published: 2007-05-02 |
Arise and make Christ shineMission in northern Portugal |
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PORTUGAL, Maria Miguel Vidreiro da Rocha. The missions in Portugal have taken place since young missionaries from Chile arrived in Lisbon with the project "Door of Europe". They brought the fire of the mission of the 31st of May and they left a project that they put into practice: the missions. During one week, a group of youth goes on mission to a specific parish. They want to collaborate with the transformation of the world, but in reality they experience a great transformation within themselves. This year there was an important step in the growth of the missions in Portugal: for the first time the missions were carried out in the northern part of the country. With the collaboration of the Chilean boys, the youth from Lisbon have carried out missions in Évora for three years. This project has been so fruitful, that this year, beginning in February, there were seven missions in the southern part of the country. Now it is not only the Schoenstatt youth and university students from Lisbon who spend a week of their vacations to dedicate themselves entirely to the selfless service of the most needy and for the propagation of the faith. "She is the great missionary. She will work miracles!". Saint Vincent PallottiDuring seven days the youth offered different activities to the people, such as a theatrical presentation, a serenade to Our Lady, encounters for youth, children adults, etc. They also visited institutions daily: They took the greatest treasure, the Pilgrim MTA to homes hospitals, childcare centers, and they made house to house visits, of course they did not know who would open the door. It is She who opens all the doors, and all the hearts. It is She who makes Jesus work in these simple youths. She helps them overcome the fear of not knowing what to say or do when they are with the people. She uses each one just as he is, and they take the light of Christ with them. The experience of being an instrument of God is something wonderful. It transforms the person and changes his life. Three in oneIn reality the week of missions contains three missions. The external mission is carried out when there is contact with the people, when an activity is prepared, and it is presented. The internal mission is the care and attention that is given to the missionaries. And the third and the most important: the work in ones own heart, the contributions to Capital of Grace and the experience of the motto of the mission is the personal mission of each youth. For that reason each missionary carries the experience and the testimony of his own transformation, the enrichment and the spiritual growth within himself. They took the light of redemption to the people of Moita and the surrounding areas"Arise and make Christ shine", was the motto of the mission in Moita, Aveiro, "Talitha Qum", (Talita, arise, Jesus said when he brought the little girl to life) and he said it to each one of the missionaries, because he wanted to take his redemptive light to the people of Moita and the surrounding areas through these youth. The contributions to the Capital of Grace consisted in making a doll named Talitha to rise. First they began to fill Talitha’s knapsack with stones that symbolized their own sins, which impeded them from rising, and then, during the week, for each contribution to the Capital of Grace they removed a stone from the knapsack and they placed it in a basket on the other plate of the "scale". This was done from Palm Sunday until Easter Sunday, when Talitha was able to rise. They prepared encounters, they showed movies, they had meeting with the Pilgrim MTA, they participated in the Stations of the Cross and the Easter celebrations with all the people. They had very rich experiences and there were events that profoundly transformed them. There were things that were completely unexpected or that happened by chance within the missionary group or during the contact with life experiences that were truly impressive. Home again, with your Cross on our breastOn April 18th during the Covenant Holy Mass they presented the motto (in a song) to the Schoenstatt Family of Aveiro, and the following Sunday they also presented it to all the community, after the homily of the Sunday Mass. At the end of the mission they evaluated the unforgettable times during the week along with the community through two presentations that were prepared for this time. They had a very pleasant afternoon, to "overcome the nostalgia" of the very dear personal attachments that were formed during these missions in Moita. Now the mission continues…they have the challenge of always carrying the missionary cross to persevere in taking the light of Christ and making it always shine when we return. We embrace an ideal Mary is our star, And if we are asked who we are AUDIO of the hymnTranslation: Celina Garza, Harlingen, TX, USA |
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