Socio-ecological approach to our identity: Sons of Immaculate Heart of Mary

By - Efrain Vasquez Mamani, cmf.

1. Brief sketch on our context.

Our very context is built up on masculine and rationalistic culture, that means, the man has power over woman and whole nature, this power is handled with reason and technology. Thereby, the affectivity, the emotions and all related human heart sensitivity is look down or dislike, considers immature – childish, feminine-sided.

This understanding of the reality (Appolonious, Greek mythology), which is coming since 10 thousand years before, is destroying human dignity and all earth alike. The rationalism has as consequence the fragmentary mind setting of the reality, the relationship between human being himself, with the nature and God is broken and undermining the life.

The response to this rationalistic-fragmentarian of understanding of the reality is sensationalism (Dyunisious, Greek mythology), that emphasized the emotions, especially among the youth, for many of them are hard to think and analyze rationally the reality, it becomes a shallow approach to the reality.

Both cases drop-down to extreme, then result is fragmented and sensational human being, objects to consume what ever the marketing shows.

Then, the main challenge is how integrate this fragmented and consumerist human reality. The way is to reintegrate it again. In this sense there is term in Spanish Co-razonar, that mean integration of the reason with the heart ands vise verse. To deal with this reconstruction, becomes very important turn to our deep and meaningful religious and cultural roots, so that it may help us to embrace consciously our new reality.

Gratefully, as claretians, Sons of Immaculate Heart of Mary, with humble heart we are able to respond to this challenge from our very identity, rooted in the heart of our mother. So in the coming up paragraphs we are going to explore a bit our foundational water spring.

2. Anthro-spiritual description of the heart into three main dimensions: Somatic, Psyche and Spiritual.

-       Biological: One of the main part of our living body, it is inside of the body, it communicate with whole body and makes be alive whole parts of our body, it a restless organ, it accelerate and dis-accelerate according our psychological state ...

-       Psychical. Our feelings set up in our heart and stomach, the heart make balance with our mind: emotions and thoughts, symbolically it expresses love, compassion, tenderness, happiness and painfulness. Nevertheless, into an androcentric culture it tells us on our feminine dimension, mother-side, free-given earthiness (Erick Fronn, 1952)

-       Spiritual. Love, spirit, values and virtues, full-life, authentic happiness, new-being, the FIRING FORGE, etc.

3. Mary’s Heart in Claret’s experience.

At this respect, we have abundant resources in Marian spirituality written of our congregation such the “Selective Spiritual Writings of S.M. Claret” by J. Bermejo (1991), “Ex Abundantia Cordis” by J.M. Hernandez (1991), Claret’s “Autobiography”, and so on. In Spiritual Written, Claret makes the very graphical description about Mary’s Heart.

There are two aspects in which we must considerer in Mary’s Heart, namely, her material heart and her formal heart, which her love and will.

The material heart of Mary is the organ, sense or instrument of her love and will. Just as we see through the eyes, hear through the ears, smell through the nose and speak through the mouth, so we love and will through the heart…

The heart of Mary combines all these properties and more beside:

1)    The Heart od Mary not only a living member of Jesus Christ through faith and charity, bus was also the origin and wellspring from which His humanity was taken.

2)    The Heart of Mary was a temple of the Holy Spirit, and more than a temple, since from the most precious blood that flowed from this Immaculate Heart, the Holy Spirit formed the sacred Humanity in the most pure and virginal womb of Mary, in the great mystery of the incarnation.

3)    The Heart of Mary has been the organ of all the virtues in a heroic degree, and singularly in charity toward God and toward men.

4)    The Heart of Mary is at this very moment a living and animate heart, lifted up to the most sublime height of glory.

5)    The Heart of Mary is the throne from which all graces and mercies are dispensed (Bermejo, SW, 587)

On this detailed description, J.M. Hernandez affirms: “By Heart of Mary, S.A.M. Claret understands the real symbol of the person of Mary, which all of the dimensions of her personality: somatic, psychic and spiritual are integrating in a unified and dynamic way” (1991: 52).

