Gonçalves is a young man from Angola who discovered his vocation at a very young age, when he was eight years old. "My heart burned and I dreamed of being a catechist," he recalls with emotion. Today, together with a companion, he is one of the first vocations of Angolan seminarians studying at the Bidasoa international seminarin Pamplona.
Angola is a country rich in natural resources such as diamonds and oil. However, it continues to face great challenges. The lack of a sense of belonging among its citizens and the lack of responsibility of some rulers towards the common good contribute to the persistence of poverty.
In the service of your country
Gonçalves Cacoma Cahinga is fully aware of the challenges facing his country. Although his priestly vocation is focused on evangelization and the administration of the sacraments, he knows that, through his ministry, he will be able to contribute to the well-being of many of his compatriots.
"Despite the poverty, the shortage of schools, the lack of road infrastructure and the deficiencies in the health system, whoever visits my country will discover, above all, the joy of its people. Hospitality, humility, the desire to learn and unity among diverse cultures are living signs of the Angolan spirit and privileged paths for evangelization.
I would also highlight the deep faith of the people and their vibrant liturgy, which allows an authentic encounter with the divine, without forgetting the charms of our nature and the richness of our gastronomy," he says enthusiastically.
Angola's first vocation in Bidasoa
He belongs to the diocese of Lwena-Moxico, the largest in Angola, with an area of 223,000 km². Together with a companion, he is the first Angolan to study at the Bidasoa International Seminary. This year he will begin his third year of theology. "I have always defined my vocation as a true divine Providence" and my bishop Dom Martin Lasarte was the one who wanted me to come to Spain to be formed.
Gonçalves can be formed in Bidasoa thanks to the support of the CARF Foundation, which covers the costs of his priestly preparation. This commitment to formation is one of the fundamental pillars of the Foundation: to help vocations in countries with fewer resources, so that none are lost due to lack of financial means.
A family environment full of values
"I come from a humble, peasant family, composed of eight members: four men and three women. I am the seventh child and the only one who is still studying, since my brothers and sisters have already formed their own families. My parents, although elderly, are still alive. All of my family is Christianbut only my mother, one brother and three sisters are Catholics; the others belong to other Christian denominations. Despite the economic limitations, we grew up in an environment full of human and religious values that have deeply marked our lives," says Gonçalves.
His vocation to the priesthood was born when he was eight years old. "I used to go every Sunday to church with my mother, and I was fascinated to watch the catechist explain the readings. I felt a burning in my heart and dreamed of being a catechist one day."
This desire was strengthened in 2012, when the religious priests of the Congregation of the Sacramentaries of Our Lady arrived in his municipality from Brazil. They founded the parish of St. Anthony of Lisbon and, with their witness of life, their dedication to the Word of God, their service in the most remote villages and their care for the elderly and street children, completely transformed his vision: "From wanting to be a catechist, I went on to feel a call to the priesthood," he says.
Economic difficulties and tribulations
But his vocation has not been free of difficulties and tribulations that have deeply marked his path, to the point of being on the verge of shipwreck.
In 2014 he moved to another municipality to continue his studies and, during that time, he moved away from the Church. In 2016 he finished the second cycle, returned to his town and was unable to continue studying due to lack of economic resources.
"During that year, I had other plans: to start a family and look for a job. However, the Lord had other paths for me. The priests spoke with me and my parents, and invited me to participate in vocational formation with a view to entering the seminary. Thus, in 2018, I entered St. John Mary Vianney Propaedeutic Seminary."
Three years later, in 2020, the priests who financed his studies returned to his country and, unable to continue due to lack of means, he decided to leave the seminary. However, thanks to the intervention of his rector and a generous lady who offered to pay for his education, he was able to enter the St. Joseph major seminary of philosophy, where he studied for three years.
A great opportunity to mature in your vocation
Gonçalves is currently attending the Bidasoa International Seminar in Pamplona. "For me it was a real surprise, and also for my family. It is an opportunity to grow in my vocation, in my mission and to mature more in my formation," he says with gratitude.
Aware of the pastoral need in his country, he adds: "In my diocese, although there are many Catholics, there are few priests and few parishes. That is why I am deeply grateful to all the benefactors of the CARF Foundation for the opportunity they are giving me. For me, being in Bidasoa is a great richness, because it allows me to discover the greatness of the universal Church".
He ends his testimony with a heartfelt thank you to the CARF Foundation, whose help has been key to his vocation moving forward.
Marta Santínjournalist specializing in religion.
How to live Holy Week?
Upon completion of the LentDuring Holy Week we commemorate the crucifixion, death and resurrection of the Lord. All of salvation history revolves around these holy days. They are days to accompany Jesus with prayer and penance. All leading up to Easter where Christ with his resurrection confirms that he has conquered death and that his heart longs to enjoy man for all eternity. In this article we review how to live Holy Week.
To live Holy Week well, we have to put God at the center of our lives, accompanying Him in each of the celebrations of this liturgical season that begins with Palm Sunday and ends with Easter Sunday.
Palm Sunday
"This threshold of Holy Week, so close already to the moment when the Redemption of all humanity was consummated on Calvary, seems to me a particularly appropriate time for you and me to consider by what ways Jesus our Lord has saved us; for us to contemplate that love of his - truly ineffable - for poor creatures, formed from the clay of the earth." - How to live Holy Week. san Josemaría, Friends of God, no. 110.
The Palm Sunday We remember the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem in which all the people praise him as king with songs and palms. The branches remind us of the covenant between God and his people, confirmed in Christ.
In the liturgy of this day we read these words of profound joy: "the sons of the Hebrews, bearing olive branches, went out to meet the Lord, crying out and saying: Glory in the highest".
"Holy Week begins and we remember Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem. St. Luke writes: "As he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, by the mount called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, "Go to the hamlet opposite you. When you enter, you will find a little donkey tied up that no one has yet ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you why you are untying him, tell him: the Lord needs him." They went and found everything just as the Lord had told them.".
What a poor mount Our Lord chooses! Perhaps we, conceited, would have chosen a spirited steed. But Jesus is not guided by merely human reasons, but by divine criteria. "This happened -San Mateo notes that the words of the prophet might be fulfilled: "Say to the daughter of Zion: behold, your king is coming to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a donkey, the son of a yoke animal""..
Jesus Christ, who is God, is content with a little donkey for a throne. We, who are nothing, are often vain and arrogant: We seek to stand out, to attract attention; we try to be admired and praised by others. St. Josemaría Escrivá, canonized by John Paul II two years ago, took this Gospel scene to heart.
He said of himself that he was a mangy donkey, that he was worthless; but since humility is the truth, he also recognized that he was the depositary of many gifts from God, especially the task of opening divine paths on earth, showing millions of men and women that they can be saints in the fulfillment of their professional work and ordinary duties.
Jesus enters Jerusalem on a donkey. We must draw consequences from this scene. Every Christian can and should become Christ's throne. And here the words of St. Josemaría come as a ringing endorsement. "If the condition for Jesus to reign in my soul, in your soul, were to have a perfect place in us beforehand, we would have reason to despair. However, he adds, Jesus is content with a poor animal, for a throne (...).
