Consecrated life, a gift from the Trinity
When I look at consecrated life, the first image that comes to me is that of a GIFT that the Trinity gives the world. This gift is updated at every period of history, according to the context, culture, events … What changes is the “wrapping,” but on the “inside” it is always God’s unconditional and merciful plan of love for us all. “In calling you, God says, ‘You are important to me, I love you, I count on you.’ This is what Jesus says to each one of us! That’s where joy is born!–the joy of that moment when Jesus looked at me. To understand and feel this, is the secret of our joy. To feel loved by God, to feel that for God we are not numbers but individuals; and to feel that it is God who calls us.” (Pope Francis) Jesus’ words come spontaneously to mind: “It is…
It is a privilege for me to be a waste for God!
Madga : Sister Angela Kapitingana is Tanzanian. After several years of mission in Uganda, Zambia, Rwanda, Kenya, DRC, she was sent to the novitiate in Burkina Faso to work in the formation of young women who want to become Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa. I asked her about her religious vocation. Magda – Sister, how did you discover your religious vocation? Angela – Discovering my vocation was not easy but in my heart I had a desire to share my faith with people who have no family especially orphans, I wanted to show that they are important in God’s eyes. Very early I lost my mother. I wanted to help my sister who did everything so that I could study. I worked hard at school until I had the opportunity to go to university. It was a decisive moment when I felt in my heart…
My vocation : I Had a Dream …
Sister Maite Oiartzun Baraibar, from Spain, tells her story… Tell us what led you to Africa: I went to Africa, Mali, as a tourist. I had been invited by a Spanish White Father I knew. The reality of Mali astonished me with its 1.8% of Christians. I felt the need for missionaries to share the faith, the Good News of the Gospel, so that those who did not yet know Jesus Christ could meet him.I was a teacher in Spain. Seeing illiteracy in Mali, I felt called to collaborate with others, so that children could learn to read and write. School is the base of education. I was very involved in Spain in the youth group ENCUENTROS DE PROMOCION JUVENIL. Christ was the driving force of my life, my treasure. Why a Missionary Sister of Our Lady of Africa? The sister who welcomed me in Mali was…
God calls … How do I respond?
I will try to share with you something of God’s call in my life. How I heard God’s call, how I responded and how I continue to respond every day in the daily events of my life. My name is Mia. I am a Missionary Sister of Our Lady of Africa and I am from Ghent, Belgium. Here are some signs to help discern a call to a religious missionary vocation Listen to testimonials: Since I was very young, in primary school, I loved listening to the testimony of the missionary sisters who came to speak in our classrooms during their home-leave in Belgium. I thought to myself: When I grow up, I want to be like them, go to Africa, especially where people do not yet know God. I also loved watching on TV reports and documentaries about Africa. Listen to the Word of…
Why not Missionary Sister of Our Lady of Africa?
A double invitation of the Lord resounds in my life: “Follow me” and “Go forth from your country, to the land I will show you.” This call gives me joy and dynamism. I would like to respond to it by joining other young people who like me, choose to give their lives to Christ for his Mission. The call to become a Missionary Sister of Our Lady of Africa may be heard in many ways. Perhaps a Gospel passage invites me to proclaim Jesus Christ beyond all borders, a deep desire to give my life to Jesus, an attraction for Muslim-Christian dialogue, the desire to fight against all kinds of injustice, a commitment to the poor, immigrants in my own country, I can also be attracted by Africa for a long time. Openness to others is important to me because it enriches my way of seeing…
To carve is to think with the heart and speak with the hands
To carve is to think with the heart and speak with the hands. I admit that it is an exercise resulting in a lot of sweat … But this exercise shows how vital it is to go to the end of life just as the sculptor takes his time to go to the end and give life to his work. I was born in 1934 in Dordogne. In July 1956, I took my first steps in the congregation of the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa. I was sent to Africa where I had different activities. Since I am retired, I can practice the art of sculpture. In my missionary life, I was able to fulfill several services, thanks to my self-taught training;it is surely a gift from heaven, the greatest gift. Thus I was able to respond to various calls in my religious family. In Algeria, I…