The Christocentric understanding of Claret regard Mary’s Heart, as center of all virtues, especially center of the will and love, suggests us how Claret, being fruit of the rational metaphysics and part of mail center culture, was able to integrate deeply and metaphorically the reason and heart. This firing heart, full-power of the transformative Spirit, push out to the mission, it was the very understanding and feeling of Claret, “kindle in me the love of God and neighbor” (Aut 447), he used to pray. The love to God and neighbor as well as to the nature-earth, our common home are our urgent challenge in this XXI century.

4. Scripture reading: Lk 1:46-56.

5. Being for the mission in community.

The mission is our origin and life says our last Congregational Chapter Declaration (1), in the same way the former Chapter Document (2009) stressed our identity:

“The name [Sons of Immaculate Heart of Mary] emphasizes our condition as sons and brothers. It shows that we are human beings loved by God the Father and by Mary, our mother, in the Spirit; called to participate in the life of God (Gen 1:26); graced by the Spirit with filial and brotherly characteristics: dignity, liberty, confidence, joy, tenderness, compassion and solidarity. This allows us to face with hope the challenges of our mission and our personal and community life and not be like those who only rely on their own strength, methods or accomplishments (35).

The experience as sons gives meaning to our special commitment to the Heart of Mary, our Mother (CC, 8) which we make at our Profession: “I offer myself in special service to the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary in order to fulfil the aim for which this Congregation has been established in the Church” (cf CC 159; Dir 32-34). To be sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary means to be seekers of the glory of God who desires that all his sons and daughters live with dignity and fulfilment (cf CC 2; TMHL 8) and in harmony with all of creation. Our mission is more urgent at an historical moment when the name of God is hidden and considered banal, the rights of God’s needy children are violated and the survival of the planet is endangered (36).

From these two paragraphs come out the understanding of our contemporary mission related with humankind and with our common home, the earth. The mission today we are caller to understand and practice, not just as a sowing the seeds but also as harvesting the fruit, because God, before ours, has sowed by his Spirit into every culture, religion, etc. where there today abundant fruits.

The very mission of Jesus was to live and build God’s Rein, to transform the unjust reality, to enjoy the New Earth and New Heaven; this for us is to live and build the real creational community, wherein are integrating God, humankind and whole creation.

Prayer.

Mary, my Mother, Mother of Divine Love, I can ask for nothing more pleasing to you, nor anything that you are more ready to grant, than the love of God. Grant me this, my Mother and my love. My mother, I am hungry and thirsty for love; help me, satisfy my need. O Heart of Mary, forge and instrument of love, kindle in me the love of God and neighbor (Aut 447).

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MESSAGE OF POPE FRANCIS FOR THE WORLD DAY OF MIGRANTS AND REFUGEES 2017

[15 January 2017]

“Child Migrants, the Vulnerable and the Voiceless”

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

“Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me” (Mk 9:37; cf. Mt 18:5; Lk 9:48; Jn 13:20). With these words, the Evangelists remind the Christian community of Jesus’ teaching, which both inspires and challenges. This phrase traces the sure path which leads to God; it begins with the smallest and, through the grace of our Savior, it grows into the practice of welcoming others. To be welcoming is a necessary condition for making this journey a concrete reality: God made himself one of us. In Jesus God became a child, and the openness of faith to God, which nourishes hope, is expressed in loving proximity to the smallest and the weakest. Charity, faith and hope are all actively present in the spiritual and corporal works of mercy, as we have rediscovered during the recent Extraordinary Jubilee.

But the Evangelists reflect also on the responsibility of the one who works against mercy: “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin: it is better for him to have a great millstone fastened round his neck and be drowned in the depth of the sea” (Mt 18:6; cf. Mk 9:42; Lk 17:2). How can we ignore this severe warning when we see the exploitation carried out by unscrupulous people? Such exploitation harms young girls and boys who are led into prostitution or into the mire of pornography; who are enslaved as child laborers or soldiers; who are caught up in drug trafficking and other forms of criminality; who are forced to flee from conflict and persecution, risking isolation and abandonment.