"There are hundreds of animals more beautiful, more skillful and more cruel. But Christ looked to the donkey to present himself as king before the people who acclaimed him. For Jesus does not know what to do with calculating cunning, with the cruelty of cold hearts, with showy but hollow beauty. Our Lord values the joy of a young heart, the simple step, the voice without falsetto, the clear eyes, the attentive ear to his word of affection. Thus he reigns in the soul".
Let him take possession of our thoughts, words and actions!
Above all, let us cast off self-love, which is the greatest obstacle to the reign of Christ! Let us be humble, without appropriating merits that are not ours. Can you imagine how ridiculous the donkey would have been if he had appropriated the cheers and applause that the people addressed to the Master?
Commenting on this Gospel scene, John Paul II recalls that Jesus did not understand his earthly existence as a quest for power, for success and for a careeror as a will to dominate others. On the contrary, he renounced the privileges of his equality with God, assumed the condition of a servant, making himself in the likeness of men, and obeyed the Father's plan until death on the Cross (Homily, April 8, 2001).
The enthusiasm of the people is not usually long-lasting. A few days later, those who had welcomed him with cheers will cry out for his death. And we, will we let ourselves be carried away by a passing enthusiasm? If in these days we notice the divine fluttering of God's grace, which passes close by, let us make room for it in our souls. Let us spread on the ground, more than palms or olive branches, our hearts. Let us be humble. Let us be mortified. Let us be understanding with others. This is the homage that Jesus expects from us.
Holy Week offers us the opportunity to relive the fundamental moments of our Redemption. But let us not forget that, as St. Josemaría writes, "To accompany Christ in his glory at the end of Holy Week, it is necessary that we first enter into his holocaust, and that we feel that we are one with him, dead on Calvary" (1)..
For this, there is nothing better than walking hand in hand with Mary. May she obtain for us the grace that these days may leave a deep impression on our souls. May they be, for each and every one of us, an opportunity to deepen our understanding of God's love, so as to be able to show it to others. EWTN).
Easter Monday
Yesterday we remembered Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem. The crowd of disciples and others acclaimed him as Messiah and King of Israel. At the end of the day, tired, he returned to Bethany, a village very close to the capital, where he used to stay on his visits to Jerusalem.
There, a friendly family always had a place ready for him and his family. Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from the dead, is the head of the family; with him live Martha and Mary, his sisters, who eagerly await the arrival of the Master, happy to be able to offer him their services.
In the last days of his life on earth, Jesus spends long hours in Jerusalem, engaged in a very intense preaching. In the evening, he regained his strength at the home of his friends. And in Bethany there takes place an episode that the Gospel of today's Mass reports.
Six days before the Passover," recounts St. John, "Jesus went to Bethany. There He was offered a supper; Martha was serving and Lazarus was one of those at table with Him. Mary then took a pound of real nard perfume, very costly, anointed Jesus' feet with it and wiped them with her hair, and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
The generosity of this woman is immediately evident. She wishes to express her gratitude to the Master for having restored her brother to life and for so many other gifts received, and she spares no expense. Judas, present at the dinner, calculates exactly the price of the perfume.
But, instead of praising Mary's delicacy, he abandons himself to murmuring: why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii to give to the poor? In reality, as St. John notes, she did not care about the poor; she was interested in handling the money in the purse and stealing its contents.
"The valuation of Jesus is very diverse."writes John Paul II. "Without taking anything away from the duty of charity towards the needy, to whom the disciples must always dedicate themselves - "the poor you will always have with you" - He looks at the event of His death and burial, and appreciates the anointing that is done to Him as an anticipation of the honor that His body deserves also after death, because it is indissolubly united to the mystery of His person." (Ecclesia de Eucharistia, 47).
To be a true virtue, charity must be ordered. And the first place goes to God: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: you shall love your neighbor as yourself.
On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets. Therefore, those who, with the excuse of alleviating the material needs of mankind, neglect the needs of the Church and of her sacred ministers, are mistaken. St. Josemaría Escrivá writes:
"The woman who, in the house of Simon the leper in Bethany, anoints the Master's head with rich perfume, reminds us of our duty to be splendid in the worship of God.
-All luxury, majesty and beauty seem little to me. -And against those who attack the richness of sacred vessels, ornaments and altarpieces, the praise of Jesus is heard: "opus enim bonum operata est in me" - a good work has he done with me.
How many people behave like Judas! They see the good that others do, but they don't want to recognize it: they insist on discovering crooked intentions, they tend to criticize, to murmur, to make rash judgments. They reduce charity to what is purely material-giving a few coins to the needy, perhaps to ease their conscience-and they forget that, as St. Josemaría Escrivá also writes, "charity is not just a matter of giving. "Christian charity is not limited to helping those in need of economic goods; it is directed, above all, to respecting and understanding each individual as such, in his intrinsic dignity as man and as a child of the Creator".
The Virgin Mary gave herself completely to the Lord and was always attentive to mankind. Today we ask her to intercede for us, so that, in our lives, love of God and love of neighbor may become one, like two sides of the same coin.
Holy Tuesday
The Gospel of the Mass ends with the announcement that the Apostles would leave Christ alone during the Passion. To Simon Peter who, full of presumption, affirmed: I will give my life for you, the Lord replied: Will you give my life for me? I assure you that the cock will not crow before you have denied me three times. A few days later, the prediction came true.
However, a few hours before, the Master had given them a clear lesson, as if preparing them for the moments of darkness to come. It happened the day after the triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Jesus and the Apostles had left Bethany very early and, in their haste, perhaps they did not even take refreshments. The fact is that, as St. Mark tells us, the Lord felt hungry.
And seeing a fig tree afar off, which had leaves on it, he came near, lest he might find anything on it; but when he came to it he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. And he rebuked it: "may no one ever eat fruit from you!". His disciples were listening to him.
At dusk they returned to the village. It must have been late and they did not notice the cursed fig tree. But the next day, Tuesday, when they returned to Jerusalem, they all saw that tree, once a leafy one, with its branches bare and withered. Peter remarked to Jesus, "Master, look, the fig tree which you cursed has withered.
Jesus answered them: "Have faith in God. Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be uprooted and cast into the sea,' not doubting in his heart, but believing that what he says will be done, it will be granted to him." During his public life, to perform miracles, Jesus asked only one thing: faith. To two blind men who begged him for healing, he had asked: Do you think I can do that? -They answered him, "Yes, Lord. Then he touched their eyes, saying, "May it be done to you according to your faith. And their eyes were opened. And the Gospels tell us that in many places he hardly performed any wonders, because the people lacked faith.
