May 22, 2018
Marius Rahayaan is a student at Siwa Lima St Joseph’s Technical School in Langgur, Indonesia. Built in 1970, the school is run by the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart with the aim of educating young people in the region so “they can do something good for themselves and for their families”. In a region where poverty is a pressing issue, St Joseph’s provides the youth of the community with hope for the future. Here is Marius’ story:
“My name is Marius Rahayann and I am 22 years old.
I have a simple family, but I am proud of it. I chose to go to St Joseph’s Technical School because my uncle also graduated from this school, and he now has practical skills and can do something useful for his family. Seeing this gave me great motivation to go to the same school.
I am in the third class now. During my time in this school, I have been actively involved in all of my classes and programmes. I am diligent in my study, I work hard, and I have learned to appreciate and respect my teachers and my fellow students. I have received certificates for my achievements in learning and I am so proud of these.
I am especially proud because I now have the skills to do great things. I can make items which I can then sell to pay my school fees and contribute to my family. I am very glad to be a part of this school, and I am very thankful to be a student here. Above all, I am thankful to God for His blessings on me – may God bless us all.”
PLEASE HELP US TOÂ TRANSFORM LIVES IN INDONESIA
May 19, 2018
Reflection: The Holy Spirit and Dialogue with the Modern Age
Gospel (John 15:26-27; 16:12-16). The Spirit of truth will lead you to complete truth.
In recent decades, in Catholic spirituality and liturgy there has been renewed interest in the role of the Holy Spirit in Christian life. This is particularly in evidence in the new Eucharistic prayers. One of them recalls that Christ, by rising from the dead, has destroyed death and restored life. They remind us that we may live no longer for ourselves but for him; he sent the Holy Spirit from the Father, as his first gift to those who believe, to complete his work on earth and bring us the fullness of grace. Before the words of consecration in the new Eucharistic prayers, the celebrant prays to God the Father to send the Holy Spirit on the offerings so that they may become the Body and Blood of Christ, and after the consecration, a similar prayer is addressed to the Father to look upon this sacrifice and by his Holy Spirit to gather all who partake of the Eucharist into the one Body of Christ, a living sacrifice of praise – a prayer that the community becomes a living Eucharist.
Central to New Testament and Christian teaching is the unity between God the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, and creation. The death of Christ is evidence of God’s love for the world. The life of the Father is fully in the Son, and Jesus’ wish is that this his own life and love, and that of the Father, be in believers.
For dialogue with our own age, this implies that all that is good in the world is from God, loved by God. All the manifold gifts and traits of humanity are from God, even in those who may not advert to this, or even believe in God – all the social concerns, the service of one’s fellows, all those gifts Paul speaks of in his letters.
Believers are carriers of this message in our own day or in any other. But together with this very positive message, and the call of believers to be witnesses to it, Jesus makes it very clear to his disciples that they should be prepared to bear this message in hostile surroundings and even in persecution. Part of the hostility they are told to be prepared for is indicated as attacks on Jesus’ person and message. They will need strong faith conviction, and this, Jesus promises, will come through the Holy Spirit, the Advocate for the truth of Jesus’ message, and the Comforter in their trials. The two great commandments according to the First Letter of John are faith and love of the neighbour, faith in Jesus Christ as Son of God against all opposition.
All this can be of significant help to us to day in our dialogue with questions of our age.
Fr Martin McNamara MSC
May 15, 2018
Elizabeth Aghar Mark is a graduate of the Loreto Secondary School in Rumbek, South Sudan. She has remained with the Loreto community as part of their graduate programme, where the care, guidance, and tuition given have provided Elizabeth with the potential for a future filled with hope and possibility. Here, Elizabeth shares what the Loreto Graduate Programme has meant to her…
“I have the courage and confidence to accomplish the world.”
“I work as an office assistant, with Sr Orla as my mentor. I deal with photocopying, printing, and working with the school administration.
I enjoy my work, such as photocopying, printing, and making certificates and report cards, as it is giving me great experience in clerical and administration work for the future. Sometimes, there is a lot of work to do, and I have to work for more hours than I am supposed to some days. I see this as a challenge that makes me stronger, and I have the courage and confidence to accomplish the world.”