For this reason, on the occasion of the annual World Day of Migrants and Refugees, I feel compelled to draw attention to the reality of child migrants, especially the ones who are alone. In doing so I ask everyone to take care of the young, who in a threefold way are defenseless: they are children, they are foreigners, and they have no means to protect themselves. I ask everyone to help those who, for various reasons, are forced to live far from their homeland and are separated from their families.

Migration today is not a phenomenon limited to some areas of the planet. It affects all continents and is growing into a tragic situation of global proportions. Not only does this concern those looking for dignified work or better living conditions, but also men and women, the elderly and children, who are forced to leave their homes in the hope of finding safety, peace and security. Children are the first among those to pay the heavy toll of emigration, almost always caused by violence, poverty, environmental conditions, as well as the negative aspects of globalization. The unrestrained competition for quick and easy profit brings with it the cultivation of perverse scourges such as child trafficking, the exploitation and abuse of minors and, generally, the depriving of rights intrinsic to childhood as sanctioned by the International Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Childhood, given its fragile nature, has unique and inalienable needs. Above all else, there is the right to a healthy and secure family environment, where a child can grow under the guidance and example of a father and a mother; then there is the right and duty to receive adequate education, primarily in the family and also in the school, where children can grow as persons and agents of their own future and the future of their respective countries. Indeed, in many areas of the world, reading, writing and the most basic arithmetic is still the privilege of only a few. All children, furthermore, have the right to recreation; in a word, they have the right to be children.

And yet among migrants, children constitute the most vulnerable group, because as they face the life ahead of them, they are invisible and voiceless: their precarious situation deprives them of documentation, hiding them from the world’s eyes; the absence of adults to accompany them prevents their voices from being raised and heard. In this way, migrant children easily end up at the lowest levels of human degradation, where illegality and violence destroy the future of too many innocents, while the network of child abuse is difficult to break up.

How should we respond to this reality?

Firstly, we need to become aware that the phenomenon of migration is not unrelated to salvation history, but rather a part of that history. One of God’s commandments is connected to it: “You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt” (Ex 22:21); “Love the sojourner therefore; for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt” (Deut 10:19). This phenomenon constitutes a sign of the times, a sign which speaks of the providential work of God in history and in the human community, with a view to universal communion. While appreciating the issues, and often the suffering and tragedy of migration, as too the difficulties connected with the demands of offering a dignified welcome to these persons, the Church nevertheless encourages us to recognize God’s plan. She invites us to do this precisely amidst this phenomenon, with the certainty that no one is a stranger in the Christian community, which embraces “every nation, tribe, people and tongue” (Rev 7:9). Each person is precious; persons are more important than things, and the worth of an institution is measured by the way it treats the life and dignity of human beings, particularly when they are vulnerable, as in the case of child migrants.

Furthermore, we need to work towards protection, integration and long-term solutions.

We are primarily concerned with adopting every possible measure to guarantee the protection and safety of child migrants, because “these boys and girls often end up on the street abandoned to themselves and prey to unscrupulous exploiters who often transform them into the object of physical, moral and sexual violence” (Benedict XVI, Message for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees, 2008).

Moreover, the dividing line between migration and trafficking can at times be very subtle. There are many factors which contribute to making migrants vulnerable, especially if they are children: poverty and the lack of means to survive – to which are added unrealistic expectations generated by the media; the low level of literacy; ignorance of the law, of the culture and frequently of the language of host countries. All of this renders children physically and psychologically dependent. But the most powerful force driving the exploitation and abuse of children is demand. If more rigorous and effective action is not taken against those who profit from such abuse, we will not be able to stop the multiple forms of slavery where children are the victims.

It is necessary, therefore, for immigrants to cooperate ever more closely with the communities that welcome them, for the good of their own children. We are deeply grateful to organizations and institutions, both ecclesial and civil that commit time and resources to protect minors from various forms of abuse. It is important that evermore effective and incisive cooperation be implemented, based not only on the exchange of information, but also on the reinforcement of networks capable of assuring timely and specific intervention; and this, without underestimating the strength that ecclesial communities reveal especially when they are united in prayer and fraternal communion.