We must also ask ourselves: What is our faith like? Do we fully trust in the word of God? Do we ask in prayer for what we need, certain that we will obtain it if it is for our good? Do we insist in our supplications as much as necessary, without becoming discouraged? St. Josemaría Escrivá commented on this scene from the Gospel. "Jesus -write- Jesus, hungry and thirsty for souls, has cried out from the Cross: "Room! From the Cross he has cried out: "Come, I thirst (Jn 19:28). Thirst for us, for our love, for our souls and for all the souls that we must bring to Him, on the way of the Cross, which is the way to immortality and the glory of Heaven".
He came to the fig tree and found nothing but leaves (Mt 21:19). Is it sadly lacking in our lives? Is it sadly lacking in faith, in the vibration of humility, in the absence of sacrifices and works? The disciples marveled at the miracle, but to no avail: a few days later they would deny their Master. Faith should inform one's entire life.
"Jesus Christ sets this condition."continues St. Josemaría: "Let us live by faith, because then we will be able to remove the mountains. And there are so many things to remove... in the world and, first of all, in our hearts. So many obstacles to grace! Faith, then; faith with works, faith with sacrifice, faith with humility.".
Mary, through her faith, made the work of the Redemption possible. John Paul II affirms that at the center of this mystery, at the very heart of this wonder of faith, is Mary, the sovereign Mother of the Redeemer (Redemptoris Mater, 51). She constantly accompanies all men and women along the paths that lead to eternal life.
The Church, writes the Pope, sees Mary deeply rooted in the history of humanity, in the eternal vocation of man according to the providential plan that God has eternally predisposed for him; She sees her maternally present and participating in the multiple and complex problems that today accompany the life of individuals, families and nations; she sees her helping the Christian people in the unceasing struggle between good and evil, so that "they may not fall" or, if they fall, "they may rise again" (Redemptoris Mater, 52). Mary, our Mother, obtain for us through your powerful intercession a sincere faith.a sure hope, a burning love.
Holy Wednesday
On Holy Wednesday we remember the sad story of one who was an Apostle of Christ: Judas. This is how St. Matthew tells it in his Gospel: One of the Twelve, named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said: "How much will you give me if I hand Jesus over to you?" They agreed to give him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment on, he was looking for an opportunity to give him to them.Why does the Church remember this event? To make us realize that we can all behave like Judas.
That we may ask the Lord that, on our part, there may be no betrayal, no distancing, no abandonment. Not only because of the negative consequences that this could bring to our personal lives, which would already be a lot; but also because we could drag others, who need the help of our good example, of our encouragement, of our friendship.
In some places in America, images of the crucified Christ show a deep wound on the Lord's left cheek. And they say that this wound represents the kiss of Judas. So great is the pain that our sins cause Jesus! Let us tell him that we want to be faithful to him: that we do not want to sell him - like Judas - for thirty coins, for a small thing, for all sins: pride, envy, impurity, hatred, resentment....
When temptation threatens to throw us to the ground, let us think that it is not worthwhile to exchange the happiness of the children of God, which is what we are, for a pleasure that ends immediately and leaves the bitter aftertaste of defeat and infidelity. We must feel the weight of the Church and of all humanity.
Isn't it great to know that any one of us can have influence on the whole world? Where we are, by doing our work well, taking care of our family, serving our friends, we can help the happiness of so many people. As St. Josemaría Escrivá writes, with the fulfillment of our Christian duties, We must be like the stone that fell into the lake. -Produce, by your example and by your word, a first circle... and this, another... and another, and another... and another... and another... and another... and another... and another... and another... and another.... Up to the most remote places.
Let us ask the Lord that we may no longer betray him; that we may know how to reject, with his grace, the temptations that the devil presents to us, deceiving us. We must say no, decisively, to everything that separates us from God. In this way the unhappy story of Judas will not be repeated in our lives. Y if we feel weak, let us run to the Holy Sacrament of Penance! There the Lord awaits us, like the father in the parable of the prodigal son, to embrace us and offer us his friendship. He continually comes to meet us, even if we have fallen low, very low. It is always time to return to God!
Let us not react with discouragement or pessimism. Let us not think: what am I to do, if I am a heap of miseries? greater is the mercy of God! what am I to do, if I fall again and again because of my weakness? greater is the power of God to raise us up from our falls! Great were the sins of Judas and Peter. Both betrayed the Master: one delivered Him into the hands of the persecutors, the other denied Him three times.
And yet, how differently each reacted! For both of them the Lord kept torrents of mercy. Peter repented, wept over his sin, asked for forgiveness, and was confirmed by Christ in faith and love; in time, he would come to lay down his life for Our Lord. Judas, on the other hand, did not trust in the mercy of Christ. Until the last moment the doors of God's forgiveness were open to him, but he did not want to enter through them by means of penance.
In his first encyclical, John Paul II speaks of Christ's right to meet each one of us at that key moment in the life of the soul, which is the moment of conversion and forgiveness (Redemptor hominis, 20). Let us not deprive Jesus of this right! Let us not deprive God the Father of the joy of giving us the embrace of welcome!
Let us not grieve the Holy Spirit, who desires to restore supernatural life to souls! Let us ask Holy Mary, the Hope of Christians, not to allow the Holy Spirit to give souls supernatural life!e may be discouraged in the face of our mistakes and sins, perhaps repeated. May she obtain for us from her Son the grace of conversion, the effective desire to go to Confession, the sacrament of divine mercy, humbly and contritely, beginning and beginning again whenever necessary.
Maundy Thursday
"Our Lord Jesus Christ, as if all the other proofs of his mercy were still not enough, institutes the Eucharist so that we can always have him near us and - as far as we can understand - because, moved by his love, who needs nothing, he does not want to do without us. The Trinity has fallen in love with man." How to live Holy Week - St. Josemaría, Christ Is Passing By, no. 84.
The Easter Triduum begins with the Holy Mass of the Lord's Supper. The common thread of the whole celebration is the Paschal Mystery of Christ. The supper in which Jesus, before giving himself up to death, entrusted to the Church the testament of his love and instituted the Eucharistand the priesthood. At the end, Jesus went to pray in the Garden of Olives, where he was later arrested. In the morning, the bishops gather with the priests of their dioceses and bless the holy oils. The washing of the feet takes place during the Mass of the Lord's Supper.
The liturgy of Holy Thursday is very rich in content. It is the great day of the institution of the Holy Eucharist, Heaven's gift to mankind; the day of the institution of the priesthood, a new divine gift that assures the real and actual presence of the Sacrifice of Calvary in all times and places, making it possible for us to appropriate its fruits. The moment was approaching when Jesus was going to offer his life for mankind. So great was his love, that in his infinite Wisdom he found the way to go and to stay at the same time.
St. Josemaría Escrivá, in considering the behavior of those who are obliged to leave their family and home to earn their living elsewhere, commented that man's love has recourse to a symbol: those who say goodbye exchange a memory, perhaps a photograph.... Jesus Christ, perfect God and perfect Man, does not leave a symbol, but the reality: He Himself remains. He will go to the Father, but He will remain with men. Under the species of bread and wine He is really present: with His Body, His Blood, His Soul and His Divinity.