“At home, I faced another challenge, as some of my relatives wanted me to be married off.”
“At home, I faced another challenge, as some of my relatives wanted me to be married off. This was settled by my father, when I approached him and explained that I want to achieve further studies. My father agreed and suspended the marriage, and now my plan is to go to university and get a job so I can help to support my parents and my brothers and sisters.
In my current role, I have learned computer skills, office management skills, and teaching skills. I was not expecting to gain experience in teaching, and now I would like to be a lecturer in South Sudan after my further studies. I find teaching very exciting, and I hope that the Loreto community can continue with this programme, as it benefits so many graduates by preparing them for the future.”
We at the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart are proud to be able to support the Loreto community in their graduate programme, and we extend our sincere thanks to our mission friends in Ireland and around the world for continuing to care.
PLEASE HELP US TOÂ TRANSFORM LIVES IN SOUTH SUDAN
May 11, 2018
At the end of April, the MSC Missions Office in Cork received a lovely letter from Fr Ondrej Slavik in Saratov, Russia. Fr Ondrej got in touch to extend his thanks to the mission friends of the Irish Province of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart for their kindness and generosity, as a recent donation has allowed for the purchase of a new minibus to assist in parish activities.
Together with Bishop Clemens Pickel, Fr Ondrej appealed for helping in buying a minibus for the parish of St Clement in Saratov. “I am very pleased to inform you that, thanks to your support, we were able to purchase a new VW Caravelle minibus for the pastoral activities of our parish,” writes Fr Ondrej.
“On behalf of myself and the whole parish, the people whom this car will serve, I express my most sincere gratitude.”
The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart have been working to share the message of God’s love in Russia for over 20 years, as the country’s churches began to rebuild themselves after their collapse during the revolution. The Russian mission began with just three MSC priests in 1995, and today, the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart continue to support the work being done by local communities in Russia as we encourage social and spiritual development in regions in need.
PLEASE SUPPORT OUR MSC MISSIONS WORLDWIDE
May 8, 2018
We are delighted to hear that the first group of Loreto graduates have moved into the MSC Graduate House & Women’s Shelter!
Last summer, we asked our mission friends in the Irish Province to join with us and reach out to help the Loreto Sisters to transform lives in South Sudan. A country in the grip of a terrible crisis, the community of Rumbek faced unimaginable struggles with violence, illness, and malnutrition – and it still does.
Thanks to the kindness and generosity of spirit shown by our mission friends in Ireland and around the world, the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart have been able to send support to the Loreto Sisters in Rumbek, where they run a primary school, a secondary school, a health care unit, and a graduate programme. They have already been able to make a difference to thousands of local people, and now, the MSC-funded Graduate House & Women’s Shelter has opened its doors to 16 young women who are working towards a brighter future.
The graduate programme will allow them to develop their skills and talents within various employment roles, giving them a solid foundation for future careers. This endeavour has lit a beacon of hope where the future once looked bleak, and we wish the Loreto community all the very best as they begin this exciting new chapter!
Read more about the work of the Loreto community in South Sudan as they celebrate 10 years in Rumbek.
You can also find out more about recent developments at Loreto Rumbek here.
PLEASE HELP US TO SAVE LIVES IN SOUTH SUDAN
You can also follow the Loreto Schools’ progress via Facebook or on their website.
May 5, 2018
Reflection: God Loves
Our readings today turn things upside down a bit.
In our first reading, we see Cornelius and his household receiving the Holy Spirit first and then being baptized. The second reading tells us that God loves us before we love God or our neighbour. In the Gospel reading, God abides in us and invites us to abide in God.
God can do whatever God wants. However, we can imagine limits on God’s power. We sometimes say things to ourselves like, “God could never love me”, or “God will only love me if I do x or stop doing y”.
These are illusions and untrue. Jesus tells us that God loves us as we are. It is because God loves us that we can love, grow, and change.
We cannot earn God’s love. Rather we receive it as a free gift. This is the source of our joy. For this reason, we are a grateful people, a humble people, a people who give thanks to God. Eucharist means to give thanks. If we allow ourselves to be forgiven and loved, then the Spirit of God’s love will abide in our hearts and can flow out to others and back to God.
Fr Con O’Connell MSC