Secondly, we need to work for the integration of children and youngsters who are migrants. They depend totally on the adult community. Very often the scarcity of financial resources prevents the adoption of adequate policies aimed at assistance and inclusion. As a result, instead of favoring the social integration of child migrants, or programmes for safe and assisted repatriation, there is simply an attempt to curb the entrance of migrants, which in turn fosters illegal networks; or else immigrants are repatriated to their country of origin without any concern for their “best interests”.

The condition of child migrants is worsened when their status is not regularized or when they are recruited by criminal organizations. In such cases they are usually sent to detention centers. It is not unusual for them to be arrested, and because they have no money to pay the fine or for the return journey, they can be incarcerated for long periods, exposed to various kinds of abuse and violence. In these instances, the right of states to control migratory movement and to protect the common good of the nation must be seen in conjunction with the duty to resolve and regularize the situation of child migrants, fully respecting their dignity and seeking to meet their needs when they are alone, but also the needs of their parents, for the good of the entire family.

Of fundamental importance is the adoption of adequate national procedures and mutually agreed plans of cooperation between countries of origin and of destination, with the intention of eliminating the causes of the forced emigration of minors.

Thirdly, to all I address a heartfelt appeal that long-term solutions be sought and adopted. Since this is a complex phenomenon, the question of child migrants must be tackled at its source. Wars, human rights violations, corruption, poverty, environmental imbalance and disasters, are all causes of this problem. Children are the first to suffer, at times suffering torture and other physical violence, in addition to moral and psychological aggression, which almost always leave indelible scars.

It is absolutely necessary, therefore, to deal with the causes which trigger migrations in the countries of origin. This requires, as a first step, the commitment of the whole international community to eliminate the conflicts and violence that force people to flee. Furthermore, far- sighted perspectives are called for, capable of offering adequate programmes for areas struck by the worst injustice and instability, in order that access to authentic development can be guaranteed for all. This development should promote the good of boys and girls, who are humanity’s hope.

Lastly, I wish to address a word to you, who walk alongside migrant children and young people: they need your precious help. The Church too needs you and supports you in the generous service you offer. Do not tire of courageously living the Gospel, which calls you to recognize and welcome the Lord Jesus among the smallest and most vulnerable.

I entrust all child migrants, their families, their communities, and you who are close to them, to the protection of the Holy Family of Nazareth; may they watch over and accompany each one on their journey. With my prayers, I gladly impart my Apostolic Blessing.

From the Vatican, 8 September 2016

FRANCIS

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The Annual Apostolate Gathering - 2017

The annual apostolate children and youth gathering was held at ClaretNivas,Kandy on 28^thMay 2017 at 9.30am to 3.00pm. Totally 48 children and youth from Panwila, Rangala, and Peradeniya and some of our CEA students participated in this gathering. Claret Nivas Apostolate Committee organized the program. The program started with the Holy Eucharist presided by Fr. S. Maria Arul CMF. After the Holy Mass all gathered in the media hall and all the participants introduced themselves.  Fr. S. Maria Arul CMF illuminated the children and the youth about the salient facts about our Congregation and our founder. He also spoke about the nature of Claret Nivas and mentioned about our purpose of this gathering. Then Bros. Donal Christy CMF and Kirishanth gave input on “Setting a Goal in life” and “how to be happy and avoiding laziness.” They used many input methods like games, interaction, group works, group discussion etc. that the children would gain fully from the inputs. After the lunch they had a course on “Leadership Management” with several group activities and games. Through this they were given inputs such as, how to be a leader in a group and how to work as a group in order to achieve the assigned Goal. And then they had some common games to give knowledge about leading others in a correct path and supporting others to come up in their lives. We terminated the program around 3.00 pm with tea.

The children and youth were happy and satisfied about the entire program of the day which they expressed through an evaluation. And they also expressed their desire to have this program in the coming years without fail.