How can we correspond to this immense love? By attending Holy Mass with faith and devotion.We are preparing ourselves very well for communion, with a clean soul. Preparing ourselves very well to receive Communion, with a clean soul. Visiting frequently Jesus hidden in the Tabernacle. In the first reading of the Mass, we are reminded of what God established in the Old Testament, so that the Israelite people would not forget the benefits received.
It goes down to many details: from how the paschal lamb should be, to the details that had to be taken care of to remember the passage of the Lord. If that was prescribed to commemorate some facts, which were only an image of the liberation from sin worked by Jesus Christ, how should we behave now, when we have truly been rescued from the slavery of sin and made children of God! This is the reason why the Church instills in us great care in everything that refers to the Eucharist.
Do we attend the Holy Sacrifice every Sunday and feast day, knowing that we are participating in a divine action? St. John relates that Jesus washed the feet of the disciples before the Last Supper. It is necessary to be clean, in the soul and in the body, to approach to receive him with dignity. That is why he left us the sacrament of Penance. We also commemorate the institution of the priesthood.
It is a good time to pray for the Pope, for the Bishops, for priests, and to pray for many vocations throughout the world. We will pray better to the extent that we have more contact with this Jesus of ours, who has instituted the Eucharist and the Priesthood. Let us say, in all sincerity, what St. Josemaría Escrivá used to say: Lord, put in my heart the love with which you want me to love you.
The Virgin Mary does not appear physically in today's scene, even though she was in Jerusalem in those days: we will meet her tomorrow at the foot of the Cross. But already today, with her discreet and silent presence, she accompanies her Son closely, in a profound union of prayer, sacrifice and self-giving.
John Paul II points out that, after the Ascension of the Lord into Heaven, he would assiduously participate in the Eucharistic celebrations of the early Christians. And the Pope adds: "That body given as a sacrifice and present in the sacramental signs was the same body conceived in her womb! To receive the Eucharist must have meant, for Mary, as if she were welcoming back into her womb the heart that had beat in unison with her own." (Ecclesia de Eucharistia, 56).
Even now the Virgin Mary accompanies Christ in all the tabernacles of the earth. We ask her to teach us to be souls of the Eucharist, men and women of sure faith and strong piety, who strive not to leave Jesus alone. May we know how to adore him, ask his forgiveness, thank him for his benefits, and keep him company.
Good Friday
"In admiring and truly loving the Most Holy Humanity of Jesus, we will discover one by one his wounds (...). We will need to enter into each of those most holy wounds: to purify ourselves, to rejoice in that redeeming blood, to strengthen ourselves. We will go like the doves who, according to Scripture, take shelter in the holes of the rocks at the hour of the storm. We hide in that shelter, to find the intimacy of Christ." How to live Holy Week - St. Josemaría, Friends of God, no. 302.
On Good Friday we reach the culminating moment of Love, a Love that wants to embrace everyone, excluding no one, with absolute self-giving. On that day we accompany Christ remembering the Passion: from the agony of Jesus in the Garden of Olives to the scourging, the crowning with thorns and death on the Cross. We commemorate it with a solemn Stations of the Cross and with the ceremony of the Adoration of the Cross. The liturgy teaches us how to live Holy Week on Good Friday.
It begins with the prostration of the priestsinstead of the usual initial kiss. It is a gesture of special veneration for the altar, which is naked, exempt from everything, evoking the Crucified One at the hour of the Passion. The silence is broken by a tender prayer in which the priest appeals to God's mercy: "Reminiscere miserationum tuarum, Domine", and ask the Father for the eternal protection that the Son has won for us with his blood.
Today we want to accompany Christ on the Cross. I remember some words of St. Josemaría Escrivá, on a Good Friday. He invited us to relive personally the hours of the Passion: from the agony of Jesus in the Garden of Olives to the scourging, the crowning with thorns and death on the Cross. He said: The omnipotence of God bound by the hand of man, they lead my Jesus from one side to the other, amidst the insults and the pushing and shoving of the plebs.
Each one of us must see himself in the midst of that crowd, because our sins have been the cause of the immense pain that is being poured upon the soul and body of the Lord. Yes: each one of us carries Christ, who has become an object of mockery, from one place to another. It is we who, with our sins, cry aloud for his death. And He, perfect God and perfect Man, lets it be done.
The prophet Isaiah had foretold it: he was mistreated, he opened not his mouth; he was like a lamb led to the slaughter, like a sheep dumb before the shearers. It is only right that we feel the responsibility for our sins. It is logical that we should be very grateful to Jesus. It is natural that we seek reparation, because to our manifestations of unlove, He always responds with total love. In this time of Holy Week, we see the Lord as closer, more similar to his human brothers and sisters....
Let us meditate on some words of John Paul II: "He who believes in Jesus carries the Cross in triumph, as an unquestionable proof that God is love..... But faith in Christ is never taken for granted. The paschal mystery, which we relive during the days of Holy Week, is always current." (Homily, March 24, 2002). Let us ask Jesus, during this Holy Week, to awaken in our souls the awareness of being truly Christian men and women, because we live in the face of God and, with God, in the face of all people.
Let us not allow the Lord to carry the Cross alone. Let us joyfully accept the small daily sacrifices. Let us take advantage of the capacity to love, which God has granted us, to make resolutions, but without remaining merely sentimental. Let us sincerely say: Lord, no more, no more, no more! Let us pray in faith that we and all the people of the earth may discover the need to hate mortal sin and to abhor deliberate venial sin, which has caused so much suffering to our God.
How great is the power of the Cross! When Christ is an object of derision and mockery for the whole world; when He is on the Cross without wanting to tear Himself from those nails; when no one would give a penny for His life, the good thief - one like us - discovers the love of the dying Christ, and asks for forgiveness. Today you will be with me in Paradise.
What strength suffering has, when it is accepted with Our Lord! He is capable of drawing - from the most painful situations - moments of glory and life. That man who turns to the dying Christ finds the remission of his sins, happiness forever. We must do the same. If we lose our fear of the Cross, if we unite ourselves to Christ on the Cross, we will receive his grace, his strength, his efficacy.
And we will be filled with peace. At the foot of the Cross we discover Mary, faithful Virgin. Let us ask her, on this Good Friday, to lend us her love and strength, so that we too may know how to accompany Jesus. We turn to her with some words of St. Josemaría Escrivá, which have helped millions of people. Di: My Mother - yours, for you are his by many titles - may your love bind me to the Cross of your Son: may I not lack the Faith, nor the courage, nor the audacity, to fulfill the will of our Jesus.
Holy Saturday
"The work of our redemption has been accomplished. We are now children of God, because Jesus has died for us and his death has redeemed us". How to live Holy Week - St. Josemaría, Way of the Cross, XIV Station.
How to live Holy Week on Holy Saturday? It is a day of silence in the Church: Christ lies in the tomb and the Church meditates, in admiration, on what the Lord has done for us. However, it is not a sad day. The Lord has conquered the devil and sin, and in a few hours he will also conquer death with his glorious Resurrection.
