misconduct by a confrere?

Yes to Forgiveness, but No to Cheap Reconciliation

According to the 16th CICM General Chapter, "When we look closely at our own situation, we can see that CICM is generous when it comes to forgiving confreres. Yet, forgiven confreres often continue to persist in their wrongdoings." Therefore, if we wish to have healthy communities, we have to avoid or refrain from offering cheap reconciliation. However, we must also remember the power of forgiveness. It is through forgiveness that we can heal and move forward, fostering a healthier and more harmonious community.

A famous maxim attributed to the ancient Roman poet Seneca the Younger says, "Errare humanum est, perseverare autem diabolical," which means that making mistakes is a common (and, by implication, forgivable) human attribute, but persisting in making the same mistake is a personal or moral flaw (and, by implication, less forgivable). Every issue in community life should be well addressed before being totally forgiven.

Willing or not, "we are a community, and the misconduct of one member affects the whole group and its mission. It is important that all confreres, and not just the Provincial Superiors, take responsibility. When a confrere notices serious signs of misconduct on the part of another confrere, he must question him and, if necessary, inform the competent Superior." (16th G.C.). This individual responsibility is crucial in maintaining the integrity and mission of our community, and each of us must be committed to upholding it.

How do you manage misunderstandings or brokenness in a relationship with a confrere? The Commentary of our Constitutions suggests that "when we experience brokenness in a relationship with a confrere or with others, we need to reach out, to apologize, to offer our friendship" (CICM Const, Commentary, Art. 45). The process of reconciliation and healing begins with me and my desire to acknowledge and accept my own part of responsibility in the conflict (16th G.C.). The Gospel (Matthew 18:15-20) reminds us of our mission as a community of followers of Christ, a mission that goes beyond personal salvation. We must call one another to conversion, guide each other on the path of righteousness, and ensure our community's well-being. Fraternal correction is an essential aspect of this mission, and it requires us to speak the truth in love, correcting others with the intention of saving and reconciling them.

The process of fraternal correction involves three vital steps: confrontation, negotiation, and adjudication. We have the mission to love our confreres, but we should remember that love calls us to speak the truth, not out of judgment or a desire to exert power, but out of genuine care and concern for our confreres. Our goal should never be to embarrass or shame but rather to bring our confreres back into the fold of the community.

On the path towards holiness

Based on the above analysis, when we speak about community life as a mission, we particularly refer to our confreres or community members as specific missions. Some key takeaways can be underlined, such as my confrere is my mission that I have to love, cherish, support, care for, etc. My mission also consists of saving my confrere and bringing him back if he goes astray from the embrace of the community. Correcting my confrere is an expression of my commitment to his spiritual growth and our well-being. For a healthier community, we must avoid generalization, stereotyping, laziness, hypocrisy, and the like. By engaging in this process, we demonstrate our willingness to walk alongside one another, supporting and encouraging each other on the path towards holiness. §

Alejandro Ulpindo, cicm
Missionary in the Philippines

Nine years after Vatican II, our Congregation held its 8th General Chapter in Albano, focusing on reflection. Understanding the insights in "KINDLING THE FIRE" requires looking into Vatican II and particularly Gaudium et Spes, which addresses the Church's role in the modern world.

Key Points of Gaudium et Spes

Pope St. John XXIII was pivotal in Vatican II, emphasizing the council's aim to update the Church for spiritual strength, unity, and world peace, rather than to condemn. Among the 16 documents produced, Gaudium et Spes is the most significant as it connects the Church and the modern world, showing that the Church exists within it.

Transforming the World Through Christ

The joys and struggles of today's people are shared by Christ's followers. The Church aims to bring Christ into the world, transforming it rather than merely adapting to modernity. The idea that Vatican II was about modernizing the Church misinterprets its goal; instead, the Church should influence the world through Christ. Pope Paul VI noted that if the Spirit was at work in Christianity, it was evident in the Catholic Church. This insight leads us to examine the contemporary issues facing us.

Interpreting Contemporary Issues in Light of the Gospel

The Church must analyze current events—like global hunger and social injustices—through the lens of the Gospel. It’s important to recognize both positive and negative signs of the times, understanding that the Church must engage with the world to reflect Christ's influence.

Option for the Poor

Gaudium et Spes emphasizes the need to assist the poor, suggesting that those in need have the right to take from the surplus of others. We must focus on the marginalized, as their rights are precious to God.

Understanding Human Dignity

Human dignity comes from being loved by God and created in His image. Our dignity involves our capability for thought and our search for truth, which can lead to restlessness. Our conscience, as stated in Gaudium et Spes, guides us to understand right from wrong, seeking goodness and longing for God. In today's context, freedom often means choice, but true freedom, according to the Bible, is about pursuing good and coming closer to God.

Finding Our True Self in Christ

The Church plays a vital role in helping us connect with Christ and discover our true purpose in life through Him.

KINDLING THE FIRE

KINDLING THE FIRE took off from the spirit of VATICAN II and came to rekindle our first love when we first said yes to the call of God. Kindling the Fire wants to ignite and rekindle the spark of that first love. Kindling the Fire calls for renewal from both personal and congregational levels. Kindling the Fire puts the spirit of Vatican II in a meditative, inspirational, and spiritual way. It is inviting us all CICM to go back to our original call to follow the Lord and live up to the radical dream of God for the world and humanity and, at the same time, to live up to the radical dream of our founder, Theophile Verbist, namely to proclaim the Good News to all creatures. His dream was to go out to China to care for abandoned children, especially orphans, and also to proclaim the good news to the "pagans" because, without Christ, they are in the dark. I want to pick up two fundamental concepts from Vatican II in Kindling the Fire: Reading and examining the signs of the times and the options for the poor.

