CICM Foundation Day celebration - November 28, 2021

Readings: Phil 2, 1-11; Mt 28, 16 b-20

On this day, 159 years ago, the missionary adventure of Théophile Verbist officially began …

We have experienced ourselves, I think, that the history of our Congregation is a history of people, for people and, above all, with people. And where people are involved, there are failures and mistakes. We are all human beings.

This means that in addition to beautiful achievements, there are also failures and mistakes. There is brotherly solidarity and, unfortunately, narcissistic traits, tensions and quarrels sometimes, but also forgiving and forgetting and continuing together the same way.

In his letter to the Philippians, Saint Paul indicates that being a Christian, living as a Christian, and bearing witness as a Christian includes humility and humanity…

It would be a pity to be so preoccupied with the internal problems of the Congregation that we no longer see the missionary challenges that surround us or have the strength to respond to them. Throughout the history of our Congregation, confreres have never been afraid of taking on new challenges…

Honestly, it is very painful to see today that personal ambition, personal enrichment, power, and influence are sometimes more important than the corporate commitment to the mission and congregational solidarity for some confreres. As a result, the three religious vows have lost all their value and religious inspiration…

We must ask some important and urgent questions, individually and as a congregation as a whole.

• Is evangelizing in a CICM spirit still our joy?
• Are we ready for reconciliation on several levels of life?
• Are we ready to live and engage in an intercultural context that bears witness to the universality of salvation?

 Excerpt from the homily of father Jozef Matton, General Councilor for the CICM Foundation Day 2021

Father Jozef’s homily full text