"In a little while you will no longer see me, and in a little while you will see me again" Jn 16:16. On this day, love does not hesitate, like Mary, it keeps silent and waits. Love waits trusting in the word of the Lord until Christ rises resplendent on Easter Day. Today is a day of silence in the Church: Christ lies in the tomb and the Church meditates, in admiration, on what this Lord of ours has done for us.
Be silent to learn from the Master, as you contemplate his broken body. Each of us can and must join in the silence of the Church. And in considering that we are responsible for that death, we will strive to keep silent our passions, our rebelliousness, everything that separates us from God. But without being merely passive: it is a grace that God grants us when we ask him for it before the dead Body of his Son, when we strive to remove from our lives everything that distances us from him.
Holy Saturday is not a sad day. The Lord has conquered the devil and sin, and in a few hours He will also conquer death with His glorious Resurrection. He has reconciled us with the heavenly Father: we are now children of God! It is necessary that we make resolutions of thanksgiving, that we have the assurance that we will overcome all obstacles, whatever they may be, if we remain well united to Jesus through prayer and the sacraments. The world hungers for God, although it often does not know it.
People are eager to be told about this joyful reality-the encounter with the Lord-and that is what we Christians are for. Let us have the courage of those two men - Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea - who during the life of Jesus Christ showed human respect, but who at the definitive moment dared to ask Pilate for the dead body of Jesus, in order to bury him. Or that of those holy women who, when Christ is already a corpse, buy scents and go to embalm him, without being afraid of the soldiers guarding the tomb.
At the time of the general disbandment, when everyone has felt entitled to insult, laugh and mock Jesus, they will say: give us that Body, which belongs to us. How carefully they would take him down from the Cross and look at his Wounds! Let us ask for forgiveness and say, in the words of St. Josemaría Escrivá: I will go up with them to the foot of the Cross, I will cling to the cold Body, the corpse of Christ, with the fire of my love..., I will unnail Him with my atonements and mortifications....I will wrap it in the new linen of my clean life, and bury it in my breast of living rock, from where no one can tear it from me, and there, Lord, rest!
It is understandable that they placed the dead body of the Son in the arms of the Mother, before burying Him. Mary was the only creature capable of telling him that she perfectly understands his Love for mankind, since she was not the cause of these pains. The Most Pure Virgin speaks for us; but she speaks to make us react, so that we experience her sorrow, made one with the sorrow of Christ.
Let us make resolutions of conversion and apostolate, of identifying ourselves more with Christ, of being totally attentive to souls. Let us ask the Lord to transmit to us the saving efficacy of his Passion and Death. Let us consider the panorama that lies before us. The people around us expect us Christians to show them the wonders of the encounter with God.
It is necessary that this Holy Week - and then every day - be for us a leap of quality, a way of telling the Lord to enter totally into our lives. It is necessary to communicate to many people the new Life that Jesus Christ has obtained for us with the Redemption.
Let us turn to Holy Mary: Our Lady of Solitude, Mother of God and our Mother, help us to understand, as St. Josemaría writes, that we must make Christ's life and death our own.. To die by mortification and penance, so that Christ may live in us through Love. And then follow in the footsteps of Christ, with the desire to co-redeem all souls. To give one's life for others. This is the only way to live the life of Jesus Christ and become one with Him.
Easter Vigil
The celebration of the Easter Vigil on the night of Holy Saturday is the most important of all the celebrations of Holy Week, because it commemorates the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The passage from darkness to light is expressed with different elements: fire, candle, water, incense, music and bells. The light of the candle is a sign of Christ, the light of the world, which radiates and floods everything. The fire is the Holy Spirit, kindled by Christ in the hearts of the faithful.
Water signifies the passage to new life in Christ, the source of life. The Easter alleluia is the hymn of the pilgrimage toward the Jerusalem of heaven. The bread and wine of the Eucharist are a pledge of the heavenly banquet. As we participate in the Easter Vigil we recognize that time is a new time, open to the definitive today of the glorious Christ. This is the new day inaugurated by the Lord, the day "which knows no sunset" (Roman Missal, Easter Vigil, Easter Proclamation).
Easter Sunday
"The Easter season is a time of joy, a joy that is not limited to that time of the liturgical year, but is always present in the heart of the Christian. Because Christ lives: Christ is not a figure who passed away, who existed at one time and then went away, leaving us a wonderful memory and example". How to live Holy Week St. Josemaría, Homily Christ present in Christians.
This is the most important and most joyful day for Catholics, Jesus has conquered death and has given us Life. Christ gives us the opportunity to be saved, to enter Heaven and live in the company of God. Easter is the passage from death to life. Resurrection Sunday marks the end of the Easter Triduum and Holy Week and inaugurates the liturgical period of 50 days called the Easter Season, which ends with Easter Sunday. Pentecost.
After Saturday, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought perfumes to go and embalm Jesus. Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, at sunrise, they went to the tomb. Thus begins St. Mark's account of what happened that early morning two thousand years ago, at the first Christian Easter. Jesus had been buried.
In the eyes of men, his life and his message had ended in the most profound failure. His disciples, confused and frightened, had dispersed. The same women who come to make a pious gesture, ask each other: who will take away the stone from the entrance of the tomb? Nevertheless," St. Josemaría Escrivá remarked, "they go ahead? Do we have this holy decision, or must we confess that we feel ashamed when we contemplate the decision, the fearlessness, the audacity of these women?".
To fulfill the Will of God, to be faithful to the law of Christ, to live our faith coherently, can sometimes seem very difficult. Obstacles present themselves that seem insurmountable. However, this is not so. God always wins. The epic of Jesus of Nazareth does not end with his ignominious death on the Cross. The last word is that of the glorious Resurrection. And we Christians, in Baptism, have died and risen with Christ: dead to sin and alive to God.
O Christ," we say with the Holy Father John Paul II, "how can we fail to thank you for the ineffable gift that you give us tonight! The mystery of your Death and Resurrection is infused in the baptismal water that welcomes the old and carnal man, and makes him pure with the same divine youth." (Homily, April 15, 2001).
Today the Church, filled with joy, exclaims: this is the day the Lord has made: let us rejoice and be glad in it! A shout of jubilation that will continue for fifty days, throughout the Easter season, echoing the words of St. Paul: since you have been raised with Christ, seek the good things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your whole heart on the goods of heaven, not on those of earth; for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
It is logical to think - and this is how the Tradition of the Church considers it - that Jesus Christ, once resurrected, appeared first of all to his Blessed Mother. The fact that she does not appear in the Gospel accounts, with the other women, is - as John Paul II points out - an indication that Our Lady had already met Jesus."This deduction would also be confirmed - the Pope adds - by the fact that the first witnesses of the resurrection, by the will of Jesus, were the women, who remained faithful at the foot of the Cross and, therefore, more firm in the faith." (Hearing, May 21, 1997).