Apostolate and Ecology Committee

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MY DREAM IS FULFILLED WITH THE GRACE OF GOD …

He was one of us in our community earlier but now we are proud about him for he is celebrating his first  thanksgiving Eucharistic Celebration as priest in our Claret Nivas community. Fr.Tharaka Dinindu Perera CMF who was ordained and consecrated by Rt. Rev. Dr. Raimond Kingsly Wickramasinghe the bishop of Galle on 18^th of May 2017 in St. Joseph Church Wenapuwa. Thereafter he celebrated his first thanks giving mass in his own soil, at Our Lady of Madhu in Malcolony, Thethapola On 21^st of May 2017. He is the first fruit from that village. He celebrated other thanksgiving mass at St. Xavier’s Church, Nuwaraellia on the 28^th of May 2017 where he was given with the diaconate ministry. 

            On 29^th of May 2017 we, Claret Nivas community, joyfully experienced the mysterious hand of God in the person of Fr. Tharaka. The Eucharist started with the words of our superior, who joyfully welcomed our newly ordained Fr. Tharaka CMF and gave short introduction on the gift of missionary vocation. He concluded his introduction advising him to lead a life of prayer and to live according to the Eucharist he celebrates and to have focus at the crucified Christ. At the very outset of the mass itself Fr. Tharaka mentioned that he was proud and very happy to celebrate the Eucharist with us, which was once his dream (today that has come true) particularly to change the bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ and to sit on the presidential chair in Claret Nivas.

            The beautiful part of the celebration is the homily, where he spoke from his heart. Our Lord Jesus Christ, from his birth to death, underwent enough and more difficulties and struggles yet he was always faithful to God and fulfilled the will of His Father by serving people. Fr. Tharaka mentioned that the missionary/priestly life is also with lot of difficulties but it is joyful when we face them with Christ and fulfill the God’s will by serving the faithful with mercy and love. He had been in the seminaries, both in Negombo and Kandy for fifteen years, which was a long journey but each day was precious to discern the will of God and to learn there, to be formed and to be forged for the mission of God.

             He shared his beautiful experience of his ordination day. Though he had prayed and made preparations he was tensed and frighten before the mass. But the real joy he has felt during the time of consecration which is unexplainable and cannot buy for any amount. It is the real blessing. He witnessed that all his struggle, tense and pain were vanished at that time. He too share his few unforgettable experiences in Claret Nivas, when he was a student here. He was very correct when he said that when we join the seminary, we were very fresh and our goal was only to become a priest but on the process of our formation we were disturbed by many things and our goal get divided. But he told that we need to persevere the same desire and motivation to serve the people.

            He did not fail to say that despite of his unworthiness God has made him worthy. He narrated the two incidents happened in his childhood. He too mentioned that we are human beings and making mistakes are part of our life but if we do not learn a lesson from each mistake then it is really a mistake. He is very happy that he has learned a lot of thing during the time of his formation. He further expressed there are so many incidents where he had felt the protection and guidance of God. He instructed the missionaries who are in formation to be joyful in the formation period specially to pray more and to participate in all the community activities happily.

This celebration of thanksgiving was not only a special day to Fr. Tharaka but also to all of us who are in formation. It is really a day of inspiration to all the missionaries in formation to have a day as such in our life too.

 It is not only the dream of Fr.Tharaka but the dreams of many who courage him and supported him. We do well to take up the dreams of our elders, so that we can prophesy in our day and once more encounter what originally set our hearts afire. We are heirs to the dreams of our elders, heirs to the hope that did not disappoint our founding mothers and fathers, our older brothers and sisters. We have inherited the hymn of hope from our elders. Our elders, our fathers and mothers, dreamed and courage us prophetically to carry on our dreams.  They made us part of this process.  In their faces, in their lives, in their daily sacrifice we were able to see how this praise was embodied. We too want to sing, “God does not deceive; hope in him does not disappoint”.  God comes to meet his people.  And we want to sing by taking up the prophecy of Joel and making it our own: “I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions” (2:28).

MY DREAM IS FULFILLED WITH THE GRACE OF GOD...

By Dilan Rojan.

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