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July 2019
The gospel scene of the disciples who were walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35) is an icon for the accompaniment of the youth and in particular for vocational discernment.
The gospel story of the disciples going to Emmaus illustrates Jesus’ patient and gradual accompaniment of His disciples. To effectively accompany the young towards vocation discernment, consecrated persons must be aware of their deep yearnings and accept journeying with them.
Lacking the necessary infrastructure and manpower, how does one encourage the youth who seek to become missionaries fulfill their wish? A Comboni missionary describes how he came up with what he calls a home-based seminary as a first step in discerning if one truly has a vocation.
A Filipino missionary, Jemboy Caspis, hailing from General Santos, recounts how he faced the dilemma of wanting to be a priest yet facing difficulties because he was an only son. Today, he is working in Kenya certain that his mom and dad are satisfied with their son’s vocation.
Sibling rivalry, which can lead to unhappiness and unhealthy relationships within the family, can be avoided if parents lovingly bond with each of their children pointing out to them their uniqueness. All it takes is constant communication and exchange of one’s feelings.
Pope Francis endeavored to make great gestures at the peace meeting for South Sudan in the Vatican. But the two counterparts, Salva Kiir and Riek Machar, have little control over the struggles in the country, says Comboni missionary Gregor Schmidt.
Being a call center agent may be a well-paying job. Yet, it can also be a means to helping the less fortunate and seeking answers to the meaning of life. Leomar Maranan describes how to find balance in this kind of job.
“The signs of meanness we see around us heighten our fear of ‘the other,’ the unknown, the marginalized, the foreigner, and thus many migrants seeking a better life end up as recipients of this meanness,” said Pope Francis in his recently released 2019 World Day of Migrants and Refugees message.
There are no exceptions. Everyone mourns in one way or the other. It is in how one responds to it – by being one with Christ and by looking at the way the Blessed Mother experienced mourning – that one can be comforted and still be happy.
In the sixties the Catholic Charismatic Renewal Movement went through the body of the Catholic Church, bringing vitality, joy and enthusiasm. By far the largest of the movements, it is still alive and active in many countries, touching the lives of millions of people.
The search for our vocation is a path of inner discovery of who we are and what we want to be. This is a fascinating process of discernment which we are called to do and where the dream of God will shine for us.
The “times in between” are an integral component of everybody’s life journey. They are periods of irrelevance and anonymity but crucial for a deeper understanding of one’s identity and for preparing to take on a new responsibility.
October 2023 Issue
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