Only Mary had fully preserved her faith during the bitter hours of the Passion; therefore it is natural that the Lord appeared to her first. We must always remain close to Our Lady, but even more so during the Easter season.With what eagerness he had awaited the Resurrection! He knew that Jesus had come to save the world and that, therefore, He had to suffer and die; but he also knew that He could not be subject to death, because He is Life.
A good way to live Easter is to make an effort to share Christ's life with others.We are fulfilling the new commandment of charity, which the Lord gave us on the eve of his Passion: "By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. The Risen Christ now repeats it to each one of us. He tells us: truly love one another, strive every day to serve others, be attentive to the smallest details, to make life pleasant for those with whom you live.
But let us return to Jesus' encounter with his Blessed Mother. How happy Our Lady would be to contemplate that Most Holy Humanity - flesh of her flesh and life of her life - fully glorified! Let us ask him to teach us to sacrifice ourselves for others without being noticed, without even expecting to be thanked: may we hunger to go unnoticed, so as to possess the life of God and communicate it to others.
Today we address to him the Regina Caeli, a greeting proper to the Easter season. Rejoice, Queen of heaven, alleluia. / For he whom you deserved to carry in your womb, alleluia. / Has risen as you foretold, alleluia. / Pray to God for us, alleluia. / Rejoice and be glad, Virgin Mary, alleluia. / For the Lord is risen indeed, alleluia. How to live Holy Week? Let us ask God that this week that is about to begin may fill us with renewed hope and unwavering faith.
May it transform us into messengers of God to proclaim one more year that Christ, the Divine Redeemer, gives himself for his people on a cross out of love.
John Paul's vocation: "I aspire to be a priest".
When he arrived in Rome on July 26, 2022, he was a seminarian of the Archdiocese of Onitsha. However, with the creation of the diocese of Aguleri by Pope Francis on February 12, 2023, he became a seminarian of this new diocese and is now in Rome. He is in his third year of theology at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross and lives in the international ecclesiastical college. Sedes Sapientiae in Rome.
John Paul's vocation story
A vocation born in the heart of a Catholic family in Nigeria, where he was guided in the faith from childhood. John's vocation is deeply linked to that of his family. He was born into a devout Catholic family: his father is the late Mr. Godwin Chinedu Oraefo and his mother Mrs. Clementina Chinyere Oraefo, both with a great devotion to the Virgin Mary. She has two siblings: an older sister, Chinelo, and a younger brother, Onyeka.
John Paul hugs his mother.
"Growing up, my parents made sure that we participated in the Block Rosary Crusade (Block Rosary Crusade), a movement for children inspired by the three little shepherds of Fatima. When I was 3 years old, I attended for the first time these meetings where we prayed the Holy Rosary every night. We were also enrolled in the Legion of Mary, which strengthened our relationship with God".
"Also, after Sunday Mass, as a family we would go to receive the priest's blessing before returning home. I think this practice ignited in me the desire to to be a priest and bless people. I felt the call to the priesthood at the age of 6 and, although it seemed strange for my age, my parents supported me, trusting in God's will."
The minor seminary
While his peers dreamed of becoming doctors, lawyers or engineers, JohnPaul aspired to the priesthood. At the end of elementary school, his parents requested his admission to the minor seminary. All Hallows Seminary of Onitsha, which belonged to his archdiocese at the time.
"I took the entrance exams, was interviewed and finally admitted. The new minor seminary course began on September 13, 2008. My enthusiasm was great, but I was not fully aware of what it entailed: leaving my home and family, getting up at 5 a.m., attending prayer and Mass punctually, studying hard and developing new skills. It was difficult at first, but, over time, I adapted thanks to the help of my formators and teachers."
He graduated in 2014 and was sent for a year of pastoral work at St. Joseph Secondary School, Awkaetiti. Then in 2015-2016, he served at St. Joseph Parish, Awada. During this time, on May 31, 2016, on the feast of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary, his father passed away, marking a difficult moment in his journey.
From Africa to Rome
That same year, along with some companions, he was sent to St. Pius X Seminary, Akwukwu, for a year of spiritual formation. In 2017, he began philosophical studies at Bigard Memorial Major Seminary, Enugu, where he studied for four years. He then undertook a year of pastoral work at the minor seminary. All Hallows SeminaryOnitsha, Onitsha, where he received his primary education.
"It was during this time that my bishop at the time, Msgr. Valerian Okeke, spoke to me about the possibility of study Theology in Rome. Thanks to their support, I came to this city to continue my education. I am deeply grateful for this opportunity," says JohnPaul.
The challenge of working in a newly created diocese
Studying in Rome, the center of Christianity, is a providential experience. One constantly perceives the richness of our Christian heritage, the universality of the Church under the guidance of the Pope and the witness of the saints who gave their lives for the Gospel.
In addition, John Paul makes it clear: "The creation of the Diocese of Aguleri is also providential. It helps us to strengthen the faith of Catholics, to evangelize those who have not yet embraced the Gospel and to accompany young people who, due to cultural influence and secularism, are losing their faith."
"Our bishop, Bishop Denis Isizoh, is very committed to these challenges, so my colleagues and I took our seminary training very seriously to respond to this mission."
Thank you to the benefactors of the CARF Foundation.
JohnPaul thanks God for guiding him this far. "I thank my family, my bishops, formators, teachers and benefactors who have accompanied my vocational journey in the priesthood. I also thank the CARF Foundation for its support in the formation of priests around the world."
And pray for the members of the CARF Foundation that their work may continue to bear fruit and that, as they collaborate with God in the sanctification of the world, He may bless them and fill them with His grace.
Gerardo Ferrara, Degree in History and Political Science, specialized in the Middle East. Head of the student body at the University of the Holy Cross in Rome.
"I felt God like a flame burning in my heart."
Jonathas Camargo (1998) felt God's call during the Covid-19 pandemic, although this was not always the case. One of the things that held him back from taking that step was his fear of opening himself to a true encounter with the Lord. Jonathas is now in Pamplona training to become a priest. He comes from the diocese of Leopoldina, Brazil.
Introduction to faith and its 'fear' of God
Jonathas arrived in Pamplona in 2023, where he is studying Theology at the Ecclesiastical Faculties of the University of Navarra. From a very young age, he participated in catechesis in his home parish.
God has always been present in Jonathas' family. Since he was a child, his mother took him and his three sisters to the parish to participate in the catechesis of formation. But in his adolescence, a time of rebellion and crisis, he drifted away from the faith, because all he did was attend Mass just for the precept. "Not leaving Sunday Mass, even if it is only to fulfill the ecclesiastical norm even if one does not feel like it, confers an infinite value that is always rewarded by God".
To this reluctance was added a temptation: "that always stopped me from committing myself more to God; it was my fear of opening myself to a true encounter with the Lord," he confesses.
However, the sacrament of Confirmation was vital to become more committed to the Church. Receiving this sacrament is a Grace from God, a sacrament that, as its name indicates, helps a Christian to commit himself to be a witness of Jesus Christ: the baptized person is strengthened by the gift of the Holy Spirit, becomes more deeply rooted in the divine filiation and is more intimately united with the Church.