Reading and examining the signs of the times

Reading the signs of the times means taking and studying the reality of the world today seriously. As a community, we need to discover the salvific will of God in the signs of time: "listening to the word of God and reading the signs of the times." (KF p. 75). In Kindling the Fire, to examine the sign of the times is to listen to the voice of the spirit working in the world through the cries of the poor, the excluded, the marginalized, those thrown at the wayside, and the excess of society. Discerning the signs of the times means listening and learning from other religions, hence the importance of Inter-religious and cultural dialogue; listening to the cry of the environment, our common home that is on the verge of destruction; to enculturate the gospel in the different cultures of people; to listen and appreciate the secular world that goes its way and the Church is going the—another way; a call to trust the lay people as our partners in the mission.

The spirit works in the poor environment, cultures, other religions, and the secular world. Our founder is an example of a discerning person. In this way, we can say that he was ahead of his time. He was a man who listened to the spirit working in the world. To him, discerning the signs of the time is "trusting in Divine Providence." To him, there is a guiding hand that leads the world and the Church. That is the Holy Spirit.

Option of the Poor

The option for the poor is the option of GOD. It is not a philosophical or ideological option. It is a theological option. "And Yahweh said: I seen the miserable state of my people in Egypt. I have heard their appeal to be free of their salve-drivers. Yes, I am well aware of it. Their sufferings. I mean to deliver them out of the hands of the Egyptians and bring them out of that land to a land rich and broad, a. land where milk and honey will flow".(Exodus 3, 7-8)

When I talk of the option for the poor, I can say with humility that the poor are my best teachers who taught me the new face of God and to live as part of the Church, and at the same time, the poor are my evangelizers and my best teachers. I was sent to evangelize, but, in the end, I am the one who is being evangelized by the excluded, the discarded, the condemned of the earth, the surplus of society, those thrown at the roadside, the marginalized people of society. This experience turned me upside down. I began to see the world from below and started seeing things from the position of the powerless, the oppressed, the poor, yet believers in the one holy God. My perspective is no longer from above, from clericalism, from arrogance.

Mission is an Experience with the Risen Lord

Every Monday is a relaxation day for all the priests in the diocese where I work in the diocese of San Francisco the Macoris. One Monday morning, I decided to slow down and have time for silent prayer. As I started to pray, I heard someone knocking at the front door. Upon opening, a poor woman with only one eye appeared before me. I invited her to enter. She sat before me without saying a word. She looked at me with a smile. She took my right hand and put 100 pesos in my palm. Caught by surprise, I said to her: "You look so poor; I think you need the money more than me". She answered, "It is true. Nevertheless my son, a missionary priest, also needs some money. I want to share something of my work". I asked her then: What is your name? Where do you work? I am Susana, and I work in the little market selling salad, and I saved this money for you, and now I come to give it to you". I have heard you talk about the mission and I wanted to contribute. It is very little, but it came from my heart". She stood up, and again, without further saying a word, she left. I was so touched by this simple gesture by the poor woman.

The gesture of this poor woman helped me pray and understand a bit better about mission and missionary life. At the same time, it has given me the possibility to experience a life of faith in the dead and Risen Christ. This experience has connected me to the simple faith of my mother and father, who have transmitted the faith in the God preached by Jesus Christ through their examples and testimony of life. The mission is becoming more and more an experience of the risen Lord.

Kindling the Fire profoundly reflected that “the life of the poor is a school of humanization where we have much to learn. Is not their natural openness to the values of mutual aid, hospitality, and freedom of spirit a daily lesson for us? Their facility in forging personal human relationships is a permanent reminder of the importance of persons. When we see how hard they must work for their daily bread, confident in the Father who does not forget any of his children, we will perhaps come to a more evangelical vision of the future, which will prevent us from immoderate capitalization. The poor will be more aware of their values and qualities if they see that we are learning from them” (KF, p. 83).

In the years I have been here in the Philippines, I am honored to accompany some CICM members who left the congregation. One said: "I have been a CICM, and as a religious member, I must make my financial report. I must tell you that making an accurate financial report is a big joke. We invent what we put in there. It is not serious. We fool ourselves. Now that I am married and have children of my own. Every penny counts, and I have to give a real accurate report to my wife and children. We have a family car. Every morning, I bring my children to school, my wife to her office, and then I go to work. I pick them up in the afternoon, and we go home together. When I was at CICM, I had my car to use. I go wherever I want without anyone knowing where I am. Now that I married, my wife and children know where I go if I go out alone." As I reflect on my CICM experience about the use of cars, I come to realize that when everyone has his own car, it does not promote community life but individualism.

A Jewel of the Congregation

We have a jewel in our hands, namely the Kindling the Fire. Let us not bury it in the ground but in our hearts. I hope and pray that we return to it once in a while to let the message sink into our souls. And we own the Kindling and be renewed from within by the Fire of Jesus and Theophile Verbist. This treasure challenges us to live up to our vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience. Finally, Kindling the Fire challenges us in the way we deal with and treat the people around us: our confreres, our co-workers, our mission partners, and collaborators, the poor, and the environment.        §