Coronation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a mission that brought him closer to God
With this determination, Jonathas began to participate in other celebrations of his parish, such as the coronations to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
"In addition, my commitment to the service of the Church was greater when I helped form and coordinate a youth group, also in my parish. This mission brought me very close to God", he says.
This young Brazilian seminarian recalls that being close to young people means above all listening to them in order to accompany them on their journey of faith and true love for the Lord.
Thus, her union with God grew, fruit of her will, of the good people around her, such as the parish priest, and of her own freedom.
God's call to his vocation
Jonathas recounts the moment he felt in his heart a striking presence with the Lord: "In 2016, at the age of eighteen, I was invited to be an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion, and with this service to the Lord I felt in my heart the duty to live my faith in a more responsible way.".
Later, with the arrival of the pandemic, came the turning point for Jonathas: "I was studying for a degree in another city when the pandemic started and with it, all the restrictions imposed on us.
So, I returned to my hometown and dedicated myself to helping my parish priest in everything necessary so that the faithful could follow the celebrations through the Internet. Witnessing all the difficulties we were facing, and being able to feel the people's desire and expression of faith, I felt God's call like a flame burning in my heart as I participated in a Eucharistic adoration".
After this wonderful experience, in 2021 he began his vocational discernment process, and in 2022 he entered the preparatory seminary of his diocese. In July 2023, his bishop sent him to study at the University of Navarra, Spain., as it relates the website of your dioceseHe landed in Bidasoa accompanied by the rector of the seminary of Our Lady of Apparition of Leopoldina, Father Alessandro Alves Tavares.
Jonathas Camargo in Bidasoa.
Your training in Spain
His experience in the Bidasoa international seminar is discovering to him the great beauty of the universal Church: "My stay in Bidasoa has been of great benefit to my vocation. Here I have been able to grow even more in my prayer life and also in my academic life. Sharing life with priests and seminarians from the farthest corners of the world teaches me that the Church is universal and that the Lord can reach all hearts, and for that he wants us to be prepared to evangelize all nations.".
When he finishes his theology studies at the University of Navarra, he will return to his diocese where he will be ordained a priest. Jonathas is aware that all cities and countries have their peculiarities and difficulties in evangelization, but without prayer little can be achieved.
We must continue to pray for vocations
"I believe that, in my diocese, as well as in the whole Church, we must continue to pray that many holy vocations may arise for the Lord's harvest," says Jonathas.
A thought very much in line with the initiative proposed by the Church for March 19, the Day of the Seminary. The first thing the Church asks is to pray for vocations. Then, as far as possible, to help financially to support vocations.
He leaves his future in God's hands, but asks him to continue with this desire to serve the Church wherever necessary and "to take the truth of the Gospel to all corners, and never forget to be faithful to what the Lord asks of us through our bishop".
Marta Santínjournalist specializing in religion.
«Spain must preserve the faith it once passed on to us.»
Al John Madrilejos Clet, 23 years old, is a Filipino seminarian residing in Pamplona, Spain, at the international seminary Bidasoa. He is in Spain studying third year of Theology at the Ecclesiastical Faculties of the University of Navarra because his diocese has sent him to our country for training.
History and origin of this Filipino seminarian's vocation
He belongs to the Diocese of Legazpi, Philippines, and tells how the flame of vocation was lit within him: "When I was a child, my grandmother always took me to church, she is a very religious woman and taught me what the Church is. I was very struck by the man who 'dressed in different colors at Mass’. Then, when I was 10 years old, I became an altar boy. That's when I learned a little more about the mission of this man who wore a chasuble and colors and who was the priest.
Afterwards, his mother enrolled him in the minor seminary school in his hometown to study primary school. Mª Teresa, a teacher and nurse at the University of Bicol (Tobacco Campus), thought it was a good school and, besides, it was close to the hospital where she works. She continued her studies at St. Gregory the Great Seminary up to the Baccalaureate.
A vocation supported by family in spite of distance
Al John's father, Alex Madrilejos, is an overseas Filipino worker. His brother is studying computer engineering at the University of Bicol (Polangui Campus in the Philippines). And his sister is finishing high school at the University of Santo Tomas (Legazpi) and wants to become a doctor. Despite the distance, our seminarian feels the support of his whole family for his vocation.
With all this, Al John knew that his father had alternatives for his professional future if his vocation was not to be. "At the end of high school, I gave myself some time to think about whether I was going to pursue the path of the priesthood and enter the major seminary, already as a seminarian.
My father asked me if I wanted to continue, because he had a different plan for me. After months of prayer, I decided to continue at the Mater Salutis major seminary. My father did not hesitate to support my decision"Al John, the eldest of three siblings, says.
Thus, after completing four years of philosophy at the Mater Salutis major seminary of his diocese, his formators suggested that he continue his formation in Spain.
Trust in God
"I have to admit that I had a lot of doubts because the level of the University of Navarra is high, but also I have experienced that nothing is impossible for God", states.
Of his stay in the seminaries of his diocese, he has fond memories: many friends and great learning, not only academically, but also the discovery of some personal talents and hobbies such as music and sports. "And the most important thing: deep love and relationship with Jesus, something I am also learning at the Bidasoa International Seminary."
Similarities between Spain and the Philippines
He is happy in Spain. For him, there are similarities in terms of the beliefs of our country and the Philippines since they were colonized. "I want to focus more on the religious practices that Spain has from the point of view of a Filipino. The liturgy is very nice, because here. things are present in Spain that we do not use in the PhilippinesThe deacon's dalmatic and the processional umbrella used when exposing the Sacrament," explains Al John.
He is attracted by the Spanish churches, which exude a peaceful atmosphere conducive to prayer and to attend Mass. "However, it saddens me a little when I see that the temples I have been to, especially in Madrid and Barcelona, are half-empty.not many people attend. And I ask myself: is it the result of secularization or a lack of faith of this generation?"confesses this young seminarian.
Al John and his love for the Virgin Mary
Al John prays and hopes that Spanish Catholics to have a deeper relationship with the Virgin Mary, to recover their Marian rootsbecause his faith has been steeped in Marian spirituality, and he has experienced that the relationship with the Lord passes through Mary.
"As part of a Mary-loving people, This veneration and relationship with our Mother helps us Filipinos to continue to live our faith under the maternal care of the Virgin Mary. It is a great help for vocations and especially for Spanish vocations. Spain must continue and preserve the faith that was once passed on to us Filipinos."
More than 92 % of the inhabitants of your diocese are Catholic, but vocation is low
It is this Marian spirituality that he wishes to see take root more deeply in his diocese, Legazpi. Located in Region V, Bicol, it is led by the bishop Joel Z. Baylon and has 117 diocesan priests y 42 religious. It pastors 1,390,349 Catholics out of a total population of 1,487,322, or 93 % of Catholics.
The Diocese of Legazpi faces several challenges, among them the implementation of pastoral programs. Al John explains those challenges: "The ongoing Diocesan Pastoral Assembly (DPA) reflects efforts to align with our bishop's vision for the local church. Some reforms from the Second Vatican Council that remain unimplemented also need to be implemented. Another important challenge is the ratio of priests to faithful (1 priest for every 9,000 people)This limits pastoral care and makes it difficult to effectively reach all parishioners.
The influence of popular devotions in the Philippines
Another challenge, as in many places, is dealing with the secularism that also wreaks havoc in the Philippines. "The positive thing about my country is that Catholicism has a strong impact through popular devotions and processions, that are deeply rooted in the local culture. It is a pity, moreover, that many of the faithful only attend Mass at Christmas and Holy Week, neglecting Sundays," he laments.
But Al John is eager and enthusiastic to face a secularized society, dependent on technology, where truth is less sought after.
"More and more people are attracted to virtual reality and the screen in front of them. However, this can also be an advantage. Easy access to media can be an advantage. an effective platform for evangelizationAnd how are we going to do it? We must become a testimony of God's love", says this young seminarian.
The example of the early Christians
For this great work, takes the early Christians and the apostles as a reference point.The first century, they became a living witness of Christ to the people, not only with words, but also through their efforts and actions to spread the good news.
For Al John, just as then, people discover Christ by what they see and hear. "Therefore, through these platforms, we become modern apostles by evangelizing virtual reality. showing God's love to reach people and their hearts. It is a great challenge, but with God's grace I believe it is possible.
To carry out his vocation and this great work of evangelization, he is preparing for the priesthood. For him, the first thing he must radiate is a shepherd's heart. "A shepherd's heart is both a guiding heart and an exemplary heart. A priest with a shepherd's heart is a guide for his people, through the sacraments, helping them to get closer to the true and good shepherd: Jesus," he says. Al John considers that a priest must render humble service in all areas of life.
"His service must be for all, and the presence of Christ must be made present in him through his humility and simple gestures. Jesus touches the person as a sign of great care and love. As Pope Francis says in his letter Dilexit Nos "it is essential to realize that our relationship with the person of Jesus Christ is one of friendship and adoration, drawn by the love represented under the image of his heart"."
Grateful to the CARF Foundation
Like all Bidasoa Seminoles, Al John is very grateful to the benefactors for the financial support that makes his studies and training in Spain possible. "Thank you for all the help you give us, you all give us the opportunity to train in incredible places like the University of Navarra. I pray for your intentions.
Marta Santín, Journalist specializing in religious information
The backpack of sacred vessels for celebrating Mass in rural areas
The CARF Foundation provides backpacks of sacred vessels to seminarians who are to be ordained as priests, as was the case of Hanzell Renatoallowing them to celebrate the Eucharist in rural areas of resource-poor countries.
Hanzell, ordained priest in September 2021 and appointed pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus in Boaco Viejo, expresses his gratitude for this support. He notes that, thanks to the backpack, he has been able to celebrate Mass with dignity; visit the sick and impart the sacrament of Anointing and bless homes in rural areas. This resource is essential for priests serving in regions with limited resources, facilitating the administration of the sacraments and strengthening the faith in isolated communities.
"I thank the board of trustees I would like to thank the CARF Foundation's Social Action team for their closeness and support, both spiritual and material. I would like to share with you that the backpack of sacred vessels that they gave me, a gift on May 28, 2021, has been a great help to me in the mission that I now have".
Hanzell Renato studied Theology at the Ecclesiastical Faculties of the University of University of Navarra and during his stay in Spain, he resided at the Bidasoa International Seminary.
Impact of the backpack of sacred vessels on pastoral work.
The backpack is an indispensable resource for priests working in isolated and under-resourced regions. It contains the necessary elements to celebrate the Eucharist, such as the chalice, paten and other liturgical accessories.
This allows priests to celebrate Holy Mass with dignity even in adverse conditions, bringing the presence of Christ to places where communities do not have access to a church.
"On one occasion, I met a community of faithful who had not participated in the Eucharist for months, a pain for not having Mass. Thanks to the backpack, I was able to offer them the Eucharist and feel the joy of bringing them closer to God," adds Hanzell.
Testimonies of priests who have benefited
Hanzell's testimony reflects the mission of many priests in rural areas of Latin America, who face challenges such as lack of infrastructure, long distances and scarce material resources. With the support of the CARF Foundation, these difficulties are transformed into opportunities to strengthen the faith of their faithful communities, often in rural areas that are difficult to access.
Hanzell riding horses in rural communities.
A letter from Pedro Antonio
Pedro Antonio is another priest from a Central American diocese and an alumnus of the international weekly Bidasoa. He writes to thank us for the gift of the backpack of sacred vessels he received from the volunteers of the Social Action Board of the CARF Foundation.
"I am Pedro Antonio, a priest from Central America and an alumnus of the Bidasoa International Seminary. First of all, I want to thank God for the opportunity to have studied at the University of Navarra, especially for allowing me to form my priestly heart in Bidasoa.
The truth is that without the help of the trainers and so many good people from the CARF Foundation, it would be impossible to carry out this great work. A year ago I received as a gift, a backpack of sacred vessels with the necessary to celebrate the Holy Eucharist. On June 12, 2021, I was ordained a priest and the time had come to wear it.. After my ordination I remained as a collaborator at the shrine of Our Lady of Candelaria, my home parish," writes Pedro.
The story of Jesus, from Venezuela
Jesus Melean is a priest of the Diocese of Cabimas, Venezuela. He studied Theology at the Ecclesiastical Faculties of the University of Navarra and was a resident at the Bidasoa Seminary. Before returning to his country, he received the backpack of sacred vessels from the volunteers of the Social Action Board.
"This weekend I was able to celebrate Mass with a group of young people that I have the opportunity to accompany in their spiritual life. The backpack of sacred vessels has been a gift that I value very much because it is being very useful for this type of celebrations.
I have Mass once a month in different communities and this gift helps me to celebrate the Eucharist worthily everywhere.
Always grateful to the CARF Foundation for this gift... I could say that it is a gift that helps us to give (bring) Christ to others".
Donations that transform lives
The CARF Foundation is dedicated to providing academic, human and spiritual formation to seminarians, diocesan priests and religious men and women from countries around the world, mainly those with scarce resources.
The donations and prayers of benefactors enable these priests to carry out their pastoral mission with dignity and effectiveness. The CARF Foundation supports the promotion of infrastructure, formation and support projects for parishes in vulnerable areas.
"Every contribution we receive from benefactors has a direct impact on the lives of thousands of people. They not only help diocesan priests, but the entire community they serve," notes a CARF Foundation spokesperson.
How you can help
If you want to be part of this mission, you can make a donation here on our website. Every contribution, no matter how small, helps bring the sacraments to those who need them most, strengthening the faith and hope of all. With the support of benefactors and volunteers, the CARF Foundation continues to transform lives and ensure that the message of Christ reaches every corner of the world.
